World Water Day 2026 and Women and an answer

Why do we mark International Days?

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool.

The global water crisis affects everyone – but not equally.

Where people lack safe drinking water and sanitation close to home, inequalities flourish, with women and girls bearing the brunt.

They collect water.

They manage water.

They care for people made sick by unsafe water.

They lose time, health, safety, and opportunities.

And too often, the systems that govern water leave women and girls out of decision-making, leadership, funding and representation.

This makes the water crisis a women’s crisis.

We need a transformative, rights-based approach to solving these challenges, where women’s voices are heard and their agency recognized.

All women must be equitably represented at all levels of water leadership – helping design every pipe and policy.

And women must drive change in water as engineers, farmers, scientists, sanitation workers and community leaders.

This includes engaging men and boys as allies in promoting safe water, sanitation and hygiene for all, and in challenging the norms and behaviours that hold women and girls back.

Only then can safe water services meet everyone’s needs – empowering women and girls to lead healthier, more fulfilled lives – and making water a force for sustainable development and gender equality that benefits us all.

• Globally, more than 1 billion women – more than a quarter of all women (27.1%) – lack access to safely managed drinking water services. (UN Women/UNDESA, 2023)

• 1.8 billion people still do not have drinking water on-premises, and in two out of three households, women are primarily responsible for water collection. (WHO/UNICEF, 2023)

• In 53 countries with available data, women and girls spend 250 million hours per day on water collection – over three times more than men and boys. (UN Women/UNDESA, 2024)

• Globally, unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene are responsible for the deaths of around 1,000 children under five every day. (WHO, 2023)

• About 14% of countries still have no mechanisms to ensure women can participate equally in water-related decision-making and water management. (UNEP-DHI, GWP, UN Women, 2025)

THERE IS AN ANSWER: JESUS CHRIST LOVES WOMEN AND MEN EQUALLY!!!

HE TAUGHT ABOUT WATER, AND IT IS FREE! COME AND SEE.

Bev Psalm 19: Ode to Dust and Water

 

O generations of Jacob, Hear ye the voice that

Whispers from the dust.

It is familiar.

You are not alone.

It is not a dream.

He lives, who once was dead.

God created mankind from the dust,

elements of the earth.

These are the fine particles of solid matter

Brought together from all parts of the universe.

The Creator organized it into a world

for us to dwell upon.

Omniscient, He uses protons, neutrons and

electrons to build the foundations of life;

even our DNA’s double helix.

Then there’s the spark, the breath of God,

which animates our human form.

When He came to earth to gain His body and

to understand mortality, He taught about

Dust and Water.

The Lord and Master washed His disciples’ feet,

who walked ancient paths, so caked with

dust and sweat, the dust of daily battle.

Today, as mortal men and women, we are

washed by the sweat of His sacrifice and the

tears He shed for us.

And when we die, we return to dust, but because

Christ rose again and claimed His body,

we, too, will rise again.

Now we can be Saviors on Mount Zion,

to wash the dead by vicarious baptism.

Sing, Hosannah on Easter morn,

Celebrate new life, a resurrection from the dust,

Dust He washed with living water, from His disciples’ feet.

 

 

 

Bev Psalm 18: A Righteous Pattern

 

The Lord says, I will give unto you, a pattern.

To the humble who are feeding His lambs

To the holy who work in the temple

To the wise who seek Him in the scriptures

and the words of living prophets

They are the five virgins who brought the

drops of oil from their conversion and

daily acts of worship with

lamps trimmed and full, He invited them in.

Today’s parable shared of

Mimi-van, Cookies, Lemonade, Walk

Illuminates the journey of our discipleship:

Setting our desires on Him who is mighty to save,

Shared with his youthful warriors, a battalion.

Then in the final miles of the final ending,

A covenant partner shares homemade cookies

and lemonade to refresh the weary

Urging them by example to walk one mile more.

That is a righteous pattern.

Shepherds of old testify

Two temple workers added theirs

Wise men journeyed with gifts to the king.

We too, cannot be deceived

in our latter-day world.

The signs of His coming

abound around us if we have eyes to see

and ears to hear.

In the heavens and on the earth.

Authorized witnesses speak.

Be one of the wise

and great shall be your joy

when you meet Him, in the clouds of

glory at that great and dreadful day,

Meeting Righteousness as He ushers in that

Planned Millenium of Peace on earth

good will to all men.

And now I see His pattern for eternity.  

Bev Psalm 17: Mary, Mary, Mary

 The symbolic “We”

Through temple covenants, and blessings

We become queens to the Most High.

God delights in the “me” of “We.” WHY?

Because of my righteous acts and the

desires of my heart.

My hands are clean through weekly sacred water.

Learn of My ways, He asks of me,

three times in that blessing;

then I will answer your every need.

He answered today.

He fights my daily battles, giving

strength and power to overcome.

Like Mary His mother, chosen by God, to bring

Him into the world, only to give Him up, so young.

Like Mary that He found in sin,

rescued her, loved her.

Like Mary who anoints and

sits at His feet to learn and adore.

We are those Marys.

Now as queens, How do we serve and rule?

In God’s name, as His Son’s bride,

Hand in hand, worlds without end.

 

 

Bev Psalm 16: Hard Becomes Holy

Stand still, and know that I am.

In that stillness hear His Voice;

it beckons, Come Follow Me.

Do as I do.

Create beauty that bears witness

of His divinity.

Live lives waiting upon the Lord.

His timing, His will be done.

The light of God and His Son

is constant, unchanging, immovable.

His eye is on the sparrow.

Your voice does matter.

sing your unique song and

share your gifts and talents.

The Lord will guide you.

In times of loss, He compensates the faithful.

for every tear we shed today,

He adds upon us hundredfold

tears of joy, rejoicing and gratitude.

A prophet has seen it.

The Lord Almighty will make up those losses

to you in the resurrection.

Therefore, remain faithful.

The fire of refinement is hot.

Molten silver without dross

reflects like a mirror, the refiner’s image.

Is his image in your countenance?

Have you chosen Him in your refining fire?

Hard times can be a Holy Season.

Do you choose to do hard alone?

That is your choice.

Choose to do hard with Jesus

within temple walls, and you’ll find access to

His healing, strengthening power.

In the midst of the Refiner’s fire, with bodies

aging and diseased, trust in the Lord’s timing.

Draw close to God. Call upon the Father and

the Son, walk with them in Spirit, day by day.

They will show their fidelity to you.

Come to truly know them and you will

come to know yourself.

Be full of charity and empathy.

Proffer spiritual refreshment to others, serve well.

Let us be Holy women.

Live on the sunny side of the street as we

focus on Jesus Christ.

Fear not, doubt not, being faithful in all things.

We repair the spiritual health of our spirit

to meet God, and when we do this,

Hard becomes holy.

 

 

Bev Psalm 15 The Biggest Miracle: Peace of Mind

 

Columbia River Washington Temple

That’s where it all began.

It started years ago

 As a little family group,

Everyone helping one another.

It slowly grew from 12 to an

“I can’t imagine it” 78!

They focus on Christ

Creating eternal families.

Our world view expanded.

“Look what we can do!”

Before school, after school

Large groups of youth

Gather at the font of living waters.

Day and night, long lines

Diminish, as one by one

They accompany an ancestor.

Joining hands in a mighty

Chain that cannot be broken.

That bond with real people

To whom we owe our existence.

As we serve them, they are healed.

We learn their circumstances

Find their lives of labor and

From them we learn who we are

And where we came from.

Blessed now with a clear vision

Of where we are going.

That is the biggest miracle

Peace of Mind 

Bev Psalm 11RootsTech2026: Four Disciples Teach

Four Elders in Zion conduct a roundtable.

They testify of uniting families that

Bind us and our family to the Savior.

It is “One Work”: Missionary and Temple.

Mark, Jorge, Massimo and Scott

Tell us these messages:

Focus on Christ

Keep it Simple

Read the Handbook

Use Family Assist

Get new members to the temple immediately

It builds a firm foundation and testimony.

This work is lead by the Lord.

He guides His Apostles who oversee the details.

Let us say, “accompany your ancestor,”

Rather than “take a name.”

We plant family trees in the wilderness of cyberspace.

From nations around the world, Isaiah saw our day.

The trees in the desert are watered with living streams

Flowing out of the temple.

We are fishers of men. Let’s mend the net!

Become hunters of the scattered

From every mountain and hill.

Find them in the hidden records with full text translation.

AI was created by the Lord’s inspiration to gather

His children from all four corners of the world.

The youth of today were born for this era of technology.

They hunt them from under the rocks,

Tombstones captured digitally.

Fishers and Hunters bringing forth hidden records to view.

Today, we gather “TOGETHER” all things in Christ.

We are anxiously engaged and

bring to pass much righteousness.

Even DNA discoveries are part of His plan.

The Lord is doing it! He is in the details

Building the Tree of Humanity

Binding families on earth and in heaven.

We are His children, these Four Elders testify,

In His sacred name, Jesus Christ, the

Son of the Most High God. Amen.

 

Bev Psalm 10 RootsTech2026: Reflections on Death

 Grandmother hands clasp little fingers

She knows the stories behind the facts

The ones found between the dates 

Of birth and death on the headstones.

Honor her. Read and search the stories

In probate records and newspapers

From around the world.

Dig deep, look between the lines

There are stories in those spaces.

Names of children and their spouses.

Occupations, farmer to wealthy merchant.

Dates of earliest records to final

Distribution trace their lives,

Places, neighbors, and migration.

Happy moments filled with joy.

Moments frightening, imprisonment.

Scoundrel or man of his circumstances?

Dig deeper, yes, deeper!

Follow the leads in black and white.

Ancestor’s lives emerge and we see

A full picture of what one day

We might be

Those stories preserved for eternity.

Bob's Psalm

 

Ancestors

They speak to us through wills,

And birth certificates, journals

And marriage licenses,

To tell us what they did and how they lived,

Of how they fought in wars and revolutions,

Or stayed at home and raised

Their crops of corn and children

 

As we search and find the documents

That tell of great events and small,

Our eyes of love clothe these words

On dry and dusty paper with living flesh.

On imagination’s stage they dart about

With the burning energy of youth,

Or limp along on tired legs

Of pioneers who near their journey’s end.

 

I knew you not, but now I know you.

Your blood is mine, your struggles gave me life.

Had you not been, I would not be.

And as I resurrect the past

Through microfilm, CD and book,

I only pray that some day one will say

Of me, I knew him not, but I am proud

To have his genes within, making me

A little bit like him.

 2005 Robert E. Field

 

Bev Psalm 9 RootsTech2026: What I've learned today about Empathy

Is it DNA or Random Family Traits,

Culture or Circumstances?

Marlee Matlin has really got me thinking.

Now I am going to read census records with empathy.

I told a friend who is doing a one -place study

to be sure to extract that sanitorium/hospital.

But did I look for those gaps...

The silence in the records?

I've always tried to find the missing children

when there was a gap.

But Intentional Inclusion has opened my eyes.

What exactly did my family pass on 

from generation to generation that was

kept in SILENCE?

Bev Psalm 9 RootsTech2026: "Together" Part of a Team Effort

What's New on FamilySearch

 

I never considered myself to be an archivist,

but I am a record custodian in this

Soccer team Parable.

I'm not a professional historian,

but I am a memory keeper.

In 2010 I was a Census worker,

and Boy, have I taken photographs!

A digitizer, I'm not.

I've been a friend to Industry friends,

and my friends think I'm a genealogist.

Today at the "What's new at FamilySearch"

I learned that my old family letters,

my journals, all those photographs 

that I am custodian for,

From my mom and dad, now gone;

and my husbands mom and dad;

Add MY photos of life in California,

Tennessee, Arkansas, Kwajelein,

Guadalajara, Mexico and now at home

in Tucson, Arizona

What do I have: Stewardship over a 

massive collection hidden from view!

Today I learned that by sharing these

on FamilySeach I'll be forming a worldwide

collaboration with descendants of 

Generations past, users today and

Future generations to come.

And guess what?

The Era of Artificial Intelligence has

joined the team!

Now I REALLY have to run to keep up

With Technology, and New changes.

My normal research and documentation

procedures and worksheets will look

different. Am I up to This?

Yes, to guided merge integrity

Yes, to patron's interface with AI

Yes, to full AI text translation

Yes, to Collaborations with relatives

There is more coming from Labs to

excite and help this team effort,

Yes, we can do it

TOGETHER.