"We'll just start off with water, thanks"

"1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." Genesis 1:1-2

^Good luck recreating that scene, Hollywood.

Water - clear. refreshing. cool. moving. shapeless. reflective. familiar. purposeful.

Water has always astounded me. The fragile chemical makeup of H2O. The abundance on the Earth (about 71% says Google). The ceaseless water cycle. The necessity of organisms water consumption and expulsion to regulate itself, functioning of organs, flowing of blood, and use to transmit electrical signals from my brain to finger muscles as I type this. 

Early evening brings tomorrow's morning dew: a reminder of God's new mercy everyday. As the Earth is renewed daily by this delicate moisture, I am reminded of a promised quality of my Creator.
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" Lamentations 3:22-23

I have been thinking a lot about water lately as its role in my life will be changing soon. I'll be living on the coast. I will be consciously hydrating as I work in the heat. I have to be careful having ice in my beverages, and I enjoy ice in my beverages. I cannot flip on the faucet and have crisp Memphis water should I need a drink. I will have my fill of shilling water (similar to CapriSun container) and a refillable 5 gallon jug for hydration. My young students, friends, and fellow children of God will continue to drink the well water and expose themselves to diseases. Their bodies have built more resistance to such diseases, but it still strikes me as a stark difference than the sources of water I was raised with.

 (photo from my Belize trip 2013, San Antonio water pump)

Foreign families are drawn to the waters of Belize for beach time, snorkeling on the reef, and recreational fishing. Two years ago I met Belizean boys ages 7 and 9 fishing in what looked like a ditch to catch dinner for their family. Not only did they carry home 3 small bream to feed the family of five; glass bottles were also toted back to town to trade for some change.

Same water: one intended for fun, the other for survival.

Jesus' three years of ministry were loaded with water-infused interactions. He rolled with fishermen. And of course used water for daily hydration and hygiene like you and me.

In John Chapter 4, Jesus offered a different water, living water, to a thirsty woman. (Girl was thirsty physically, spiritually, and culturally.) This encounter can be found in John 4:1-30. Here's a rough overview..
Jesus asks her to get him a drink, and she is confused because he doesn't have anything to get water from the depths of the well.
13Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

She is intrigued and wants this fancy water so she physically will not have to make anymore lengthy, hot trips to the well. However, the living water Jesus is referring to is much more precious. The living water is the Holy Spirit, coming to live among Christ's followers once he is dead, risen, and absolutely glorified.

Through more discussion and Jesus revealing this stranger's past and struggles of her heart, she believes he is the Messiah. She leaves her jar (the task that brought her to the well in the first place) and ran to tell others what she knows is true: her Savior is here. 
The woman abandoned her trivial routine and personal need. She understood the new importance of getting this news to her family and friends now served as top priority. Immediate. Urgent. The crowd's reaction gets me pumped. 30"They came out of the town and made their way toward him." The people had to see for themselves! This man, the Son of God, was surely too good to be true. Alas, he is here. 

So yeah, I think water is pretty neat. God knows this. I anticipate the Lord to continue to show me his provision, nearness, and creativity through water as he calls me to minister by the bay, on the beach, in the rainy season, possibly flooding, and as he showed in John 4, at the local well.
Let us come to the source of life and be filled with the living water; be complete and overflowing to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those around us. The Holy Spirit just might make a splash.

So I'm moving to Belize to...

Help launch an afterschool ministry called San Antonio Outreach. San Antonio is a village outside of Corozal, Belize. San Antonio has about 350 residents. A lack of education further than 5th grade leaves people all over the country without adequate training for well paying jobs. Corruption and hopelessness plagues the village with products of disease, drug addiction, alcoholism, domestic violence, and other abuse endured since childhood. With nowhere to go during the day, young boys are targeted as early as 10 years old to join gang organizations. This heartbreaking cycle continues through the generations. Sin plagues us all, and resources to grow through trials can be limited. As Belize has left San Antonio to repair itself, God has never abandoned it.
Over the past four years, God has begun to rewrite the story of San Antonio, restoring the ‘places long devastated’ (Isaiah 61:4). God has saved my broken soul from darkness through the blood of his son and is making me new (Eph 4:24). Through the vessel of our team, God will redeem the lives of his children in San Antonio.

What our program looks like: My team includes my college friend Charles Cranford, San Antonian native Israel Gilharry, and a new friend and roommate Sarah Weiss. Our aim is to provide students grades 1^st through 5^th a safe place to come after school for nutritious snacks, worship, homework help, activities, and a community radiating Jesus’ love. Our structure of discipline and flow is mimicking Thrive Lonsdale http://thrivelonsdale.com (previously known as SOAR Youth Ministries), a program in Knoxville that Charles, Sarah, and I served during our college years. My school day service includes reading tutoring for freshmen, physical therapy, and community development engaging with families that could use help watching the little ones, doing laundry, or helping prepare meals. Our intent is to introduce young boys and girls to the Healer of their hurt, to experience (possibly for the first time) our heavenly Father’s unconditional love, and to revive hope for a future they desire; the hope we know can only be found in accepting Jesus as our Savior and trusting God as the provider of our needs (John 14:6).

Any other specifics, just ask! 
aladd5@vols.utk.edu