Water Mission founders George and Molly Greene; photo from watermission.org

After Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras in 1998, George and Molly Greene’s environmental consulting and engineering company, the GEL Group, built six water treatment systems at the request of the Episcopal Bishop of Honduras––and Water Mission was born. Since then, this water engineering ministry has expanded into Mexico, Indonesia, Tanzania, Uganda, Haiti, Kenya, Peru, and Malawi, and it’s still growing. To date, this ministry has completed water projects in over 51 countries.  Estimates are that over 4,000,000 people around the world have access to safe water and have had an opportunity to hear the good news of the Gospel through Water Mission projects.

Driven by need throughout the world, Water Mission continued to develop its technology, and George and Molly sought sources of financial support for their growing ministry. In order to increase public awareness for this unique ministry, they created the Walk for Water fundraising project. The first event was held in Charleston in 2007 and has since spread to many other cities with churches that have sponsored Water Mission projects in foreign countries.

George and Molly promoted and led this year’s flagship Walk for Water event in Charleston, which attracted more than 4,700 walkers who carried 39,000 lbs. of water, raising over $300,000 that will support over 8,500 people with safe water, people who will receive the living water message of Jesus Christ: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from him.” (John 7:37-38) St. Philip’s Church supported this event with its largest participation yet of over 70 walkers, including the entire clergy staff leading the way. Our team of walkers raised $2,595, a St. Philip’s record. Our priests were so excited about their experience that they were overheard already looking forward to the next Walk. “Next year we will do even better,” one said.

Most all of St. Philip’s world mission partners have benefitted from Water Mission projects, and there are plans in the works for one of our world mission partners, the Dufatnye Cooperative in Rwanda. Currently, Water Mission Haiti is assisting with the installment of new roofing and gutters for St. Jean Baptiste, our sister church and school in Plaine Mapou on the island of La Gonâve. This project will restore the rain water catchment system that fills the cisterns for the village’s main source of water. Once that’s complete, we will seek family-to-family donations from St. Philip’s families to supply $30 household purification systems for 300 families in Plaine Mapou. Water Mission will provide these water purification systems that will transform the quality of life for these people by eliminating water-borne disease.

We are praying that you and your family will offer a water treatment filter to a Plaine Mapou family so that they will no longer have to walk over three miles to secure clean water. You will be fulfilling this prayer from page 339 of The Book of Common Prayer: “…and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in.”