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, October 25, 2018
Have You Ever Been Afraid To Get a Glass of Water?
Mbongi collecting water.
It’s difficult for us to imagine what it must feel like to be afraid to get water. We simply turn on a tap, and there it is.
For too many women and children, collecting water is a life-threatening
experience. I can't think of a better way to illustrate this than by
sharing the story of Mbongi, a 13-year-old girl from rural Zambia.
"That morning was like every morning," Mbongi's mother recalls. "She had
gone to the river's edge to collect water for cooking and other chores,
and to bring her to school that day."
Mbongi shared what happened next, in her own words.
“When
I arrived at the river's edge to collect water, I dipped my hands in
the water. I remember feeling like something wasn't right, like
someone... something was watching me.
That’s when I saw its eyes. At first, I didn't believe what I was seeing, but then I saw its tail. It was a crocodile.
I was frozen, I didn't know what to do. I took a step back, and then I
started running as fast as I could. I remember my heart was beating so
loud I couldn't hear anything else. I thought it was going to eat me. I
know the crocodile saw me. It was so close. Maybe it wasn’t hungry.
Maybe that’s why I am alive today."
Even though Mbongi is terrified to go to the river to collect water, she, like many other women and children living in poverty, doesn't have any other choice. To
make matters worse, the water is often contaminated, carrying
life-threatening dangers, like cholera and other waterborne illnesses. But that can change with your help.
"I
still fetch water at the same river – I have no other choice. But I am
afraid. Before I go, I always pray for God’s safety. And I always go
very quickly. I just dip the buckets and run back home as fast as I
can."
