The Synod of Living Waters
 In the fall of 2007, a flood in Mexico demonstrated that to a large extent the synod’s major mission project, Living Waters for the World (LWW), is all about empowerment. LWW trains volunteers to teach partners in the developing world how to install, maintain, and operate small-scale water treatment systems. Its purpose is to empower them to improve their own health and enable them to meet the needs of their communities.
The flood forced a million people in the state of Tabasco from their homes and left the entire city of Villahermosa under water. LWW partners in neighboring Campeche, where LWW systems are more densely sited than anywhere else, responded quickly, bottling as much clean water as they could, finding as many means of transport as possible, and taking the water to Tabasco.
From a Presbyterian church in Villahermosa, volunteers passed out clean water in the name of Jesus Christ. “Once again, hope arises out of tragedy,” said Joanie Lukins, LWW’s coordinator for the Yucatan. “It represents the way in which the mission we do becomes a ministry for our partners.”
In 2007, teams trained by LWW installed forty-three water treatment systems just four years after installing four systems in one year. To date, over 170 systems have been installed in nineteen countries.
The Synod of Living Waters is supported by 745 congregations with 109,842 members. Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary is within the synod, which also has a covenant relationship with Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta.
Synod Staff
Rev. Terry Newland, synod executive
Rev. Janet Tuck, director of communications
Rev. WilHowie, Living Waters for the World director
Elder Steve Young, Living Waters for the World administrator
Emily Dunbar, office manager
Carie Turner, bookkeeper
PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Bonnie Hoff, GAMC
Denise Hoffmann, GAMC
Laura Hogue-Windell, FDN
God of Abundance, you give us much that we might turn and share. May your grace move us to serve and bless those we encounter. Amen.
Ps. 96, 148 Ps. 49, 138
Ezek. 1:28–3:3
Heb. 4:14–5:6; Luke 9:28–36
|
