Living Waters for the World

Living Waters for the World serves as a resource to churches of all denominations and others in mission, enabling them to bring pure water to their partners in need, and to empower their partners to continue to purify their water on an ongoing basis.

We believe our faith calls us to:

- provide affordable water purification systems for people in all parts of the world

- partner with community organizations to be responsible for the installation, operation and maintenance of the water purification system

- assist in development of health and hygienic education that stimulates the demand for and the understanding of the benefits of purified water.

Living Waters for the World is the mission project of the Synod of Living Waters of the Presbyterian Church, U S A. The project was first conceived in the early 90's by Wil Howie, a psychologist-turned-minister who believed that the Synod of Living Waters of which he is a member, could literally bring life-saving, "living" waters to people in need throughout the world. Adopted by the Synod Hunger Network in late 1992, the full Synod approved this mission project in Spring 1993. The first water purification unit was installed in Reynosa, Mexico in 1996.

From this humble beginning, the water purification system that was designed and is continually being improved by a group of Presbyterian engineers and others has now been installed at 17 sites in Mexico, Honduras, Haiti, Belize and Guatemala, with expansion into Brazil and the African and Asian continents in 2004. The system purifies water in 300-gallon batches, and is ideal for institutional settings - clinics, churches, schools and orphanges.

Partnership with churches of all denominations and others in mission, including those receiving the water, is the key concept in this mission. Through partnerships, empowerment creates sustainability, and all are blessed in the process. Starting in 2004, the establishment of Clean Water U, LWW's four-day simulation school, is enabling the organization to train many more volunteers to lead teams to build partnerships, install the water purficiation system and teach health, hygiene and spiritual education to in-country leaders.

The need for purified water is overwhelming. Three million people die each year from water-related illnesses, most of them children. Living Waters for the World is a clear example of the church being involved in people's lives in a real, tangible way. Children are being saved from certain illness and deadly complications that come from dirty water, which has been the only kind of water available to them and their parents. Living Waters for the World is delivering the water of life and sowing God's word to those who thirst.

For more information, please visit Clean water U's website at http://www.livingwatersfortheworld.org