A message from Sharon Curry
Dear Fellow Members and Friends,
I know we all have missions that are close to our hearts and those of our congregations. This one is close to mine because it touches so many areas of life.
Solar energy is really key to providing safe drinking water. More than 5 million people die each year from unsafe water – and I challenge you to pick up 5 gallons of water and carry it across your house – multiply that by 4 – when I was in Ethiopia and South Sudan that is how much water I carried each day for my own personal needs. Imagine you have a family of four or more…
Solar energy is key to providing education in remote areas. I challenge you to turn all the lights out in your house and picture yourself being a student and trying to do your homework or learning to read. The “lucky” ones can afford a candle – sometimes. Others have a piece of fabric stuffed in a glass bottle filled with kerosene and light it for a lamp. The flames burn their eyes and cause permanent sight damage. Stand outside and look at your streetlamp. Picture students gathered there doing their homework – if they are fortunate enough to have a generator provided by a kind merchant who will provide the lights for a few hours in the evening. Pictur
e yourself a teacher trying to teach on a dark cloudy day during the rainy season when it is too dark for students to read a book or much less see the board. That is how students in many parts of the world learn. Trust me. It is no fun. I have lived it.
Solar power is key to safety. Imagine there are no lights outside your house and picture a darkness so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face. Now imagine you are a young girl or woman
walking home after school or work. What “bad” things can you picture happening? I have lived where I could hear the screams in the night and experienced the helplessness of not being able to help.
I know these stories are grim, but they are reality for far too many women and girls around the world. I hope we can band together to bring what small amount of relief we can to our sisters in Christ, who are sisters in desperate need.
CLICK HERE to learn about Solar Under the Sun, a mission outreach of Synod of the Sun, our regional governing body of the PCUSA. Please prayerfully consider lending your support to this critical endeavor.
May the peace of Christ be with you all and bless your works.