International (MNN) — In 1990, a group of believers went on a mission trip to Kenya. When they came back, they began the international ministry known as Living Water International.
20 years ago, the Houston group went to Kenya and built a well there. Struck by the overwhelming lack of clean water, the group could not help but think there must be something more they could do.
"God just broke their hearts," says Living Water's Paul Darilek. "They came home thinking about people who didn't have clean water; it's what they saw all around them, and it was an eye-opening experience. They soon learned that a billion people don't have clean water."
Out of that experience began Living Water International, an organization now celebrating 20 years of bringing clean water and the Gospel to thousands of people around the globe. What started as group of people concerned for those without clean water, turned into an international organization providing wells in 26 countries.
Looking to the future, Living Water has a few tricks up their sleeve. Noting that the ministry has done an exceptional amount of growing in the last five years, Living Water has been conducting several summits to plan for the next five years. These summits are all part of the "Watershed," a year-long strategic planning process. The summits include input from anyone and everyone involved in Living Water's ministry, from donors to recipients.
"Out of this–out of the voices of this entire body–is going to come a five-year plan where we're seeing ourselves double our growth and impact over the next five years," explains Darilek about Watershed.
Living Water is dedicated to helping the 884 million people who don't have access to clean drinking water. To help Living Water through one of their many initiatives or to simply learn more, visit their Web site at www.water.cc.
