A Powerful Story from Final Command Ministries

The following story appeared in the February 2024 Final Command Ministries (FCM) newsletter. We partner with FCM to fund wells in Cameroon, and our president Jon Lee recently visited these partners and heard this powerful story first hand:

TERRORIST TURN TO CHRIST

CAMEROON - Seventy-one former Muslim terrorists are now disciples of Jesus Christ.

This story of radical transformation begins with generous donors who made it possible to drill Living Water (Project) wells in the sub-Saharan region where clean drinking water is scarce.

In this case, 48 wells were drilled in Cameroon. Shortly thereafter, Boko Haram militants entered the area and demanded water. 

One disciple-maker saw this as an opportunity. He generously offered clean drinking water to the terrorists, using the well as an outreach ministry. However, seven of them murdered him and claimed the well as their own. 

Soon, those seven terrorists began having visions where Jesus said it was Him they had hurt, not the disciple-maker. 

This caused them to reconsider the man they had killed – the man who had freely offered them clean, precious water. The terrorists became troubled and had a difficult time reconciling their evil act with the disciple-maker's loving generosity. They eventually left Boko Haram. 

The Cameroon government then arrested them and sent them to prison. That’s where they met another disciple-maker. They were soon introduced to God by joining a Discovery Bible Study. Through studying Scripture, the Spirit of God used the Word of God to transform these men’s lives and bring them to faith in Christ.         

Those seven then reached out to other prisoners. There are now 71 inmates (most of them former terrorists) meeting weekly to draw closer to God and learn obedience-based discipleship. 

But that’s not all. Word of this miracle quickly spread.

Because of the prison transformation, a United Nations humanitarian group issued a “Judge of Peace” award to FCM coordinator Dr. Sammuel Doungous. He is now able to travel freely through numerous government checkpoints. 

“This is an incredible blessing,” Dr. Doungous said. “I have the freedom to travel and do anything in the north of Cameroon without any problems. I am free to pass through any checkpoint, whether it is Cameroon or Boko Haram.” 

It has been said “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” In this case those who murdered an FCM disciple-maker later came to faith in Christ and have been multiplying disciples. One disciple-maker's death has led to 71 former terrorists entering God’s Kingdom and sharing the Good News with others.

Sammuel Doungous Judge Peace badge

(From left) Jon Lee of Living Water, with FCM team members Brandon Cole, Moise, and Stephen Barnett at a recent meeting in Cameroon.

Project #1000

We proudly present to you OUR 1000th PROJECT: a brand new hand pump installed last week in the community of Mantanyani C. Village, Zambia. Our Zambian coordinator, Shadreck Sibwaalu, writes:

“(These) people had been drinking water with animals from the dam. I am so happy that we found the (underground aquifer) and you can see how excited they were when we hit the water. For people to draw water they would leave their homes at night. According to them, drawing water at night was better because cows do not drink water at night therefore they say water is not disturbed by animals. It was a sad situation.”

We continue to be grateful to God, to our generous donors and to our well coordinators for making these exciting moments possible (and for sending us pictures!).

Please consider The Living Water Project during your year-end giving, as we move forward towards our next 1000 projects!

Consider Becoming a Monthly Donor!

Ever wonder why organizations encourage people to become monthly donors?

Monthly donors add stability to a charity's work and allow for more tactical planning. For The Living Water Project in particular, having funds available at the right time makes such a difference. Many of the countries where we fund projects have a rainy season when wells cannot be dug, but as soon as the rainy season is over, it’s helpful for those funds to be at the ready!

These regular funds also allow us to plan further in advance, a helpful strategy for an all-volunteer organization like ours. If we know we can depend on a certain amount of resources each month, we can let our partners on the ground know when to expect a well project can start.

It's easy to become a monthly LWP donor. Check out our DONATE page.

1000 Projects and Counting

LET'S GO FOR 1000 MORE! Please join us in our year-end drive for funds, which will not just provide clean water but will also:

1. Free up the women and children to work or go to school instead of carrying water.

2. Solve chronic health problems.

3. Provide generational change.

Having these funds in hand by January will allow us to immediately deploy them where the drilling window is ideal, in places like Liberia, Ghana, and Kenya. Please consider giving today!

THANK YOU!

We are grateful to all who stopped by on Sunday to celebrate our 1000th project and 3,000,000th dollar raised for clean water! It was a beautiful day and so many people who are like family to this ministry were there.

Our beloved friend Shanon Dickerson founded this organization in 2000 with a dream to provide for people who needlessly suffer and die from the lack of clean water access. Here we are 23 years later, celebrating unfathomable milestones and dreaming of even more!

We are grateful to God and to those who continue to make it all possible through their generous donations. As the end of the year approaches, please consider ways you can help keep this mission going with either a one-time gift or by becoming a monthly donor.

Join Us on November 5th!

Join The Living Water Project on Sunday, November 5th at 1 PM at the Otter Creek Pavilion to learn about upcoming milestones and help kick-off our year-end campaign efforts. Cider, coffee, and cookies will be served. Families are encouraged to attend!

Yard games and a special kids activity to help get the whole family involved in supporting LWP will be available. You won't want to miss it as we highlight the great work of The Living Water Project in 2023 and beyond! 

Why $40,000?

The reason we ‘Zoom in on Zambia’ every summer is due to the sheer amount of people with limited access to clean water in the country. Using dirty water leads to poor sanitation and hygiene, and drinking that water can lead to water-borne illnesses such as diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, and more. Nearly 50% of Zambians living in rural areas are without clean water (compared to 1% in the US). Our help is vital as we look to continue our impact in Zambia this year.

But why $40,000? This year's goal is in line with previous campaigns and that amount will cover the cost of 10 new wells in Zambia, impacting about 3,000 people. And in the words of our Zambian partner Shadreck Sibwaalu, there is nearly an "...endless list of villages that need some water." Let’s help him shrink that list!

Thank you in advance for your support during this year's campaign. You are making a difference in the lives of thousands of Zambians in need. 

Donate here using a credit card, PayPal or Venmo or mail a check to the address listed here.

A well being drilled in Kasalanga B village in Zambia, January 2023. Photo by Shadreck Sibwaalu.

Why Zambia?

Why does The Living Water Project focus on Zambia each year? Answer: Because clean water in rural portions of Zambia continues to save lives and our on-the-ground partner, Shadreck Sibwaalu, is the hands that brings that good news! For the past ten years, Shadreck has overseen around 10 to 12 well installations per year for needy Zambians, which have had a life-changing impact on over 30,000 Zambian citizens.

Villages in Zambia need clean water, and it is a case of "water, water everywhere, yet not a drop to drink". Zambia is one of the most water-rich countries in Africa receiving between 25 to 50 inches of rain each year depending on location. However, water treatment and access to water outside of the largest cities is only available to half of the rural population.

It is estimated that around 30% of Zambians don't have access to safe water, which results in the death of 5,000 children from diarrhea each year. The installation of a well with $4,000 to $5,000 immediately brings relief to THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE within a small radius - both clean water to drink and water to promote sanitary conditions! As we've heard from Shadreck this week, he has an "endless list for villages that need some water".

Please consider donating to help Shadreck and the people of Zambia.

A dirty water source in Simaundu Village, Zambia, which the community uses for drinking. This will likely be one of the first communities to receive a clean water well from funds raised during our 2023 Zoom in on Zambia campaign.