Notes of Faith September 4, 2026
God's Love Becomes Visible When His People Show Up
There is something powerful about being seen; not simply noticed but known, remembered, and cared for. Throughout Scripture, we see a God who pays attention to people the world can easily overlook. The lonely. The grieving. The vulnerable. The person wondering whether anyone still remembers their name. For 106-year-old Ibrahimu, that question had become deeply personal.
After outliving five of his children, he was living alone without a regular source of support. Age had made everyday tasks increasingly difficult, and without adequate sanitation facilities at home, even caring for his most basic needs had become a challenge. But perhaps the heaviest burden was the feeling that he had been forgotten.
“I buried my children with my own hands,” Ibrahimu said. “Many days I wondered if anyone still remembered me.”
Scripture gives us a beautiful answer to that question:
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”
— Isaiah 49:15
God had not forgotten Ibrahimu. And He would remind him of that through the faithfulness of His people.
WHEN THE CHURCH SHOWS UP
Members of a local church began visiting Ibrahimu. They listened to him, prayed with him, brought him meals, spent time with him, and cared for him as family.
There was no elaborate program behind those visits. They simply saw someone who needed love and chose to show up. And through their presence, Ibrahimu began to encounter something much bigger.
“They did not see an old man who had been forgotten,” he said. “They saw someone worth loving.”
As the church continued walking alongside him, Ibrahimu experienced the love of Christ and eventually placed his faith in Him. His story is a beautiful picture of what happens when the Church lives out the Gospel not only through words, but through presence.
Sometimes ministry looks like preaching.
Sometimes it looks like sitting beside someone who is lonely.
Sometimes it looks like bringing a meal.
And sometimes it looks like helping someone regain a little dignity in their own home.
FAITH THAT MEETS PRACTICAL NEEDS
Just days after the church began caring for Ibrahimu, Water for Good’s partnership with the congregation helped identify him as one of the community’s most vulnerable residents. Together, the church and local Water for Good team helped provide an improved toilet, a handwashing station, and a drying rack directly at his home. For a 106-year-old man whose strength and mobility had declined, those simple improvements meant something significant.
Privacy.
Safety.
Better health.
And dignity.
It can be tempting to measure progress only by what can be counted.
Water points constructed, latrines built, people reached, or communities served. Those numbers matter because every one represents real people whose daily lives are changing. But Ibrahimu’s story reminds us that some of the most important results are harder to put into a spreadsheet.
A lonely person discovers friendship.
Someone who felt forgotten realizes he is remembered.
A neighbor experiences the love of Christ.
A community learns to care for its most vulnerable members.
And an elderly man discovers that his story is not over.
Today, the church continues to visit Ibrahimu, bringing food, helping with his needs, praying with him, and reminding him that he belongs.
His gratitude extends far beyond his own community.
“I thank Water for Good, the KKKT Church, and every donor who cared about someone they have never met,” he said. “You did more than build a toilet and a bathroom. You gave an old man dignity, friendship, and hope when I believed my life had been forgotten.”
Then he offered the words that perhaps say it best:
“God still sees me.”
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Praise Reports
Join us in thanking God
This month, we praise God for the freedom He is bringing through safe water, sanitation, hygiene, and faithful partnership.
Praise God for local churches faithfully caring for vulnerable people in their communities through prayer, friendship, generosity, and practical support.
We thank God for Ibrahimu’s new faith in Christ and for the church family that continues to walk alongside him.
Praise God for the dignity and improved health that safe sanitation and hygiene facilities can bring to households, especially for older adults and others with limited mobility.
We are grateful for donors, churches, and partners whose generosity equips local teams and congregations to respond when needs are identified.
Prayer Requests
(Please share with your Church, Small Group, or Prayer Team!)
For the elderly and isolated: Pray for people like Ibrahimu who may be living alone or carrying grief without a strong support system. Ask God to surround them with people who will see them, love them, and remain present.
For local churches: Pray that churches in the communities where we serve would continue to recognize opportunities to care for their neighbors in both spiritual and practical ways.
For vulnerable households: Pray for families and individuals who still lack safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services at home.
For our local teams: Pray for wisdom as Water for Good staff work alongside churches, community leaders, and families to identify needs and develop solutions that can last.
I keep coming back to Ibrahimu’s words:
“They saw someone worth loving.”
That is such a simple description of what the Church is called to do. To look at another person, regardless of their age, circumstances, history, or ability to give anything in return, and recognize someone made in the image of God.
Someone worth noticing. Someone worth serving. Someone worth loving.
There are people like Ibrahimu in every community. Some live halfway around the world while others may live a few houses down. They may be carrying grief quietly. They may feel forgotten. They may simply need someone willing to show up.
Our prayer this month is that God would give each of us eyes to see them. Because when the people of God notice those who feel forgotten, meet practical needs, offer friendship, and remain present, we have the opportunity to communicate something far greater than our own kindness.
Robin and I have supported “Water for Good” for many years. We have a great relationship with the founder Jim Hocking. Water for Good merged with “Lifewater International” who not only drills wells for clean water but also builds toilets, washrooms, and teaches the importance of using these facilities to prevent illness and diseases.
This is a report from a village where they are working. Isn’t it amazing that God calls pipefitters, mechanics, anyone who is present to do one job but more so to be a witness for Him in the power of presence and love. That is who God is! What a reflection of God this team poured out on this man and this village.
May we aspire to be as great a reflection of the love and presence of God!
Pastor Dale