Blessings Flow
Waterborne illnesses are a persistent issue in many of our global partner areas, due to contamination of local water sources. In some areas, like La Mosquitia, this issue has been exacerbated by a recent increase of heavy rains and flooding. The Board of World Mission is seeking to address the need for clean drinking water through our new Blessings Flow project, which we launched in the village of Tumtum Tara, Honduras, in April of 2023. In order to make this project possible, we are partnering with the organization One Atta Time (click here to learn more), whose mission is to bring access to clean drinking water to those in need. They provide five-gallon buckets and EPA-approved water filters, as well as pre- and post-intervention assessments of health and water quality. The average cost of this project is $50 per household. We hope to expand this intervention to more communities in the La Mosquitia region in the initial state of the project.
In Tumtum Tara, we worked with local leaders and One Atta Time staff to take an initial census of the population. We then offered a clinic to address any existing waterborne illnesses, before distributing water filters to 203 households and training community members on how to use the filters effectively. In June of 2023, our Mission Facilitator, Rick Nelson, will travel back to Tumtum Tara with local leaders and One Atta Time to do a post-intervention assessment of the project. On this trip, we will also determine a timeline for project expansion and identify the next villages to benefit from the program.
In the first stage of the project, we plan to expand to five total communities in La Mosquitia while working with all partners to identify and equip local leaders to administer future stages of the project. There are roughly 100 villages in La Mosquitia, all of which have a need for a clean water intervention like the Blessings Flow project.
Those in the US can send checks to Board of World Mission, 1021 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018. You may also make your donation online at http://moravianmission.org/give/ and click on the green “Give” button at the top of the page. Please use the memo line to indicate that your gift is for “Blessings Flow.”
Canadians can send checks to: Moravian Church in Canada, 600 Acadia Drive SE, Calgary, AB T2J 0B8. Interac e-Transfer donations may be sent to [email protected]. In the comments section, please mark this donation as “Blessings Flow” and include your name and address to receive a tax receipt.
If you or your congregation would like to talk about setting a goal of sponsoring an entire community (100-250 families) please contact the Board of World Mission’s Director of Mission Engagement, the Rt. Rev. Chris Giesler at [email protected] or call the BWM office at (610) 868-1732.
