Healing Lives, Restoring the Earth cont.

Marah International
Attleboro, MA

A year later, Jonathan Twining, President of Marah International, stood on the banks of Cloasterf Brook, watching the Ecology Club cleaning up the polluted stream. As he looked on, Sam Golea told him how frustrated and ashamed he was that he and his fellow Romanians had choked their rivers with garbage.

Twining pointed to the part of the stream where the trash had not yet been removed. He told Golea to always remember how dirty that part of the stream appeared. Then he pointed to the section of stream where the garbage had been removed.

As Golea saw what had been accomplished in just a few hours, Twining told him to never forget how much of a difference he made to God’s creation in that one afternoon -- “And,” says Twining, “he never has.”

Marah International has started ecology clubs at high schools in other Romanian communities. In addition, the organization has provided training in environmental health for health care professionals in the U.S., Eastern Europe, and Latin America; taught solar cooking in Mozambique, and taught youth to become “Earth Healers” at Creation Care Camp at Ezekiel’s Place Retreat Center in Hedgesville, West Virginia.

“There are still many places in the world where the bitter waters still need to be healed,” Twining says. “God is looking for those who still recognize his power to heal the waters and will partner with him to bring hope and restoration to those most affected by environmental degradation.”