Many of us have no idea what it's like to be thirsty. We have plenty of water to drink -- even the water in our toilets is clean!

But many people around the world don’t have that luxury. Every day, about 1,400 children die from diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are simple solutions like drilled wells, spring protections and BioSand filters that help provide clean water to communities around the world.

A few weeks back, I listened to a podcast from a group called The Liturgists. The episode's topic: suffering. Long story short, it rocked my world, and I HIGHLY recommend checking it out.

Here's the link: http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/2016/11/1/suffering-part-1

At the end of the episode, they called on all listeners to help alleviate some of the suffering in this world, and providing clean water is such a simple, effective means of doing this.

This year, I am opting to "give up" my 21st birthday to fundraise for clean water.

What the heck does that mean?

Instead of gifts, cards, parties and the like, I would like those expenses to go towards clean water. I am moved and touched by the abundant blessings in my life; this year, I'd like to spread that around! As many of you know by now, this is a cause near and dear to my heart. I would be absolutely thrilled if you partnered with me in this!

My goal is to bring clean water to 2 people for each of my 21 years (42 individuals in total). It costs $30 to provide clean water for life. Yes, $1,260 is a lofty goal, but I believe we can do it!

"...For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Matthew 20:28

ANY amount helps. Thanks for reading!

100% of the money will be used to build clean water projects, and when they’re complete, charity: water will send us photos and GPS coordinates so we can see the exact community we helped.