Sometimes...nary a drop to drink.

We have been rain free for over a week now. But the rains this year have proved to be greater than anything seen here in the capital since...well a three day period in October 1998, hurricane Mitch.

For us up at the clinic, that has meant flooding where we have never had before. Our response has been, thanks to a clever suggestion from a smart guy who looked over the situation, these speed bump affairs that when the water hits them, it will channel most of that water further out from the man cave, and thus not allowing free passage right into it.

Thankfully, the system has yet to be tested, but more rain is fully possible before the rainy season ends next month.

Speaking of rain, water can be a blessing and a curse here.

Too much rain, and things fall down, people die, pollution spreads, homes are damaged, flooding, etc.

But a far greater, persistent, lasting, and troubling problem is a lack of water....of good clean drinking water. The statistics are out there...if you have a place where you can open a valve and get clean drinking water, you by far are the exception not the rule.

Not having good drinking water affects almost everyone we see at the clinic, in the rural areas...just about everywhere here. People know their water is not good, but have no choice sometimes. So, they get sick, and stay sick for long periods. They know the water is not good...so when they can, they drink carbonated beverages, which means too much sugar and other stuff and not enough water. Plus, many of the symptoms we hear are related to dehydration. Yucky water often times can taste...yucky.

And that is if you have water to begin with....during the rainy season people store as much as they can that falls on their roofs. Everyone here, even with "city" water or living on a mountain sharing a spring has a cistern. You have to store water because it is not always there when you need it. Actually...it is often not there when you need it.

Water is one of the most valuable things for sustaining our lives. In Jesus' time...that was certainly true, even more harshly made aware than even in many parts of Honduras. When Jesus told the Samaritan woman about living water, a water that would make one thirst no more...she missed the point, but immediately saw the value in thirsting no more...getting water in that time was sometimes a full time job!

So, if you have water flowing whenever you want, if you can drink straight from the tap...give thanks to God for that, and pray for most of those in the world who do not have that gift, that He might use you, your Church, organization, community, etc. to make a change for some community or families somewhere that they might also get the amazing benefits of clean water....as well as the living water of Christ in their souls.