We started our day off with pancakes made by Ginette. She is really spoiling us! Unfortunately, our refrigerator quit working, so we had to take everything out and put it in our ice chests. Tomorrow I will have to take it to Port, and pray I can get it fixed there. Praise the Lord it is still under warranty. While I am in Port, I will be going to a pharmacy to pick up some meds that we need–cough medicine, antacids, cold and flu medicines, and infant vitamins.
After breakfast we loaded up the truck and went to a little church called Palto. The people there were so glad to see us. They never have anyone come and give them medical attention except us, and this is only our second time, though it surely won’t be our last. Adrionna, Beverly and Mokell had around 30 kids for VBS, and the medical team saw 88 adults and 53 children.
As I reported last week, we have had some trouble with the well, and unfortunately it is not getting any better. We are going to have to chain the pump off most of the day, because there is just not enough water, and the people keep pumping for what little drops of water they can get. (They have already destroyed two pumps by pumping when there is no water.) The people in this area are used to washing their clothes and taking baths in the creeks here, and since summer these creeks are completely dry. They have been depending on this well for water to drink, to cook with, and to bathe in. Now it is gone. We (Americans) can’t even imagine not having water.
David Heady told me that we need a new well–a deeper well–and the cost will be $5000, plus the submersible pump, which we can buy in the States and bring in. He said we need about a ¾-horsepower pump, depending on how deep the well is. Then we could pump water right into a large cistern, and the cistern on the mission house and the people could come and fill their jugs. My idea is to make a metal trough that has 5 faucets in it, so the people can fill more than one container at a time. (They spill more water trying to get it in the small hole of a gallon container than what goes in it.) This way they could put the gallon bucket under the faucet and not spill as much.
A well with a submersible pump has been one of the visions for this area from the beginning, and I know that God will provide. The reason I tell you about this is that I would like for you to pray to see if the Lord wants you to be part of this blessing for the people in this area. Please put yourself in their shoes–what if you had no water to drink, to bathe in, or to cook with. Please let TEM know if the Lord touches your heart about this need.