Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The [Samaritan] woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? (John 4:10-11)
When the Samaritan woman first encountered Jesus, she was thirsty.
Although she didn’t realize it at first, she wasn’t just thirsty for physical water. She was longing for spiritual water.
The Gospel is quickly spreading throughout India, and many people have discovered their source of hope through salvation in Jesus Christ. But it is still common for Christians in India to experience persecution and rejection by their communities.
Some believers are even denied access to water simply because of their faith.
Your investment in clean water is producing lifesaving outcomes in communities around the world — especially for Christians bearing the weight of persecution.
Before your gift of clean water arrived, Christians in the village of Savri were struggling to maintain hope.
Naresh finally found peace when he accepted Jesus Christ. But though his heart and soul were calm, his external world was anything but still and quiet.
His family’s decision to become Christians instantly put them at odds with their entire community, many of whom belong to different faiths and castes that are opposed to Christianity.
Rejection and ridicule are not the only forms of persecution Naresh and his family have faced. They’ve also been prohibited from using the village wells.
Naresh and 16 other Christian families in the area were forced to walk to neighboring villages for water. Even in these distant villages, they still faced open abuse and scorn for their identity as Christ-followers.
But thanks to the compassion of donors like you, a well was recently constructed on Naresh’s property and is available for all Christians in the community. These faithful believers are now able to have both their spiritual and physical thirsts quenched.
Mahesh, another member of the local Christian community, said:
As a family, we were facing many troubles because of the shortage of water, forcing us to go and fetch water from a far off well belonging to the other community people. Each time we went, they abused us for taking water from their well because we were outsiders. We endured this on a daily basis because we had no other option. However, now with the provision of a well, we are able to have enough water free from hindrances or objection. We are so thankful to God for His favor upon our lives.
Clean water is one of the single most powerful ways you can bring holistic health to an impoverished community. For believers suffering for their faith, your generous giving also sends a powerful message of hope and solidarity.
Jesus recognized that although the Samaritan woman was in need of physical water, what she really needed was the Living Water that only He could provide.
You not only meet immediate needs when you give the gift of clean water … you help spread the message of the Gospel to a world in need of the hope of Jesus Christ.