Water to Wine - Doc Hendley

Water to Wine is a fascinating story.  It is a three part story - each fascinating.  First it is the story of Doc Hendley, son of a preacher, a bar tender, guitar playing musician and general good time guy who becomes  inspired with the idea of doing something positive with his life and, unlike most people, he follows up on that inspiration.  It began in a bar with Tasha, during his days at NC state.   Tasha called him out, challenged him, asked him what he was going to do with himself - "What the hell are you doing here, dude?"

"Do what you want to do, just don't settle."

From that inspiration, his biblical background, and his boozing lifestyle he came up with the line - Wine to Water and he began hosting events under that name to raise money for water projects.

"Unclean water kills a child every twenty seconds - it's more lethal than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.  One in every six people on our planet has no access to clean water..."

So he had money and a cause, but how to spend it.  He sought a NGO and found Samaritan's Purse.  His interview was with the director who gave the appropriate time to listen to this tattooed redneck - and it paid off.  Doc wanted to know his money would actually be used to do what he wanted to have done.  The director challenged him - good idea, why don't you work for us for a year and you can decide how to spend the money.

The challenge was accepted - which is amazing - and Doc asked for the toughest assignment which became Darfur.  The book then follows him in to Darfur, into the villages, observing the devastation of warring groups who have no real purpose other than killing, raping, and robbing, and through this he manages to put in wells and water filters.  Of course the Janjaweed (the bad guys) destroy and foul the wells, kill one of his men, beat up another, shoot at their convoys with AK-47s and make hell worse.

This could have destroyed everything, but Doc persevered after suffering his own depression traumatic stress syndrome.  He realized the basic truth that a bunch of westerners coming in to save the day was dramatic but ineffective in the long run.  What was needed was to train the people in the villages to correct their own problems.  He gave them training, tools and parts and returned to the states after a year in the field.

His story then involves meeting his wife, selling insurance, trying to get Wine to Water built up again - despite the 2008 depression, and having a son who has to have a serious operation.  The details of each part of this story are well told and the three elements - the growth of a person, the growth of an organization and the importance of water all coalesce.

"Maybe it's a Robin Hood thing, or perhaps I've got some of my granddad's John Wayne in me, but I've never once felt guilty about bending the rules to bring someone clean water.  The way I see it, water is the most basic human right.  It is not a privilege.  It sickens me to see how water sources can be wielded as a weapon or, perhaps worse, sabotaged by crooked politicians and greedy officials.

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