Mirna: Water Crisis 24/7

Mirna and her grandmother, Maria, have a very good reason to give thanks. “We give thanks because now we have water for the children,” says Maria. “Thank God, who has sent us this water from the wells. It is good water!” The life of four-year-old Mirna is different from other children her age. Each day, her grandmother brushes her hair and gets her ready, not to attend school or to play with other children, but to walk long distances to look for someone who will give them water. Because their humble house is made with coconut palm leaves, Mirna and Maria do not have running water. Although someone with a well always offers them water, Mirna and her grandmother don’t always get the best. The buckets are not clean; the wells are not protected and therefore are contaminated. But Maria must use what she can find! “The water we are getting from this well, even though it is bad water and has dead animals in it, we must still use it,” says Maria. “At least I can use it for washing the dishes and the corn, even if it is dirty and foul-smelling.” Little Mirna's situation is not unique. The 2,500 people in her small village are facing a similar crisis to find clean water. Meanwhile, in El Salvador, statistics say that 12,000 children like Mirna die every year from diarrhea and sicknesses related to bad water. “Mirna has been sick many times,” says her grandmother. Even this nutritional center that Mirna and other children attend did not have drinkable water. But now, thanks to the gifts of CBN partners, all of that has changed. Operation Blessing has drilled a brand new, deep well for the community. Now Mirna, her friends, and, in fact everyone in the community, can drink clean, pure water whenever they want. Dr. Julio Romero is director of the health unit, La Libertad. “This is good,” says Dr. Romero, “because we have fewer cases of diarrhea, parasitism, and dehydration -- and this decreases the death of children.” Operation Blessing’s Paul Darilek adds, “This well is going to mean a lot to the fifty children who attend this nutrition center. It’s extending a glass of water in Jesus’ name to these kids and their families.” Today, Mirna and her grandmother walk to the new well, sure that they will find not contaminated water, but clean, pure water for cooking, washing, showering and drinking. “Thank you,” says Mirna’s grandmother. “Because of you, the water is now here, we no longer need to ask our neighbors for bad water. Today, we all are healthier than ever. Mirna, her grandmother, and the other villagers receive this gift as a blessing from God, all because of your faithfulness to CBN. If you are not a partner, please join today. You will bring clean, life-giving water to villages like this one, as well as provide medical care, food and disaster relief to those in desperate conditions – all in the name of Jesus. Please join with us today.