What Makes Living Waters for the World special?
If someone ever asks you what makes Living Waters for the World special, please answer, “It’s the volunteers!!” and note the double exclamation points as our volunteers truly are special. Our volunteers “serve far and wide” as they travel far from home to implement water projects and they serve wide by fulfilling a number of roles across LWW. They make it possible for water projects to change lives around the world, for Clean Water U sessions to occur and for our eleven networks to function as they serve in leadership roles in LWW.
Incoming Honduras Network Moderator Kasey Potzler with her husband, Lee.
Volunteering with LWW often starts with attending a meeting as Kasey Potzler of Christ the Servant Lutheran Church in Bellingham, WA related,
“My husband Lee and I started attending our church’s Deep Waters meetings in April 2014 and went to Honduras for the first time in May 2014. On that trip, we had the opportunity to visit Christ the Servant Lutheran’s three installations and survey two new communities. In June, we went to CWU, and then led our first install trip in November 2014. It certainly was a bit of a crash course in LWW! Since then, we’ve been privileged to go to Honduras one to four times per year.
Curious as to what her involvement in LWW has meant, she replied,
“The best part of being involved with Living Waters for the World, along with helping to bring pure water to those who haven’t had consistent access to it, is certainly the relationships we’ve developed with our Honduran friends. I’m often amazed that almost every week I’m in contact with someone from Honduras and some days there will be multiple contacts via Facebook or Messenger or WhatsApp. Technology today means we can be in touch with these friends.
Franklin, our translator and driver, and Degny & Greyci from El Triunfo, have visited our community (in Bellingham), which means that those from our congregation who support the project but would never go to Honduras, now know these friends too. These contacts enrich our world.”
El Triunfo, Honduras - preparing bottled clean water for delivery and distribution
While we tend to focus on the impact the water systems have on the lives of the people they serve, water projects can impact the lives of people serving:
“On our very first trip to Honduras, we were in the village of El Naranjo for a survey trip. It came time for praying together and one of the village leaders was asked to pray. I expected a one-leader prayer as is usual in our church, but was blessed with voice upon voice added as a cacophony (in the most positive sense of that word) of prayers went forth to our God – everyone bringing their hearts to the Lord at once. Here was a different way to pray from a people whose faith is much more everyday and always present than mine.
Another powerful moment is always the sharing of the first glass of pure water in a village where we’ve installed and educated with our new partners. All those hopes and dreams of what may become because kids are now drinking pure water leave me in tears every time!”
When asked about the biggest challenge her team has faced she replied with an issue that is faced across LWW, identifying and engaging strong leaders. “I think the biggest challenge is finding strong leaders in the communities who will encourage many people to be involved in the water projects. It’s hard work to keep a water project going and growing and projects seem more successful when many people share the work and incite enthusiasm about the endeavor. “
Kasey has what we loving call her Master’s degree from CWU, having attended both the 101 and 102 training which she has put to good use on water projects in Honduras, yet she didn’t stop there. When asked earlier this year if she’d moderate the Honduras network, she said, “Yes.” “At CWU I grew to appreciate the philosophy that LWW is at least a 3-year commitment to relationships and continuing to work side by side with our in-country partners. We’ve seen leftover hardware in villages we’ve visited and the damage that once-and-done projects bring to a country, but LWW has the goal of developing relationships and that is critical to success of our water projects. I believe in this idea; appreciate the incredible leadership of LWW; have watched our US teams and Honduran partners bond as we have worked together; and know the difference that pure water can make in the lives of those who haven’t had access to pure water in the past. I’m excited to help out as the Honduras Network Moderator.” Thanks to our volunteers who so willing give of their lives to serve LWW far and wide. Through your efforts over 850 communities around the world have access to safe, clean, life-sustaining water.
