Were there to be no support in the whole history of ethical and moral thought, were there no acknowledged confirmation from medical science, were the history of legal opinion to the contrary, we would still have to conclude on the basis of God's Holy Word that the unborn child is a person in the sight of God. He is protected by the sanctity of life graciously given to each individual by the Creator, Who alone places His image upon man and grants them any right to life which they have.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
From CMMB: Kiama has fallen into the water!
Dear Friends
Can you imagine losing a child or grandchild for a drink of water? That's what happened to Christine in rural Kenya:
"Every
day, we walk for hours to water holes to collect water. They are open
and dangerous. My six-year-old son Kiama and his friends walked to the
water hole because they were thirsty. Kiama knelt at the edge and leaned
down to get a drink - that's when he fell. Kiama's friends tried to
help, but no one knew how to swim and the stone was slippery. My son
couldn't climb out. The children ran for a mile to get help. I heard my
neighbor say, "A child has fallen into the water hole and drowned." We
all ran, but it was too late. The body floating in the water was my son.
He was dead."
The poorest
women and children - like Christine and Kiama - pay a terrible price for
something we too often take for granted. Water. Today, there are over
663-million people living without access to safe water. People who
spend hours walking to and waiting at distant water sources. People
coping with illness because the only water they have is contaminated. With your support, we're working to change this reality for the most vulnerable. Together we can:
Renovate existing water holes to address access and safety
Install hand pumps to make water collection easier and faster
Distribute water purification tablets to fight diarrhea and water-borne illness
Christine asked us to share her story, hoping that something good can come from the tragedy of her son's death:
"When
I see Kiama's friends growing up, I wonder what he would be like today.
I feel guilty because I didn't save my son, and because he died for a
drink of water. Something like this should never happen again."
During Lent,
we're reminded that an essential element of our faith is a commitment
to defend the rights of poor. Mothers like Christine are counting on
compassionate people like you.
