Day 80- A Cold Water Challenge First

There are some people in Andalusia trying to raise awareness of the need for clean drinking water in Africa.  What a great thing to raise awareness for.  One way they are doing this is to challenge people via Facebook to jump in a swimming pool with cold water in it.  That's virtually all pools this time of year. I was challenged by Kim Turman, a sweet sister in the Lord, to do this.  So, for my "first" today, I jumped into a swimming pool of cold water to help raise awareness of the need for clean drinking water in Africa.

As I was talking about this with Joel, he thought he might want to do it as well.  The deal is you get someone to video you and post it on FB. The video is of you explaining what you are doing and then you challenge someone else. This is how awareness is raised.  So, Joel was all about jumping in but the talking on the video was a bit outside his comfort zone. I challenged Joel and Kelsi Scruggs.  When we got there, Joel overcome his shyness and did it. I was very proud of him.  You can see our videos on my FB page.

I can still back out at this point

Joel getting ready to take the challenge with a wet Daddy in the background

He did it!!

Well, the water was cold. You might call it "very refreshing."  What I said on my video was since Jesus gave me living water, I can sure raise awareness for clean drinking water for those in Africa.  The need for clean drinking water is huge.  Many preventable deaths occurs every year and many of these can be traced to bad drinking water.  A person just can't live long without water.  In today's world, we can provide that for people all over the world. Our church has provided clean water for a church and orphanage in Uganda and a water filtration system for an orphanage and church in Haiti.  I have a friend and he and his family are in the process of providing for a well.  They have been asking people to give money to their well instead of giving them birthday and Christmas presents for the past few years.  They have been doing this for a while and are getting really close to having enough to build the well. I know of some friends who are bonding together to provide a well for a village. What a great investment!  It's a very cool thing to know that your family has provided clean water for a village somewhere.

It is a good reminder that Jesus gives to us so that we can give to others.  There really is great joy in giving.  Jesus is right (He always is) when He said it is more blessed to give than to receive.  Even when you get a shot of cold water in the process. I trust the cold water wakes me up to more possibilities for giving.

Realizing that giving is essential for the abundant life
Barry

3 things I thank God for
1. People that give money to provide clean water wells to those who need them
2. Joel being brave to do the cold water challenge
3. Laura and Hannah Grace going to a Mother/Daughter weekend at Camp Victory