On October 10, I'm turning 30. Wow! How far I've come in 30 years and yet how far I am from where I thought I'd be. But recently I found out that millions of people don't even live to see their 5th birthday, much less their 30th. Why? Because they don't have access to clean water. There are a billion people in the world who don?t have clean water - it's hard to believe! That's one in six people! Contaminated water carries deadly diseases. 45,000 people will die this week alone. The lucky ones won't die, but they still have to walk hours each day to get the dirty water they give their families. Kind of makes my angst about turning 30 seem small, doesn't it?

So this year, I decided to celebrate my birthday differently. I'm giving my birthday up. Not so I don't have to turn 30 (although that's a great idea!), but so a few of the billion people around the world without clean water can have some. Instead of presents, I'd like you to give money to Charity: Water. 100% of the money raised goes directly to fund freshwater wells in developing nations. Even better, every dollar is "proved" when the projects are complete, and photos and GPS coordinates are posted using Google Earth.

So my birthday wish this year is not for presents for me; it's to give clean and safe drinking water to some of the billion living without it. I want to make my birthday matter this year.

My goal is to raise $1000 by my birthday, October 10. I know it's a big goal, but there's a big need.

I hope you'll help me.
~Katherine
"Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)