“Yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” — Acts 14:17

Global Servants and colleagues Luis and Sarah Matos serve churches and communities in Oaxaca, Mexico, where water shortages and limited clean water access are ongoing challenges.

Hearing of my work with rainwater harvesting, Luis invited me to come and introduce rainwater harvesting, equipping him to help churches implement this innovative, sustainable practice that captures and uses water that would otherwise be lost.

[Water is one of the greatest challenges facing many communities in Oaxaca. (the state of Oaxaca covers an area about the size of Indiana) In most areas, water is delivered by tanker trucks and rationed carefully. Other communities have even less access.

Climate change, long-term drought, dropping water levels in wells, and mismanagement all combine to create conditions of water insecurity.

Even so, average rainfalls range from 31-39 inches annually, comparable to Texas, where rainwater harvesting is used widely.]

As I was preparing to arrive in Oaxaca, Luis and Sarah had to return to the States, as Sarah’s mother faces critical health needs. Sarah was also preparing for the birth of their second child. Nonetheless, Dwight and Luis have stayed in contact, as Luis is preparing to facilitate future rainwater harvesting projects in the state of Oaxaca.

A key partner in this effort is Pastor Jaime Garcia, coordinator of COBAMI (Cooperación Bautista Misionera Mesoamericana) and pastor of Iglesia Bautista Misionera de Oaxaca. A visionary pastor and missionary theologian, he introduced me to several churches in the area where rainwater projects are desperately needed. Each of the churches and pastors I met with have a vision of using rainwater to meet their own needs and to reach out to and serve their communities.

Together, we visited several church sites, imagining how rainwater harvesting systems could be designed for each unique location. Every site presented different challenges, but each also revealed exciting opportunities.

What encouraged me most was the shared vision among these pastors. They don’t simply want enough water for their own churches. They want to use God’s provision to serve their neighbors. They envision rainwater supplying bathrooms, handwashing stations, hygiene needs, gardens, and eventually even safe drinking water through filtration methods such as chlorine treatment, bio-sand filters, and ceramic filters.

One conversation even imagined a baptistry filled with clean rainwater—a beautiful picture of God’s provision being used for both physical and spiritual renewal.

These conversations were about much more than gutters, tanks, and plumbing—they were about ministry, stewardship, and service. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

Rainwater harvesting can meet physical needs, while opening doors for ministering the gospel. Rainwater bears tangible witness to the goodness of God.

These churches are embracing a vision of becoming creative stewards of God’s gift of rain. Instead of allowing this valuable resource to be lost, they are exploring ways to capture it, store it, and use it to bless their congregations and extend Christ’s love to their communities.

Please pray for Pastor Jaime, Luis and Sarah Matos, and all of the church leaders in Oaxaca as they move forward with this vision.

Pray for wisdom in designing systems that fit each location, for resources to make these projects possible, and for many opportunities to demonstrate God’s love through the simple yet life-changing gift of water.