Blood:Water | Tyler

Photo Slideshow of Blood:Water Ride:Well Concert

Most Satisfying Night In Our 10 Year Career

Troy Groves, husband of Sara Groves, sent this email today... Check it out Tyler!

From: Troy Groves [mailto:troy@saragroves.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 12:09 PM
To: Dan Haseltine; Charlie Lowell; Stephen Mason; Matthew Odmark; Matt Ward; Kellie Lutito; Ryan Skoog; Aaron W. Smith; Aaron Sands; Blood:Water Mission
Subject: honored

hey,

just wanted to say we have never been more pleased to be a part of an event more than the Tyler, TX BWM Ride:Well night on Tuesday. Feel like we witnessed a miracle.

The culmination of God at work thru the churched, unchurched, the body of Christ, art, heroes riding bikes in physically demanding conditions, Don Miller, the rich, the homeless, Africa, America...it was beautiful.

Everyones gifts coming together for a greater purpose. The most satisfying night in our 10 year career.

love you all,

troy

$8000.00 More Just Came In

The Lord is pouring out blessings upon Africa! $8000.00 more just came in from two Tyler area churches.

On 7/3/08 12:25 PM, "Kellie Lutito" <kellie@bloodwatermission.com> wrote:

Yesterday we received 2 more donations online from Tyler people. Each was for $4,000. I guess that brings us up to about $86K!!! Thank you everyone again!

On 7/3/08 12:02 PM, "Doug Clark" <dougc@gcc.org> wrote:

The Final number collected and mailed to Blood Water today was 78,191.36.   I asked Kellie to keep a funning total on money she gets from the Tyler area in the next couple of weeks.

Praise God. Aaron would you please pass this on to the team.  Thanks

Doug, Grace Community Church
GCC.ORG

Blood:Water Tyler CPA Delivers Final Tally

From: Bryan Chesley
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 9:18 AM
To: Doug Clark; George Montalvo
Cc: Colleen Ward
Subject: Bloodwater total

Guys – Final number is $77,991.36 collected for Blood:Water

Bryan Chesley

 
Director of Accounting

Blood:Water Tyler Event Brings Results - KLTV

More than $75,000 was raised last night at the Blood:Water|Tyler event last night at Bergfeld Park.

There will be 19 new water well in sub-Saharan Africa thanks to the generosity of east Texans.

That's almost double the $40,000 goal, set to build ten wells.

A standing room only crowd came to hear Christian artist Sara Groves and author Donald Miller share the need for water and blood in Africa.

The Tyler concert is part of a national ministry trying to raise enough money to fund 1,000 wells.

ckhalil@kltv.com / Cathryn Khalil

07/02/08 - Tyler

Blood Water Photo Slideshows

We've Got Photo Slideshows!

• Picasa - Photographer #1
  
• Flickr - Photographer #2
• Tyler Paper - Photographer #3

Thank You Bike Team Hosts

Eric Jontra, a fellow Blood Water Tyler volunteer, just posted this important email... Please see the heart behind the Hosts of the Bike Team... Their spirit of love and cooperation for the greater purpose of building wells is amazing and selfless... Be sure to give these fine folks a shout out!

God Bless,

George Montalvo

Doug & Friends,

 

As you know, we had a tremendous show of support in our efforts to house / feed / transport the Ride:Well team at UB last night.

 

However, there were four (4) people involved with the project (all from our community group) who went well above and beyond what could have been expected. They were just incredible...and I'd appreciate it if each of you could send them an email note thanking them for their contribution of TIME and SWEAT!

 

Myles Cunningham.
Simply put, he wa incredible! Myles put in 10 hours on Tuesday and another 4 hours today doing whatever needed to be done. Anything, anytime. Because he knows the layout of the school so well he was able to assist with virtually any request the team riders (and me!) could throw at him. Among many things, he cleaned the showers (before and after), swept floors, kept everything locked/unlocked as required and was just an incredible help to me. EMAIL: lillandmyles@prodigy.net (shares with LIll...who is next).

 

Lill Cunningham.
Put in 4-5 hours on Tuesday and another 4 hours today. She coordinated all of the "food serving", skipped the concert to do 100% of the team's laundry and then helped us with "teardown" this morning. She did all of this in spite of dealing with a major distraction/concern: her mother, who has Alzheimers, is quite ill at the present time and Lill is very worried about her. She was a HUGE blessing to me the last two days! EMAIL: lillandmyles@prodigy.net (shares with Myles, above).

36 Patients Helped Through Concert Goers

According to Mr. Baker from Carter Blood Care, "we collected 12 units of blood which means up to 36 patients will be helped through these donations, we are very grateful to all who donated and attempted to donate. Thank you for arranging the announcements that really helped. I was excited to hear that you were able to raise more then 40K."

So not only did we manage to build almost 19 wells in Africa, but we also helped 36 patients in East Texas! Great job Tyler Texas!

Habitat Single Mom Raising Money For BloodWater

I just received this email from Fred Smith; the heart of this young woman is amazing...

-----Original Message-----
From: Hannah Walker
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 9:46 AM
To: 'Fred Smith'
Subject: RE: (SCL: 6) Sarah Groves

Fred,

I just got a call from one of our Habitat single moms who is working toward building her home and she has been telling everyone at her office about the Blood:Water Mission and has a bucket set out in the office to collect money to donate tomorrow.  AWESOME!!!!!!!!

Hannah Walker
Director of Family Services
Habitat for Humanity of Smith County
Ph: (903) 595-6630 ext.11
Fax (903) 595-2745
family@smithcountyhabitat.org

Homeless Charity Donating To Those Even Less Fortunate

As supporters pour into Bergfeld Park for that event, some less fortunate East Texans also want to help.

KLTV 7 News' Lakecia Shockley shows you how a group of east Texans with so little, have found a way to donate so much to the Blood Water Mission.

Every week, Newgate Missions provides free hot meals to homeless East Texans.

But it's what the homeless give back that their ultimate sacrifice shows.

For the past year, before every meal, the "homeless givers" have donated money to aid Blood Water in Africa.

"I've been homeless for a while and I get to help somebody else while I'm getting helped at the same time, and it's really neat in that aspect," David Woods told us todayl.

"God provides," stated Patricia Ivy. "Other people provide for us, the least we can do is provide for somebody else and I thought basic principals-that's it."

Kent McKeever and Joel Heflin head up the mission.

Read More Online At KLTV.COM 

Ride:Well TV Spots To Begin June 23

Eric Jontra, a friend in Christ, and local Ad man in the East Texas area, has sent us the below email. The publicity efforts on behalf of this project to help Africans in need of clean water has been shocking. Watch the video below.

From: Eric Jontra
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 9:12 AM
Subject: Ride:well Concert TV spot

Friends --

We finished the TV spot yesterday (attached) and it will begin airing on Monday 6/23 on all six (6) of our East Texas stations. Included are KETK, KCEB, KFXK and KLPN -- which are our Tyler/Longview stations. We've also included KETK-LP and KFXL, our Nac/Lufkin stations.

We have placed 310 commercials spread across the six (6) stations airing 6/23 - 7/1.

KLTV has also promised me they would run the commercial and I'll deliver a copy to them today. I haven't talked to CBS19, but I'm sure they'll get involved as well. Not sure how many those stations will air, but I'm sure it will be a decent schedule.

When all is said and done, I'd guess that we'll have 225+ TV commercials airing in the Tyler/Longview market during the 9 days leading up to the concert.

If you have questions or need more information please feel free to call.

Thanks,

Eric Jontra
ejontra@gmail.com
(903) 360-6333 - cell

Homeless From Longview Donate $2000 To Blood:Water

The following email just came in to Blood Water Tyler.
(Email Edited For Content)

From: Joel Heflin [mailto:joelheflin@newgatemission.org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 9:16 AM
To: George Montalvo
Subject: Blood:Water Mission Tyler Event

Mr. Montalvo,

The second I heard about the Blood:Water Mission event in Tyler I knew I needed to get in contact with those who are organizing it.  I found your email on the website and I hope you are the right person.  I am the Restoration Director at Newgate Mission.  Let me share a little bit about who we are and what we do before I share some exciting news with you.

Since 1990 Newgate Mission has been serving the homeless population in Longview, Texas and the surrounding area.  Newgate Mission exists to relieve needs, recover lives, rebuild community, and restore hope.  We provide support for the spiritual, physical, social, emotional, educational, and financial needs of our community.  Here at Newgate we are a family and we are a church family.  We have Bible study Monday through Friday and worship together Sunday mornings.

It was during one of our daily Bible studies that an amazing thing began.  We were discussing helping those less fortunate than ourselves and some were questioning how they, as homeless individuals, could possibly help anyone else.  I have donated to Blood:Water Mission for the last few years so I knew about the great things they are doing in Africa.  I shared with our group how many people in our world lack the most essential of physical needs, clean water.  I told them about the 1000 Wells Project and how $1 can provide enough water for one African for an entire year. 

They were stunned. 

Even though they are about as poor as you can be here in America they knew they had much to be thankful for.  One person suggested we start collecting change to donate to the cause.  She thought we might be able to raise $100.  We eventually came up with the idea to take a donation each day when we serve lunch.  Less than a year later the poor and homeless of Longview have raised nearly $2,000 for the 1000 Wells Project!!! Our goal is $3,000 so we can provide one whole well to a community.

I thought it would be an inspiration to many if we were to present a check to the 1000 Wells Project at your event. If people see that even the poorest in America can raise that much because they love their brothers and sisters in Africa I believe their hearts will be opened. I know our community here at Newgate has challenged me personally to give more and more. It has been a blessing being able to be a part of this and I look forward to being able to share what God is doing through the “least of these” here in East Texas!

Joel Heflin

Restoration Director
903-757-6146
www.newgatemission.org

Radio Ads Spark Interest In City Efforts To Build Wells

Radio ads in the East Texas market have sparked an interest in the arrival of Donald Miller to Tyler Texas. Barnes & Noble, upon hearing of Donald's appearance at the Ride:Well Concert, offered to become an event sponsor and setup shop the day of the event at Bergfeld to sell his line of books.

According to B&N Tyler Store Manager, "Donald Miller is one of the most sought after authors in our store. Our associates all know who Donald Miller is after a few days. His books are just flying of the shelf. It will be great to assist in hosting him to Tyler."

Barnes & Noble, along with KNVE and KGLY, and a host of local churches in the East Texas area are working furiously to raise funds and awareness toward reaching the goal of funding 10 wells in sub Saharan Africa. "We've got lots of commitments to date," said Doug Clark, Senior Pastor of Grace Community Church, "hopefully, the day of the event, we'll be able to present a check to the Ride:Well tour that will support the building of ten well. Ten from Tyler!"

Download Bloodwater_Radio.mp3

Green Acres & New Days Community Church Commit To Sponsor

Steve Rumpf, Global Outreach Pastor at Grace Community Church just sent the following email;

From: Steve Rumpf
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 2:10 PM
To: Doug Clark; Kristen Bolt ; George Montalvo; Fred Smith
Subject: New Days on board! Green Acres gives $4 K !!

2 PM Thursday… FOLLOW-UP on previous conversations with pastors:

Just talked to Pastor Reginald Garrett…   New Days Community Church will be a sponsoring church!

Just talked to Dale Pond at GABC.. They will give $4K!!

Steve

Wells will be built with monies donated from the Tyler community. To learn more, please contact Steve Rumpf at 903.593.3800 x120.

 

Tyler Paper Covers Ride Well Concert

Author Donald Miller and Christian music artist Sara Groves will be in Tyler on July 1 to raise awareness and money for a project to establish safe drinking water in Africa.

The free concert will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Bergfeld Park amphitheater and is open to all, according to information from Kristen Boldt, one of the organizers.

>> Continue Reading

One Dollar = One Years Worth Of Water

Tyler Churches Set Goal To Build 10 Wells In Africa

(Tyler) New York Times Bestselling author Donald Miller and Christian music artist Sara Groves and will be in Tyler raising both awareness and funds for Blood: Water Mission on July 1. The free concert and message will be held at Bergfeld Park from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. and is open to the community. Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz, will share encouraging stories of how groups and individuals can empower Africans to build healthier communities through sustainable clean water solutions, while developing social responsibility in the U.S. through initiatives that provoke personal engagement and ownership. Sara Groves, an award winning singer and songwriter, will share her passion for social justice through her music.

The community of Tyler is encouraged to attend this incredible event as they welcome and recognize the Ride: Well Team members as they ride for the cause of Blood: Water Mission. This team includes Donald Miller, 2 African students and 17 additional cyclists with a passion to bring clean blood and clean water to Africa. Ride: Well Tour is an epic bicycling expedition from Los Angeles to Washington D.C with the sole purpose of raising funds and awareness for Blood: Water Mission's 1000 Wells Project. This 3,150 mile route started on June 4, in Santa Monica, CA with riders' back wheels in the Pacific Ocean.

Blood:Water Mission Introduction

Sara Groves Wants To Tell A Better Story

Donald Miller On Ride:Well Bike Tour

More Information

For more information on how your church can get involved with sponsoring the building of 10 wells in Africa, please contact:

• George Montalvo; 903.253.4202, georgem@gcc.org
• Kristen Boldt; 903.330.8163, kristenb40@gmail.com