water of life.

Wow, the time is starting to fly...It´s almost December!
The people in Ita Paso are having a difficult time. The entire village has been out of water since last Saturday. There usually isn´t very much water in Ita Paso, but it´s worse in the summer months. They are at a higher elevation than we are in the city, so very little water is retained. The church has a water cistern, but other local people had tapped into their pipes and drained them of all their water. The lack of water makes it very difficult to cook for hundreds of children each day. They had to bring in big buckets of water in order to cook and wash the dishes. Most of the kids have not bathed in over a week, so you can imagine how filthy they are. Unfortunately, this ¨crisis¨is something the people experience often.
I am ashamed to say that I had a very selfish moment yesterday. After I killed three more cockroaches in my room, I was missing the comforts of home and longing to be in my own roach-free house with a really great meal on the table in front of me. Then, I went to Ita Paso and snapped back to reality. A shoeless little girl with soiled clothes, knotted hair, and a dirty face came up to me asking if I could find a cup of water for her little brother.
A cup of water...
My heart broke. How I wish I could give those people every thing they need. How I pray that little girl wouldn´t have to worry about a cup of water for her brother. How I pray that these little children could escape their physical and spiritual poverty and find abundant life in Jesus Christ.

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
John 4:13-14

I won´t be celebrating Thanksgiving in the traditional way. Our American holiday holds no significance here. However, I will be celebrating in my heart. I will be giving thanks to a good and gracious God who has given me abundantly more than I ever deserved.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.
I Chronicles 29:11-13

Give thanks today...He loves to hear us sing His praises.

Blessings to all,
Emily