Glen Ellyn Kids for Clean Water in Congo
Written by Randy Johnson, member of Glen Ellyn Covenant Church 
This summer the children’s ministry at the Glen Ellyn (Illinois) Evangelical Covenant Church held a Vacation Bible School in late July. Their curriculum focused on trusting God, using the stories of Moses and the people of Israel as they trusted God in the wilderness following their exit from Egypt. As Andy Barg, Director of Children’s Ministries, and his planning team considered this setting, they were led to explore a way to include our dependence on water and engage the kids in something beyond themselves. They enlisted the help of the church’s missions team, who did a simple Internet search, connected with the work of Covenant World Relief and the partnership with Water 1st, which, in turn led to a discovery of the on-going project to bring clean water and improved sanitation and hygiene education to the people of Ledia. In short, they adopted the Ledia Water Project in the Covenant Kids Congo program as their VBS project.
Throughout each evening, kids moved around the facility, with visits to Moses’ tent to hear from this ancient Israelite leader, to experience outdoor games, to gather in tribes to process what they were learning, to go to the “marketplace” where they had the option to get a snack, work on a craft project, try their hand at a typical household chore, or learn about the importance of safe, clean water. Soon this last stop became a favorite.
Children struggled to carry heavy water containers on their backs, watched videos of women and children filling containers from streams and ponds, viewed dirty water through a microscope, watched videos of well drilling and learned about filtration and purification. They responded by bringing coins and dollar bills by the fist-full, and slowly throughout the week watched as a symbolic “well” became full (of blue balloons they received in exchange for their placing money in a large jar). They were excited to learn that they had enabled several families to have clean, safe water for life! Among those contributing to this project were a number of Bhutanese and Burmese refugee children from families recently resettled in our area who are now worshipping in their home languages in the Glen Ellyn Covenant church.
Kids and families raised $512.76 for the Ledia Water Project. Right now in Gemena, three deep wells and water systems are being constructed which we anticipate will provide clean water access to 50,000 people in 2015! We are grateful for such partnerships that have made this project possible. May every Covenant church connect with the great opportunity we have as together we seek to find ways to improve health, education and spiritual awareness in partnership with the CEUM.
