We entered 2007 with some specific goals and strategies to assist us in knowing how transformation is taking place and how to better measure it. During the Jars of Clay spring tour, we sent a team along each stop to talk face-to-face with concert-goers and learn more about what draws people in to Blood:Water Mission and what people expect once they join the journey. We started this blog to open up a better means of communicating stories and springboard discussions online as well as in your community. We recognize the importance of an intentional online presence, and hope that we can always be working in that direction while running everything through our filter of mission, vision and values.

We are already meeting some of our goals, but still have some major tasks on the horizon. One of which is the tedious and weighty task of matching donors with communities in Africa. On the surface, this may appear simple and admirable undertaking. I know that because I thought that would be the case as well. I figured we could just take the numbers from the projects and match them with the numbers from donations, send out emails and letters about who matches with whom, and then pat ourselves on the back. But if we take our calling as an organization and as individuals very seriously (and we do) this job of “matching” becomes a much heavier load. It carries great responsibility, not only to donors but also to the recipients of clean water and other benefits in Africa.

Jena (Executive Director) and Barak (1000 Wells Project Manager) are finishing a trip to Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda. They visited communities we’ve been working with since early 2005 as well as villages with potential projects later this year. Read about it HERE. Barak, who joined our team in February, not only brings wisdom and knowledge in clean water initiatives, but also experience in communities throughout the world to know how to best walk alongside in this journey. Some communities have had ongoing interactions with the “western world” and white people, while other locations have never seen a mzungu (white person) before. The mere sight of a mzungu can bring extreme joy, jealously, false hopes, doubt, peace and other emotions before a word is even said, just based on preconceptions beyond our control.  In these ways we take very seriously the role we play representing the “west” and “international aid” as we enter into relationships with our brothers and sisters in Africa. We never want to sacrifice justice, mercy, and humility (what God requires) to satisfy our whims and desire. And we don’t want to lead others in doing so either.

Tangibly speaking, by September we hope to have our matching process clearly defined and updated for donations received in 2005 and 2006. Included is identifying the best plan to notify people on all sides of the equation, giving appropriate direction and details as available. This reasonable timeline would leave us within a 9-month window that it often takes for projects to be implemented and evaluated before matching can take place with 2007 donations.

So we invite your prayers and patience in this, and value your part in the story. If you’ve read The End of Poverty by Sachs, I encourage you to read White Man’s Burden by Easterly as well. Love and mercy are rarely clear-cut, and often sacrificial and difficult. But we desire nothing less than to serve well and celebrate the transformation that takes place as a result. We’re thrilled to walk together in this journey.