God gave us water
While home on furlough last year, a man from one of our supporting churches asked me if there was a need for more wells to be drilled. He decided to help us with the cost of another well. We have teamed up with a group called Friends in Action. They are a Christian well drilling team. Their goal is to fortify the testimony of Christ and the churches in the area.
They have Christian teams come in from the US, Canada and Europe to help drill wells for two weeks. There was a team from Canada that was present with us. The first village we drilled in last week is called Touroum-Naba-Yangré. We have been preaching in this village for about 2 years. Many of the villagers have already come to Christ. The need for water in this village was great. Even though our first well/pump we installed was only about 3 miles away, there is no possible way that it could support this village also. A hand pump can successfully give clean water for around 500 people.
We started digging in the morning. By the evening, by God’s grace, water was coming out of the hole. One older man gripped the edge of a barrel and starred at the water filling the barrel. He kept shaking his head and saying, “This isn’t possible. This land is cursed.” He had been told since he was a child that the land was cursed, and no water would ever be found. God did the impossible. At the end of our work, I preached to the people about the Living Water. God did the impossible again, as he saved 8 teenagers.
The second village where we drilled was a great success also. One thing that greatly touched us was going to their water hole. I wanted to show the men on the drill team where the villagers were getting their water to drink. Because no rain had come in months the water hole resembled a pond in someone’s yard. You could see the green algae on top. There was a Cayman swimming around in the water. We watched as woman after woman came down the hill and put their 20 liter bottles in the water. Donkeys also came down the hill and entered into the same water. This is the water hole for every living thing in the area. Then we saw about 5 children come down the hill with their cup in hand. They took the cup and filled it up with this nasty water. While walking up the hill the children began to drink the water. They say that around 1 in 5 children die in Africa, and I am sure that water is a huge cause of that. What a blessing to know that they will be able to have clean water. An even greater blessing took place when around 8 responded to the Gospel after Pastor Salif and I preached. God is so good.
Praying for water at Touroum-Naba-Yangre.
I do actually work, sometimes.
What a beautiful sight.
Showing a film and then preaching.
The Water Hole
This little girl drinking the nasty water.
