The Well Project
What is the Well Project?
New Covenant began this project last November to build a well to insure clean water for a village in Sierra Leone in Africa. The reason that this location was selected was twofold:
- We as a congregation live in one of the most blessed areas of the world and our families enjoy a lifestyle that the rest of the world only dreams about. Because of our blessings we want to share from our wealth with those who live without some of the basic essentials for life.
- The other reason is that Sierra Leone exists at almost the opposite end of the spectrum that we live. They experience an infant mortality rate of nearly 29% and they are just recovering from a civil war that ended in 2002. Only 57% of the people have access to safe, clean drinking water, one of the most deprived nations of the world. Only 41% of the children of Sierra Leone attend elementary school.
In the meantime, this concept of building wells began to spread with excitement throughout the congregation. In less than three weeks we had raised enough money ($5,000) for the first well. By Christmas we were half way to a second well.
This project has become more than building a well. It has become an opportunity to connect with people from around the world. We are planning a visit to Sierra Leone in the next year where we can begin to meet the people and create relationships that will foster greater understanding and love. This bridge of community from the United States to Sierra Leone will be built with Christ at the center so that as we build relationships we will also be able to build the necessities of life – water, food, clothing, shelter, and education.
In the words of Bishop Thomas Barnett of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sierra Leone:
"I extend greetings to you from Freetown in the name of Jesus Christ our crucified and risen Lord and Savior. I am deeply touched by your desire to share ministry with our church as one in the body of Christ and in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. I am also moved by your resolve to engage others to grapple with cholera, the root cause of the high infant mortality rate in our country, by helping to dig wells to provide safe drinking water in our communities in need of such help."
If you would like to donate to this project, please make your check out to New Covenant Lutheran Church – The Well Project. You can also donate online through Parish Pay. |
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Please click here to view our Well Project Video
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