SWEETWATER RESEARCH

The idea of Sweetwater began in 1999. As a college junior, Sweetwater's founder and director, David Pendergrass, traveled to Ethiopia on an agricultural missions trip. While there, he fell in love with the people of the Ethiopian highlands. In 2010, David went back to Ethiopia, this time as a water scientist. While there, he encountered a young man who inquired about the reason of David's presence there.

"I am here to bring clean water to the people of the Ethiopian highlands", David replied. "And I always carry the Living Water of Jesus Christ with me wherever I go."

The young man asked to talk more about this Living Water and later that night, he gave his life to Christ!

From there, the vision of Sweetwater began to come into focus. In 2017, David left his job as an applied science researcher at Tarleton State University to launch Sweetwater Research because he longed to minister directly to the widow, the orphan, and the poor through his training as a water scientist.

Our aim is to assess causes of water pollution and deal with those causes directly. Our work is conducted in a way that builds a relationship between the local Christians and the non-believers around them so that they become partners in the work. We know we have done our job when we hear people praising God for what was accomplished, not praising Sweetwater.