13 miles for 13 familes!!!

During the 2010 Christmas season, we, along with our church, raised money for a clean water well in the village of Chapa in Awassa, Ethiopia. We were thrilled to be a part of a group of people who wanted to provide safe, clean water to people who desperately need it.

We'll never forget the feeling of joy and excitement when we received word that the well was complete. Safe, clean water to so many. Lives would be changed forever--including ours! We knew we didn't want to just raise money for one well. We want to keep going!

In America, we take for granted our access to clean water. However it is a major issue in the world that deserves our attention. Consider these facts from Living Water International: 884 million people in the world do not have access to save water. 1.8 million children die ever year as a result of diseases caused by unclean water and poor sanitation. This amounts to around 5,000 deaths a day. Water and sanitation infrastructure helps people take the first essential step out of the cycle of poverty and disease.

We want to do our part in bringing clean water to the many people who need it. That is why we have decided to combine our love of running with fundraising for Living Water International. Living Water International exists to demonstrate the love of God by helping communities acquire desperately needed clean water, and to experience “living water”-the gospel of Jesus Christ-which alone satisfies the deepest thirst.

We are running the Walt Disney World Half-Marathon on Saturday, January 7, 2012. We hope you will consider making a donation to our fundraising efforts. We are running for clean water and the opportunity for more people to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our goal is $1300. Every $100 raised provides a family with water for a generation. So we're running 13 miles for 13 families! Will you help us reach that goal?

Chad and Cindy Nykamp