After the success of our early fundraising efforts and the Clovis Water
Walk, Angie and I decided to take a temporary break from active fundraising
projects. This was partly due to the
holidays and my graduation, but we also wanted to take time to reflect on our
successes and pray about direction for the future of h2o. During this time, the first well was
installed. (Praise the Lord that Zach,
Edwin and Floyd were there to see this first hand and participate!) Also, we have been inspired with direction
for the coming year of fundraising. As
of right now, we are planning 3 fundraising events:
- March to Surrender (no actual marching is required, see below)
- Rio Rancho Water Walk this spring (details coming soon)
- Clovis Water Walk in the fall
The “March to Surrender” is a 31 day fast. The concept is simple …
- Give up all soft drinks, coffees, teas, juices, lattes, frappes, and other beverages for the entire month of March and drink only water.
OR
- Give up one daily beverage or other guilty pleasure [ex. morning trip to Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, late night snack] for the entire month of March.
- Pledge the money you would have spent to h2o. Let us know what you choose to do so that we may pray along with you. Go to the "March to Surrender" tab above to make your pledge.
- At the end of the month, donate* your savings to our next well.
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Americans spend nearly $30 billion per year on coffee (includes lattes,
frappes, etc.) and soft drinks and $388 billion on alcohol. That’s almost $420 billion on drinks that are
generally considered to be bad for us.
To put it in different terms, we spend about $112/person/month on
coffee, soft drinks and alcohol.
Certainly, that amount varies a lot among individuals. However, I know that Angie and I spend about
$60/month just for soft drinks at Sonic and McDonalds (don’t judge me). If we can get 120 people to participate in
this event by pledging $80 for the month, we will be able to fully fund our
second well.
Just like with the Water Walk and the Parents’ Night Out events, this
experience is about more than money. It
is a time to surrender our selfish
desires of the flesh, to let go of those things that ensnare us. Isaiah 58:6-7 captures the essence of the
spiritual component of this fast …
6 Isn’t the fast I
choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to
set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? 7 Is it not to
share your bread with the hungry, to
bring the poor and homeless into your
house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh
and blood?
By surrendering our fleshly
cravings to God, we can break the chains of wickedness that entangle us. We can free ourselves to share our money to
provide for those in need.
Isaiah 58:1-5 highlights how the Israelites missed this point. They fasted and then complained to God about
their prayers not being answered. God
responded to them that their fast was meaningless because they continued to
indulge in their other selfish cravings rather than devoting themselves to
prayer. In other words, they simply
replaced the sacrificed item by indulging themselves in some other
craving. Also, they made their fasting
obvious for all to see so that they would be noticed for their piety. It is not enough to simply look the part. They made a mockery of God by continuing in
their wicked ways.
For us, we should use this as an opportunity express genuine sorrow for
the sin of our gluttonous, self-indulgent lifestyles. When the cravings hit for that morning coffee
or afternoon soda, choose a glass of water from the tap instead. Then, thank the Lord for providing us with
clean, accessible water. Pray for those
who do not have that luxury. Pray for
the success of our ministry in providing that to them, specifically for the
success of the Rio Rancho Water Walk. And
finally, let us repent of our self-indulgent lifestyle.
In verses 8-12 of Isaiah 58, God promises us results from fasting the
right way. Verse 11 stands out to me
because God promises we will be like a
watered garden and like a spring whose waters never run dry.
Please join with us in this fast.
Go to http://hydration2others.blogspot.com/p/donate.html to send us your
gift. I pray that it will be a powerful
experience to you.
It wouldn’t feel complete without a song …
(I dislike the ads from the VEVO videos, but since they are official
videos the links are likely to stay reliable.
So, I’m sorry if you get a beer ad or something weird at the beginning
of this video.)
~ Justin
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