Clean water for God's thirsty children
Water Women in Bolivia Build Community While Providing Clean Water
A newly-trained and equipped Water Woman shows off the now world-famous white bucket and Sawyer PointONE filter.
As a result of the strong bonds they have formed while providing clean water for their own and three other families, these experienced Water Women are now collaborating on a community bakery.
Already active in mission trips and other activities, Mary Meyers came to Louisville, Kentucky, in 2012 to attend a conference about putting religious faith into action.

“I kept seeing a woman walking around carrying a white bucket and wondering ‘What is she doing?,’” she said. “Later during the conference I ended up in a group with her and I found out what the white bucket was all about.”

After learning the simple, yet incredibly powerful process that Water With Blessings uses to help provide clean water to God’s thirsty children, Mary knew it could help the people of Bolivia. The Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, where Mary lives, had been sponsoring mission trips there for more than a decade.

“The Diocese had established mission sites, so I spoke with the director of the Office for Peace and Justice,” she said. “As part of our next trip in April of 2013 we only sent about a dozen filters because we didn’t have anything established or who could help set up the project.”

They created a partnership with the Archdiocese of Sucre in Bolivia, and gradually built the project to 90 new Water Women each year.

“What I love seeing is at the beginning of the training when the women look at us with a face that says ‘What is this?’,” she said. “They’re confused and doubtful at first. When they begin to understand the water they’re using for their children is what’s making them sick, and that the filter is going to clean the water, it changes. They begin smiling and laughing; there are lots of hugs. Now they see!”

“Another great outcome is that women in one area have formed such a strong community that they are now collaborating on starting a bakery.

“I returned to one area where Water Women had been trained the year before, and still the appreciation for what they had received was overflowing. They realize the difference that it has made.”
Update On Our Honduras Relief Efforts

The devastation in Honduras caused by last month’s Hurricanes Eta and Iota, less than two weeks apart, has left me heartsick. It looks like the first time I went to Honduras, a year after Hurricane Mitch devastated the country in 1998. They will need assistance for months and months.

Your gifts are helping us get thousands of Sawyer PointONE water filters to mothers in Honduras as the country deals with death, widespread flooding, and displaced families. Our team will spend the next few months distributing between 300 and 450 filters per week.

There are places we can’t get to yet, but the team will go wherever they can travel. Normally they would take public transportation but, because of the pandemic, they are using private transportation. Your gifts help the team get to these affected areas, as well as providing food and a place for team members to stay.

The Honduran people need clean water and prayers now more than ever. At least 500,000 people have been affected by the flooding and destruction. Even getting the filters into the country is proving to be a challenge. The airport we use is under water, so the shipments are being re-routed through El Salvador.

People are living under the underpass of bridges and wherever they can find shelter. They are in desperate need of clean water, but prayers as well. We thank you for providing both.

Sister Larraine
Cradles of Christ 2020

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, continues through December 13. 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!

This link will take you straight to the Silent Night Auction Page:


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

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 are this week's highlights:
Cuisinart® AFR-25 Air Fryer – Now anyone can enjoy crispy, flavorful fried foods without the guilt! Engineered to ensure golden brown results, this high-efficiency unit airfries 2.5 lb. of wings and cooks a wide variety of foods with minimal noise and maximum ease. Simple to use– just turn one knob to regulate the temperature, and the other to set the timer. Designed with a spacious, nonstick interior and stylish stainless steel, the Cuisinart AirFryer is easy to clean and complements any kitchen decor. Minimum bid $50 Value $99.95
Airblown 5.12 ft. H x 6.5 ft. W Inflatable Holiday Grinch and Max Scene – Get into the holiday spirit with this airblown inflatable Grinch and Max scene. The mean Grinch is sporting a conniving grin. Max looks reluctant as his pal plots to steal Christmas. Internal LED lights produce a magical, eye-catching glow at night. The fun Christmas decoration self inflates in moments. Simply plug in, stake down and watch the holiday cheer unfold before your eyes. This inflatable is made of iron, polyester and plastic to ensure season-long enjoyment. Minimum bid $ 60 Value $119
Central America Continues To Struggle As You Read This

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 firmly 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
Bill McGraw, Owner
Quality Home Product of Texas

Bill McGraw has always tied charitable efforts into his business, but five years ago he read Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie, the founder of Toms Shoes.

“It changed the way we do business,” he said. “Today we’re hiring a lot of millennials, and the key thing with that demo is that they want more than a job. They want to change the world. We stress that in our business. Instead of setting sales goals first, we set our charitable goals for the next year. Then we set our sales goals so we can support the charities.”

Among the many groups Bill supports, he includes Water With Blessings because in addition to providing clean water to God’s thirsty children, our system of training and equipping Water Women gives us a great distribution method.

“That’s what separates Water With Blessings from everyone else,” he said. “I’m really a stickler on getting the biggest bang for my buck. I’m always looking for multipliers. When you see that one filter is going to last for years, providing hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, to at least 16 people, for what amounts to a few cents each year – it makes it so cheap! My goodness, of course I’ll do that!”

For every water filtration system sold, Quality Home Products of Texas donates a water filter to Water With Blessings. But now Bill is now deeply involved in our relief efforts in Honduras, where he went on a WWB trip in 2017.

“We’ve got 5,000 filters going down there now, and at a reduced price,” he said. “We want to do anything we can to help.”

Coffee Chat Highlights the Progress in Bolivia
Mary Meyers will join us for this week’s Coffee Chat, giving us an update of the Diocese of Joliet’s mission to Bolivia. We will be sharing a video featuring one of the Bolivian Water Women, who tells of the difference Water With Blessings has made.

So remember: the Chat begins at Noon Eastern Time. The coffee is optional (we know some people prefer tea), but you can always count on the calming effects of community: prayer, fellowship, and always a few laughs.

Please consider making Coffee Chat a weekly habit.
During their training sessions, new Water Women in Bolivia personalize the buckets they will use to collect water for purification with their Sawyer PointONE Filter.
We believe every child should be drinking clean water. Are you with us?
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