Water of Life in the Savannah

Do we value our water enough? When four of my baby bunnies died of dehydration this past week, I received a needful reminder. We rely on water more than we realize... and in the heat of summer it can be almost continually. Between laundry and showers, meal preparation and small-farm irrigation, we can keep our well pump going nearly non-stop! What must it be like to live where this precious resource is so scantily measured out?

Last fall a couple of his Makindu contacts showed Lawrence this dried dam bed. The dam had been laboriously constructed in their desperate need to store water during the short rainy season. But it couldn't stand up to the flash flood that followed their single autumn downpour, and the barricade and all the precious water was lost. These gravel ridges are all that remain of their hard work and hopes:

Touring with a rented vehicle, the ministers found local living conditions even more heart-rending. Because of lack of water, many farms were reduced to starvation rations. On this homestead the family was living off of the scarce fruit of their lone baobab tree.

Contemplating the reality of their need, Lawrence wrote: The truth, the eternal water of life, is also a very rare commodity in these areas.... As we walked over gullies and dry areas, I thought of the many homes I have seen in the rich areas. They are so pretty and comfortable and the saints in these homes seem so satisfied to enjoy what the Lord has given them. There are so few that are willing to take help to these dear souls.

As I write this, my mind rests on one woman we found toiling in a little hothouse. She was trying to make food and sell it to the hungry workers who were working in a relief center nearby. She looked up as we sat in the eating room and asked us: “Are you people preachers?” We said, yes, and that we had good news for her. We told her about Jesus and how He was ready to deliver her from sins and disease. She forgot all about her work, knelt down in the little room and prayed her soul into peace. Then she asked us: “Can Jesus heal me of AIDS?” We said, yes, for He is all powerful and can do anything. We read Luke 1:37 to her: “For with God nothing shall be impossible” and left her to believe it and get healed. We found her in church on Sunday, telling us that she had been examined and declared free from AIDS viruses. God can do the impossible. Glory to His name!! Who is willing to go out and tell the good news to the lost world?

Do we marvel at this thirst for hope? It should make us think. Why, in societies flooded with so much gospel knowledge, are so many dehydrated by doubt and indifference? You have to wonder whether our barrenness is worse.

Here is a picture of the Savannah countryside taken this April, after the Lord blessed the area with rain. The local people are very grateful for this answer to prayer. Due to the short winter rains, gardens were grown on those same barren farms this spring. The dear brother writes: See the wonderful artwork of the Lord in this area. Praise the all wise and able God! “Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare” (Psa. 75:1). Oh, how true the word of God is. God’s wonderful mercies have been so graciously bestowed in this area... This season (January to June of 2010) the people have harvested enough to keep them well fed for a number of months, if not a year. Wherever we go, we see maize spread out on the ground to dry. Except in a few homes where there was a shortage of seeds and/or a shortage of labor, they have enough to eat. Praise the Dear Lord for His goodness.

Would you drink water out of this ditch? Drain-off reservoirs like this are the life supply of many people in the Savannah region. Lawrence comments: We are trying to teach the homesteads how to purify the water - a very difficult task given our situation and schedule. We need expert help, as the scanty water that is accessible is "salty" and soiled. But without a better alternative, we trust God to help us and thank Him for life.

Here you can see the pipeline used to drain water into containers for home use. The current purification system is to filter out most of the sediment through sand, then boil the water. The resulting water is still too salty to drink, so they are now looking into ways to remove the salt.

If siphoning water from a muddy ditch gives you the shivers, be glad you have access to a clean source. I agree – when it comes to drinking, there is nothing that compares with fresh, pure water. Why are so many living off of the scum of society, filtering their life source through the philosophies of this world, when they could have access to the pure water of life. It is just as real as the water in your pipelines and eternally more satisfying. I speak from experience. Since Jesus flowed into my barren waste (yes - sun-baked mud, skeletons, and all), I have found life full of beauty and refreshment. Are you thirsty? "Whosoever will, let hm take of the water of life freely." (Rev. 22:17)