One of my favorite parts about working with Water Mission is having the opportunity to visit communities we serve around the world that are full of vibrant culture, welcoming families, and inspirational resilience. On top of that, I get to connect with incredible, generous partners, and I even have the chance to travel with them to see the safe water projects their partnerships have made possible.
Earlier this month, I traveled to Haiti with a few representatives from Big League Impact — a foundation committed to restoring hope and saving lives in the U.S. and globally. The organization and several of the dedicated professional athletes who comprise its community have been sponsoring Water Mission projects in Haiti for the last four years.
Our friends at Big League Impact introduced us to Help One Now, a nonprofit organization working with local leaders to empower families and communities. This group specifically focuses on caring for orphans and vulnerable children in developing countries in order to transform communities and break the cycle of extreme poverty.
While we were in northeastern Haiti, we visited Ferrier Village, a community in which Help One Now has been working and the location of a Water Mission safe water system that is just weeks away from completion. The system will serve the community as well as a walled compound that includes a church, a school, and a home for children rescued from trafficking.
In Ferrier Village, I had the chance to describe how the water system will function and bring much-needed safe water to the children and adults who call the region home. As I was speaking, I was reminded of the countless opportunities and connections that safe water can build in a community.
It’s hard for me to articulate the myriad ways in which God orchestrated the many connections our team made through this project. I have no doubt that the Lord is constantly at work in and through His people. The Ferrier Village water project in particular is a beautiful example of 1 Corinthians 12:12, which compares the specific parts of the human body to members of the body of Christ. When we allow ourselves to be used for the glory of God, He works in miraculous ways.
On the trip, the leader of Help One Now, Payton Junkin, made a profound statement as we gathered around a lunch graciously provided by their staff. He said, “You have to focus on the micro and trust that it’s impacting the macro.” The global water crisis is an enormous, overwhelming, “macro” problem to face: 2.1 billion people worldwide still lack access to safe water, one of the world’s most basic resources. But every day, we work on the “micro” level to provide safe water to more people, more families, more communities. And we have faith that God’s work through our team is making a lasting, transformative impact.
When I visit Ferrier Village and other communities where we have installed projects, I can see the tangible effects of safe water and sanitation solutions. Each project shows evidence of great partnerships — field partners, supporters, and community residents alike help design, build, fund, train, operate, and sustain the water projects we implement. These solutions are contributing to a better life for community members in Haiti and growing the body of Christ.
As we left Ferrier Village that day and Haiti the next, I reflected on the wonderful relationships that are being established and those that are already thriving. There is so much hope, and I am excited about what God’s people are building together.