SWEETWATER VISION & MISSION
SWEETWATER VISION & MISSION
What We Do
Sweetwater Research designs and supports holistic water strategies and education to improve the effectiveness of water projects around the world in Gospel-centered ministry. Sweetwater’s particular emphasis is on serving widows and orphans in places where water security is “impossible”. We strive to deliver clean and Living Water in such a manner that when our work is done our client communities shout “The hand of the Lord has done this!”.
How We Do It: Prayer and C.A.R.E.
When you want to know how to repair your car you read the manual and talk to the maker. When you want to solve an environmental problem you read the Bible and talk to the Creator.
At Sweetwater, prayer is not an effort to get God’s stamp of approval on what we are doing for Him. Prayer is where we listen to God by reading the Bible so that we can discover how to wisely serve others and so we can rightly acknowledge our dependance on Him for success in our work.
We believe God gave us tools such as science to faithfully execute our duties as stewards of the creation. Before engaging in research, we ask God to work through our minds and our training to develop the most efficient, practical, and dignifying water strategies for our client communities. Prayer then continues as an ongoing conversation between us and God as the research is conducted, the results communicated, the plans implemented, and the outcomes assessed for strengths and weaknesses.
“Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
Jeremiah 33:2-3
C.A.R.E. Explained
We establish communication with local leaders–native, expat, or both–who are influential members of their community and motivated to develop clean water strategies which utilize local sustainable resources.
Working closely with local leaders, we identify local natural resources, pinpoint obstacles to clean water access, propose solutions, and design research and experiments to test the efficacy and sustainability of the proposed strategies.
We conduct research and experiments appropriate to the needs of our clients. All research will adhere to the strictest conventions of quality control in order to produce scientifically sound, reproducible, trustworthy results.
We report the results of our research first to the community leaders who initiated the request and then to Sweetwater’s network and the broader scientific community. The tested, reliable, and sustainable solutions are then disseminated by local leaders through education and outreach programs for which Sweetwater also provides consultation. Regular communication is maintained with local leaders to evaluate the efficacy of the strategies and to stay abreast of further opportunities to improve upon the solutions.
Why We Do It
Because Jesus did it. He connected with an outcast woman using clean water as a conduit for offering her His Living Water. Throughout redemptive history, God has revealed himself as Jehovah Jireh – the LORD who provides – by turning bitter water sweet, producing water from rock, and leading His people to still waters.
Because we want to see God bring glory to Himself as He guides us in the use of the tools and resources He’s given to provide water for the thirsty. We believe that science is a tool to unlock natural, sustainable methods for cleaning water so that water-stressed communities can drink without fear of illness. When science is used for this purpose it is no less a miracle, a supernatural gift from the God of creation, than when he had Moses cast a stick into the bitter pool at Marah to turn it sweet.
Our Confidence
Because God is the Creator of all things and has appointed mankind to steward His creation…we believe He will provide ecologically sound solutions as we look to Him for answers.
Because God is Love …we believe the Holy Spirit intends to demonstrate love through us to others by providing for their most essential physical need: water.
Because God is Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals…He will turn bitter waters sweet using us as conduits for the miracle.
Because God has particular concern for the widow and the orphan, and commands us to care for their needs…He will give us the grace to accomplish the task He has set before us.
Because God is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides…He will successfully provide for the widow and the orphan through us, his vessels of service.
In light of who God is and who we are as revealed in the Holy Scriptures:
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- We look to Jesus Christ as we move forward with full confidence of faith, eagerly anticipating God’s miraculous provision for our operation.
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- We look to God for guidance as we use the tool of science to explore water solutions.
- We look for God’s outpouring of His Holy Spirit, the Living Water, upon those who receive clean drinking water through our ministry.