I’m sitting here with a glass of water, with a slice of lemon, at my side. How easy it is for us, we just go to the refrigerator or sink and pour out a refreshing glass of water without even giving it a thought.
I have two very dear friends, Francis and Cookie Bologna, who are preparing to make a huge difference to a lot of people. Francis and Cookie have been traveling to Africa for the past few years and their experiences have brought the problem of clean drinking water, disease, and education to the front and center of the lives of their friends and relatives.
Francis has been telling me about the horrible conditions that people are enduring, especially the fact that people are having to walk MILES just to get the water the family needs for the day. Too often the children are kept out of school so they can fetch the water for their family. Of course, lacking an education assures that the child will never be able to raise above the sub-poverty level, but if the child is the only one physically able to walk the miles, then there isn’t anything that can be done.
This month Francis and Cookie leave for Spain to walk 500 miles along the ancient Way of St. James, also known as the Camino de Santiago. They are doing their walk to honor God, to celebrate their 40th anniversary, and as a fund-raising event to build wells in Africa. This will also have the benefit of allowing children to go to school, helping to change the economy of the entire area.
My friends have opened a website, http://www.walkforyou.info to explain their decision to take this journey, and so people can donate from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars to help this worthwhile cause.
I have never asked anyone to donate to anything, but this is so important that I couldn’t go without sharing it with you.When I saw the photograph of Francis holding a little child with tears running down her face, I felt my heart go out and I knew I needed to bring this to everyone I could reach. If you’d like to see exactly where your money will go, or you’d like to find out more about helping children around the world, please go to http://www.childcareworldwide.org/
We are so fortunate, let’s share that blessing with those who have so little.
Wishing you well,
Julie