PAID - Lott Carey · • Dr. Mallary Callahan (Greater Star-light), Dr. Larry Cross (Berean Baptist Church), Rev. Floyd Kirts (Bethel Bap-tist Church) and Sister Pauline Hurst (Greater

8201 Corporate DriveSuite 1245Landover, MD 20785-2230LottCarey.org

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PAIDWASHINGTON, D.C.PERMIT No. 01345

LOTT CAREY HERALDLC

Thank you for supporting the residents of Flint, Michigan, who are in the midst of a water crisis. All donations need to observe the following guidelines, which allow volunteers to handle donations safely and efficiently.

DONATIONS FOR FLINT, MICHIGAN

The following items are acceptable:• Full cases of commercially packaged

water (no loose bottles)• Commercially sealed gallon (or

larger) containers of waterAll containers must have an expiration date at least 6 months in the future• Hand sanitizer (in US Postal Service

Priority Mail Large Mailing Box, 14-3/4” x 11-3/4” x 11-1/2” OR shipping box 12” x 12” x 12”)

• Baby wipes (in US Postal Service Priority Mail Large Mailing Box, 14-3/4” x 11-3/4” x 11-1/2” OR shipping box 12” x 12” x 12”)

The following items cannot be accepted:• Canned water• Containers with open/broken seals• Carbonated water• Flavored water• Water past its expiration date

To coordinate shipments, contact:First Trinity Baptist Church1226 Beach Street, Flint, MI 48502Pastor Ezra L. Tillman, [email protected] 810.234.2653 www.ftmbcflint.org

To register teams for service, contact:Kathi L. ReidProgram Director, Disaster ServicesLott Carey, 8201 Corporate DriveSuite 1245Landover, MD [email protected]

Send financial support to:

Lott Carey8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 1245, Landover, MD 20785-2230

Donate online at LottCarey.org

LCLOTT CAREY HERALD

SUMMER 2016

For the privileged or blessed, access to clean water is no big deal. You don’t even think about it as you shower, wash your babies or rinse your food while making dinner.

But for countless others, obtaining clean water is akin to an impossible dream:

• Flint continues to cope with tainted water after the Michigan governor and other state and local officials tried to save money by switching the water source, then lied about the safety of the water.

• More than 5,300 community water systems in the U.S. violate federal law pertaining to water cleanliness and safety.

• Around the world, water—even from clean sources—becomes a justice issue as women and children are primarily responsible for fetching water, day after day, meaning they can’t properly attend school or advance in their jobs.

But there are people working to improve the odds for people dealing with the elusive resource of safe water. Check out the growing do-for-self move-ment in Flint, the many organizations fighting water pollution in the states, and the growing global realization that the need for safe, clean wa-ter is an ever-expanding missions opportunity.

On the Cover . . .2008: A young girl replenishes her family’s water supply from a nearby well rebuilt by UNICEF near Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.UN Photo: Ky Chung

WATER JUSTICE

&

Flint’s First Trinity Continues Holy Endeavor

America’s Tainted Water—From Sea to Shining Sea

Photo Essay: U.N. Photos detail the Quest for Clean Water.

Global Perspectives on Clean Water—Getting It and Keeping It

WHAT’S INSIDE4

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LOTT CAREY HERALDLC

31Lott Carey Herald/Summer 2016

LOTT CAREY DISASTER SERVICES UPDATESBy Kathi L. Reid

Disaster Services Network ExpandsThe Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the American Red Cross, Lott Carey, and the National Baptist Con-vention of America, Inc. was signed. This national agreement, which covers the U.S., the Caribbean and its provinces, took effect in February 2016. The three organizations agreed to work cooperatively together to help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters in an increasingly multicultur-al and multilingual society. The partnership is now referred to as the Lott Carey – NBCA Disaster Services Network. Lott Carey is providing program management support for the network. The need for relief operations is increasing in scope and size, so there is a need for help from volunteers to respond to disasters. Please join the Lott Carey – NBCA Disaster Network.

NBCA Disaster Network RespondsThe Red Cross established shelters and distri-bution centers to house and feed hundreds devastated by record-breaking flooding over the past eight months in South Carolina, Louisiana and Texas. South Carolina – Early October 2015

• The sheer amount of rainfall was histor-ic for South Carolina. South Carolin-ians who were severely affected continue to need support as they seek to recover from devastation.

• Under the leadership of Rev. Samuel Tolbert, Rev. Terry White and Rev. Ronald Smith, the NBCA responded to the disaster by providing truckloads of supplies for distribution through their network of churches in the areas affected by the flooding.

• Lott Carey applied for a grant to focus primarily on providing case man-agement to connect households in need with resources, promote disaster preparedness in affected areas and to encourage volunteerism and continued philanthropy among faith communities to repair damaged houses and other support activities.

• If grant funding is approved, three Renaissance Centers will be opened to allow social workers to provide case management services in the most

vulnerable and damaged counties where there are few resources, including Richland, Horry, Clarendon, Florence, Georgetown and Williamsburg.

Louisiana – March 2016• Louisiana was hit the first full week in

March 2016 with torrential downpours leaving many parts of the state flooded. Once again, our NBCA partners kicked into action to participate in disaster re-sponse with the Red Cross. NBCA set up two Distribution Centers: at Greater Starlight Baptist Church in Coving-ton and at Berean Baptist Church in Hammond. About 30 trained NBCA volunteers worked in the centers and in the community. The churches received supplies from the Red Cross and other disaster relief agencies.

• In Alexandria, an additional 30 volunteers were trained at two churches to work at the Red Cross shelters, distribution and feeding centers. Because of the outreach by Sis. Pauline Hurst and the Red Cross, 27 churches are interested in engaging in the Lott Carey – NBCA Disaster Services Network, including six A.M.E. churches.

• Dr. Mallary Callahan (Greater Star-light), Dr. Larry Cross (Berean Baptist Church), Rev. Floyd Kirts (Bethel Bap-tist Church) and Sister Pauline Hurst (Greater St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church) provided leadership to the recovery efforts.

Texas Flooding

• Residents in Houston and surround-ing areas were recovering from storms that produced unprecedented flooding in the spring. Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth area were hit by slow-moving downpours.

• NBCA’s disaster coordinator is Rev. Dr. Ronald Smith, Pastor of New Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Pastor Smith was proactive in reaching out to churches before the flood waters grew too high to identify churches that could handle

distribution, feeding and sheltering. Over the past couple of months, three distribution centers have been setup in the Houston area to provide cleaning supplies and water to the communities. Connecting Fellowship Church (Green-spoint), Mother’s Zion Baptist Church (Wharton), and Zion Baptist Church (Fulshear).

Mudslide Hits Carries, HaitiSadly, on August 29, 2015, another disaster struck Haiti. The rains from Tropical Storm Erika caused a mudslide in a poor settlement of the country-side community of Carries. Twenty-seven homes were destroyed and

many more were damaged. The mud, which was more than a foot high, covered homes and blocked roads. There has been no support from the Haitian government since their entire focus is on Port-au-Prince. Local government officials continue to have little or no means to address this or any disaster. More than 500 people were left homeless and were temporarily

housed in the local church and medical clinic. Since early this year, the families have been relocated throughout the community with family and neighboring friends. Lott Carey has mobilized several teams to Carries since November 2015 to assist with building projects while we wait for project proposals to rebuild homes in the community.

Short-term Missions Assignment (STM) Teams scheduled for Haiti:

• October 15 – 22, 2016 (Coed STM – Mt. Olive Baptist Church)

• November 12 – 19. 2016 (Men on Missions STM Team)

• November 26 – December 3, 2016 (Coed STM Team)

• December 3 – 10, 2016 (Alfred Street Baptist Church)

• February 25 – March 4, 2016 (Coed STM Team)

• March 10 – 17, 2017 (North Caroli-na Central University STM Medical Team)

Kathi L. Reid is Program Manager, Haiti & Disaster Services, for Lott Carey.

Photo: Dr. Mallary Callahan

CONVENTION EXECUTIVE OFFICERSPresidentPastor Alyn E. Waller

First Vice PresidentPastor Gregory J. Jackson

Second Vice PresidentPastor Gina M. Stewart

Chairman, Board of DirectorsPastor John M. Alexander, Jr.

Chairman EmeritusPastor Emeritus Norman W. Smith, Sr.

Executive Secretary-TreasurerDr. David Emmanuel Goatley

WOMEN IN SERVICE EVERYWHEREEXECUTIVE OFFICERSPresidentMrs. Debra G. Garner

First Vice PresidentMs. Carol W. Mohamed

Second Vice PresidentMs. Rosette T. Graham

MEN ON MISSIONS LEADERSHIP TEAMTeam LeaderMr. Laurence Campbell

Team Leader-Short-Term MissionsMr. Gregory L. Gabriel

Team Leader-Special ProjectsMr. J. Joe Wilson

Team Leader-RecruitmentMr. Tony Taylor

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIPTeam LeaderRev. Robert James

Publisher & EditorDr. David Emmanuel Goatley

Managing EditorMike Tucker

Design DirectorDash Parham

Copy EditorTonga Peterson

Contributing EditorsKathi L. ReidRev. Dawn M. Sanders

Editorial AssistantChristopher Tucker

Published by Lott Carey8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 1245Landover, MD 20785-2230Phone: 301-429-3300

Current and back issues of the Lott Carey Herald are available online at LottCarey.org

Lott Carey Herald/Summer 20162

Missions Team Tackles Sandy Repair in Atlantic City Four years after superstorm Sandy devastat-ed homes along a huge swath of the Eastern Seaboard — especially in New Jersey and New York —many families are still waiting for their houses to be rebuilt or restored. The haphazard recovery effort by officials in many communites has only exacerbated the disaster spawned by the storm that is blamed for more $71 billion in damages. Yet the partnership that Lott Carey formed with local churches continues to help residents of Atlantic City, New Jersey, who were among those hardest hit by Sandy, said

Laurence Campbell, team leader for Men on Missions. Eight men from Wayland Baptist and St. Timothy’s Christian Baptist churches in Baltimore were among the latest members of Lott Carey’s missions team to head to Atlan-tic City and lend a hand, tackling a number of rebuilding projects in May. Among those helped was a 78-year-old wid-ow with dementia, who lives alone. When Sandy struck and dumped eight feet of water into her basement and first floor, she refused to leave. Instead, she struggled to remove the

debris and muck by herself. When A Future with Hope Inc. heard of her plight, the agency—that helps families with long-term recovery efforts—came to the rescue. But there’s still work to do, Campbell said. His team worked with a group of men from Trenton to remove appliances from the kitchen so that the walls could be stripped. The crew also removed damaged plaster and wood from the basement, and flooring from the living room, dining room and kitchen, Campbell said.

Lott Carey Photos

Volunteers work on caging and concrete, left, while interior project nears completion at Mission of Grace in Haiti.

Lott Carey Disaster Services Updates, Page 30

Mission of Grace: New Lott Carey Partner Takes Haiti to Heart For almost a decade the Mission of Grace has dis-pensed love, understanding and essential services to those in need in Haiti. It is a Christ-centered organi-zation headquartered in Carries. Its ministries include Children of Grace Orphanage; Young Girls Home; Grace Community School; Grace Elderly Home; Grace Community Medical Clinic; Grace Communi-ty Church, and Grace Single Mothers Home.

WATER JUSTICE

QUENCHING THE GLOBAL

By Dr. David Emmanuel GoatleyExecutive Secretary-Treasurer

THIRSTFOR


Commentary by Rev. Dawn Sanders

SYDNEY, Australia—I once read that the word “friend” is best defined as “one who carries my sorrows on his back.” Such a beautiful description for such a loving act reminds me of the role we often play while serving on short-term

missions. With very limited time, team members enter into unfa-miliar cultures to share the joys and sorrows of those we befriend, and return home forever changed. This year, our work led us to the First Nation People of Austra-lia. This mission would be the 20th team I deployed on behalf of Lott Carey and one of the most difficult. For six months I sought volunteer opportunities to serve alongside partner organizations to no avail. Reluctantly, I gave up and focused solely on our work with the Aboriginal Christian community. Four months before departure, God divinely intervened, and we received a response from Jenny Stanger, originally from the U.S. and the co-founder of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking of Los Angeles. Now living in Australia, she invited us to partner with the Salvation Army Freedom Partnership, an initiative to end modern slavery.

Mission Accomplished: Serving Alongside NewPartners in Australia

Continued on Page 30Continued on Page 30

Rev. Dawn Sanders, right, with Pastors Ray and Sharon Minniecon, center with hat and red top, leaders of Scarred Tree Ministries, which works with the Aboriginal community.

To have justice is to have enough. It is just to have enough resources to live safely. It is just to have adequate housing for shelter from the elements. It is just to have enough food to live strong. It is just to have sufficient water for

health and hygiene. Tragically, too many people in the world live without justice. They do not have enough. This edition of the Lott Carey Herald magazine focuses on water as an issue of justice. Water is essential to life on Earth. Most of us know this intuitive-ly. The United Nations agrees that universal access to clean water must be considered a basic human right. Yet it is a right that is denied daily to many of our sisters and brothers around the world. Those who have the least are often those who cannot take clean water for granted. This is an issue of justice. The right to clean water is threatened by disasters, poverty, pollu-tion and strife. But it is also threatened by indifference and neglect. Water insecurity—the lack of easy access to safe and abundant water for drinking and sanitation—affects people in many of the world’s poorest countries. But even one of the richest, the United States, is not immune to the problem, as evidenced by the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, that is contaminated with lead. Where there is a lack of safe water for cooking, cleaning, drinking and sanitation, there is the menacing threat of disease. Malaria, cholera and typhoid and dengue fever alone cause millions of deaths each year in countries where clean water is scarce. Lott Carey has channeled the resources of its network to work alongside those trying to address the water situation wherever they are. It is a matter of justice. I am reminded of visiting Tafara, a high density suburb of Harare, Zimbabwe. It was established in the 1960s, as part of the apart-heid system of racial oppression, to house domestic workers and lowly paid industrial employees. While poverty abounded already, the problem was multiplied when the government displaced and dumped thousands of people in Tafara in 2005. By the time I arrived, the impoverished area was dependent on non-governmen-tal organizations for food, clean water and other basic necessities. Cholera and typhoid claimed many lives and plunged vulnerable families deeper into poverty. Scores of families, where both parents

The toad likes water, but not when it’s boiling.

—Guinean Proverb


The Flint River is a victim of decades of industrial pollution. The Clean Water Act of 1972 resulted in some improvements. But the 78-mile stream still contains high levels of chlorides, making it highly corrosive to lead pipes.

Text & Photos by Mike Tucker

FLINT, Mich.—Forget the traditional role of First Lady. The water crisis here, now entering its third year, continues to change the rules of engage-ment. For Catrina Tillman and

her husband, Pastor Ezra L. Tillman Jr. of First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, that means empowering the community with action and an activist mindset. It’s not that this city of nearly 100,000 doesn’t appreciate the bottled water, baby and sanitary wipes and volunteers that have flooded the city. But now that the TV news crews and Hollywood celebrities are gone, Flint residents must broaden the ways in which they tackle the aftermath of the water crisis and other social issues it exposed. First Trinity will continue distributing water because it is still a precious com-modity. But the Tillmans believe more can be done and have shared a vision that will eventually help the community get and stay healthy—the Revive Community Health

Center, which would be housed in a church annex right across the street from the main church on Beach Street. It will occupy the 4000-square-foot lower floor of the two-story extension. “At some point, we have to start being part of the solution,” says Mrs. Tillman, who will serve as CEO of the center once it opens.

“The cameras are gone. The microphones are gone. We still have a duty as Christians to serve those in need. We know water isn’t enough.” Launching a health enterprise is a perfect vision in many ways. When state officials changed the city water supply from Detroit to the Flint River, the move was meant to save money and officials reportedly failed to apply corrosion inhibitors—chemical compounds added to liquids and gases that decrease corrosion rates of metal or alloy. Gov. Rick Snyder and other officials did not know or care that corrosive Flint River water caused lead from aging pipes to enter the water supply and contaminate the city’s drinking water. Now, one in six Flint homes suffers from lead levels above the EPA guidelines, making filters ineffective in some neighborhoods. Among other things, lead in the bloodstream causes lower IQ, speech and learning disabili-ties and nervous system damage in children; memory loss and digestive and reproductive system damage in adults. Bottom line: Lead

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED

WATERCatrina Tillman Sharpens Vision,

Focus at First Trinity


Continued on Page 6

Catrina Tillman visits First Trinity’s annex, the proposed site of the church’s health center.

has shifted the conversation. “We won’t be the same,” says Pastor Till-man, referring to the increased attention to health and developmental issues springing from the contamination. “We need to give information to people so they will know how to survive and move forward from this point.” To make matters worse, getting the right kind of food to blunt the effects of the lead absorption isn’t easy. Flint is considered a food desert. More than 40 percent of its pop-ulation lives below the poverty line and gro-cery stores that sell fresh fruits and vegetables are scarce. Calcium, iron and Vitamin C are essential to the diets of children and adults exposed to lead. Flint last year launched a special Bus Rides to Groceries route that takes people to major grocery stores. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture is making additional food high in those nutrients avail-

able to schools and food banks. But more help is needed to address the lingering health impact of the tainted water. The proposed Revive Community Health Center, which will cost an estimated $500,000 to develop, includes three medical specialties that target primary and preventa-

tive health: a family physician, an obstetri-cian-gynecologist, and a pediatrician. Quar-terly workshops will emphasize nutrition and exercise. Other needs—such as school supplies, clothing and scholarships—will be addressed through special events. “This water crisis has really brought out a


Pastor Tillman reviews the day’s activities with church receptionist Shawnda Hamilton.

Mrs. Tillman with volunteers from First Baptist Church of Manassas, Virginia.

Continued from Page 5

FIRST LADY FOCUS

side of my husband that I haven’t seen,” she says. “He does have a little Malcom X syn-drome . . . how he uses that energy to be in prayer, and to receive the vision that he has for this community health center.” As the Tillmans enthusiastically share, the goal is “Get Well, Live Well and Be Well.” They envision a treatment facility for all, whatever your economic or social standing. “It will be a safe haven,” says Mrs. Tillman, who can visualize the facility as she talks. “Revive will be a place where anyone can come for first-class health treatment. We’re going to make sure that the doctors we engage understand that a spirit of hospitality and service is preferred.” Says Pastor Tillman: “We’re trying to make sure that when people see or hear of Flint, there will be some glory in our story. We’re

doing the work necessary to make sure that something happens right now.” The Tillmans and their sons—Ezra III, 7; Micah, 6, and Isaac, 4—recently visit-ed Washington, D.C., and Rev. Tillman preached at Alfred Street Baptist Church in nearby Alexandria, Va., at the invitation of its pastor, Rev. Howard-John Wesley. “I liken Rev. Tillman to Dr. King when he was in Montgomery and got thrust into the bus boycott. I told Rev. Tillman, ‘You’ve been thrust into it, now you’ve got to push it and see it through,’” Wesley said in an interview. Wesley is impressed with the health-center concept and indicated he will work with church leaders on a possible $100,000 donation. “Very little of what we give to Lott Carey

and to the Tillmans and to First Trinity winds up in administrative costs,” said Wesley. “It’s money that goes directly to what they said it was going to do.” While fund-raising continues, Mrs. Tillman will continue to work alongside her husband. “Supporting him is what I do best, and I take pride in saying that,” she says. “I know I was called and I was created to be the wife of Ezra Tillman Jr. So when we got called to First Trinity, I said, ‘Okay. Let’s go. This is where God is placing us.’” While he’s been leading, preaching and pastoring, she has effectively orchestrated communications in the background. That’s allowed her to tap her experience as a former marketing professional with Team Detroit, Ford Motor Co.’s advertising agency now

‘At some point, we have to start being part of the solution.’


Continued on Page 8

The First Lady with the scores of donations that First Trinity processes and distributes.

Forklift operator at First Trinity water station rids the site of empty pallets and boxes to make room for new donations.

known as GTB, which stands for Global Team Blue. Now she takes the lead directing First Trinity’s public image and communications, allowing her husband to focus on the day-to-day work of ministry and an expanding agenda related to social justice and the water crisis. And her expert handling of press and celebrities during the Environmental Justice Rally in February highlighted her value as a communicator. “I never thought that I would be used in this capacity,” says Mrs. Tillman, who has a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Ferris State University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. “I prayed, ‘Lord, how are you going to use my professional and academic background? How are you going to be able to incorporate that into the church? How can I serve you with the knowledge you’ve allowed me to gain?’ I never thought it would come by way of a water crisis.”

Mike Tucker is Managing Editor of Lott Carey Herald.

Pastor Howard-John Wesley of Alfred Street Baptist Church is commit-ted to fundraising for the health center.


Floor plan of proposed health clinic, top of page, which will be housed in church annex, above.

Pastor Tillman with sons, from left: Ezra III, 7, Isaac, 4, and Micah, 6.


FIRST LADY FOCUS

• Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said she would ask the city council to okay agreements to hire two companies to replace about 250 lead water lines, the Detroit Free Press has reported. Officials want to replace 500 pipes with the $2 million received from the state but high cost estimates stymied the effort, the mayor says. City Council President Kerry Nelson said he’s frustrated that the mayor has not revealed a comprehensive strategic plan. “I don’t have the document,” says Nelson. “She has mentioned the direction she would like to go but we haven’t got there yet.”

• The Charles Stewart Mott Founda-tion announced $4 million in grants to support academic, enrichment and youth employment program this summer, and help sustain afterschool

programs in the coming school year in Genesee County. Flint is the largest city and county seat. Mott President Ridgway H. White said in a statement the grants reflect the Foun-dation’s continuing commitment to expanded access to quality education for area children and families, and are part of a recent pledge of up to $50 million over one year—as much as $100 million over five years—to help Flint recover from the water crisis. (By the way, the foundation was established in 1926 by Mott, an original partner in the creation of General Motors Corp., founded in Flint in 1908.)

• The NAACP has filed suit against several state officials, including Gov. Rick Snyder, and two engineering firms, charging them with poisoning

the city with toxic drinking water, failing to detect there was a problem, then playing dumb when a bunch of red flags were raised. “Our organiza-tion stands with the citizens of Flint to demand a clear timeline, deadline and price tag for fixing this crisis,” Cornell William Brooks, national president and CEO of the NAACP, said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. The lawsuit was announced in May but was filed in late March in U.S. District Court, according to the Detroit Free Press, where at least two dozen more Flint-related suits are pending.

Flint endures amid legislation, philanthropy, litigation

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS


Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, above, and City Council President Kerry Nelson cross swords over how to handle the state, financing and politics during water crisis.

Photo: Mike Tucker

Ashley Liddell-Ruffin is adamant about staying in Flint—unless, through divine intervention, she gets an offer to work for the Obamas. The fan-

tasy makes her giggle a little because she knows thousands of professionals desire that gig. In reality, Flint is home and she insists it’s showing signs of coming back. The life-long resident stays busy making sure things stay on

a positive path for her and her two children, Clarence, 6, and Clarissa, 4. She is a Family Engagement Facilitator for Holmes STEM Academy, a part of Flint Com-munity Schools, where she troubleshoots educational, social and other problems that families

experience. She volunteers as vice chair of a parent advisory council, and is a member of First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church. She spoke with Mike Tucker of Lott Carey Herald

about the challenges of living for the city.

Like most Flint parents, Ashley Liddell-Ruffin is

‘BEYOND BEING SCARED’


Ashley Liddell-Ruffin visits the farmers market in downtown Flint with daughter Clarissa, left, and son, Clarence.

How scary is it to be parenting children in Flint?We’ve been dealing with this water crisis for more than two years. We’re beyond being scared. We’re now at the proactive stage; we recognize where the issues lie and how we’ve lost trust in our govern-mental system and the people that we elected.

What do you mean by proactive?A lot of people are under the assumption that Flint is this bad city and everybody is just negative and depressed. I’m actually happy to say that I’ve seen a lot of positivity. You see a lot more people being helpful to their neighbors, things that we should have been doing a long time ago but sometimes a crisis will bring the best out.

How do you deal with the frustration of using bottled water and the fear your children may forget and drink from the faucet?It’s sad that our children have had to adjust to things like that, but we’ve all just had to make those adjustments and keep going. Re-cently, my children and I were at the farmers market, and because we know that the downtown area and some business interests have been cleared as far as having clean water, I discovered my daughter forgot how to use the water fountain because it’s been so long. It’s like the simple pleasures of life have been ripped away from our children.

How do you get some of that childhood back since water is such a basic resource?You don’t. I mean you try to find ways to supplement. Ten years ago, you would have seen children outside on a day like today when it might reach 90 degrees, and they would be running through sprinklers or an open fire hydrant. You don’t see any of that right now because the water is not safe. Things I was able to take advantage of when I was a child growing up in the city of Flint, my children won’t get to do right now. In order for them to have a clean and safe enjoyable time in water, they’ll have to go out to Bluebell Beach (an amusement area that uses Detroit water) or outside of Genesee County just to feel safe and enjoy the simple pleasures of summer.

What can you tell me about the impact on families you deal with in schools?It’s been a financial crunch for a lot of our families. They’ve had to try to figure out how to compensate for having to go out and purchase water; or making sure that they can get off work early so they can go to different centers donating water. With the children, instead of being able to drink out of the water fountain after gym class or recess we have to make sure there’s enough bottled water in class. If you work with little three- and four-year olds you have to explain why they can’t drink from the water fountain or can’t turn the water on in bathrooms to rinse their toothbrushes. That’s why they each get a little bottle of water with their name on it.

Sounds like a psychological burden as well.I’m able to relate with parents because I deal with the same things. There are days when I want to just cook a pot of spaghetti, then think “I don’t feel like opening bottles.”

How have you coped?Prayer. Knowing that one day this is all going to come to an end, that everything that we’re looking for, as far as answers, will be given to us.

Being a believer of faith, I know that God already has our answer for this.

What do people need to know about Flint and why it’s a special place?Even though it’s hard for people from the outside to understand, this is still home. If everybody packs up and leaves because things are hard, who will be around when God comes in and turns everything around?


Clarissa and Clarence model their Easter Sunday best at First Trinity.

Bill Quarles, a fit and affable man with a viselike handshake, is point man in the quest for clean water. He coordinates the water crisis operation for First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, securing warehouse space, overseeing distribution of supplies and managing teams of volunteers that come to Flint to lend a hand. Quarles, a retired funeral director, seems to be in perpetual mo-tion as he meets with church officials, civic leaders and citizens searching for answers. But the energetic deacon, who adheres to a vegan diet, took a few moments to talk with Mike Tucker of the Lott Carey Herald about his perspectives on the Flint water crisis:

Faith and Passion Fuel Deacon’s Water Distribution Efforts‘Lott Carey amplifies what the mission is all about’

What’s the biggest challenge in coordinating First Trinity’s response to the water crisis?Receiving water in a timely manner and having a place to store it. The Lord has blessed us with five warehouses. But since January we have been receiv-ing on average between three or four semis (trucks) a week. Luckily we have locations where we can house water, but initially we were so overwhelmed with donations of water coming in that we didn’t know where to put it.

Why do you still need all this water?Because ours has been tainted. There is a need for bottled water for drinking. There’s a need for gal-lons of water for bathing and for cooking.

But Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has promised to use filtered Flint water for 30 days and President


Bill Quarles takes an uncharacteristic breather in his First Trinity office, decorated with delivery and inventory notes.

Photo: Mike Tucker

Eugene Bush expects a lot of himself—wheth-er serving as a volunteer in Flint or in the military, where he is a senior airman in the

U.S. Air Force. Though not a member, he came with First Baptist Church of Manassas in Virginia because he wants to make a difference as a father

and budding entrepreneur who’s building an outdoor recreation company. Here are some thoughts he shared during a recent interview while volunteering in Flint:

Volunteer’s first time in Flint reinforces personal philosophy

Obama visited the city and told residents the water is safe as long as it’s properly filtered.I do not believe that the water given to President Obama and the water that Gov. Snyder said he would take home is the water we are consuming in Flint . . . (laughter) . . . because the filters that were supplied in the City of Flint, from the information we got, still had problems.

So basically you’re saying . . .Don’t trust. Get water. We’re here every day.

People are still coming?Still coming. Normally we run through about 500-to-1000 cases of water a day five to seven pallets of water a day.

When did you begin giving out water?January of this year.

Since then, how much water have you distributed?More than 800,000 cases of 16-ounce bottles. Now there’s a greater need for the gallons for cooking and bathing. I got a call recently from several schools requesting the eight-ounce bottles of water be-cause the children are wasting the 16 ounces. So the gallon water, the

8-ounce bottles of water and the baby wipes and hand sanitizers are the greatest needs we have now.

You’re having a rather busy retirement.My day goes from 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning until 8:00 or 9:00 at night. I’m at the church seven days a week. At one point in January, February, March we had two or three semis coming in per day.

And the church had no one to deal with the logistics?Only the men here, and this is an “old church” (laughter). We don’t have any young men but the Lord blessed us with Lott Carey. I had never heard of Lott Carey or knew nothing about Lott Carey. I feel as though it was a blessing to me. This whole water situation really enforced my belief in mankind and what is being done across the nation, but I was more impressed when the volunteers came in from Lott Carey.

Really? What’s the magic pill?Lott Carey’s magic pill is love. You can feel the love and caring from every group of volunteers that come from Lott Carey. It’s not about show. They come in here to help. It’s not about coming in to be on TV. They’re coming here for a genuine purpose. It’s about being mis-sionaries, and Lott Carey amplifies what the mission is all about.

On volunteering: “I need to know that what I do matters. I question myself every single day when I wake up and when I go to sleep: ‘Am I doing something that is reflective of who I am or the people around me?’ When we showed up at an elderly woman’s house (with cases of water) and knocked on the door, I saw that our work mattered. She opened the door, let us in and Pastor Keith Savage of First Baptist Church of Manassas prayed. We got that instant gratification of being there, doing a service for people who actually need it versus a website-type of help.”

On perseverance: “I’m from a poor area and one thing that all poor areas have is a level of tolerance. There’s an adaptability and you keep moving. You don’t quit . . . My message to Flint is step up and stand up a little bit more. From talking to the people in the church, there is a young generation that’s not actively involved. You don’t necessarily have to attach yourself to a religious organization to do your part. You really can’t rely on anybody to do it for you. You must do it.”

On the Flint experience: “One of the things I’ve learned being here in Flint – this is a working city. People are hands-on. As I drove through the city, I could see that people work very hard. You know what I mean? They strive for every single piece of life that they have. You really shouldn’t take any of it for granted.”


Missions and more on youtube.com/LottCareyTV

Volunteer says tech is Flint’s road to economic renewal

For volunteer, compassion is at the heart of her service in Flint

Kerry Davis is like the guy in the sci-fi flick, The Matrix: He sees the ominous code that is enslaving mankind. In the case of Flint, he sees

the vast landscape of abandonment of industrial sites like Buick City and envi-sions a public-private partnership that can revitalize the beleaguered city. “There are blocks and blocks of vacant land and Kettering University, a major engineering institution. They’re focused mostly on automotive, but if they were just to perform a slight tweak and start looking at computer engineering and other types of engineering degrees, they could put a major technology corridor right here,” says Davis, a volunteer and deacon who came with First Baptist Church of Manassas in Virginia. “It’s a matter of talking to your local city council folks and your mayor and saying, ‘This is what we want.’ Because once you bring technology into this community, you now create a whole different dynamic in the economy. Now, you’re in step with America and the global community.” Davis, who is also a tech expert with the FBI, says even under-ed-ucated residents can benefit from training and scholastic programs provided by government and churches. “The church has always been a catalyst for change in the black

community. We have moved away from that over the years, but as you can see, whenever there’s a crisis, it’s the church that always comes to the forefront to start getting things coor-dinated and moving things forward, says Davis. “The church can still be that base for setting up programs and using its facilities, where seniors and young people can come in and be re-trained. That will have a pro-found impact on the economy.” Davis argues that his vision is sound because the auto industry is not likely to experience a resurgence

to previous levels in Flint, which means participating in the informa-tion economy. This reality, Davis would say, is not a geek’s fantasy or a volunteer’s zealous optimism. It’s the way the world is now. “Because of the global community in which we live in, technology is the only way going forward,” Davis says. “We’re not going back-wards. Technology is constantly evolving. If you read the paper and look at TV commercials, all you see is new technology rolling out. Why shouldn’t Flint be a part of it? Why shouldn’t the people of Flint seize the opportunity and become a part of this technology revolution and change their community, and change their economic status?”

—Mike Tucker

Trina Canada says she came to Flint to help because she is compassionate and understands what it’s like to be down on your luck. “It all has to do with my own personal history, what I’d been through in my life.

“I’ve been on the streets,” says the volunteer, a member of First Baptist Church of Manassas in Virginia. “I’ve strug-gled. I’ve had to endure being without.” And she’s incredulous about the burden families must bear because of the water crisis. “It’s like being in a Third World country. This is America.

How is this happening?” she asks. “It just hurts me because I have a compassionate heart, a servant’s heart. I just want all of God’s children to be able to have the simple things in life, and you can’t even do that here.” Ms. Canada says she’s committed to soliciting needed supplies for Flint, even after her formal ministry service. “If I can’t load up a truck, at least I can load up my SUV full of water, disinfectant wipes, whatever is needed. It’s about 600 miles. That’s nothing,” she says. “That’s what’s in my heart right now, and it’s going to happen.”

—Mike Tucker


Volunteer Kerry Davis checks out mobile phone during break at First Trinity water station.

Trina Canada says she plans to have continuing role in water effort.


Views of Flint, clockwise from top: One of many neighborhoods awaiting new pipe-lines; an abandoned house; a dirt road in urban area; Flint Water Treatment Plan, built in 1952, is charged with running a water supply and purification system that includes three drinking water reservoirs, four pump stations, four dams on the Flint River and the water quality testing lab; cross gleams at First Trinity.

Photos: Mike Tucker

FEISTY FIRST LADYBRIDGE OVER TROUBLED

WATER

BECOMES A

Catrina Tillman Communicates Confidence in their Vision of an Empowered Flint


Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.

—W.H. Auden, poet

Photo: U.S. EPA

By Geri Coleman Tucker

WASHINGTON—The crisis in Flint has given new vis-ibility and voice to the problem of the nation’s troubled

waters. Tainted water is an issue plaguing thousands of communities across the United States, leaving millions of Americans without access to water safe to drink and to cleanse. What happened in Michigan is the latest proof that low-income areas and communi-ties of color are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards such as lead and toxic waste leaching into the water and soil. Those communities historically fall prey to pollution from water pipes, nearby factories and businesses, and exposure to other toxic elements in the environment at much higher levels than elsewhere. It is an environmental and social justice issue. “In the United States, an estimated half a million children have elevated levels of lead in their blood,” Diane Regas, executive director of the Environmental Defense Fund, recently wrote in an opinion article in The Hill, a Washington, D.C.-based political newspaper. “Poor kids are three times as likely to be affected, African-American kids have twice the risk.”

Lead a Leading Culprit Lead in drinking water is unsafe at any level. It can cause lifelong learning and health problems, behavioral problems and even lower IQs in infants and children. Yet almost

daily high concentrations of lead are found in drinking water at thousands of schools, day care centers and homes nationwide. In New Jersey, for example, 11 cities had a larger share of children in which high lead levels were detected than Flint, according to a recent analysis by Isle, a nonprofit commu-nity development group in the state. “While lead levels in children in the suburbs have plummeted, the harsh fact is that minority children in urban communities continue to be poisoned,” Isles environmental health director Elyse Pivnick told The Washington Post last February. In fact, many civil rights advocates say that the exposure of so many communities of color to polluted water amounts to environ-mental racism. Up to six million miles of lead pipes carry water to homes in the U.S. and may be poisoning residents, says environmental historian Chris Sellers, who is a professor at Stony Brook University in New York. “In too many cases the public is drinking water containing contaminants that are posing serious health risks,” Erik Olson, di-rector of the health program for the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said earlier this year in testimony before the Sen-ate Committee on Environment. “The public health threat from our failure to invest in our

FROM SEA SHINING SEA,

U.S. RESIDENTS

DIRTY WATERDEAL WITH

TOFLINT IS NOT ALONE


Continued on Page 18

water infrastructure is enormous.” Schools in Newark, N.J., recently replaced water fountains with bottled water after high levels of lead were found in the tap water. In Philadelphia, up to 50,000 homes are still connected to lead service lines, and the city’s methods of testing for lead levels in the water have been called faulty in an investigation by the Guardian newspaper.

Not a new problem A 2004 study by The Washington Post found that tap water in hundreds of homes tested in the Nation’s Capital had lead levels of about 300 ppb (parts per billion) after a switch from chlorine to chloramine for disinfecting the city’s water. The chloramine resulted in high amounts of lead in the water. Jackson, Miss., Columbia, S.C. and Durham, N.C., are just a few of the other cities that have had to deal with unsafe levels of lead in their tap water. An analysis last year by the NRDC found that some 18 million people in this country are served by more than 5,300 communi-ty water systems that violated federal laws meant to ensure that water is safe to drink and is free of lead and other contaminants. In some cases, the violators are not testing the safety of their drinking water. In other cases, they are not reporting problems or

treating the water prop-erly. Many of the pipes carry-ing the water are long past the time when they should have been replaced. Some date to the late 1880s. The cost to replace them nationwide could run into the hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 20 years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Water Works Association. “Flint’s water crisis highlights potential-ly disastrous gaps in the provision of safe drinking water to all people, especially the most vulnerable,” the NRDC said in its recent report What’s in Your Water: Flint and Beyond. “These shortcomings are complex, far-reaching, and unacceptable and include poor and unaccountable decision-making by public officials as well as deficiencies” in two federal laws that were meant to protect the public—the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Lead and Copper Rule, which regulates lead in drinking water.

Federal, state, local officials to blame The NRDC faults the state and federal EPA and state and local officials for failing to enforce current laws and regulations. It also faults loopholes and weak language in those

laws. In fact, the regulatory system is so flawed that critics note that neither the EPA nor the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has yet to officially report that Flint violated the Lead and Copper Rule.The EPA set 15 ppb of lead as the maximum acceptable lev-el before regulators must step in and make sure the problem is fixed. However, in Flint some homes registered more

than 10,000 ppb of lead at the height of the water crisis; and as many as 8,000 children under age six were exposed to lead-tainted drinking way. Access to safe drinking water is a basic hu-man right, according to the United Nations’ General Assembly. But even that group doc-umented wide disparities between the access that Native Americans and people of color had to safe water. The most recent study by the government’s Indian Health Service, for example, found that about 7.5 percent of Native American and Alaska Native homes did not have safe drinking water or basic sanitation.

Geri Coleman Tucker is a freelance writer and editor living in the Washington, D.C., area.



DIRTY WATER

Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.

—Nelson Mandela


2011: Rice fields on a hill of a tribal village in Sapa, Vietnam.

UN Photo: Kibae Park

THROUGHYEARS

QUESTTHE

THE

FORCLEAN WATER


1997: Women walk to a community well for drinking water in northern Cameroon.

UN Photo: A Rozberg

UN Photo: JC McIlwaine

2015: Community resident gets water in solar-powered mini water-yard facility in Gormoyok, South Sudan.

1981: A woman in San Mateo, Guatemala, hoists a water vessel on her back.


UN Photo: Antoinette Jongen

UN Photo: Logan Abassi

2010: Young boy totes bucket of water from a broken water pipe in Cité Soleil. Many suffered from a water shortage after a powerful earthquake.

UN Photo: Kibae Park

2010: Children collecting water in Dhaka, Bangladesh.


2009: Woman embarks on journey to water distribution site in Tora, Sudan. The nearest water site is 90 minutes away.

UN Photo: Oliver Chassot

1976: Women of Po smile as they return to their village with vessels full of water in Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso.

UN Photo: Ray Witlin


2008: Small girls carry water across a rice field after heavy rains in Vemasse, Timor-Leste.

UN Photo: Martine Perret

UN Photo: Gill Fickling

2010: Wayuu villagers in Pessuapa, Colombia, frolic in diminishing water hole. Climate change has spurred water shortages over the years.

MONROVIA, Liberia—The numbers are startling for this west African nation of 4.5 million. WaterAid, an international organization dedicated to safe water access, sanitation and hygiene:, says:

• One million people in Liberia do not have access to safe water.

• Four million do not have access to adequate sanitation.• About 800,000 children die annually from diarrhea caused

by unsafe water and poor sanitation. While the government and relief organizations seek solutions, the Lott Carey Mission School (LCMS), which has survived de-cades of civil war, follows a strict routine of water management. “We currently have five wells strategically located around the campus to provide water for the campus and neighboring com-munities,” says Rev. Emile D.E. Sam-Peal, LCMS superintendent. “We do mandatory maintenance work on these pumps every month to ensure that they are in good working condition. Also, the wells are chlorinated monthly for safety reasons.” LCMS is hopeful that the future includes a water tower, a pump house and pipes to all buildings. Meanwhile, well

water requires muscle power. For example, water must be pumped into containers, then carried to bathrooms to fill

a 55-gallon barrel from which water can be dipped to flush the toilet.

WATER A CONSTANT LESSON AT LOTT CAREY MISSION SCHOOL


25Lott Carey Herald/Summer 2016 LCMS Photo

JEHOVAH’S WELL

MIRACLE OF

THE

Clean water, a valued resource, gushes through granite


The large water tower is a welcome sight as children and workers pose in front of the Tafara Childcare Center.

Commentary and Photos by Rev. Munorwei Chirovamavi

HARARE, Zimbabwe—The famed scholar Ali Mazrui once remarked: “In much of Africa, it is easier to find a bottle of beer than a glass of

clean water.” I have been pastor in the Mab-vuku-Tafara and Caledonia areas of Harare for the last 10 years and bear testimony to Mazrui’s observation. Zimbabwean tradi-tional wisdom says no one should be denied access to water. The well exists for communal benefit. It is needed by all to survive. Access to this precious resource is a justice issue. In some parts of Zimbabwe, it is customary to give visitors a cup of water (whether they are thirsty or not) before formal greetings. The visitor is supposed to drink or at least sip the water. One cannot say, “I am not thirsty.” It is a symbolic gesture. It is a sign of wish-ing each other peace. Water is not a want but a need. It is not a luxury but a human rights issue. Due credit is given to those who have made sacrifices so that the “least of these” can have access to water, which is access to life itself. In June 2016, we commemorated the fourth anniversary of the providential supply of clean water to the Tafara community in Harare, courtesy of Lott Carey. The eco-nomic difficulties that Zimbabwe continues to face for two decades now have made the provision of basic supply of water in the cities and countryside a gem reserved for the privileged few. Many are resorting to digging shallow wells. In most cases they do not reach the water table or if they do, the water

quickly dries up due to recurring droughts. In other cases, the ground is so polluted that the water is hardly safe for drinking. In June 2012, the Lott Carey Mission extended a ray of hope to one of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in Zimbabwe and our lives have never been the same. Duly named Jehovah’s Well, God made it possible for clean water to gush out of a terrain underlain by granite rock. Instead of barring access to water, the rock filters the water, making it more pure for human consumption. This can only be a miracle of the Lord. Thanks to all those who have made it possible for us to see the Hand of the Lord by allowing “the Word to become flesh” in our midst. Apart from being a source of life to the larger community, the water has made it pos-sible for Tafara Baptist Church to continue

its outreach program to the children through Tafara Childcare and Nutritional Centre. The church offers preschool classes and hot meals to the most vulnerable children. Water was a huge challenge but now we are able to continue this ministry unhindered. It is through Jehovah’s Well that we have been able to invest in the Nutritional Garden. The children are able to have fresh vegetables in their meals. At the moment, we have carrots, peas, spinach and cabbage to meet our children’s needs. Surplus is sold to the community. We hope to expand our poultry business to supplement our children’s diet. This will be possible since rearing chickens require a steady supply of clean water. Local authorities across Zimbabwe are struggling to refurbish machinery that purifies that water. In Harare, for example, that machinery was commissioned back in 1953 to serve a very small population. Some of Harare’s suburbs have gone for more than 10 years without running water due to the council’s lack of capacity to supply them with the precious liquid. Harare has witnessed frequent outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid because of the poor water supplies. In 2008, one of the worst cholera outbreaks ever recorded in this country left 4,288 dead and more than 98,000 infected. Water provision has come as a source of healing to quench and sustain the lives of many.

Rev. Munorwei Chirovamavi is Senior Pastor of Tafara Baptist Church in Harare, Zimba-bwe. He prefers to be called “Pastor Muno.”


Water creates harvest in Nutritional Garden, left; Pastor Muno, a gradu-ate of the University of Zimbabwe.

Water enables Tafara Baptist Church to con-tinue its childcare and nutrition missions.

Commentary by Dinesh Suna

GENEVA—Water is vital for life. Earth is unique be-cause of water. Two-thirds of our planet is covered with water—oceans, riv-ers, lakes, glaciers, icecaps.

Despite this diversity of available water, it remains a limited commodity. The global water crisis is due to scarcity and unequal distribution. It is a matter of justice and of rights. The World Council of Churches (WCC) is scheduled to publish a book on the theological and ethical frame-work of water justice later this year. We believe churches are called to do justice and defend the rights of the poor and margin-alized people, as directed in Isaiah 1:17 — “Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor.” The Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) of the World Council of Churches (WCC) is a platform of churches and Christian organiza-tions promoting people’s access to water around the world. The 9th Assembly of the WCC, which met in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2006, recognized the global water crisis and gave its mandate to the EWN to promote the preservation, respon-sible management and equitable distribution of water for all. The EWN believes that water is a gift of God, a public good and a fundamen-tal human right. Promoting access to safe drinking water and effective sanitation for all are our main goals. We work through churches and faith-based organizations, while advocating through the United Nations and

governments for improved water supply and policies. We encourage churches to place water issues on their agendas to create awareness, amplify local water issues and use human rights advocacy to fight for global improve-ments in water and sanitation. Our major outreach is “Seven Weeks for Water,” an annual Lenten campaign of bibli-cal reflections, liturgical materials, ideas and other resources. (Available at http://water.oikoumene.org/en/whatwedo/seven-weeks-for-water/2016/). World Water Day, observed worldwide on 22 March, falls during the Lenten period and is a great time to galvanize interest.

Thirst for Justice WCC is on a Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, focusing on the Middle East spotlight-

ing Palestine and the water crisis. Palestinians are among the most de-prived communities when it comes to access to water and sanitation. The impact of this year’s Lenten campaign was so strong that the Israeli government not only took notice of our campaign they were disturbed by our campaign and challenged us to prove our claims, which we did. It drew a lot of media as well as social media attention

from around the world. Several pro-Israeli right-wing groups, such as the Gatestone Institute, wrote several hate speeches against WCC and its Lenten campaign (available at https://www.oik-oumene.org/en/press-centre/news/wcc-re-sponds-to-gatestone-institute2019s-criti-cism-of-lenten-campaign-on-water). But these made our campaign even more visible.

Say ‘no’ to bottled water campaign Last year, the WCC’s EWN started another campaign to “eliminate the use of bottled water” from the church premises in Europe and North America. Plastic bottles pollute the environment and pose a serious imped-iment to the realization of the human right to water, which asserts that water is a public good and should not be deprived to someone because they cannot afford to buy it. Fur-thermore, when there is an alternative option for the rich and powerful, then the govern-ment will not take its service seriously. Flint’s contaminated water supply is a classic case. I believe, the government did not take seriously the safety and security of the Michigan city residents because they are not a dominant class. And the affluent people continued with their bottled water. It is a known fact that tap water in Europe and North America is supposed to be safe. It’s time that churches, institutions and

WATER JUSTICE:

MISSIONALCHURCHES

OPPORTUNITYFOR


Dinesh Suna calls water a human rights issue.

cities become a “blue community” by saying “no” to bottled water. It is worth taking note that Paris and many cities in Canada, Brazil, Switzerland have eliminated the use of bottled water in all government events and offices. Noted water activist, Maude Barlow of Canadian Council and the Blue Planet Project, are behind these initiatives. The World Council of Churches has decided to become a blue community too.

Right to Water in developed countries EWN promoted the European Citizen’s Initiative for the right to water because many do not have access to safe water, despite the popular notion that tap water in Europe is safe to drink and water supply has 100 percent coverage in Europe. The ECI was expected to collect a million signatures. However, the demand for the right to water in Europe was so strong that about two million signatures were collected.

Water Justice and SDGs Last year the governments of the world came together under the auspices of the United Nations and ratified the Sustainable Development Goals, which seeks to elimi-nate world problems, including water crises, by 2030. ( See chart above.)

Dinesh Suna, a Lutheran from India, is Programme Executive for the World Council of Churches and coordinates the work of its Ecumenical Water Network, a global effort to promote access to water. He lives in Geneva.


Young boys fetching water in the streets of Gaza in Palestine.

had died, were left headed by children. Youngsters orphaned because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic increased yearly. Almost simultaneously, I was introduced to a deacon in one of our Lott Carey Net-work churches who heard the Lord calling him to provide water in Africa. We con-nected his calling with the condition in Tafara. Although the cost was more than he had imagined, his reply was, “God told me to build a well in Africa. God didn’t say do it at a certain cost.” Today, the well is built. Lives have been saved. Disease has decreased. All because of the justice of water. Look for Pastor Munorwei Chirovamavi’s story in this edition.

Beyond Zimbabwe, you will find insights in these pages about the catastrophe of water poisoning in Flint. Lott Carey churches have been exceptionally generous with water,

health and sanitation supplies as well as money to help people negotiate their way around compromised water and water systems. We continue to work on longer-term solutions to provide health and nutritional support with our part-ners there. But Flint isn’t the only U.S. disaster. We also explore the wider crisis of water in the United States. The global water crises and our inter-national response are so important that we are devoting an entire issue of the Lott Carey Herald to share some of the missional work that is going on. As you

read the stories, consider ways that you can stand with us and help make a differ-

ence. The next time you drink some water, remember that providing water for others is a matter of justice.

For the first time, 20 Lott Carey women joined in a legislative campaign to eradicate human trafficking abroad. Team members boldly approached complete strangers in Sydney to ask their support in signing a pe-tition to be given to the minister of justice, to end the trafficking and exploitation of migrant workers and temporary visa holders in Australia. During the experience, I approached one woman and began reciting my newly learned script, when she cut me off mid-sentence saying, “I know what you are referring to. My parents were migrant workers in this situation. Thank you for what you are doing.” In that moment, unexpectedly, I had come face-to-face with one whose sorrows I had to carry. In this instance and in several others, it was clear that our persistence had not been in vain. The women not only accomplished a mission advocating for the enslaved, but we later learned the financial contribution made by the team would be used to support the reunion of a Kenyan mother and her daughter who had been trafficked to Aus-tralia. God truly ordered our steps, anointed our partnerships, and promoted justice for the voiceless and the invisible, and for this we give God praise. Rev. Dawn Sanders is Director of Missional Programs for Lott Carey.


Lott Carey Photo


NEW PARTNERS IN AUSTRALIA Jenny Stanger, center, national manager, for the Freedom Partner-ship to end mod-ern slavery, meets with W.I.S.E. from Lott Carey.

The mission taught us that God uses ordinary people to make a difference and God wants us to be radical in our approach to mission and ministry and sometimes we need to be out of our comfort zone to be used by God. I believe God used this mission assignment in Australia to make us aware that the mission field is worldwide and diverse. We were made aware daily that God can use each of us in the way God chooses to make a difference and to build the kingdom. We also learned that our history is important and should be shared with future generations.

—Debra G. Garner, PresidentWomen In Service Everywhere (W.I.S.E.), Lott Carey

A W.I.S.E. Perspective on Partnership


WATER JUSTICE

Dr. Goatley helps unveil the Tafara well in Zimbabwe.

Flint’s First Trinity Continues Holy Endeavor

America’s Tainted Water—From Sea to Shining Sea

Photo Essay: U.N. Photos detail the Quest for Clean Water.

Global Perspectives on Clean Water—Getting It and Keeping It

WHAT’S INSIDE4

16

1924-29

LOTT CAREY HERALDLC


LOTT CAREY DISASTER SERVICES UPDATESBy Kathi L. Reid

Disaster Services Network ExpandsThe Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the American Red Cross, Lott Carey, and the National Baptist Con-vention of America, Inc. was signed. This national agreement, which covers the U.S., the Caribbean and its provinces, took effect in February 2016. The three organizations agreed to work cooperatively together to help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters in an increasingly multicultur-al and multilingual society. The partnership is now referred to as the Lott Carey – NBCA Disaster Services Network. Lott Carey is providing program management support for the network. The need for relief operations is increasing in scope and size, so there is a need for help from volunteers to respond to disasters. Please join the Lott Carey – NBCA Disaster Network.

NBCA Disaster Network RespondsThe Red Cross established shelters and distri-bution centers to house and feed hundreds devastated by record-breaking flooding over the past eight months in South Carolina, Louisiana and Texas. South Carolina – Early October 2015

• The sheer amount of rainfall was histor-ic for South Carolina. South Carolin-ians who were severely affected continue to need support as they seek to recover from devastation.

• Under the leadership of Rev. Samuel Tolbert, Rev. Terry White and Rev. Ronald Smith, the NBCA responded to the disaster by providing truckloads of supplies for distribution through their network of churches in the areas affected by the flooding.

• Lott Carey applied for a grant to focus primarily on providing case man-agement to connect households in need with resources, promote disaster preparedness in affected areas and to encourage volunteerism and continued philanthropy among faith communities to repair damaged houses and other support activities.

• If grant funding is approved, three Renaissance Centers will be opened to allow social workers to provide case management services in the most

vulnerable and damaged counties where there are few resources, including Richland, Horry, Clarendon, Florence, Georgetown and Williamsburg.

Louisiana – March 2016• Louisiana was hit the first full week in

March 2016 with torrential downpours leaving many parts of the state flooded. Once again, our NBCA partners kicked into action to participate in disaster re-sponse with the Red Cross. NBCA set up two Distribution Centers: at Greater Starlight Baptist Church in Coving-ton and at Berean Baptist Church in Hammond. About 30 trained NBCA volunteers worked in the centers and in the community. The churches received supplies from the Red Cross and other disaster relief agencies.

• In Alexandria, an additional 30 volunteers were trained at two churches to work at the Red Cross shelters, distribution and feeding centers. Because of the outreach by Sis. Pauline Hurst and the Red Cross, 27 churches are interested in engaging in the Lott Carey – NBCA Disaster Services Network, including six A.M.E. churches.

• Dr. Mallary Callahan (Greater Star-light), Dr. Larry Cross (Berean Baptist Church), Rev. Floyd Kirts (Bethel Bap-tist Church) and Sister Pauline Hurst (Greater St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church) provided leadership to the recovery efforts.

Texas Flooding

• Residents in Houston and surround-ing areas were recovering from storms that produced unprecedented flooding in the spring. Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth area were hit by slow-moving downpours.

• NBCA’s disaster coordinator is Rev. Dr. Ronald Smith, Pastor of New Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Pastor Smith was proactive in reaching out to churches before the flood waters grew too high to identify churches that could handle

distribution, feeding and sheltering. Over the past couple of months, three distribution centers have been setup in the Houston area to provide cleaning supplies and water to the communities. Connecting Fellowship Church (Green-spoint), Mother’s Zion Baptist Church (Wharton), and Zion Baptist Church (Fulshear).

Mudslide Hits Carries, HaitiSadly, on August 29, 2015, another disaster struck Haiti. The rains from Tropical Storm Erika caused a mudslide in a poor settlement of the country-side community of Carries. Twenty-seven homes were destroyed and

many more were damaged. The mud, which was more than a foot high, covered homes and blocked roads. There has been no support from the Haitian government since their entire focus is on Port-au-Prince. Local government officials continue to have little or no means to address this or any disaster. More than 500 people were left homeless and were temporarily

housed in the local church and medical clinic. Since early this year, the families have been relocated throughout the community with family and neighboring friends. Lott Carey has mobilized several teams to Carries since November 2015 to assist with building projects while we wait for project proposals to rebuild homes in the community.

Short-term Missions Assignment (STM) Teams scheduled for Haiti:

• October 15 – 22, 2016 (Coed STM – Mt. Olive Baptist Church)

• November 12 – 19. 2016 (Men on Missions STM Team)

• November 26 – December 3, 2016 (Coed STM Team)

• December 3 – 10, 2016 (Alfred Street Baptist Church)

• February 25 – March 4, 2016 (Coed STM Team)

• March 10 – 17, 2017 (North Caroli-na Central University STM Medical Team)

Kathi L. Reid is Program Manager, Haiti & Disaster Services, for Lott Carey.

Photo: Dr. Mallary Callahan

CONVENTION EXECUTIVE OFFICERSPresidentPastor Alyn E. Waller

First Vice PresidentPastor Gregory J. Jackson

Second Vice PresidentPastor Gina M. Stewart

Chairman, Board of DirectorsPastor John M. Alexander, Jr.

Chairman EmeritusPastor Emeritus Norman W. Smith, Sr.

Executive Secretary-TreasurerDr. David Emmanuel Goatley

WOMEN IN SERVICE EVERYWHEREEXECUTIVE OFFICERSPresidentMrs. Debra G. Garner

First Vice PresidentMs. Carol W. Mohamed

Second Vice PresidentMs. Rosette T. Graham

MEN ON MISSIONS LEADERSHIP TEAMTeam LeaderMr. Laurence Campbell

Team Leader-Short-Term MissionsMr. Gregory L. Gabriel

Team Leader-Special ProjectsMr. J. Joe Wilson

Team Leader-RecruitmentMr. Tony Taylor

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIPTeam LeaderRev. Robert James

Publisher & EditorDr. David Emmanuel Goatley

Managing EditorMike Tucker

Design DirectorDash Parham

Copy EditorTonga Peterson

Contributing EditorsKathi L. ReidRev. Dawn M. Sanders

Editorial AssistantChristopher Tucker

Published by Lott Carey8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 1245Landover, MD 20785-2230Phone: 301-429-3300

Current and back issues of the Lott Carey Herald are available online at LottCarey.org


Missions Team Tackles Sandy Repair in Atlantic City Four years after superstorm Sandy devastat-ed homes along a huge swath of the Eastern Seaboard — especially in New Jersey and New York —many families are still waiting for their houses to be rebuilt or restored. The haphazard recovery effort by officials in many communites has only exacerbated the disaster spawned by the storm that is blamed for more $71 billion in damages. Yet the partnership that Lott Carey formed with local churches continues to help residents of Atlantic City, New Jersey, who were among those hardest hit by Sandy, said

Laurence Campbell, team leader for Men on Missions. Eight men from Wayland Baptist and St. Timothy’s Christian Baptist churches in Baltimore were among the latest members of Lott Carey’s missions team to head to Atlan-tic City and lend a hand, tackling a number of rebuilding projects in May. Among those helped was a 78-year-old wid-ow with dementia, who lives alone. When Sandy struck and dumped eight feet of water into her basement and first floor, she refused to leave. Instead, she struggled to remove the

debris and muck by herself. When A Future with Hope Inc. heard of her plight, the agency—that helps families with long-term recovery efforts—came to the rescue. But there’s still work to do, Campbell said. His team worked with a group of men from Trenton to remove appliances from the kitchen so that the walls could be stripped. The crew also removed damaged plaster and wood from the basement, and flooring from the living room, dining room and kitchen, Campbell said.

Lott Carey Photos

Volunteers work on caging and concrete, left, while interior project nears completion at Mission of Grace in Haiti.

Lott Carey Disaster Services Updates, Page 30

Mission of Grace: New Lott Carey Partner Takes Haiti to Heart For almost a decade the Mission of Grace has dis-pensed love, understanding and essential services to those in need in Haiti. It is a Christ-centered organi-zation headquartered in Carries. Its ministries include Children of Grace Orphanage; Young Girls Home; Grace Community School; Grace Elderly Home; Grace Community Medical Clinic; Grace Communi-ty Church, and Grace Single Mothers Home.

8201 Corporate DriveSuite 1245Landover, MD 20785-2230LottCarey.org

NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDWASHINGTON, D.C.PERMIT No. 01345

LOTT CAREY HERALDLC

Thank you for supporting the residents of Flint, Michigan, who are in the midst of a water crisis. All donations need to observe the following guidelines, which allow volunteers to handle donations safely and efficiently.

DONATIONS FOR FLINT, MICHIGAN

The following items are acceptable:• Full cases of commercially packaged

water (no loose bottles)• Commercially sealed gallon (or

larger) containers of waterAll containers must have an expiration date at least 6 months in the future• Hand sanitizer (in US Postal Service

Priority Mail Large Mailing Box, 14-3/4” x 11-3/4” x 11-1/2” OR shipping box 12” x 12” x 12”)

• Baby wipes (in US Postal Service Priority Mail Large Mailing Box, 14-3/4” x 11-3/4” x 11-1/2” OR shipping box 12” x 12” x 12”)

The following items cannot be accepted:• Canned water• Containers with open/broken seals• Carbonated water• Flavored water• Water past its expiration date

To coordinate shipments, contact:First Trinity Baptist Church1226 Beach Street, Flint, MI 48502Pastor Ezra L. Tillman, [email protected] 810.234.2653 www.ftmbcflint.org

To register teams for service, contact:Kathi L. ReidProgram Director, Disaster ServicesLott Carey, 8201 Corporate DriveSuite 1245Landover, MD [email protected]

Send financial support to:

Lott Carey8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 1245, Landover, MD 20785-2230

Donate online at LottCarey.org

LCLOTT CAREY HERALD

SUMMER 2016

For the privileged or blessed, access to clean water is no big deal. You don’t even think about it as you shower, wash your babies or rinse your food while making dinner.

But for countless others, obtaining clean water is akin to an impossible dream:

• Flint continues to cope with tainted water after the Michigan governor and other state and local officials tried to save money by switching the water source, then lied about the safety of the water.

• More than 5,300 community water systems in the U.S. violate federal law pertaining to water cleanliness and safety.

• Around the world, water—even from clean sources—becomes a justice issue as women and children are primarily responsible for fetching water, day after day, meaning they can’t properly attend school or advance in their jobs.

But there are people working to improve the odds for people dealing with the elusive resource of safe water. Check out the growing do-for-self move-ment in Flint, the many organizations fighting water pollution in the states, and the growing global realization that the need for safe, clean wa-ter is an ever-expanding missions opportunity.

On the Cover . . .2008: A young girl replenishes her family’s water supply from a nearby well rebuilt by UNICEF near Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.UN Photo: Ky Chung

WATER JUSTICE

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Documents

PAID - Lott Carey · • Dr. Mallary Callahan (Greater Star-light), Dr. Larry Cross (Berean Baptist Church), Rev. Floyd Kirts (Bethel Bap-tist Church) and Sister Pauline Hurst (Greater