A Thirst for Saving Lives

To get clean water to other kids, Katelyn gives talent, time and toys.

When Katelyn was 6, she saw her mom crying while reading a news story. When Katelyn asked what was wrong, her mom told her that a 9-year-old named Rachel had died in a car crash. But before Rachel died, she had collected money to build wells in parts of Africa that don’t have clean drinking water. That raised more questions for Katelyn: Doesn’t everyone have clean water? What happens if you drink dirty water? What can I do to help people the way Rachel did?

About 748 million people in the world do not have a place to get clean drinking water. That’s more than double the number of people who live in the whole U.S.! That didn’t seem fair to Katelyn, who has easy access to water in her Pennsylvania home. So she began thinking of ways to get clean water to children in impoverished countries, where drinking unclean water causes sickness and death. She prayed for God’s help, and He answered her prayers over the next two years.

Katelyn started by saving her Tooth Fairy money, selling lemonade outside her house and planning a yard sale, where she sold lots of her clothes and toys.

When she thought about how she could use her unique talents to help, she decided to create artwork to sell. Several early-morning painting sessions later, she had a collection of watercolor pictures to frame and sell. Her family held an art auction, where people paid money to take home Katelyn’s art.

When she found out she’d raised $1,580 through all her efforts, Katelyn was happy but knew there was more to be done. She donated the money to Compassion, and it was used to provide clean water to families in developing countries! Katelyn, who’s now 8 years old, raised even more money by holding another yard sale, inspiring her classmates at Blue Ridge Elementary to donate, and giving a speech about water at vacation Bible school.

fromthebible
FROM THE BIBLE

Proverbs 19:17

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.

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What's Your Calling?

Katelyn has a passion for making sure people have clean water to drink, so she raises money for Compassion. What are your passions and talents, and how can God use you to help others?