July 15, 2009

Bored in Africa Two

Two bore holes for about the price of one!!! Is this really how God works? Now I find myself questioning and ashamed at how small my faith must be. Over the years working in Africa I thought I had learned about trusting in God. After five days of complete frustration and no progress I began to question why? God does work in mysterious ways as now we have two, yes, two bore holes (wells)!

The first well driller had been paid a significant part of his fee up front as is often required in Africa. His problems with this project also tested his faith as one issue after the other arose which finally required me to pull him off the Living Waters site and bring in the second driller.

As a way to salvage some of our investment with driller number one he agreed to go to the location down by the windmill and attempt a bore hole. This is a good thing because we discovered that the real issue with the wind mill not delivering water was the intake out in the lake. The intake evidently had been knocked over, most likely by hippos or wave action and then was completely covered with a sand bar. This prevents any water to be drawn by the windmill from the lake. This has left the entire community without water being pumped to the boarding school, health center and village.

I had mixed feelings about getting water for the feeding center yet abandoning the water project we had put four years into. With God’s blessing, the driller hit a supply of clean water at 30 feet. This is a smaller bore hole, yet it will provide a water option for the local community.

Living Waters is focused on the feeding center and what the water will provide. It is up to the community to tap into the borehole which is only 15 feet from the windmill. This can be done without it being a big project, and this is now left to them.

Living Waters has now provided clean water through two boreholes.

Today is the day the water team comes to set the pump, connect to the solar panels that are ready for installation and we expect water will begin filling our water system with 55,000 liters of stored capacity on our compound. The new land is scheduled to be plowed this week and within a week the garden area should be ready for planting. With this, our Kaswanga well project is complete. Even though we had to spend more money to get the second well done, both wells combined were still under half the price of the original quote for the first well. Two for the price of one! My, how God works.

This morning as I read my Sunday entry I was embarrassed at how many spelling errors there were. Not sure why spell check did not pick it up or if I had too much mud and sleep in my eyes, but by the many return emails of encouragement and affirmation it is obvious to me that you got the message and understood.

Drought in the entire country has become a major issue. Areas that are known for their good food production have no harvest. In May when MJ and I were here they were in for the best harvest they could remember. The maize was 8 feet tall and had big cobs of corn. But as happens, before the plantings were ready, the rains stopped and the intense sun has changed everything to brown. There are no green vegetables to be found in this area. Our grain silos are now empty so we are looking for the best price for the beans and maize and want to fill the silos as soon as we can. Within a month the brokers will have bought up the small amount of grain available and because of supply and demand we will not be able to buy these staples. Oh, thank God for the shamba (garden) that will hopefully be producing soon.

Thank you again for prayers and support.

Signing off,

Bored in Africa Two,
Daryl, Joby and the orphan children of Kaswanga