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Water Walk: Taking the Next Steps toward Spilling Hope
06.09.11 | Comment?

by Kristina Ponischil

photos by Matt Gebhart (www.mattgebhart.com)

How far did you walk to get a drink of water today? For many of us here in Seattle, sources of clean drinking water are so plentiful that we would never even think to ask ourselves this question. Yet when roughly 1 in 8 people throughout the world do not have access to safe, clean drinking water, it truly is a question worth asking. This is exactly what a group from Bethany Community Church did at last Sunday’s Spilling Hope water walk. Together, we carried bright blue jerry cans down to Green Lake, filled them with lake water, and carried them around the lake in order to symbolically walk in the footsteps of those without easy access to clean water. Yet this experience went far beyond mere symbolism. We entered into a story; envisioning ourselves as young children around the age of 6 whose job was to gather water to bring back home to our family.

Our walk was relatively short, half a mile each way, compared to the average 2 ½ miles many children in Rwanda and Uganda have to endure multiple times a day in order to reach water. What’s worse is that these children are going to such great lengths to bring back unclean, disease-infested water, which often leads to illness and missed school days. I was shocked to hear that fully filled jerry cans can weigh up to 50 pounds, as I began to quickly fatigue after carrying my half-filled jerry can for a few minutes. We were lucky enough to pass along our jerry can to the next water-walker once the weight became too much to bear, and the inevitable question “Should we empty it out a little?” eventually crept into conversation. Out of all the questions we were encouraged to reflect on — What can I do to conserve water? What do I do already? Do I leave the faucet on when I brush my teeth? – it was this question “Should we empty it out a little” that struck my heart. With tired feet and sore arms I thought to myself, this is their lives. When the average household in Uganda spends 660 hours per year collecting water, they don’t have the option of emptying out a little water to make the burden lighter. That burden permeates their lives.

Taking part in the water walk was incredibly convicting for me as I realized how much I actually take for granted each day. While my daily dilemmas might consist of debating between local coffee shops then deciding between drip coffee or a latte, there are children in Rwanda and Uganda living in constant fear, wondering if the water that they have worked so hard to collect is going to make them sick, or worse. The good news is that there is hope. Spilling Hope is changing lives and through simplifying the ways in which we live, learning about issues surrounding water and poverty, and giving generously, we can help spread this hope to those who need it.
Film Night Event Photos
05.29.11 | Comment?

photos by Joseph “Joe” Tobiason

On Saturday, May 21st, we gathered as a community to learn more about the issues of poverty, clean water access, and church empowerment at the Spilling Hope Film Night. Here are a few pictures from this event, which featured the films One Drop and Christophe’s Dance and insights from discussion panelists Brian “Wolt” Wolters (Spilling Hope), Dr. Forrest Inslee (Northwest University), Craig Pixley (World Relief), and Stan Patyrak (Living Water International).
Rolling in the Deep
05.26.11 | Comment?

by Juli Robinson

Have you ever spent an afternoon digging out blackberry roots? Let me tell you, it’s hard work. Some of them run deep into the soil and after a few hours — well, let’s be honest, a few minutes — your back gets sore from heaving with all of your strength to get out just one little root. This is how I spent my afternoon before Film Night. Feeling exhausted and sore from the day, I thought it was all I could do to muster the energy to go to church.

But did I mention that in these few short hours I took some breaks, had some granola bars to sustain my energy, and that I had plenty of water to stay hydrated? Water that didn’t come from a muddy, bacteria-infested water source, that I had to walk a few miles to retrieve, but clean water that was just steps from my shovel? The time I spent “laboring” away is close to the amount of time it can take to make just one of many trips to get water in Uganda or Rwanda in a given day. Being humbled by this reminder, I suddenly wasn’t so sore after all.

Did you know that 1 in 6 people the world over don’t have access to clean water? And, that children, often the ones tasked with getting water can spend up to 8 back-breaking hours a day carrying jerry cans that weigh 40 pounds or more? That they are late to school, stay up late into the night to finish their schoolwork, or miss out on an education altogether because they have to get water for their families? Water, a necessity of life that is crucial to our survival, an element that makes up our very being, and yet somewhere along the way it has become a privilege not a right.

As Dr. Forrest Inslee, one of the panelists, so poignantly said, “The water we drink is the same water that is cycled through the world over, the same water that Rwanda and Uganda drink; and it’s a metaphor for our sense of equality and humanity.” Imagine that the next time you fill a glass of water from your tap. I know I will. And yet it’s not equal, is it?

Learning about the world water crisis the last few years has opened my eyes to the complexities that underlie this basic human need and the call that we have as Christians to act. Before Spilling Hope, I’m ashamed to admit I never gave a thought to the millions of people around the world that don’t have something that I have so often taken for granted. Sure, I know that extreme poverty and hunger exist, but I never really thought about water as part of this equation.

The two films we watched were One Drop, a film that recounted what life is like in Uganda for those without water, focusing on a 15 year-old boy, John, who is responsible for supplying water for his family, and Christophe’s Dance, a glimpse into what church empowerment looks like, focusing on a pastor in Rwanda that has dedicated his life to building up his community and modeling what we are called to do – to be the hands and feet of Christ to our brothers and sisters.

As Craig Pixley, from World Relief said, we are the only social organization on the planet with the mandate of “love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s a huge responsibility and it’s not just about water. It’s about empowering communities and sharing tools to help them become self-sustaining. As Stan Patyrak from Living Water International added, “It’s important to always seek relationships; poverty at it’s core is broken relationships, it’s not just about the money.”

Broken relationships. Isn’t that the core of Christianity? Christ continually chasing after us to be restored back to him and calling us to love others in the same way?

So what have I learned? It is evident that poverty is complex and it’s roots run deep, much like the roots of the blackberry bushes I extracted earlier in the day. And, while there is much more to learn, my hope is that we as a church body can continue to learn, to act in love and to carry out the responsibility of ones who are privileged. As Jesus said in Luke 12:48, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
Spilling Hope Film Night!
05.19.11 | 1 Comment

by Julie Hill

Think about it.

In your day-to-day life, in your routine . . . how often do you get to do the following?

●   Watch culturally, spiritually, and socially significant documentaries focused on a global crisis?

●   Meet and hear from leading experts on said crisis?

●   Discuss and consider these issues with friends and neighbors, brothers, and sisters?

●   Have your mind opened and your heart moved in real way?

How often do you get to do any one of these, let alone ALL of these things? If you’re anything like me, I’m willing to bet it’s almost never. Sadly. But THIS Saturday night, you have the opportunity to enjoy and perhaps more importantly, ENGAGE, in all of these things.

To that end, please join us for this year’s Spilling Hope Film Night! This event promoting education and engagement will take place THIS SATURDAY, from 7-9 pm at Bethany Community Church (8023 Green Lake Drive North), in the main sanctuary.

We’ll watch two short films which focus on the issues of clean water and church empowerment in East Africa. Then we’ll respond to and discuss these issues as a community, with a special opportunity to pose thoughtful questions to a fantastic panel of leading experts representing Living Water International, World Relief, Northwest University, and of course, our very own Spilling Hope.

So take advantage of this unique and inspired occasion to learn more about the issues of clean water and community development. And it’s important to note that while these issues are at the forefront of our minds and hearts as a church community during this 50 day challenge, they are issues and realities which consume millions of lives EVERY day, across Uganda, Rwanda and the rest of the world. It’s essential that we learn about these issues so that we can love and serve others better.

ALL are welcome! Please invite and bring your friends, families and neighbors. And bring open eyes and hearts, and your motivation to learn, grow and give. . . . See you all there!
Simplicity, Stuff, and a Free Garage Sale
05.18.11 | 2 Comments

by Wendy Miller

A few weeks ago, I came home from work, plopped down on my bed, looked into my room and was suddenly overwhelmed with the sheer amount of stuff that I owned but never used on a regular basis. Immediately, I got up and began going through my bookshelves, closets and cabinets. It was time for some spring cleaning.

I started tossing a few items into a box, thinking that I’d probably make a trip to Goodwill at some point. However, as I went through my bookshelves, cabinets, and closets, I remembered the Spilling Hope challenge to simplify and began to hatch a plan.

Instead of a typical spring possession-purge — getting rid of items I hadn’t used during the last season, or clutter that had accumulated — what if I gave my possessions a deeper evaluation?

What if I looked at my possessions with less sentimentality, more practicality, and in consideration of those who survive on much less?

And what if I gave those possessions away — even the items that I considered more valuable and could possibly sell on Craigslist?

What if I held a garage sale where nothing had a price and everything was free? How would that affect my decision to get rid of something or to keep it? How would that affect my future buying decisions?

In response, I decided to make a commitment spend the 50 days of Spilling Hope with “eyes to simplify” my possessions and then to host a free garage sale and give it all away.

Now, when I walk into a room, I scan the items that I see and imagine what it would be like if I didn’t own them, if I never owned them, and if I truly needed them.

That is the way I’ve been looking at my stuff over the last few weeks.

So far, I’ve accumulated a good stack of items to give away. Most importantly, I’ve gained a new way of looking at my possessions that has enabled me to redefine what I consider valuable and influenced my buying decisions.

If you’re still looking for a way to simplify for Spilling Hope or want to take your simplification process to the next level for the second half of the campaign, I encourage you to take a second look at your possessions. Give them a good evaluation for usefulness, sentimentality, and simplification. Then give what you collect away.

Or stop by my garage sale (see details below). Maybe you are in need of something I’m giving away. If you find something, consider giving the money you saved as a part of your contribution to Spilling Hope. Everything at the garage sale will be free, and if someone wants to make a contribution, I’ll give it to the Spilling Hope campaign.

Free Garage Sale
Sat, May 21 from 9am-3pm
6421 Greenwood Ave N
Phinney Ridge: Corner of 65^th and Greenwood

Also be sure to check out another Spilling Hope garage sale in the same area (at 9236 3rd Ave NW) or the other garage sales that are part of the Annual Greenwood Garage Sale Day. Purchasing things that you need from a garage sale is a great way to simplify and you could contribute the savings to Spilling Hope!