Since the day I have come home from Africa, I can’t stop thinking about water. As I took my first shower with running water in a month and a half, I stood frozen beneath the warm running water. I was not sure what to think. Although I had done this thousands of times before, it was as if this were my first shower ever. When I stepped out of the shower I looked around and was so taken away by the luxury of running water. How could I have not noticed this before, after these numerous trips to Uganda, why was this just now hitting me so hard?

I couldn’t stop thinking about my friends in Africa. The process by which it takes them to prepare their water… The long walk down the road (2.5 miles) to reach an unclean stream and carry back 20 gallons of water on a bicycle. Then they must chop firewood, start a fire, and boil water… all of which is about a 2-3 hour process. This is just to begin their day, so that they can wash clothes, drink water, cook, and bathe themselves.

We pull a handle and instantly have an endless supply of hot or cold water, depending on our need/preference. I never realized how many clothes a new born baby went through, I feel like the laundry basket is constantly full and we are doing laundry all the time, to make sure his clothes are clean. What about our friends around the world, they do not have this luxury. They do not have the time or resources to be able to wash clothes as soon as they are a little dirty.

These thoughts have been challenging me, ever since I got home, and I pray that they continue to drive me. As a people who are blessed by God with resources and education, we must make a choice to use God’s blessing only for our own lives or for the lives of others. Living in this constant state of tension, allows me to not forget my friends abroad, but to pray for them and to think critically about the ways in which I can contribute to their development. God is preparing the people of our ministry to bring about a life promoting change to a world in desperate need!