One of the most common illnesses caused by dirty water is diarrhea and vomiting. Small children quickly die from it, but a simple solution called Oral Rehydration Solution can save their lives. Today we will see how good water can make people feel better.
Cicilia, a nurse-midwife in a Lutheran Health Care Clinic in Bangladesh shared this story about Oral Rehydration Solution and how it helps her people. (This story could easily be made into a skit.)

One day Nasima, an educated woman, came to our clinic for treatment of her 11-month-old child, Kalam. The baby had been ill with diarrhea and vomiting for three days. He was able to take some nourishment by breast feeding, but would not eat or drink anything else.

"Have you been feeding Oral Rehydration Solution to your child?" Cicilia asked.

Nasima said, "No, I don't know how to prepare it."

So Cicilia showed her how to make Oral Rehydration Solution and gave her additional general health care information. Nasima's baby was given sips of this solution every five minutes, day and night, and got well. Now Nasima is teaching other women in her family how to make O.R.S. and how to treat a child with diarrhea.

(Display the water, salt, sugar and orange.) All it takes to make this life-saving solution is one quart of water, one-half teaspoon of salt, and 8 teaspoons of sugar. (Measure these into the water as you speak.) If you add a cup of fruit juice, you have something very similar to Gatorade. This solution has saved thousands of lives over the years, and is promoted by Global Health Ministries through the hospitals and clinics it supports. We not only help to provide clean water, but now we know one way to treat disease caused by contaminated water. This life-giving water can prevent more than a million children from dying of dehydration each year.

Memory Verse

Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. -- 1 John 4:21

Our brothers and sisters are not only the people who live in our family, but also everyone in the world around us that we are called to help.

Offering

Have the children place their offering in the "well."

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for the doctors, nurses and other health care workers who help to heal people in countries all over the world. Thank you for giving us good health, and for the people who take care of us when we are sick. Amen.

Song

See Appendix for suggestions.

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL)

Children may enjoy making and tasting Oral Rehydration Solution with a cup of fruit juice added. Have small paper or medicine cups to use for sampling. You will need to prepare small paper cups, one ounce of water for each cup, some salt and some sugar, fruit juice, and some popsicle or stirring sticks for them to stir the solution with.

To mix the rehydration drink, the children need to add one pinch of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to one ounce of water. If they'd like, they can also add 1/4 ounce of fruit juice. Mix well.

Session 5

Lesson Index

Appendix