By the Numbers:

112,544
NUNBER OF PEOPLE REACHED TO DATE WITH WATER AND THE GOSPEL!

107
NUMBER OF WELLS DRILLED

3
Number of ongoing, in-country partnerships

20
NUMBER OF CURRENT, ACTIVE WELL AND BIO-SAND FILTER PROJECTS

150,000+
MONEY EXPECTED TO BE RAISED BY YEAR’S END (2011) IN CONTRIBUTIONS AND MONTHLY COMMITTED PLEDGES…
MAKING 2011 THE BEST YEAR IN THE HISTORY OF THE MINISTRY!

1 MILLION
DOLLAR GOAL FOR 2012 – REALLY!

3
NEW FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES FOR THE COMING YEAR

A MUST READ from our Founder and Executive Director, Todd Phillips

MOMENTUM. Momentum is the word that best describes what TLW has experienced in the last six months of 2011 and what we have on our side moving into the New Year. What was once a local ministry supported primarily through the passionate pursuits of young adults in Frontline, the young adult ministry of McLean Bible Church in Washington, D.C., is now an expanding, multi-state movement of people of all ages and walks of life moving toward one clear, compelling goal – provide clean water to the entire nation of Liberia and share Christ with those we serve.

Not only has 2011 turned out to be our most productive year in terms of moneys raised and wells drilled, we’ve also worked to improve the information on – and look of – our web site, developed several new church partnerships who have supported and will continue to support TLW financially in the coming years, and we’ve developed several new, creative fundraising initiatives. The initiative I’d ask all of you to pray about for 2012 is:

ONE BIRTHDAY: ONE WELL

It’s simple. You decide to give up your birthday in 2012 in order to raise awareness and money for the mission of The Last Well. I gave up my birthday this past August and asked friends, family and co-workers not to send me gift, but to give instead directly to The Last Well! I sent 17 emails out and raised over $3000 for The Last Well! Amazing! Imagine if we all gave up our birthday in 2012 for the purpose of saving lives and altering the eternal destinies of men, women, and children in Liberia.

I’m praying daily that we’ll have one hundred people become part of ONE BIRTHDAY: ONE WELL in 2012. Will you prayerfully consider being one of them?

All you need to do is click on the email address below:
jenniferh@lakepointe.org
and send us the following info about you…
NAME AND BIRTHDATE

Our team will contact you via email to help you set up a web page on one of several fundraising websites we currently use (like www.crowdrise.org). Don’t worry…you don’t have to be tech savvy to do this…we’ll take care of you! Then, you let everyone know about your page. They’ll give online directly to The Last Well.

Lives saved with clean water!
Destinies altered by the Gospel!
God gets the credit!
All because you decided to celebrate your birthday in a different way.

Here are several “to dos” for 2012:
1. Pray for the momentum to continue in the New Year
2. Be a giver on your birthday – sign up for ONE BIRTHDAY: ONE WELL
3. Read the monthly newsletter. We’ll likely announce an exciting national fundraising and awareness initiative in the first quarter of next year. You won’t want to miss this!

One last thing…please consider THE LAST WELL for your end-of-year giving. Go online to www.thelastwell.org , click on “DONATE” and give.

Press on!
Todd Phillips
Founder and Executive Director, The Last Well

How and why did you get involved with the Last Well?

In the fall of 2007, I began feeling that it was time to participate in an international missions trip, as I had never left North America at that point in life. I attended the interest meeting for The Last Well’s Elbrus climb, but didn’t feel I could make the financial commitment required for personal climbing expenses at that time. Shortly thereafter, I joined a missions team that took me to Peru in the summer of 2008. The trip opened my eyes and softened my heart to the plight of those in need around the world. After the trip, I attended interest meetings for other Last Well climbs but never felt that it was yet my time. Having wanted to climb Mt Rainier since I first laid eyes upon it at age 11, however, I always joked that a Last Well Rainier climb would be my sign that it was time to become involved in the mission. I received the Rainier announcement in the winter of 2009 and immediately knew that it was time to combine a deep-rooted desire to climb with a growing passion for helping those struggling around the globe.

Why did you decide to join the Aconcagua team?

I don’t really know that I decided, as much as God did for me. I had just come off of an epic [failed] attempt on Rainier, and had spent most of my discretionary income in the process, but for some reason could not bring myself to send the final notice removing my name from consideration. After several weeks of prayer, financial analysis, and seeking counsel from trusted individuals I just felt compelled to step out in faith on this [potentially] once in a lifetime opportunity.

How did you see the message of the Last Well (Fundraisers First, Climbers Second – Ambassadors for Christ Always) come to life during your trip?

While we were all busy training and taking care of logistics, it was quite clear that fundraising was at the forefront of the team’s mind during the months leading up to the trip. Members set some pretty ambitious goals that were considerably higher than those required by The Last Well; it’s one thing to merely set a goal and another to actually work toward that end which I believe everyone did in spades between sending out support letters, giving presentations, seeking Gala auction items and even in getting tables filled for the Gala. While on the trip, I genuinely believe that our words, actions and camaraderie were all a great testimony to our faith. Time and time again our lead guide made comments to the effect of how well we worked together and could not believe that many of us had only very recently met (or had only met once prior to trip). Others commented that they had never seen such a happy, pleasant group. While some may have jokingly attributed it to good cooking from the guides, I believe the truth of the matter is that we were all genuinely rooted in Christ.

Not to be overlooked, I also believe that the entire team showed up for the climb in great physical condition despite the all of the busy schedules and focused efforts on fundraising and trip logistics. While this may seem like a seemingly minor detail, I believe it is just another example of the character of the team as we all know that a team is truly only as strong as its weakest climber.

What is the biggest lesson God taught you on the mountain?

Namely, that I wasn’t in this alone. I tend to be a bit self-reliant but learned rather quickly that the only way I was going to make it up any portion of the mountain was through reliance on Him. I also learned the value and importance of having strong brothers and sisters around to help carry spiritual and physical burdens (and sometimes gear).

What is the biggest lesson God has taught you since coming home?

That all of the various lessons learned on the mountain apply to my daily life, 365 days a year – not just while climbing at 20,000 feet.

How do you see God working through TLW to spread the Gospel?

The obvious answer is the great impact on His kingdom through ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the people of Liberia. Perhaps the less obvious (but equally as great) impact is on those with whom we live, work and play on a day-to-day basis. The Last Well not only gives them an opportunity to become part of something greater than themselves, but also opens up an avenue for us to share the Gospel as they see our passion and commitment, hear our stories, and watch us live out our faith in support of people we’ve never met.

During another part of the evening, we also recognized the team of fundraising climbers that we are sending to the 22,840′ Cerro Aconcagua later this year. Ultimately, we gathered to recognize the calling God has blessed The Last Well with to eliminate one need for one nation.

In addition to raising awareness about the need and purpose of the Last Well, the Gala also served as a fundraiser. Because of your faithfulness, we estimate that after your generous donations and the silent auction items that were sold, $42,337 was raised. In addition we had some monthly donors that will add $200 a month to this number. Also, remember that we have a matching grant that will match dollar to dollar what we raise, only increasing the impact we will have on Liberia. This money will help provide clean water to the nation of Liberia as well as help us to share the Gospel with those we serve.

One of the key partnerships for The Last Well is World Hope International. John Aliison, Director of Church Relations, joined us at the Gala and commented, “As I was sitting among the many people who were in attendance at the Gala, I was struck. At times we can be immobilized by thinking: “I am just one person. What difference can I make?” I wonder how many God size ideas are simply left to die there? Such is not the case with The Last Well. One person. One idea: Give safe water to the country of Liberia. One well at a time. I am grateful Todd Phillips thought differently about what God can accomplish through one person mobilizing the hearts of many. It was nothing short of inspiring to see a group of people working to impact the world for Christ.”

Planned primarily by Holly Maggio and Caroline Seymour with help from a handful of other dedicated volunteers, the night was a smashing success. We saw many old friends and new faces, which even included guests from Liberia.

Although the offerings included a silent auction with more than 100 items and a dance floor spinning with the beat-artistry of DJ Lauren Bobby (laurenbobby88@gmail.com), the night found its meaning through the keynote address of Founder Todd Phillips. His speech centered on keeping our perspective filtered through a global worldview for missions and the potential outpouring of our response as Christians to the dire need for water.

This small, but growing group has a foundation it can be proud of. Already, tens of thousands of Liberians have access to clean, reliable drinking water through The Last Well and our partnerships with Living Water International, Samaritan’s Purse, and World Hope International. Through our partnership with World Hope, The Last Well also received a matching grant for all donations.

With the evening waning and our guests starting to head home, we smiled and gave thanks that we could sacrifice together towards this end.

Our additional thanks go to Zach Casper of Ziemcee Designs (zach.casper@gmail.com) and to Kevin Wiley (www.kwiley.com) for providing his photography services at the event. Pictures are available for purchase on http://www.pictage.com/925108.

View the 2009 Report Here

What an amazing accomplishment of God through The Last Well!

View the Full 2008 Report Here