WILLS POINT, TX – Water shouldn’t have a distinct red color when pulled from a well—but that’s exactly what thousands of impoverished families see when they go to draw water. Water shouldn’t make you sick—but that’s exactly the threat thousands of poverty-stricken people face from their only available source of drinking water.
A Global Water Crisis
Access to clean, pure water remains a major issue for destitute communities in Africa and Asia. Close to 785 million people collect water from contaminated sources, and around 144 million draw their water directly from ponds, rivers, lakes and streams.[1] Those same water sources can harbor numerous contaminants and are among the causes of 485,000 diarrheal related deaths every year.[2]
That is why Gospel for Asia (GFA World) missionaries make it a point to identify communities in need of pure water and help meet that need. Whether it is to raise awareness of the importance of clean water on World Water Day or provide solutions to water crises, Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastors and missionaries will provide Jesus Wells or BioSand water filters to villages and individuals who need them most.
The Fight Against Unclean Water
In their respective areas, Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastors Gaige and Rainart discovered many people struggling with dirty water.
For those in Pastor Gaige’s region, the water was red—a color water should never be. Apparently, their water was highly contaminated with iron. Unfiltered, it was unfit for drinking. Most of the villagers had no filters they could use; farmers and daily laborers, they more than likely could not afford them. So, Pastor Gaige distributed 30 BioSand water filters. With the filters, the villagers no longer needed to fear drinking the red-colored water; they now had pure, clean water instead.
Families in Pastor Rainart’s area, including Kaigan’s, faced a similar situation. There was a pump well near Kaigan’s house, but it was improperly drilled. As a result, mud entered the well during the rainy seasons, contaminating the water and drastically increasing the risk of infection from disease. Kaigan noted his children would fall ill almost every week, complaining of stomach pains, a tell-tale symptom of dysentery.
The well wasn’t safe to drink from, period. But it was the only source of water available to them.
After hearing of Kaigan’s children constantly falling ill, and of similar reports from other families in the village, Pastor Rainart stepped in and distributed 42 BioSand water filters to Kaigan and other families in need. After that, Kaigan’s children didn’t fall ill every week. Their new BioSand water filter helped keep them safe from waterborne diseases, including dysentery.
Within the communities they serve, Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionaries like Pastors Gaige and Rainart step up to identify the most pressing needs. But it’s because of gifts from our donors that Gospel for Asia (GFA) missionaries can meet these critical needs and demonstrate Christ’s tangible love to men and women in deprivation.
See how you can join GFA missionaries in helping provide families with pure, clean water.
[1] “Drinking Water.” World Health Organization. 14 June 2019. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water
[2] “Drinking Water.” World Health Organization. 14 June 2019. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are Gospel for Asia World stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
Source: Gospel for Asia Field Reports & Updates, Fighting Waterborne Diseases with Water Filters
Learn more about how to provide pure, clean water to families and villages through GFA World Jesus Wells and BioSand Water Filters.
Learn more about the GFA World national missionaries who carry a burning desire for people to know the love of God. Through their prayers, dedication and sacrificial love, thousands of men and women have found new life in Christ.
Learn more by reading these Special Reports:
- Solving the World Water Crisis for Good — Lasting Solutions Can Defeat an Age-old Problem.
- The Global Clean Water Crisis — Finding Solutions to Humanity’s Need for Pure, Safe Water.
Gospel for Asia (now GFA World) founded by K.P. Yohannan, has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, to help the poor and deprived worldwide via GFA World missionaries who meet the needs of poor communities, like the need for pure water to fight waterborne diseases, with BioSand Water Filters.