Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church’s Ladies in Fellowship Together (LIFT) participated in a water distribution project at the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM) in Rock Point, Ariz., to benefit the local residents.

Church members donated more than $3,000 to purchase five-gallon water jugs, caps and spigots for the households to transport clean drinking water to their homes.

NELM got permission from the Navajo nation to hire a drilling team to restore a non-functioning well on the mission property. The well is up and running, distributing an average of 125,000 gallons of water per week.

The mission uses a water jug distribution system. Customers use an assigned water credit card to pay for a requested amount of water.

The storage tanks, pumps, regulators, climate-controlled building for the pump equipment and building materials have all been donated.

Pastor Katie Adelman has been serving the community since 2013. She has told sponsors, “With your prayers and financial support, NELM is changing the future for the Rock Point community. Through education, cultural exchange, honest conversation, spiritual formation, innovation and capacity building, the mission is emerging as a leader and model of partnership among indigenous peoples.”

For 65 years, NELM has partnered with the Navajo people to serve the community to fulfill basic needs. A total of 40 percent of households in the area lack electricity and running water.

Contact Pastor Adelman at NELM at 928-659-04201 for mission opportunities.