rebelling against low expectations

Dollar for a Drink

By Alex and Brett Harris
November 18, 2009
96 comments
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One of the most exciting stories last year was Dollar for a Drink — a campaign by 16-year-old Joshua Guthrie to raise $10,000 to build a well in Sudan. With a big response from rebelutionaries, youth groups, and young people around the country, Joshua met and exceeded his goal. Now the well that he (and you!) paid for is providing clean water for over 6,000 people in the Darfur region of Sudan.

This year Josh is back with a bigger goal. Once again, he needs your help to achieve it. You’ll be tired of your $20 Christmas present in a matter of weeks. That same $20 would provide several African families with clean water for years. Please watch/read the following challenge carefully, take it seriously, and pray about what God would have you do. Don’t keep it to yourself, either. Pass it on.

A Challenge for This Holiday Season

With just over a month before Christmas, Josh has raised $10,343 — but needs $6,000 more to dig two wells and $14,000 more to dig three. And as we enter the holiday season, most people expect us to only care about stuffing our faces and getting the latest games and gadgets. They don’t expect us to care about the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, or the oppressed. Let’s join Josh and prove them wrong.

Anyone can give a dollar. Most of us can give more. To get us started, the Rebelution has decided to match your donations, up to a total of $1,000. Whatever you give, we’ll match it — doubling your contribution! $5 becomes $10. $25 becomes $50.

As you give or raise funds for Dollar for a Drink, leave a comment to encourage your fellow teens and let us know so we can match your donation. If you’d rather not comment, you can just shoot an email to brett [at] therebelution [dot] com.

Let’s see how fast we can raise $2,000 for the people of Sudan, not just to provide clean water, but also to share the gospel — the mission of Baptist Global Response. This holiday season (and beyond), we’ll show the world what really matters to teens.

+ DONATE / FACEBOOK / PROMOTE +

Send Checks To: Dollar for a Drink, P.O. Box 570, Medina, TN 38355

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About the author

Alex and Brett Harris

are the co-founders of TheRebelution.com and co-authors of Do Hard Things and Start Here. They have a passion for God and for their generation. Their personal interests include politics, filmmaking, music, and basketball. They are both graduates of Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia.

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96 comments

  • This is awesome! I am so amazed by what God is doing through our generation!

    Wouldn’t it be awesome if instead of buying Christmas presents for our friends and family, we used the money that we would spend buying gifts to donate to this awesome cause on their behalf? I think that is what I’m going to do this year!

  • I’m sending $25! This is an amazing opportunity–definitely worth more than buying myself music, which is what I would probably do otherwise.

  • Just put a check for $40 in the mail.

    Thank you for sharing this! I pray that we can exceed the $1,000 goal.

  • Wow, this is great! I’ll be praying, and donating, and promoting! Thank you Alex and Brett for your generosity, and thank you Joshua for your perseverance in this endeavor! 🙂

  • This is amazing! I have wanted to be a missionary since i was little i am almost 12. so i think this is a really good place to start!
    I don’t have much money but i am going to donate and pray!

  • I am definitely going to donate and tell my friends about it! This is a great opportunity to serve people’s physical needs.

    Soli Deo Gloria,
    Chanel

  • WAY TO GO JOSH!!!! Very awesome! Jumps 4 Joy has raised over $2,274 dollars since July 8th 2009!!! This encouraged me to keep going!

    Will spread the word!!!

    Lexi

  • I am ABSOLUTELY going to donate… don’t know how much yet but will let you know!! I’m also going to get involved in school and church and do this.
    WAY TO GO JOSH!

  • That is so amazing! Way to go Josh! I really wish I could donate, but I’m not able to at this time, so I will be praying for Josh and everyone associated with the cause. May God bless them and all that they are doing!

    God Bless
    Alesia

  • Good job, guys.
    Josh isn’t the only one- my church just supported a ‘Walk to Water’ fundraiser through Open Doors, which a teenage girl from my church ran. The enthusiastic support they gave her was amazing!
    Good on you all for being responsive to God’s call.
    Just a note of warning- be careful that you don’t let all this good stuff distract you from the most important thing of all: your personal relationship with God. God can raise his own money if need be; what he wants most is your heart!!!

  • O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
    my soul thirsts for you;
    my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

    Psalm 63:1

    May those thirsting for water thirst for the Lord more so.

  • Ouch. 1/7 of the world is too many by 1/7.
    I will donate and promote this mission. Giving out the living water does little good to those who lack the water of the earth.

  • What you guys are doing is wonderful! I’ll definately donate, and I just blogged about it(although I’ve only just started blogging so I don’t think I’ve been read yet) and hopefully that will help.

  • Wow!
    I’ve been wondering what to do with some of the money I received for my birthday…lucky me, I haven’t spent it yet!
    This will be a great way to invest the money God has blessed me with. (:

  • I have a question…If I organize a fundraiser at my school, will you match what we make or does it have to be what I donate personally?

  • This is such a cool ministry. I think we in America often take for granted simple things like water. It’s nice to see someone who doesn’t and is ready to do something about it.

  • That is really cool, i am always encouraged when i read these posts. Thanks everyone!

    I also have a request though… I have been researching the “Cap and Trade” which is a document that Obama is planning on signing in December and it is an extremely disturbing document. In short he is signing away our freedom… this new document will over ride our constitution and we, America, will not be able to get out. The document is promoted as a attempt to stop global warming… however there is no real proof that global warming is happening, it is only a cycle that the earth goes through, so by signing this document Obama will raise our tax dollars significantly, crush our freedom, and have no positive outcome other than gaining power for himself. This is going to happen in just a few days… We do not have time to stand back and let our president sign away the freedom that so many people have died for. To stop this from happening we can sigh the petition on the web sight, http://www.globalclimatescam.com/. We can also get the word out to other people, let them know the importance and urgency of the situation, we can call our congress and let them know how we feel. I would also encourage you to watch the videos and read the articles on the website, it is an extremely scary reality, that this our future, our freedom about to disappear. The website also explains the situation much better than i have, it is scientific and has all the proof, including a copy of the document itself.

    Thank you all for your time, and i pray that this document will not become a reality. Thanks for the encouragement that is on this website… you all really mean a lot to me! Thanks again!

    Karis

  • WOW…. You guys are amazing, and we totally serve an AWESOME God! Reading the blog entry, I was about to pop with excitement! Just to see so many other fellow teens band together to make a difference for Christ is amazing, to say the least. Last year, you guys hit your goal in a week; I can’t wait to see what you’ll do this year!

    There is one teeny edit on the P.O. box address which needs to be changed though: The number is 570 instead of 265. We changed it from last year. Don’t worry if you’ve already sent it though, as long as you addressed it to “Dollar for a Drink” it should get to us.

    Thank you guys SO much!!! (MUCH more than you know!)

    @ Lexi: Way to go! Just keep jumping, and the Lord will bring you through! ^_^

    Joshua Guthrie, Director
    Dollar for a Drink

  • I am so happy to see so many people donating! I feel really bad that I cannot contribute anything =( , but I will be spreading the word. I’ll make this my next blog post.

  • This is so exciting! My brother and father have been to Southern Sudan, and Lord willing, I will be able to go there next year 🙂 Seeing the photos they brought back, and hearing the stories have made the people of Sudan are very near and dear to my heart.

    One question, Is it possible to mail in cash instead of a check?

  • This sounds great! How can I donate in somebody else’s name? It would make a wonderful Christmas gift.

  • @ Marli: Yes, it is possible to send in cash, but it is not recommended.

    @ Tiffany: I’m not so sure what would be the best option; what do you think Brett? I would suggest sending an extra envelope, postage, and the address of the person you want to give the gift for. You would then say what message you wanted to be conveyed, and I would pass that along to them saying that you donated such-and-such amount of money towards the cause in their name. Does that make sense? Does that sound good Brett?

    Wow, over $1,000 already! God is great! 😀

  • Wow- reading all these responses and watching the amount of total amount of money keep getting higher is SO ENCOURAGING! These wells are going to bless so many people…

  • I was thrilled to find this blog update in my inbox this morning! I’ve been seeking out different ministries to donate to and have greatly enjoyed following Joshua’s work and mission.
    And I am very encouraged to hear about the Rebelution meeting each donation. What a blessing. I have donated $50 and will be passing on this information to friends and family.
    Thank you for the influence you are being on this next generation. I pray for each and every young adult to be moved and encouraged to living fully for HIS glory. May the Lord richly bestow His gracious blessings.

    Living for HIM alone,
    Lydia

  • Thank you for spotlighting this important ministry! I am happy to join Joshua in helping to provide clean water to thirsty Sudan. I just donated $10 on his website.
    I was in southern Uganda for five months a couple of years ago and lived on an island on Lake Victoria. Before a friend of mine started water purification projects, on the island and others nearby, clean water was difficult to come by. Unless rain water was available, the people relied on the filthy lake water for bathing, drinking, etc. Now they have access to clean water and in the process are learning about the Living Water – Jesus!
    Keep up the good work, Brett and Alex – I appreciate your message and ministry!

  • Thank you Rebelution for supporting this awesome ministry! Well done Josh, and stay strong in the Lord. We blogged about it two days ago, and I’ve been praying for you. Praise God for what has been raised here so far! Our God is so incredible!
    *Soli Deo Gloria*
    ~Meg

  • That is really cool. I’ll definitely do what I can to help. Not to mention, I’m forwarding this link to like over 20 people to share about what he’s doing and to help raise more money.
    Thanks guys!

    ~Alesha

  • That’s awesome, Josh. Keep up the great work!

    By the way, you might want to check this site out (http://www.dosomething.org/programs/awards)… they’re giving away prizes of $10,000 – $100,000 for people who are changing the world for the better. I’ll try and donate what I can, but you might be able to get a ton of money through this to help. Just thought I’d offer that idea, along with some encouragement to keep up the good work. After all, this is what the Rebelution’s all about, right?

  • I just donated $10 to Dollar for a Drink. I’m so excited, and I will be praying for the cause.

  • Yah, my mom doesn’t want 2 donate! 🙁 she says that those kids will come back and hurt us once they are strong….Please pray for my mom and the sudanese ppl

  • My brother did something similar to this last year for wells in Uganda. He sent out a massive e-mail to people, telling them that if they didn’t know what to get him as a present, they could send money to the well-building foundation. I think it’s a fantastic idea.
    Thanks so much to Brett for posting this up again this year! And thanks to Josh for your heart for the forgotten. “As you did it unto the least of these, my brothers, you did it unto me.” God bless you!

  • $20 coming from my family!

    Thanks for doing this, Joshua! It’s an encouragement to me to also strive to “Do hard things” – may God bless your work!

  • @ Rachel: yes! We will take cashiers checks. Just write them out to “Dollar for a Drink”. Thanks so much!

    And thank EVERYONE ELSE for the fantastic progress thus far! You guys are great, and we serve an awesome God indeed! 😀

  • THIS IS WONDERFUL! I am SO happy that everyone is working this hard to reach that goal. I all ready have something that I feel like God wants me to give my money to, but I will be praying a lot for this ministry. Thank you on behalf of lot’s of thirsty people!

  • Alesia- on the top of this blog post there is a picture of some African women and children, Brett and Alex posted a “we’ve raised” tally in that picture. that number, I am assuming, is accurate (it changes every few days.) 😉 I hope that helps.

  • Alesia-
    Yeah, from what I have read above, the number includes what Alex and Brett donated thus far.

    Your right, it is awesome!

  • Let’s push ourselves, guys! Do more than you first think is adequate!!! These are real people! 🙂

  • My accountability partner and I are sending a check for $60.

    I am very excited to see that we met the goal amount- but lets keep giving! 🙂

  • Echoing Lindsey. I can’t get the money in until some time in January. Are y’all still going to match at that point, or no?

  • wow. I donated ten, but i didn’t get to the end where you talked about matching the donation, I did it straight through the website..

  • Wow, this is awesome! We will be sending out money this coming week, thanks for matching it! Also, our daughter shared that here’s another way to raise more money – it’s free, fun and easy – get paid when you or your parents shop on-line (especially for the holidays, but so much more too), and make money when you spread the word. View info at and join via my.blastoffnetwork.com/vsier Have a blessed Christmas!

  • hopefully my youth group will hold a fundraiser……I will ask them about it
    I want to help as much as I can

  • This project is amazing! I have been praying for this. God answered the prayer, God bless you Joshua. How can I help?

  • @ Ching: Well, you can donate on the website and you can also promote the cause! Just visit the “promotion” page on the website for more info. 🙂

    @ Everyone else: Thank you guys a TON for all you are doing! Truly, the Rebelution is a place where godly teens do hard things for Him! 😀

  • Since Joshua got rid of the deadline of Christmas, and made the “goal” the end of the year, will you match after that?

  • 100 billion dollars on bottled water!!!! And with only 1/10 of that we could end the crisis. That is absolutely crazy! Hopefully itll be coming… hope its not too late!

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By Alex and Brett Harris November 18, 2009
96 comments
rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations—a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More →