Monrovia church members to walk for water

Last year one man walked one hundred miles, taking 225,000 steps in 64 hours, to raise awareness of the importance of safe drinking water. This year the same man, Pastor Rob Spina of New Beginnings Family Church in Monrovia, enlisted nearly twenty people to do the same beginning April 7th through the finale on April 10th at 10:00 a.m.

Every day, one billion people have no access to clean safe drinking water. Eighty countries are subjected to water shortages forcing millions to drink from polluted water sources. Every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease. Every year, almost three million people worldwide die from water-borne diarrheal illnesses. Spina wants his church to make a difference in the world.

“Our vision is to make a difference by building thirty fresh water wells in third world countries,” Spina said. “Our wells will be installed in villages where 500 people a day will have access to a clean water source.”

With support from parishioners and the community, who are sponsoring the team of twenty, they will give 15,000 people a day fresh clean drinking water.

“What we think is normal is not for some. Now we get the opportunity to drastically change the lives of children by changing the conditions in which they live,” Spina said, adding that the church’s work in Monrovia will reach more people who are in dire need, providing them with a life-giving source: fresh, bacteria-free water.

Team members include Greg Amador of La Puente; and Don Barro, Robert Spina and Pastor Rob Spina of Azusa; Cindy Mirkamali and Pat Garcia of Monrovia; Ron Munoz and Ray Vega of Covina; Frank Amador II and Karissa Amador of Irvine; Dawna Hamm and Paul McKiernan of El Monte; Dora Gonzales, Carolina Gonzales and Mary Millsaps of Temple City; Alex Cruz and Debbie Coffman of Baldwin Park; Frank Amador IV of Los Angeles; and William Hausler of Rosemead.

“Jesus walked on water, we’re walking for water,” Spina said.

To learn how you can sponsor a water well, contact 626-241-3239 or visit www.nbfclive.com to make a donation. The water walk begins and concludes at New Beginnings Family Church located at 2780 S. Peck Rd., in Monrovia, CA 91016.

Anyone can track Spina and the team from New Beginnings Family Church in Monrovia during their one hundred mile walk by following them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/waterwalking, visiting www.nbfclive.com/waterwalk, or calling 626-205-0285.