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DO drink the water!

  Living Water
    
The Stories:

 
6/19/2008  By: Megan Williams, Project Manager
Tabernacle Baptist- Matt Yaley-  George, Iowa
We spent a few hours at the plaza on Monday; our goal was just to be living water for those around us. We had a large water cooler and passed out good, clear, cold water to those who were thirsty. This allowed us to be Christ-like and to share with these hurting people. Lelo was a man who watched us and later said he was drawn to hear what we were sharing. It allowed Ethan and myself a chance to share our testimony and present the great news of Jesus Christ! Lelo had heard it before but had never felt the intense need to make a life changing decision. There in the plaza two people from Iowa were called to meet this man and help him understand and believe in Jesus Christ! What a great day!
– Jobie Marco

6/11/2008  By: Kahra Manji, Project Leader

Olive Baptist Church-  Pensacola, FL


While participating in “Living Water,” we met a woman named Guadalupe. She was waiting for her daughter to return from school. Her 18 year old daughter-in-law and grandson were waiting with her. Guadalupe shared how she is a single mother of five and looking for a job. Her oldest son is in trouble with the law and doing drugs and alcohol. Our group shared how God can lead her and help her to make good decisions (so that she can lead her children). She accepted Christ and her name will be given to someone for follow-up. How wonderful that God arranged the meeting and added to His family.

Shelia
–Olive Baptist Church

Matthew 10:40-42 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward and whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth he will never lose his reward.”

 

        The Vision: Living Water is simple. We just hand out cups of ice cold water to those who pass by us or to those we find. We seek to be a blessing—to meet a felt need in the oppressive Mexican heat where purified water is a valuable commodity. And we look for open doors, for those who want to talk and for those who are willing to listen. We pray with them and for them. We laugh with them. We cry with them. We tell them about another kind of water we have tasted, the water that quenches a deeper kind of thirst and can’t be served in a Styrofoam cup. We tell them about the One who offers to quench the thirst in their souls.     And we do it all in the Name of Jesus.
     But what does “in the name of a disciple” mean? In the name of one who has studied under the King. In the name of one whose life has been imprinted with the Healer’s hand. In the name of one who has dined at the Master’s table. In the name of one who knows Him. Meditating on this brings a flood of conviction. First, do we ourselves really even know the One who offers Living Water? And then, secondly, Christ reminds us how apathetically we have approached this ministry of Living Water at times. We see the staff and participants enjoying the time, passing out water, maybe talking, maybe laughing—but hardly approaching it with any measure of fear and trembling over the significance of what is happening. 
     Throughout the passage in Mathew, Christ is speaking of sending out His representatives. He speaks of persecution—but how much more to fear God. He speaks of what happens when His name is interjected and made known among the unrighteous. He speaks of the rewards of receiving. It is after all this, however, that He gives His most stunning proclamation, “Whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, HE WILL NEVER LOSE HIS REWARD.” What an honor we have in this moment. What a responsibility. This passage drips with figurative beauty, but it also has literal application and here we seek to carry it out.

     Supplies:We will provide one cooler of ice water for each block of Living Water and several sleeves of Styrofoam cups.

     Preparation: Before you arrive here to join the work in Matamoros, spend some time thinking about instances in which Jesus has quenched your thirst—both literally and figuratively. Meditate on John 4:1-15 and 7:37-39. What is Jesus saying about Himself? Ask Him to reveal what He means, what He is offering, when He speaks of Living Water. Then you will be able to minister out of that revelation when you engage in the ministry here. Be able to explain what Jesus’ offer of Living Water means to you and how it has played itself out in your life.