When a perfect storm of personal, professional, and natural disaster threw Mike Mantel into a dark night of the soul, he embarked on a journey through his own life and around the world to rediscover God's presence through the diverse bodyof Christ.

In Thirsting for Living Water, Mantel invites readers to join him on this adventure and open their eyes to their own stories of God's faithfulness. It's an invitation to see where God is already at work: at home, among neighbors, and to the ends of the earth. Here is a story of the holistic gospel, driven by compassion, justice, and mercy, with Jesus at the center. Here is an inspiring vision of a unified, global church—in which each of us has a vital role to play.



Richard Stearns is president emeritus of World Vision US, where he served as president for twenty years, traveling more than three million miles as an advocate for the world's poor. Before leading the Christian relief and development organization,he was a corporate CEO at both Parker Brothers and Lenox. His bestselling book The Hole in Our Gospel was named the 2010 Christian Book of the Year. Among the honors Stearns received for his humanitarian service are five honorary doctoral degrees, the Julia Vadala Taft Outstanding Leadership Award from InterAction, and the Christian Leadership Alliance's highest honor. Rich and his wife, Reneé, have five adult children and six grandchildren, and live in Bellevue, Washington.







Michael J. Mantel is president and CEO of Living Water International, a faith-based global humanitarian organization. He previously spent seventeen years working for World Vision and nine years in business. He holds a PhD in organization development from Benedictine University. He lives in Houston with his wife, Natalie, and they have four daughters.



Foreword

Introduction

Prologue: A Glimpse of the Master Strategist



Part One: You Will Be My Witnesses

Reflection 1: My Father Left an Advance Directive

Reflection 2: Love Is a Spiritual Practice

Reflection 3: Your Faith Will Be Tested

Reflection 4: Wait for the Gift Promised by the Father



Part Two: In Jerusalem, and in All Judea and Samaria

Reflection 5: Know the Family from Which You Were Formed

Reflection 6: Christ's Community Spans Faith Traditions

Reflection 7: The World Exists in the City

Reflection 8: Together We Can Transform the World



Part Three: To the Ends of the Earth

Reflection 9: God's Vision Is too Big to See

Reflection 10: God Is Already at Work in the Church There

Reflection 11: God Is Moving in the Church Here

Reflection 12: So That We May Be One



Epilogue: Behold, the Master Strategist: An Invitation toShare Your Stories

Acknowledgments

Notes

Figure Credits