I was just turned on to this ministry called agua:yaku. They have found a less expensive way to help provide communities with water where clean drinking water is scarce or non-existant.  Take a few moments to checkout this ministry.  You will find great information as well as some great photography!

God is doing some amazing things through so many people that make up the body of Christ… to do whatever it takes to reach those in need of water, food, clothing, shelter, and Jesus Christ!

While reading his most recent post I read something that really encouraged me.  It goes along with my reading in Matthew.  Time after time Jesus comes across people with messed up lives.  Some are messed up due to poor choices in life, poor theology, and rebellion.  Others were born blind, deaf, and cripple… all for the glory of God!  Each person who came to him trusting walked away with a clean slate.

Despite the past or the reason for it – God gives new starts.  God will take the past and use it for His glory. 

Jim’s encouragement (to me) in his post is this:

If God has called you, He has promised to supply you: “my God shall supply all your needs, He has promised to equip you: …for every good work, He has promised never leave you…

So now imagine God has wiped the slate clean…what will you do with a new slate? You awake each day with a new slate, a new beginning, what will you do with the new world in which God has placed you?

Read John 9.  How did Jesus reach this blind man?  Jesus met a physical need.  He didn’t try to convert this blind man.  Jesus gave him his sight.  After meeting the man’s need he came to him with the answer to life.

After the Jewish leaders kicked the blind man out of the meeting place, Jesus came to him,

35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and went and found him. He asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

 36The man said, “Point him out to me, sir, so that I can believe in him.”

 37Jesus said, “You’re looking right at him. Don’t you recognize my voice?”

 38“Master, I believe,” the man said, and worshiped him.

 39Jesus then said, “I came into the world to bring everything into the clear light of day, making all the distinctions clear, so that those who have never seen will see, and those who have made a great pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind.” (John 9, The Message).

So much of my life has been shaped by the 5 years of my life spent at Harvest Community Church.  I moved to Albuquerque with my family in September 1999.  We arrived not knowing what God had in store for us.  No home… no job… no money… no money… just my good friend Jason who was leading worship at Harvest and let us crash at his house the first couple of nights.  It was a rough start for us but God blessed the ministry and my life tremendously through Dan Lewis (lead pastor), Jason Taylor, and Mike Goff. Thanks guys for taking me in!!

This video tells the story of Harvest Community Church now named Soul Rio.