Hope rooted in justice and peace

WCC Peace with Justice Pilgrimage group (Joy Eva Bohol in the yellow coat) and local hosts pose with Nord University Sami students Ramona Linnea Victoria Kappfjell Sorfijell and Maajja-Krihke Bransfjell (2nd and 3rd from L) in front of the Sami traditional hut. (Photo: Joy Eva Boho)

Missionary Joy Eva Bohol advocates for increased voice and vote in church and society for youth and young adults around the world, and particularly for Indigenous youth who walk a fine line between cultural traditions and professional aspirations.

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Six Years, No Solution: A 500-Gallon Tank Carries Hope to West Virginia’s Forgotten

McDowell County is one of the poorest in the U.S., and the communities of Anawalt, Leckie and Gary are some of the hardest hit by the current six-year water crisis. All have Methodist churches that are part of the Welch Charge.

To ease the burden of residents who have to purchase many gallons of drinking water weekly, the Welch Charge contacted the West Virginia Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, Jim McCune, for help. McCune’s United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) connection put him in touch with Global Ministries’ Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program. 

A WASH grant allowed them to obtain a 500-gallon “water buffalo.” The conference disaster response team arranged to fill the portable water buffalo from the Welch water system, the county seat of McDowell, and transport it to Gary, where residents have been supplied with refillable containers. Residents of all three towns can come to get water, and volunteers will also continue deliveries for those who need it. Meanwhile, residents, including church members, continue to advocate state and local officials for a permanent solution to their aging, compromised water infrastructure. Full Story