How Clean Water Facilitates Church Empowerment

I have always taken for granted being able to turn on the water faucet and have a fresh flow of clean, safe water for drinking, cleaning and bathing, until I moved to Cambodia that is. Like many small communities throughout Cambodia, the community of Khadai Ron in the Takeo Province had only one source of consistent drinking water. The 1,137 residents of the community had to walk from their homes to the local Pagoda to fill their water buckets from a community pond. As you might expect a community pond would often become contaminated. While the long walk to obtain water made life difficult enough, the sickness that often came from drinking contaminated water made life unbearable. If you became a Christian in Khadai Ron there was an even greater challenge.

Christians are a very small minority in Cambodia. They are often discriminated against. Because they are a religious minority they do not have a voice in the community government system. In most communities the Pagoda leaders hold a great deal of influence within the community and in some cases they use the influence to persecute Christians. In Khadai Ron if a person became a Christian the local Pagoda leader would deny them access to the community pond.

On a recent visit to Khadai Ron Pastor Mai, the pastor of one of Samaritan’s Purse’s many partner churches, told me the story of how the Samaritan’s Purse Seeds of Hope program has changed lives in the village. www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/sowing_seeds_of_hope/ Samaritan’s Purse chose the church, where Pastor Mai serves, as  a partner church in the village. Together with Pastor Mai, Samaritan’s Purse staff went to community leaders and asked for the names of villagers who would most benefit from the Seeds of Hope program and be good stewards. Samaritan’s Purse then went to these community families and supplied them with agriculture projects and clean water access. Wells were drilled for community members and handpumps were installed. Clean water means healthier lives and no more spending hours each day carrying water from the community pond.

Agriculture programs provide long-term 
food production for families and provide a 
source of income. 

While clean water access was important in improving people's health, it was the rest of the story that amazed me. After village leaders saw the love of Christ being shown to both Buddhists and Christians alike in the village by Samaritan's Purse and Pastor Mai, they no longer discriminated against Christians in the community.

Pastor Mai, a community member and one
 of many wells drilled by Samaritan's Purse

They began to listen to Christian leaders and include them in the local decision making process. Water wells, vegetable gardens, and livestock were a practical display of God’s love that broke down barriers and empowered the Church. Many believers open the use of their wells to other community members. They are now able to share the Living Water as these wells become a focal point for relationships and evangelism. Pastor Mai now has a healthy thriving church with approximately 75members. As a part of the Ministry Team, I now travel with staff to communities like this and visit homes with pastors like Mai proclaiming the Good News and encouraging believers!