Comfortable. That is the word that best describes my life right now. I have a doting family, fantastic friends, and belong to a wonderful campus ministry and church. I own a car, live in one of the safest towns in America, attend a university, and recently replaced my 4-year-old laptop with a fancy new ultrabook. Yes, Comfortable.

Two months ago, I was touched and inspired when Invisible Children launched its Kony 2012 campaign in an effort to publicize a Ugandan warlord who exploits child soldiers. Overnight, teenagers and young adults were roused from their stupors of comfort and indifference. Some were moved to tears, some to action, and some to judgment over our sudden change of heart. After all, how long had Kony abducted and killed? How many other warlords faced similar charges? And who are we to help others when our own country remains corrupt, and when our own country homes 3.5 million homeless children and 150,000 victims of human trafficking?

Now, I’m not going to get into a discussion about the validity or the benevolence of the Kony 2012 campaign; what I do know is that for even just a day, it awakened the American youth from our apathetic reveries. It got people seeking answers, and it got people asking questions. For me, they were questions like, “As a follower of Jesus, how should I respond to injustice? How can I avoid apathy and indifference in a world that is filled with so much pain? How can I be educated enough to think critically about how other campaigns and organizations are tackling the wrongs of this world?” Saddened and confused, I called out to God.

Over the past 7 weeks, God has slowly revealed a vision to me. It started with a prayer and a desire to see the world transformed, and it continues with a spirit-led vision to help the "least of these..." I have always been touched by the water crisis in developing countries, and it had been a life-long dream of mine to someday bring cheap disease diagnostics and clean water technologies to communities in need. While that dream remains unfeasible for the near-future, God has continued to put clean drinking water on my heart. The past month, I have spent countless hours praying and researching about water campaigns and water organizations. I was super excited to start a campaign this spring….but in the face of a tough course load and a lack of interest from my peers, I had become pretty discouraged. In fact, last week, I had come close to discarding the plan altogether…

But this Monday, the boiler system in my apartment broke down. We were without hot water for 5 days…and like many of the residents in my complex, I began to throw a pity party for myself. I couldn’t do my laundry, I couldn’t take warm showers, and I was finding it difficult to wash my dishes in cold water. Needless to say, that “comfortable” lifestyle of mine became pretty uncomfortable. But the experience was an eye-opening one. I felt pretty lame complaining about a cold shower when I knew full well that 1.1 billion people in the world are without clean water all-together. When the hot water was finally returned to my apartment complex this afternoon, I knew it was time. One week of discomfort sprung me back into action…

And here I am, pledging my 22nd birthday to charity:water. God has given me a vision to educate my campus, my friends, and my family about the water crisis. I am hoping to connect with various organizations on campus and around my community, and will be leading a fundraising event of sorts next month (stay tuned). In the mean time, I ask for your prayer and guidance—and if you feel led—your money. Please help me make my birthday wish a reality, and help me reach my fundraising goal of $500.

Check out my youtube video explaining what inspired me to pledge my birthday to charity:water: http://youtu.be/eCsilG-7tyc