Running Water

The statistics are staggering on the number of people in our world that don't have access to clean water. If you drank tap water today, did you even stop and consider you are among some of the most blessed people in the world? Probably not. Why would you? You've always had access to clean, running water...it's difficult to be grateful for something you've never lacked.

Living in Tanzania, in the village of Lagoda Lutari, we didn't have running water. We had wells. We were blessed. Many people don't even have that. But let me tell you a little more about my experience with water.

So at our school we had a well, a big hole that went down 100 feet (I'm actually really horrible about guessing depth and distances, so it could have been more.) We had to take buckets, tie a rope and a rock as a weight to it, and drop it down. Then prayed that there was enough water to even fill the bucket part of the way. Next, we stood over the well, and started pulling up the rope with alternating arms. Wasn't a piece of cake by any means. Most of the time we were lucky and got a few buckets of water that we would end up carrying (on our heads...yes, I did it) to our house. Then we would let the water sit for a while so all the dirt would settle to the bottom. This water was used strictly for cooking and cleaning...not drinking. It wasn't clean, it wasn't safe.

Drinking water was fetched at a different well...much much further away. One time, I went with a fellow teacher to go fetch some water and an hour later we arrived at the pump well. It was broken. So we journeyed another hour to a pump well that was at a hospital. At that point I vowed to never take for granted the water I had back in the states.

After a few weeks of being there, I started to get sick...(horrible diarrhea). Even the "clean drinking well water" wasn't clean enough for my American stomach. (I was even using a Steri-Pen that my dad had gotten me to kill all bacteria in the water before I drank it). So, we started boiling the original well water for drinking water, and that seemed to help.

The well we used gave water access to many of the villagers...a lot of people depended on this source...that is until it became blocked by too many lost buckets. Buckets that weren't tied on good enough would fall to their doom and eventually they piled up. I will never forget, there were two days that we had no access to water...no cleaning, no bathing...no drinking, due to this blockage of buckets. Those two days seemed to drag on forever, trying to collect enough spit in my mouth and swallow it in one big gulp did not quench the thirst. That day reconfirmed my vow to not take water for granted, to drink every last drop I was ever given and love every ounce. {We eventually sent a student down the well to retrieve all the buckets...totally and completely safe and covered by insurance...not!!!}

I remember the first time I got to a faucet, with running water! I stood in awe, truly amazed at the blessing it is. That we can turn a handle, clean water comes out...and we even have temperature options. Hmmm...do I want hot water, or cold water? Or maybe some warm water? It's simple, yet mind blowing!

I can tell you I drink differently now; I brush my teeth differently; I wash my face differently. I will never ever forget the blessing it is to be able to turn on the faucet and have clean, drinkable water flow from it. Or go to a restaurant and be given FREE, cold, clean water...I don't leave without finishing my glass, and sometimes other's now.

I wanted to share this post in honor of World Water Week...I guess it's a thing. I know it will be hard for most people to really relate to the situations that the majority of our world faces with the lack of clean water. Heck, I don't even know the extent that most live with daily. All I know is that water is the source of life...and there are way too many deaths of children and adults that could be preventable if they just had access to a clean water source.

So that's all I really have for now. I hope this kinda gets you thinking about how truly blessed you are if you drank any water or showered today...and didn't get terribly sick from it. There are many many reputable organizations that are fighting against this tragedy, please check them out...and give if you can. But, I wanted to highlight one in particular if you are at all interested in doing something about this. It's a great local guy that I know that's doing something about the water crisis that exists today.

Check it out, watch his video below...participate in Bloomsday with Team Running Water, or donate directly to the cause on his page.

Donate here:

https://secure.partnersintl.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=290&frsid=11

Partners International: Team Running Water

Team Running Water > Partners International from Partners International on Vimeo.

Language barriers don't stop us

My journey started in norther Tanzania (TZ) in a city called Moshi. It's a beautiful place, and when not cloudy, the majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro can be seen. There is a neighboring town called Majengo, this is the home of Yesu Anaweza, the church we partnered with for our 2nd time. The official language of TZ is Swahili. In addition, every tribe will have there own language. English is becoming more and more prevalent, but not everyone can speak it. I was asked so many time, "How do you interact with your students if you can't speak their language? Is it hard?" Yes and no. Obviously what you can "talk" about is very limited, but like everyone knows the percentage of non-verbal communication is a lot higher than verbal. Here is a video of Kristin Andre successfully demonstrating that you don't need to necessarily speak one another's language to interact and have a good time. Some communication is universal, love and laughter. I think this video also shows a glimpse of children in a third world country. The picture that is painted of them isn't always the most accurate. I have come to realize that most kids are very joyful, even in poverty situations. Money, material items, food, doesn't equal wealth. I have come to believe quite the opposite actually (I will speak more to this in later blogs).

Enjoy :)

Kristin "Big Cheeks" from Marisha Cunliffe on Vimeo.

Remember

December '07 was the first time I step foot in Tanzania and that was the moment that forever changed my life.  Little did I know that God would open the door for me to return in August '10...but instead of 3 weeks, it would be for 4.5 months.  Those months have had the most significant impact of my life thus far, and I have tried my hardest to suppress the memories, the people, and the moments that have captured my heart.  Seems ludicrous, don't you think?  It is.  With every passing day my heart gets heavier and heavier and enough is enough.  I started this blog before I left and due to lack of internet/electricity in general, I wasn't able to keep it updated.  Now is the time to start processing my experience and to remember the people that are dear to my heart no matter how much the pain of  missing them is.  This isn't necessarily for "my readers" (if there even are any)...but this is for me and for my friends, brothers, sisters, and students that are living in Tanzania.  They may never have the opportunity to read this, but they will forever be apart of me and I will carry them in my heart forever.  I love you guys with all my heart and I'm sorry that I have been so selfish and fought so hard to not remember because of the pain it brings me.

This is for you.