We currently have around 240 projects completed. Almost half of our projects are in the Western part of the country.  Some are in the Southern and Central provinces.  The remaining portion are in the Eastern province where we are currently drilling.

LWI’s presence in Rwanda began in 2007 and met a difficult success rate for drilling.  The first year consisted of 22 boreholes. In 2008 the Lord gave us favor and the program achieved 42 boreholes.  2009 showed an increase as well with 49. The guys pulled up their socks and tightened their belts in 2010 with an amazing 75 boreholes.  This year we will finish with around 70 or so. Rwanda has three drilling organizations and LWI-Rwanda holds a reputation across the country as by far the best.  Our guys have their act together, know the routine, and are skilled.  Many of them speak English (a rarity here in Rwanda) and most speak Swahili very well.

-Jack

Jack Beach is Living Water International’s Assistant Country Director in Rwanda.

Ok ok, the grand total of submitted funds from the 10 days to this date is……

$62,260!!!!!

Can you believe it? That’s 6 WELLS FOR RWANDA from a bunch of college kids in the course of 1 week’s donations! We are so overwhelmed and overjoyed at how the Lord has brought you all together in this campaign to change the lives of these Rwandan communities. I mean, wow.

However, we’re not done yet! That’s right, we’re leaving the donation link open for another WEEK. However, after next Thursday we will bring the 10 Days to a full close. So, this week’s the time to remind all your friends, tell your family, and rally your organizations around finishing this thing out with a bang.

We’ve got potential to fund 10 wells. If everyone who committed to the 10 days donated, $100,000 would be met. That’s how we know this goal still isn’t out of reach! You’ve just seen how your $20, $30, $40 bucks became $62,260. That, my friends, is amazing.

So, 1 WEEK. We’ll be back next Thursday with the GRAND TOTAL. Until then, we’ll be praying that God be glorified in every dollar.

Again, amazing. We’re honored to stand up for the water crisis alongside you guys.

Thanks for following through, sacrificing, and believing in a hope for the people of Rwanda. Stay encouraged, let’s take this thing to a new level over the next 7 days! SPREAD THE WORD!

Guys, we’re a week out from the 10 days ending! Can you believe it? Yeah, us neither. But we’re not quite done yet! Here’s what’s awesome:

We’re posting a fundraising update tomorrow with the amount we’ve raised so far. Annnnnd that’s right, you guessed it….that means you still have time to donate TODAY and be a part of that figure. We’d love to have all of you committed folks and any one who was planning to give to have their donations in for this debut!

We get that college is BUSY and sometimes this last step just gets put off in the craziness of your schedule. This blogger is the queen of procrastination, so I feel your pain. But, let this be a reminder that following through with the 10 Days is how we set this campaign into action. Your donation is key to providing clean water to the people of Rwanda. That’s what gets us pumped, our college-budget-sized gifts come together into something bigger to change lives and spread the good news of Jesus across the world.

Don’t doubt that every dollar counts in this. However small or big, your donation counts in the mission.

So, spread the word, remind friends, and take a second to visit the donate link today. We’re getting prettttttty excited to update you guys tomorrow! And by pretty, we mean really. Really excited.

A big thanks to those of you who have given and sacrificed. Join us in prayer as we continue to witness the Lord’s faithfulness in the home stretch! Pray for Rwanda, the water crisis, the hearts of our peers, and that glory be to God.

You’re all awesome. Email me if you have any questions: cturpin@water.cc

There is an overall excitement and belief that we are going to change the world that permeates everything that is going on like never before.

As I reflect on all these things and drink some water (which I really wish was coffee), another thing is abundantly clear:

I forget this often (sometimes it feels like all the time).

The past few weeks as we’ve kicked this thing off I’ve been in this weird place where my mind understands what is going on but my heart, soul, and spirit isn’t fully present to what God is doing in our midst.  I don’t know if it’s because I’ve wanted to take pride in what God has done with the 10 Days or if it’s the stress of me wanting to control how it goes, the outcomes, and how much money we will raise.

I’ve made it about myself.

After our kick-off event in Norman my friend Brad encouraged me with some truth from the first couple chapters of Colossians (you should read them).  Paul recounts his ministry and beautifully explains that how all of his labor for the Church comes from the power of Christ in him (Col 1: 29).

I realized that all my labor in the name of Christ was holding me captive from actually being with Christ. From enjoying what he was up to, to relying on his power, his love.

It’s really easy to forget in this world we live in that our faith in Christ and what fruit that might produce really has nothing to do with us.  What is really silly about us is we often try to do more things to produce more fruit to distract ourselves when we experience this disconnect between our mind and heart.

So let us be reminded, God didn’t just change the world but he changed us and there is nothing we can ever do to escape His grace.   He loves you like crazy, knows everything about you, and just wants to be with you.

As we go one more day with just water, let’s look for Christ.  Lets remind ourselves of the mercy Jesus has poured out on us and let us, with joy, experience what he is doing in our lives.

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2: 6-7)

- Henry

Henry Proegler is the man in blue who you see in the picture above. Henry started the 10 Days and The Wells Project at Texas A&M in ’07 and is now the Director of Advocacy at Living Water International.

A few weeks ago, when we received our shipment of bracelet and info cards, we set up a table with some other justice organizations on campus, and immediately started telling people about the 10 Days, and that we were linking up with thousands of students across the country to give clean water to those in need. A group of students approached the table and we offered them some bracelets. One girl said she’d like a bracelet, and promptly extended her arm- she wanted me to put the bracelet on her arm for her! This totally threw me off because I wasn’t expecting it, but since then I’ve realized that as student advocates, that is exactly our job- to give our peers the tools & resources they need to affect change on our campuses and around the world. We’re called to be sacrificial and giving, and most of all, we’re called to humbly empower others.

Here at Baylor, we’ve had a series of events on campus, and it’s been awesome to see the response of students getting excited about giving people water. We had over 175 students come out for our Pancake Palooza night, and about 80 students attended our documentary screening on global poverty. It’s been so fun to have conversations with students who are passionate about changing the world.

I’m so honored to be working alongside an amazing group of students from around the country, and although we’ll probably never meet, I’m so thankful that you’ve decided to give of yourself so that God may be glorified and that His love be spread across the earth.

Grace & Peace,

Dustin

Dustin Franklin Williams is a Senior at Baylor University from Nashville, TN. He is the Founder and President of The Wells Project at BU.

At Baylor University, all donations are being matched up to $2,500 by a donor. They’ve given out over 1,000 bracelets/info cards, had the opportunity to speak to their entire freshman class in Chapel, and are linked with over 15 student organizations.

None of those were mission trips.

Within the circle of my ministry friends, we actually never use the term “mission trip” anymore. We have deemed that verbiage inaccurate to what Christ has called us to do on a daily basis. If that one-week out of the year is when I am called to be on mission, then the other 51 weeks in my year are a waste.  Instead, we call them “discipleship trips”. This verbiage allows us to more accurately portray the fact that we are always on mission, and these trips are intense discipleship moments that help us be better stewards of the Gospel where God has placed us. It might be a slight change in word use, but words matter and how we define things is how we react to them.  This change in words then begs the question:

Where are you on mission today? What is your strategy in reaching the lost in your classes, in your dorms, and in your community? What physical needs are you meeting of lost people around you so that you earn their ear to share a spiritual truth?

Proverbs 11:24-25 says, “There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered.” Are you being generous with the time, talent, and treasure that God has given you, or are you jealous with your time, wasteful with your talents, and foolish with your resources?

Don’t ever go on another Mission Trip again… Ever! You are already on mission! The 10 Days is a small part of that and was started by college students who were being mission-minded. If you get the gift to be on a “discipleship trip”, look at it for what it really is: an opportunity to grow so that you can be a better missionary where God has placed you throughout the year, but until then, be on mission today!

-Patrick

Patrick Blocker is the director of ONE28 at SMU. Based on Colossians 1:28, they are a non-denominational group and they desire to proclaim Christ on their campus and make a continuous effort to be more complete and mature in their faith. For more info, visit ONE28online.com.

This is the second story in our series about our friends in Rwanda who will be constructing the wells! Be praying for them and their communities.

You can view yesterday’s blog on Philip here.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who alone does great wonders,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

If you were to continue reading through the rest of this Psalm (and I highly recommend you do) you would read about the greatness of the power of God throughout the history of this world we live in and all that He has created.

The beauty of scripture and this one in particular is that the same God spoken of here, is the same God that has revealed Himself to each of us who call ourselves Christians or in Christ.

Meditate on this, God, the all-powerful, all knowing, invincible, majestic, superb, MASTER of the universe, Father of all that exists, knows you by name. He has called you by name to be a follower and made it possible through the all-atoning work on the cross through Christ. It does not end here. We now have His Spirit and daily we are being molded to the image of Christ.

As if that was not enough, He allows us to come along with him. He allows us to see Him move. That can happen through evangelism and discipleship, feeding the hungry, ministering to high schoolers, being a good neighbor, going on international missions, and the list goes on and on. But for you, the God of the universe has allowed you to see him move in 10 days in 2011. Say it outloud, “I AM WATCHING GOD MOVE”.

You are not just “sacrificing” cokes for 10 days. You’re not “suffering” through caffeine withdraws for 10 days. You are watching as the God of the Heavens brings water to the sick, needy, and thirsty. So rise up in thankfulness today for the God who has gracefully saved you, is also graciously allowing you to see Him on the move.

It is difficult at times for me to wrap my mind around this truth. In everyday life this truth seems to get muddled under the piles of constant responsibilities. Tests, papers, work, facebook, twitter, etc. these all have ways of dividing out attention and we tend to quickly forget about our powerful God.

Regardless of our attention or focus, GOD MOVES.

Give thanks.

-Andres

Andres Rodriguez is a Texas A&M Alumni and the star of your 10 days promotional videos. We know, basically a celebrity.

Link to the video from 2010 here.

This blog is one of a few others we’ll be posting about Rwanda staff working to bring water to their communities. Read and remember that we’re partnering not only with people across the nation, but the world to provide water in Jesus’s name. Day 7, stay strong for Rwanda!