drilling water well - Water4Life Mozambique

Read the stories of these four people—Amelia, Joao, Ernesto and a pastor—and how a water well drilled in their village has changed their lives:

Amelia in Missal village: Before the good people came to our village, me and my daughters walked many miles to the river to find water. Some dangerous animals drink water there and get in the river, too. Sometimes animals are still there when we come and we have to wait for them to leave.

Other women from our village are also getting water, so always we wait our turn. We can only use the water for drinking and a little cooking because we can not carry enough for all needs. No water to wash or pour on ground to start seeds. Now we have a new well in our village. We no longer have walk a long way to get water. Now that we have close water, I am growing seeds. I so want vegetables to grow so that my family has more food to eat. If many vegetables grow, we hope to not only eat but sell them. Me and my family are so happy that our lives are better since the new well was drilled by organization called Water4Life Mozambique. I Praise God for you!

**Boy drinking from the pump in his village.**

12-year-old boy, Joao: Missionaries tell my family that I am sick all of the time because I drink dirty water with bugs and dirt in it. But, I was thirsty and we all must drink or die. I feel bad all of the time and with (diarrhea), I often miss school. I am so happy that a new water well has been drilled in my village. I had only seen dirty water before. I didn’t know what clean water looked like, and it is clear. I can see through it because it is clean. Now I drink the good water all the time and I’m getting better.

I can stay in school and help my family work around hut getting sticks for ﬁre and keep grass cut down so snakes don’t hide. Thank you, people of (Water4Life Mozambique), for drilling our water well. I pray for you and drilling water in other villages. I want all boys to be happy like me.

40-year-old man, Ernesto: Our village women and children every day are walking 8 miles to river to get dirty water. When (Water4Life Mozambique) drilling water well, workers hit water in 90 feet. The chief could not believe that water was so close, but we couldn’t get to it. Our water well in the village is changing lives. Less sickness, less hunger, more food.

A pastor shared with us that in their village, lives have been changed due to the new well providing plenty of clean, safe water for the village’s needs. The well is on church ground, so villagers come by church to get water. During church services on Sunday, no water is pumped out of reverence for Sunday service. As they wait in line to ﬁll buckets, they can hear about Jesus, because here are no windows in our church. Many have come to know Jesus by coming to the well. Our church is growing and praise to our Lord.

Those are the words my dad said to me as we filled the well casing to the brim with water.

On Saturdays, when I was in grade school, my father would wake me up early. It was my job to go help my Dad in his plumbing business. (He was a plumber and a full-time pastor). Dad wouldn’t take any excuses from me, although I always tried to think of one. I hated to go; I wanted to sleep late and then watch cartoons, like every other kid I knew.

This particular morning on the job, after many failed attempts to prime a pump, Dad decided that the problem was the well casing. When we started filling the well with a hose, the water came up to the brim and ran over. I was excited; I thought that it meant the well would pump water. But, that was when Dad said to me, “A well that won’t take water, can’t give water.”

With that, my Dad proceeded to clean out the bottom of the well casing. This time when we tried to fill the casing up with water, it didn’t fill up, which meant that it was taking water. When he hooked the pump back up, the well gave water!

Even though I saw the entire scenario that day, it would be years later before I would fully understand. A well is a flowing stream of water under the ground. It continually fills the well casing with water so it does not dry up, or run out of water. Therefore, in a well that is working properly, you can’t fill the casing completely full because the water will keep its level.

In our nonprofit, Water4Life Mozambique, the cement apron of every well we drill is inscribed with the words of John 37:38, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Every time I read this scripture, I think of that plugged up well that wouldn’t let us pump any water. I think of the wisdom that flowed from my father. I think of the clean, safe water that is pumped from the wells we are drilling in northern Mozambique and the people who are benefiting from that blessing.

Daily I am reminded that in order to give water and hope, I must be able to take into my heart the abundance of love and compassion that Jesus offers. If you are not a flowing stream of God’s love, I pray that you will let Him unplug your heart and let His love flow freely.

Tag: drilling water well

Real Stories…Real Change!

Aways a flurry of activity at the water well

Read the stories of these four people—Amelia, Joao, Ernesto and a pastor—and how a water well drilled in their village has changed their lives:

“A well that won’t take water, can’t give water!”

Those are the words my dad said to me as we filled the well casing to the brim with water.