The Drink That Nearly Killed Her

7-year-old Alejandra lives with her parents in the Andes mountains of Peru, nearly 13-thousand feet above sea level!   Their only source of water is a small stream that runs through their village during the rainy season. “I help my mom at home and take care of the animals,” Alejandra told us. “I also go and collect water.” 

When the rainy season ends, the stream dries up leaving behind small murky pools. The water in them is not fit for human consumption. 

“We struggle to find clean water here,” said Nieves, Alejandra’s mom. “We have to use the pools of water for drinking, cooking, and for our animals.”  

They try to boil water to drink when they can but sometimes that doesn’t help. “The water smells like manure,” added Nieves. “It’s contaminated and tastes sour. But we have no choice. We have to drink it.”   

One day, after drinking the water, Alejandra became seriously ill. Nieves asked a local police officer to help by her daughter to the hospital more than 25 miles away! “She had diarrhea and was vomiting after she drank the water,” said Nieves. “She also had a high fever. Alejandra had to stay in the hospital for three days. I thought she was going to die.  Everyone was afraid!” 

Then thanks to YOU, Operation Blessing set up two large water tanks with chlorination and pipes to distribute clean water to 20 families in the Alexandra’s community.    

“I feel so happy! We have water at our homes…at MY HOME!” declared the grateful mom. “My children won’t get sick from bad water any more.”  

“Now we have clean water!” said Alejandra. “We can wash, cook, and I can drink all the water I want.  I am so happy.”  

“Thank you so much for helping us. I am so happy. Thank you!” said Nieves. 

What a beautiful example of how CBN partners share the love of Jesus around the world with people in need! If you’re not yet a partner, we invite you to join us today. Help bring God’s love through initiatives like clean water wells, medical missions, feeding programs, and so much more—all in the name of Jesus! Join us today and become a part of what God’s doing through CBN partners.