Clean water for God's thirsty children
A Little Way of Bringing Sunshine and Color Into Someone's Day
Charlotte Ford and Barbara Lanham display their handiwork -- homemade lanyards that will hold the syringes used to clean the Sawyer PointONE Filters.
A Water Woman shows off her bucket with the Sawyer PointONE Filter protected in a crocheted cover.
There are hundreds of thousands of Sawyer PointONE Filters providing clean water to God's thirsty children around the world. And 700 of them are protected by a cover crocheted by Charlotte Ford.

"My sister, Barbara Lanham, is a member of St. Athanasius Parish here in Louisville," Charlotte said. "Somebody there told her that there was this nun with a group called Water With Blessings who was looking for people to crochet these 'socks' to protect the filters. I made at least 700 of them before Sister said she had more than enough."

A few months back, Sr. Larraine Lauter sent out another request: this time for crocheted lanyards to hold the syringes used to clean the filters.

"We've made a little more than 3,000 of those so far," Charlotte said. "I crochet the the lanyards and the little pompoms we put on them. Then Barbara and I put them together and put beads on them to decorate them a little more. This keeps us busy.

"But it's such a worthy cause. Everybody in the world deserves to have clean water to drink. It breaks my heart that so many people get sick because they aren't able to have clean water. In this day and age that's just not right."
One of Charlotte's favorite things about crocheting for Water With Blessings, beginning with the socks and now the lanyards, is the chance to make something beautiful.

"I'm able to use all these beautiful, colorful scraps of yarn I have," she said. "People like colorful things

"While I'm crocheting, the whole time I'm sitting there I think of where they are going to go, the people who will use them, how the filter is going to make someone's life better," she said. "We use these different colors, these colorful beads. It's a way to bring some sunshine into someone's day.

"We all have to give back, to make a difference. I think of all the blessings God has given me and I'm so grateful. I love doing every minute of this."
Cradles of Christ 2020
Save The Date! DONATE!

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.

Santa Claus Is Coming Your Way at 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 Just Got Pounded By A Hurricane

That means the need for filters is greater than ever...

It's been an active hurricane season, and it seems the last one has created chaos in Central America, where Water With Blessings had its start and still continues to operate every day.

The destructive rain damages homes and buildings. Overflowing lakes and rivers bring disease -- especially water-borne parasites and bacteria. But our Water Women never stop providing clean water to God's thirsty children in their areas.

When you support Water With Blessings, you are investing in this life-saving work. But we need more help.

Please consider forwarding this email to a few of your friends. Perhaps they too would want to be a part of this growing effort.

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
Gerry Delaquis
WWB Haiti Coordinator

Gerry Delaquis served in the United States military, specializing in logistics. He ran a US-based nonprofit organization that helped provide education services in Haiti. His family was involved in Haitian politics (his mother was one of the people who pushed for women to be able to vote in Haiti), so he has long been interested in the nation's political landscape.

"Through all of those experiences, God was getting me ready for mission," he said.

Gerry first read about Water With Blessings in The Record, the weekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of Louisville. At the time, he was involved in a crisis situation near the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

"Sugar cane workers had been pushed out of the Dominican Republic and were living in camps on the Haiti side," Gerry said. "Cholera was coming through the area and the people were desperate.

"I went to the Water With Blessings office and talked with Sr. Larraine for a whole afternoon. At the end of the meeting, we hugged and cried. That was the connection. We began shipping the filters to the camps."
For Gerry, Water With Blessings is not a charity.

"It's helping people," he said. "Too many times charity is sending some money, or going some place for a week or two. But that's degrading the human being you're trying to help, making them dependent on you.

"Water With Blessings gives people the tools and the training to the ones who are going to use them, giving them the ability to help themselves and their community. We aren't a savior, coming in to save people.

"When people give support to Water With Blessings, we use it to our maximum ability. Then the Water Women take what we give them and provide the clean water."

Gerry's team in Haiti is completing the Village By Village project, in which they have trained and equipped nearly 7,500 Water Women thus far.

"Multiply that number by four and you see how many families are drinking clean water. That's almost 30,000 families."
Coffee Chat:
A Crafty Way to
Keep in Touch
Charlotte Ford will join Sr. Larraine at the Water With Blessings office to show us how she creates the colorful lanyards that protect the syringes used to keep the Sawyer PointONE filters clean.

Also, we'll have some time to pray, to catch up on how things are going, and have a few laughs along the way.

Remember, we have moved the time permanently to a noon chat every Friday. Water With Blessings has friends and supporters all over the country, this gives more people a chance to join us.

So if our old time was too early for you, please consider clicking below to be a part of the conversation. Then grab a mid-day beverage and fire up the connection. Once you join us, we think you will want to make it a habit.
A Long Walk Just So She Could Say Thank You

Gerry Delaquis tells us that last week his team in Haiti was in mission outside a large village when a familiar visitor arrived. It was a woman from a small village where the team had trained Water Women several months ago.

"When Water With Blessings arrived in her village, she was sick with a bad infection, and her son had a severe skin problem -- both caused by the unclean water they were drinking and using to cook with," Gerry said.

"She had heard where the team was now working, and walked four hours to come and say thank you. She and her son are both completely cured. And one of the people who had trained the Water Women in her village was now serving as the team leader in this other area.

"I tell you, there was great joy. Water With Blessings brings this great feeling of solidarity. The people are so grateful for what they receive."
We believe every child should be drinking clean water. Are you with us?
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