Jamin Goecker, RTF Staff 

Joshua Guthrie, 16, and his family has given things such as goats to people in poorer countries through an organization known as World Vision. At the age of 15, he set a goal to raise $8000 to put the project into affect. World Vision served as the inspiration for the project, but Joshua worked through an organization known as Baptist Global Response.

Jamin Goecker: Did you ever envision yourself doing something like this [raising funds for wells in Africa]?

Joshua Guthrie: In order to answer this, I need to give a bit of a background. My parents have always taught my sister and I to have a desire to give to the needy, and we have been supporters of World Vision for as long as I can remember. In case you are not familiar with them, they are an organization which focuses on taking funds from their supporters and getting it put to good use around the world for various needs. We have supported several children thought their organization, and my sister and I have made purchases at Christmases for needy children. I remember when we bought a goat once.

Anyway, if you are a supporter of the organization then you receive a catalogue from them once a month (I think). This catalogue contains items which you purchase not for yourself but for others around the world. It contains things such as farm animals, clothing, medicine, and irrigation supplies/tools, among many other things. Well, there happened to be a section dedicated to wells in the catalogue, and I had always thought it would be really cool to purchase one of the biggest items in the catalogue: the $10,000 well.

Just to clarify at this point: DfaD is not working through World Vision; we are working through Baptist Global Response (BGR). World Vision was simply my inspiration to want to get started on something
I really started to think a little more seriously about wanting to get one of those wells at the beginning of 2008; I was 15 at the time. Well, being 15 I knew that I wouldn’t be able to save up for it all myself; I would have to raise it.
All of this to come to the answer to your question: yes and no.

I believe that I had always known that the possibility existed (all things are possible with God, after all!), but if you had asked me at the beginning of 2008 if I thought I would be doing a fundraiser for wells in Africa over the fall of that year then I would have probably answered no. I knew that I had the desire to do something, I just didn’t know how to get started.

Jamin Goecker: Did you see yourself as a leader when you started?

Joshua Guthrie: My dad has always said that I possess leadership qualities, so I knew that the possibility existed. Of course, the leadership side of me can often get me into trouble. I am a perfectionist to start with, so I very often like to be in control of a situation, and I can tend to get bossy at times. This, however, has gotten better over recent years, although it does still exist.

Anyway, It didn’t really intimidate me or make me laugh at the idea when it came time for me to step up and get this thing started. I’ve known stories of young people who have stepped up to the plate and taken action when people twice their age haven’t. So why not me? (or any young person for that matter)

Jamin Goecker: What obstacles did you first encounter?

Joshua Guthrie: Getting started. Definitely.

We met with Mr. Palmer (the Executive Director of BGR, and a good friend of my dad’s) back at the end of the Spring of 2008, and he had some good advice to give us about fundraising (and at that time we decided to work through BGR). However, July soon arrived and I still hadn’t gotten started yet. It was at this time that aI read Alex and Brett Harris’ “Do Hard Things”, which really motivated me to get going and actually do something. That was midway through July.

By the beginning of August we had a battle plan of sorts and started checking things off the list (it was at this time I turned 16, by the way)

Probably the second hardest thing was getting the word out to people. Again, the Rebelution played a huge role here. I presented the project on their forums, and quite a few teens began to pick it up and take it to their schools and churches. I got several connections with schools here in Jackson, and we got into the newspaper here as well.

However, it wasn’t until Alex and Brett wrote a blog entry on the project that it really took off. What an exciting time that was!

Jamin Goecker: What inspired you to step out and do something like this?

Joshua Guthrie: There were three factors: my parents, “Do Hard Things”, and the actual need itself in Africa.
My parents have always been very supportive and encouraging in most all that I have done growing up, and I believe that they always strove to impose the idea that my sister and I contain potential and that God can and will use us for great things (whether those are small great things or small great things, it didn’t matter). My parents were huge in getting this whole project up and running (especially my dad)

As I mentioned earlier, “Do Hard Things” really got me going. One of the main parts of the book which inspired me to take action was the section which talked about stories of other teens, just like me, who had risen up and made a difference in the world. This really made me think to myself, “you know, if they did it, then so can I!”

And then there was the situation in Africa itself. To not take action and help these suffering people when I could was, I think, wrong. And yes, I did procrastinate, which was wrong. Jesus has commanded us to help the poor and needy; It doesn’t matter if they are halfway around the world. We have to do something! Now, this is not to say that everyone has to help the thirsty in Africa; God calls different people to help different causes. But for me, God put a desire to help the people of Sudan in my heart, and I needed to respond to that.

Jamin Goecker: Why have you pursued this project?

Joshua Guthrie: The answer to this question ties into the last paragraph of the last question: There is a need in Africa for fresh water. I saw that we as Americans have a huge wealth of resources at our disposal, and I had the means to channel those resources to where they were needed. I had to act.

It’s that simple. The thing I would ask others would be this: Why not?

Jamin Goecker: How has this project changed you?

Joshua Guthrie: Oh goodness. Well, I guess it’s given me a greater appreciation of those who do fundraisers for non-profits for sure. : )

More importantly however, the project also made the phrases, “for God all things are possible”, and “He will do above and beyond what we could hope or imagine” real to me. Sure, I believed that they were true before, but the project made them very real for me. Our goal was $8,000 by Christmas (the price of one well in Darfur built by BGR), and yet when we reached that time, the Lord had given us $10,000! Truly, we worship a God of wonders!

In addition, the project helped me grow in small areas such as writing (for the website), as well as organizational leadership, and responsibility. Handling a lot of money like that is more of a burden and responsibility than you would think.

Jamin Goecker: Why do you encourage others to get involved?

Joshua Guthrie: Again: There is a need. We have the resources. Why not?

Also, Jesus told us that we need to help the poor and needy, so we’ve got to do it! Age is irrelevant (ok, I doubt a 2-year-old could lead a non-profit, but you get what I mean). God can and will use you if you will just come to him and say that you are willing, ready, and available!

Jamin Goecker: Do you see yourself doing any more projects like this?

Joshua Guthrie: You mean in addition to DfaD? Not really. I may help with some other small local stuff or something, but not another non-profit (but who knows what God has planned for me?).

As a clarification, my plan is to have a new DfaD project ever September to Christmas, with larger goal each year.