Today is the 26th day of our 40 Days of Water Project. 45 of us in the Connections community have committed to make water our only beverage during this period. We're keeping track of what we would have spent on other beverages and will be donating those amounts to help Blood Water Mission hit their goal of installing 1000 clean water wells across Africa.

In addition to helping others, we're also challenging ourselves to stretch and grow through this project as well. Here are some thoughts from one of our students, Learyn von Sprecken, about her experience so far:

"Well let's see the hardest thing to give up would probably have to be milk, but whenever I'm with friends and see them drinking soda that's pretty hard too. I only being able to drink water has made me realize and think about how much harder it must be for people who can't even drink water.

I have mentioned it to most of my friends and I have gotten a variety of responses. Most of my friends have found it to be very amazing that I am only drinking water and that I am doing it for the people of Africa and are very supportive. Only drinking water has not only been a good thing for me to do for other people, but also for myself.

I have never really liked water, one of the things that has made this difficult, and as a result of that I don't think I was drinking enough. Since I have started this I feel like I have become healthier. The most meaningful thing for me is now every time I drink water I start thinking about the parents and children in Africa who can't even get clean water and would love for 40 days to be able to drink clean water and then I think how lucky I am to have fresh clean water. Overall this has not been as bad as I thought it would, and I am definitely glad I chose to participate."