Water Sunday 2013

For the last two years, our church has partnered with Water Missions International to participate in Water Sunday. It has been a great opportunity to bring awareness to a global crisis. Throughout this past year I have been inspired by one of our Cornerstone Kids. Mia was troubled last year as she heard about the lack of clean water. So she decided to do something about it. Here is a video of her story.

http://vimeo.com/62010737

Water Missions International is doing a great job around the world. They understand the roots of poverty and they use community development and involvement to solve the problem. If you are a pastor, I would encourage you to consider holding a Water Sunday at your church.

 “What if the American Church came together and said ‘We want to end this crisis?’” Water Sunday is an initiative of Water Missions International, inspiring a movement within The Church to respond to the global water crisis. Together, we can be the solution. Water Sunday is the start.

Every day is a disaster, as nearly 884 million people lack access to safe water, and nearly 2.6 billion people do not have adequate sanitation.Since 2001, Water Missions International has responded to the world’s largest natural disasters and daily tackles the world’s single biggest cause of illness – lack of safe water and adequate sanitation (U.N. Report, 2005) by providing safe water to more than two million people in 49 countries.

Global Impact of Insufficient/Unsafe Water & Sanitation

• Some one billion people—one-seventh of the world’s population—do not have access to safe water. (WHO, 2010)
• Lack of safe water and adequate sanitation is the world’s single biggest cause of illness (U.N. Report, 2005) . . . and often the major cause of death following a natural disaster (based on Water Missions International’s experience).
• More than 5,000 children die every day worldwide from diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. (UNICEF, Progress for Children, 2006)
• Waterborne diseases cause the death of more than 1.5 million children each year. (UNWater.org, 2010)
• It is estimated that over 2.5 billion people globally live without adequate sanitation.. (UNWater.org, 2010)
• Half the hospital beds in the world are filled with people who are sick with water-borne illnesses. (UNEP.org, 2010)
• One dollar invested in water supply and sanitation can provide an economic return of up to 34 times, depending on the region. (U.N. Report, 2005)
• “We shall not finally defeat AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, or any of the other infectious diseases that plague the developing world until we have also won the battle for safe drinking water, sanitation and basic health care.” (U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, 2001)