From Lexington to Liberia

The Sunshine WMU group of Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, has given more than 50 gifts to Pure Water, Pure Love. The group’s commitment to this WMU ministry spans more than two decades.

The ministry is personal for Lynn Birch, who serves as the group’s treasurer. After her parents retired, they served as missionaries in Colombia. Her parents did not have clean drinking water, so a love for pure water has been on her heart for a very long time.

I asked Lynn what motivates the Sunshine WMU group to keep giving generously.

She said, “Because of the importance. This is a real ministry. We want the whole world to have safe water. It is a way to tell about Jesus, the Living Water. What better way is there? We give water that will keep [people] healthy on earth, and we can tell them about water that’s even better than that. And it’s Jesus. I think it’s just a wonderful gateway into telling people about Jesus. I wish I could do that with my neighbors here.”

About the same time as I was talking with Lynn, water project photos came across my email. WMU partnered with Pastor Eddie Gibson and Brewster Road Community Church in Birmingham, Alabama, to drill a well and build a water tank tower in Marshall City, Liberia.

The church is working to build a Christian school. Vandals destroyed the original facilities. The water tower is the first step toward rebuilding activities on the campus.

The Sunshine WMU group in Lexington is helping provide clean water and a gospel witness more than 5,000 miles away in Liberia.