Family Donates to Water With Blessings They look a little strange. They’re called socks. And we needed 50 of them. That’s when Donna, left, and Kelly D., a mother and daughter team from Canfield, graciously crocheted all the socks needed for this year’s Water With Blessings mission trip. These socks protect part of the water filtration systems from damage. Kelly volunteers with our Service Learning Program and works at the Motherhouse, too. We’re grateful for her and Donna’s contribution to our project! In December, Sister Norma Raupple is leading a group of young women on the mission to bring clean water to God’s thirsty children at the U.S.-Mexico border, where water on both sides is terrible. This is the second year for our WWB mission trip. The nuts and bolts are this: “Water Women” are trained in how to use water filtration kits, which cost $60 apiece. In exchange for a kit and training, “Water Women” agree to help five other families – sharing, not selling, the clean water. Last year, our Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown group delivered 50 units, ultimately giving 250 families clean water. The trip not only helps these families, it provides a chance for young adult women to deepen their relationship with us while participating in an international service experience. And it was a chance for donors – many our family, Associates and friends – to be part of a wonderful ministry. Their help was immense when we had to fix frozen pipes last year. We’re behind on funding for this year’s trip. If you or your group – maybe a church group or just your crowd of friends – can sponsor at “Water Woman” at $60 please contact Contact Sister Norma by email or at 330.792.7636. All donations help and are greatly appreciated, so if you can give more or less than $60, please consider contributing to this worthwhile ministry. Read more to learn more about the WWB program, founded by Kentucky Ursuline Sister Larraine Lauter.
Water With Blessings Mission Trip Planned Sister Norma Raupple will lead a group of college women on a mission trip to the U.S./Mexico border this December for Water With Blessings. This is the second year she’s making the mission trip; in December 2013, Sister Norma made the trip with six of our Companions in Mission. Our Youngstown Associates adopted Water With Blessings as a project, raising $3,000 to buy water filtration kits for families in need of clean water living at the Brownsville, Texas/Matamoros, Mexico border. Our local group will meet up with Sister Larraine Lauter, a Kentucky Ursuline who founded the program, for what will be a beautiful and enriching experience. Not only does Water With Blessings help people in desperate need of clean water, it also gives the young women an opportunity for an international immersion/reflection experience with the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown. Last year, our local group brought the clean water kits to 50 young mothers during the training sessions. These “Water Women” agreed to share their filters with four other families. Thus, “God’s Thirsty Children” received the gift of clean water for Christmas. Our goal again this year is to raise $3,000 to purchase the kits. A couple of local groups are considering grants to help with the project. If you or your group would like to sponsor a “Water Woman,” the kits are $60. Please contact Sister Norma for more information or to make a donation by emailingemailing or calling her at 330-792-7636. Here is a slideshow of last year’s visit!
Working Together For ‘God’s Thirsty Children’ Our Youngstown Associates recently adopted “Water With Blessings” as a project. They raised $3,000 to buy water filtration kits (pictured above) for families living at the Brownsville, Texas/Matamoros, Mexico border in need of clean water. In December, I traveled to the border with six college women and met up with Sister Larraine Lauter, a Kentucky Ursuline who founded the program, for what was a beautiful and enriching experience. Not only was our goal to help people in desperate need of clean water, but also to give the young women (such as Lynne, at right) an opportunity for an international immersion/reflection experience with the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown. Sister Larraine trained “Water Teachers” from among Ursuline Associates at the border. Our local group brought the clean water to 50 young mothers during the training sessions. These “Water Women” agreed to share their filters with four other families. Thus, “God’s Thirsty Children” received the gift of clean water for Christmas. Advent Scripture readings provided a focus for our morning prayer and reflection, while participating in “Las Posadas” filled three of our evenings. We walked with local families through the neighborhood, singing and praying, while “seeking shelter for Mary and Joseph.” We shared a meal with immigrants at La Posada de Providencia in San Benito, Texas, who are housed with several Sisters of Providence while waiting for their immigration cases to be processed. Their stories were both sad and hopeful. The week ended with an enjoyable day at the beach at South Padre Island. Carly Conklin (center in photo at left), one of our Companions in Mission who made the trip, says, “Such an amazing project! I’m so blessed to have been included in this first group to work with U. S. women. Thank you for this life enriching opportunity to see God’s loving hand at work.” I was inspired by the prayerfulness and generosity of the six beautiful young women who made the trip with me. We’re planning another trip to the border in December 2014. If you or your group would like to sponsor a “Water Woman,” the kits are $60. You can view a short slideshow of the experience.
Water With Blessings Update Uniquely Ursuline! Sisters, Associates and Young adults bringing Water With Blessings to God’s thirsty children in Brownsville Texas and Matamporos Mexico. Imagine if our water weren’t safe to drink, bathe in, or wash dishes in. Residents along the Texas/Mexico border are living with that reality. Now our own Sister Norma Raupple headed there with a group of college volunteers and enough local donations to help 250 families. Share our experience!
Vaya Con Dios Imagine if our water wasn’t safe to drink, safe to bathe in, or safe to wash the dishes with. Many people who live near the Mexican Border are living with that reality. Our own Sister Norma Raupple is heading there to help through a program called Water with Blessings. Sister Norma, Sister Larraine Lauter, an Ursuline Sister from Kentucky, and six college students/volunteers with ties to the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown set out for a 7-day service trip to Brownsville,Texas, Dec.14. Ursuline Associates in Youngstown have agreed to be partners in this endeavor. With the help of a few others, they have raised $3,000 to purchase water purification systems and materials ($60 each). Ursuline Associates from Texas and Mexico are doing the groundwork by purchasing buckets for the systems and inviting 50 young mothers to participate in the project. ). Each mother will in turn help four other families. That means 250 families will soon be able to enjoy safe water. Water with Blessings is a nonprofit organization started by Sister Larraine. Be sure to follow our Social Media pages in the next few days. Our group will send photos and highlights of their trip which we’ll post. Click here for more information on the Youngstown Project.
Water With Blessing Uniquely Ursuline! Sisters, Associates and Young adults bringing Water With Blessings to God’s thirsty children in Brownsville Texas and Matamporos Mexico. We have been talking and praying for months about the possibility of taking Water With Blessing to the U.S. Mexico border as an Ursuline project. Learn more: Water With Blessing Fact Sheet How you can partner with us: Water With Blessing Partnership Water With Blessings Youngstown