My name is Nicole Kent and I’m a senior at Fluvanna County High School in Palmyra, Virginia (which is a tiny little place right outside of Charlottesville). This year, as a part of my Governor’s School Program, I am completing an internship and community service for my Senior Project which is about Mission Work. Since last May, I have been praying that something would come to me for this project that I would really feel passionate about and that prayer was answered at the Called 2016 Middle School Retreat for the Virginia United Methodist Church in the middle of this past November.
I was attending the retreat as a staff person and that’s when I met Coy Lindsey. He was at the retreat giving a really powerful messages, but what intrigued me the most was Just Water. My heart has felt for the water crisis throughout high school, but when I heard about Just Water I finally felt like I could do something impactful. While at that retreat, I took the challenge to drink just water for 40 days and felt a seed planted for my community service project.
I knew instantly that I wanted to give to Just Water for my community service and my first instinct was to plan a 5K. I’m not a runner and I honestly didn’t even know how long five kilometers was when I decided this is what I was going to do but I figured planning one wouldn’t be too horrible. So many people around me have already been extremely helpful with giving me ideas and promising to be there to help when I need them which has been really encouraging. I have doubts every once in awhile that I won’t be able to pull it off in time or that people won’t participate, but all it takes is a quick chat with God to restore some confidence and know that I can do it--through Him.
So far, it’s been kinda crazy filling out forms, making flyers, creating a Facebook event, making the registration website and a bunch more- it has consumed my life slightly, but in the most positive way! In fact, I recently had three snow days in a row, creating a 5 day weekend in which I did all of the things in the last sentence, designed a t-shirt, starting asking for sponsors, drew the race map, prayed about Just Water, and realized that this is totally happening. I’m hoping to raise $1000 which seemed like a crazy goal when I began this, but now I’m seeing that it could definitely happen. This goal would provide 40 people with clean water and that is really the true goal- to give 40 people access to clean water and the living water of Jesus Christ. That’s what I want this 5K to be about. Sometimes it’s easy for me to explain this as my community service project but it means so much more than that to me and to those whose lives it will change so I pray it will mean that much to those participating as well.
I’ve learned so much about the effort it takes for mission work and I have an even greater appreciation for those who dedicate their lives to this type of work. This process and Just Water have also helped me to focus on the true meaning of missions-- loving our neighbors as ourself because that’s how Jesus loves. I’ve felt like I’ve known that for a while, but being involved with Just Water, who truly lives this, has made me more conscious of the mission field called life that is all around me.
Please click on the link to find out more about the 5K: https://www.facebook.com/events/384787098539906/