International (MNN) — Wycliffe Associates has launched a campaign to provide clean water for villages in Africa, Asia, and South America. The Bible translation support ministry has built 38 clean water systems so far and plans to build more over the coming months.
Wycliffe Associates staff visit a community to evaluate their needs. Then they train people how to dig wells, maintain water pumps, and construct water towers.
Living Water
Bart Maley, Wycliffe Associates’ Community Development Program Manager, says, “The majority of people that don’t have the Bible in their language, often struggle with a lack of access to clean water. So meeting that need for clean water can often be something the Bible translation teams use for reaching out to their neighbors and sharing the love of Christ in a practical way.”
As people gather at the new water systems, often pastors will read aloud from portions of the Bible they have translated.
In one village, a woman we will call Alina spent her days dragging dirty water from the river. Then Wycliffe helped build a clean water system. On the same day she was able to drink clean water, she heard the news of Jesus, the Living Water.
Maley says wells can create communication between different groups of people. “A water well, because of the way it meets everybody’s needs, can break down some of those barriers and contact walls between people of different faiths. And it reaches community members that don’t choose to express any faith.”
“I think that’s why Christ used it in his own ministry, to meet people that he’d normally wouldn’t meet.”
Wycliffe wants to build clean water systems for 7 more language groups soon, but they will cost $110,000. You can support this work here.
Header photo courtesy of Wycliffe Associates.