In Ethiopia, rural women must carry water on their backs. This water is usually up to two miles away from their homes, and is usually contaminated. Though about 80% of the land in Ethiopia has water underground, these women are generally unaware of its existence. Water To Thrive produces wells, making this underground water available. Getting to know these water women, and their challenge of acquiring clean water for their families, can change an American’s life forever!

                  Nancy Teply, Beth Senne-Dufff, and Bobbie Bateman accompanied me on a trip to Ethiopia last June 2013, and they are now working to see that more and more clean water is available in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania. The picture was taken in front of the building where I had started a clinic and hospital in 1963, while serving the American Lutheran Church as a missionary. Sadly, the building is standing empty. It was built by the Italians when they attempted to occupy Ethiopia during WWI. The building, with several other buildings on the same plot of land was given to the ALC for development in 1961. The building housed a clinic, a hospital, a chapel, and four apartments for missionary families. When the missionaries were forced out by the Marxist government in the 70’s, the building was bombed and left unattended for some time. At the end of that regime, the Tigre Development Association (Tigre is one of the provinces in Ethiopia) tried to rehab the building, and did use it for teaching bee-keeping, and some other occupations. The June trip group visited the site and some wells that are near the area.

                  What we all learned from actually being at well sites is that looking in the faces of these women and girls, who have carried water all their lives, was that their spirits are not dismayed by the drudgery of this task. These women and girls looked at us with love and happiness that surpassed the drudgery. Their generosity with what food they had and the spirit with which they shared it with us was overwhelming. After being that close to one of these women leaves the visitor very close to God. We came home ready to work toward further development of the water ministry done by Water To Thrive.

                  All are invited to also have the opportunity to experience the closeness of water women. W2T is sponsoring three trips to Ethiopia in May and June of 2014. Access the details of the trips by going to:  www.watertothrive.org/missiontrips  I will be leading the trip In June and would love to have several persons on that trip with me.

                  In Ethiopia, rural women must carry water on their backs. This water is usually up to two miles away from their homes, and is usually contaminated. Though about 80% of the land in Ethiopia has water underground, these women are generally unaware of its existence. Water To Thrive produces wells, making this underground water available. Getting to know these water women, and their challenge of acquiring clean water for their families, can change an American’s life forever!

                  Nancy Teply, Beth Senne-Dufff, and Bobbie Bateman accompanied me on a trip to Ethiopia last June 2013, and they are now working to see that more and more clean water is available in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania. The picture was taken in front of the building where I had started a clinic and hospital in 1963, while serving the American Lutheran Church as a missionary. Sadly, the building is standing empty. It was built by the Italians when they attempted to occupy Ethiopia during WWI. The building, with several other buildings on the same plot of land was given to the ALC for development in 1961. The building housed a clinic, a hospital, a chapel, and four apartments for missionary families. When the missionaries were forced out by the Marxist government in the 70’s, the building was bombed and left unattended for some time. At the end of that regime, the Tigre Development Association (Tigre is one of the provinces in Ethiopia) tried to rehab the building, and did use it for teaching bee-keeping, and some other occupations. The June trip group visited the site and some wells that are near the area.

                  What we all learned from actually being at well sites is that looking in the faces of these women and girls, who have carried water all their lives, was that their spirits are not dismayed by the drudgery of this task. These women and girls looked at us with love and happiness that surpassed the drudgery. Their generosity with what food they had and the spirit with which they shared it with us was overwhelming. After being that close to one of these women leaves the visitor very close to God. We came home ready to work toward further development of the water ministry done by Water To Thrive.

                  All are invited to also have the opportunity to experience the closeness of water women. W2T is sponsoring three trips to Ethiopia in May and June of 2014. Access the details of the trips by going to:  www.watertothrive.org/missiontrips  I will be leading the trip In June and would love to have several persons on that trip with me.