Clean water for God's thirsty children
Water With Blessings Responds As Honduras Reels From The Second Hurricane In Two Weeks
Everything has been turned upside down in Central America in the wake of two hurricanes in two weeks.
Along with the destruction it leaves behind, the flooding brings bacteria and other water-borne disease.
We urge you to click on the slideshow to see that even though the hurricanes have brought misery to Honduras, Water With Blessings is providing hope along with healthy water.
Can you help us spread the word about our efforts in Honduras?

Completing a terrible one-two punch, Hurricane Iota followed Hurricane Eta through Central America, leaving a path of catastrophic destruction. Thousands are displaced and scores dead or missing. The heavy rains created flooding and landslides that wiped out entire communities.

In one village alone, dozens are missing after a landslide swept through, leaving mud 50 feet deep.

Because of your help, Water With Blessings is there, providing critical assistance to those in need. Our team in Honduras is in the hurricane-affected areas with water filters and training for as many as 450 Water Women per week.

This is a lifeline for thousands of families: clean drinking water will become available for a minimum of 1,500 new households per week. That means more than 6,000 people avoiding polluted water and water-borne disease.

As we told you last week after the first hurricane hit, the plan for relief includes the following areas of work and collaboration:

  • The Sawyer Company (that produces the filter) will match all filters for immediate distribution in Honduras 1:1 for the next two weeks
  • Another donor is prepared to provide funds for 2,500 filters
  • The Water With Blessings team has already deployed and will continue distribution and training for at least three months
  • Data and analysis reports will be provided to all donors

At this time Water With Blessings has 5000 filters committed, but we need sponsorships (at a temporarily-reduced rate of $50 each per filter) to match the filters that have been provided by Quality Home Products of Houston, Texas, and Sawyer Products of Tampa, Florida.

Please pray for the next team that will head out on Monday. Last week's efforts were hindered by impassable roads and other challenges.

With the coronavirus still spreading, it is the worst time for this to have happened.
Please help us bring relief and clean water to these suffering families – God’s thirsty children.

We do have one piece of great news: now, through the generosity of the UPS Foundation, we are receiving free shipping on our air cargo to the affected areas in Honduras.

This wonderful gift means that we can use your gifts much more efficiently and get more filters more quickly into the hands of new Water Women.

Thank you UPS Foundation!
Cradles of Christ 2020
Save The Date!

The Cradles of Christ Nativity Display will be virtual this year. Now everyone can enjoy experiencing the beauty of the Christmas season in a new way.

Here are the important ways you can participate and support the efforts to provide clean water to families in need around the world:

The Silent Night Auction, featuring lots of great items, begins Thanksgiving Day. You can bid on gift baskets, restaurant gift certificates, a Roomba automatic vacuum cleaner, a Bed & Breakfast stay, Santa theme baskets, spa packages, manicures, beautiful artisan Nativity Sets, and much more. Track your bids each day to make sure you get the one-of-a-kind gifts you want. It will all take place on our website, so be ready!

Cradles of Christ Advent Journey Series gives you a few moments of quiet in this busy season. Subscribe to the Advent Devotion for no charge, although as you will see, donations are accepted. Each day you can view a unique Nativity and video description from the owner, then read the accompanying scripture verse and reflection. Please sign up for your subscription using the following link: Cradles of Christ - Advent Journey

Share your Nativity with us for the Cradles of Christ Advent Journey by signing up on SignUp Genius link: Share your Nativity Sign Up

Please feel free to reach out to Debbie at debbie@waterwithblessings.org with any questions.
 
This is a very different year for all of us. We trust the Holy Spirit to guide this new effort to provide health for families, whether physically through clean water, or spiritually by reflections on what Christmas means.
And we will keep telling you about some of our wonderful auction items.
Here is this week's highlight:

Clean more efficiently with this iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner. Its sensors automatically adjust to all floor types and adapt to changes in your home, while the three-stage cleaning system uses brushes, suction, and agitators to ensure a thorough cleaning of your floors. The 3.6-inch height of this iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner lets it navigate under furniture to clean hard-to-reach areas.
(Minimum bid $125 Value $224.99)

Hurry while there's still time to sign up for the Frankfort Frosty 5K/Fred and Me 143

Calling all runners and walkers: you can support Water With Blessings by participating in this year's race. Everyone receives the traditional race t-shirts, and is eligible for weekly door prize drawings, and at least three Grand Prizes. But you have to sign up.

The race (virtual this year) is on Sunday December 6. Please click on the link below for more information.

And Sister Larraine has agreed to meet up with Louisville area supporters on Sunday, December 6, to walk the 5K at nearby Weatherby Park! We'll take off at 2pm...bring a thermos of something hot!
Central America Is Struggling As You Read This Email

But your help is needed all across the world...

The impact of the two hurricanes on the poor in Central America is terrible, and we must focus our efforts there even more at a time like this.

But the need for clean water continues in other parts of the world served by Water With Blessings. We appreciate your continued support and investment in this life-saving work. But we need more help.

We ask you every week, but now it's more important than ever:

Please consider forwarding this email to a few of your friends. Perhaps they too would want to help those who are suffering through this devastation.

And remember that you can make a long-term impact by clicking the link below to become a sustaining donor to Water With Blessings. By giving $12.50 each month, you can sponsor two new Water Women each year.

We'll be sure to send you information on seeing where your Water Women live and the impact your gift is making.
Why I Support
Water With Blessings
By An Anonymous Volunteer

Water is a basic human right

Creeks, ponds, lakes, rivers and oceans – there is so much water in the world that most of us take it for granted. You would think with all of the water available there wouldn’t be a problem finding clean water to drink.

It’s not the case.

There is a lot of dirty, polluted water that people drink because they have no other option. Pope Francis has stated “Access to clean drinking water is a basic human right and a key component in protecting human life. The right to water is essential for the survival of persons and decisive for the future of humanity.” The Pope also said: “each day – each day! – a thousand children die from water-related illnesses and millions of persons consume polluted water.”

Water With Blessings provides clean water to people in need across the world. We perform the work with joy, love, and laughter in our hearts and souls, because we know we are helping to provide clean water to children and their families.
Together we are helping so many people around the world. What a great feeling! Also, our ‘little factory’ is a peaceful, pleasant environment which makes completing the work so much easier. Another great feeling!

Our mission is unique, our approach based on one simple truth: MOTHERS are the best way to get clean water to God’s thirsty children. We ask each MOTHER to make a sacred promise to serve her neighbors as a WATER WOMAN, sharing filtered clean water with at least three neighboring families. We provide comprehensive training on how to use the Sawyer PointONE Filter kits.

I believe we all can share the joy of these thousands of Water Women, who protect their own and neighboring families from the threat of drinking dirty water.
Coffee Chat Takes the Week Off for Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving may be a little subdued with restrictions on travel and the many precautions we are all taking to stay healthy.

Even in this time of the coronavirus pandemic, we have to admit that it could be so much worse. And is in many parts of the world, not only Honduras.

So as we give thanks for our many blessings, let us remember and pray for the poor around the world who have so much less than we.

And we will be back with Coffee Chat on Friday, December 4.
We spoke with Michele Vidulich, a committed volunteer who has made many trips to Honduras. Here’s what she had to say:

“People already in desperate poverty and barely getting by are now in a disastrous situation. So many of the people are homeless. There’s no electricity, no water, no food – people are starving. It was bad after the first hurricane, now it’s much worse. And throw Covid on top.

“The roads are washed out, keeping the teams from getting deep into the villages. But they’re getting where they can, and the need is everywhere. People are in tents, living under highway bridges. The teams are distributing small plates of food, but it’s so little in the face of the need.

“Please help us spread the word. We need to get as many people involved as we can.”
We believe every child should be drinking clean water. Are you with us?
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