“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
John 7:37-38
Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
Our God is gracious and generous. His Gospel of salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ is available to everyone. Multiple times in the Scriptures, Jesus states that He will quench our thirst and light our path. This is a real comfort and reminds us that the Gospel is not partial to a particular geography.
However, key resources (water and light) are not available to everyone. Depending on where you live, you may have clean water right out of a tap at home or be forced to walk for miles to get water that is full of harmful bacteria. Whether you have access to electricity or not also depends on where you live. And neither depend on how strong your faith in Jesus is!
At the Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF), it is an honor to work with the local church to provide water and light to those who need it most.
Through the church, communities participate in transforming their own lives.
Buye, Burundi is not in the middle of the desert and is blessed by natural water springs. Yet, as a result of erosion, the springs were capturing liquid and solid wastes from animals and households in the hills. The mortality rate of children under five has been rising, often from diseases stemming from unsafe water.
The church solved this problem by building fortifications by local springs that now contain the water and keep it clean.
Outreach and evangelism teams were an integral part of this ARDF-sponsored project that eventually served more than 2,000 in the community. Teams conducted prayers and read the Bible. Communities became a partner in making safe, drinkable water available to all. Having a reliable source of clean water has allowed them to thrive and Church attendance has grown.
Burundi isn’t the only place where the local church is marrying the importance of clean water or light with the Gospel. Partners in Kenya are reducing the need for dangerous and expensive lighting solutions like kerosene lamps and open fires. The Diocese of Singapore has been testing a new clean water tablet in Nepal.
When the church becomes a trusted partner in the community, caring deeply about the welfare of its neighbors, the Kingdom of God expands. Please join us in praying for these local churches who are working to solve the problem of global inequality by spreading the love of Jesus in such concrete ways.
ARDF is excited to partner with the Anglican Church in Kenya and Nepal to bring these resources to communities in need. For more information about how you can support the local church globally in these efforts, visit ardf.org/project-cascading-ministries or contact ARDF at christine@ardf.org
