Cupbearers Keep Clean Water Flowing
We talked with Mac Sterrett who has been involved with Living Waters for the World (LWW) since the very first Clean Water U in 2004. His involvement has taken different turns over the years, but he now finds meaning and purpose in being a Cupbearer, a monthly donor to LWW. Read on for more from Mac in his own words.
Q: Why do you choose to give monthly to Living Waters for the World (LWW) and be a Cupbearer?
Mac: In 2017, I had some health issues that changed what I was able to do with LWW. When those issues made it so that, at least for a period of time, I wasn’t going to be able to travel with a mission team and do the physical work, I wanted to find ways that I could continue to contribute. A friend once told me, “Not everybody can go and do things, and I’m one of those people. But I can help financially.” I took that to heart. I had always been a contributor to LWW, and it became obvious that there was more that I could do. By becoming a Cupbearer (a monthly donor to LWW) I knew that without even having to think about it, I could provide a small but steady stream of income to help the mission I believe in so strongly.
Q: How would you describe your history with LWW?
Mac: This organization has had a more profound impact on my life than any that I have ever been involved with. When I first learned about LWW and its mission, and attended the very first Clean Water U (CWU) in March of 2004, I knew I was hooked for life. It changed my life in so many ways. I never would have dreamed that I would have found my life’s passion in the woods of Mississippi. It remains my passion even though I am no longer “boots on the ground” active.
Mac (front row, fourth from the right) took part in the very first Clean Water U training session in 2004.
Q: Eventually, you even became a Clean Water U (CWU) instructor! When you think back on your time in that role, what stands out? Mac: In 2006, I joined the CWU faculty as a 101 Instructor, teaching the project management and relationship development side of a water partnership. I took a break from instructing after two years but continued to lead LWW mission teams during that time. I lost my wife seven years ago to cancer and the first several months were very difficult. I contacted Kendall (Director of Education) and asked to come back to Clean Water U. I said to her, “You all are my family, and I really need my family right now.” That’s how I was reintroduced as a CWU instructor in 2014. When I think back, the first thing I think of is all the people I met and the relationships I made - especially with the volunteers and LWW staff. Those people are like my family. I never met a more dedicated group of people.
Q: You’ve met a lot of people through LWW. Is there anyone in particular that you think about when you consider the people your Cupbearer gifts help? Mac: I think of all the people I have met through the years with LWW in the four different countries in which I’ve worked. I have friends in all of those countries, and I keep up with them, especially those in Guatemala and Mexico. We communicate through WhatsApp and email. Every Christmas Day I receive a phone call from dear friends in Guatemala wishing me a Merry Christmas and the love of Christ. Several of them have been here to visit me in the U.S. and were guests in my home. They are some of the most wonderful loving people I have met. They are my lifelong friends.
Israel (left) and Mac take a selfie during a field visit in Guatemala.
One of my dearest friends is Israel from Guatemala. I have made 14 trips to Guatemala, and Israel has been my driver on 12 of them. He loves Christ. He loves the Lord, and he loves LWW. He can make a tree stump feel loved! He is not only our friend and driver, he is our greatest advocate in Guatemala. When we leave a new community they can’t wait for us to come back, and that’s in large part because of this man. I am so humbled that God worked through me and my fellow volunteers to share clean water and the love of Christ with these wonderful people and their communities. I am blessed to be able to continue to support clean water for them and others as a Cupbearer.
You can help keep clean water flowing by becoming a Cupbearer. Click here to sign up for your monthly gifts.
