The
Water Well Project
I was thirsty and
you gave me something to drink.
Matthew 25:35
As church small-groups go, the ‘Empty
Nesters’ weren’t that different from most groups seeking to grow
in God. What they were accomplishing was. Made up of middle-aged
adults whose children were raised and on their own, these fifteen
friends set out to impact the world for Christ.
Having recently completed a study of
Robert Stearns’ ‘The Hole in The Gospel’, they felt an urgency
to pray for God to give them a life-altering project. Several ideas
were submitted, but when the ‘Water Well Project’ was proposed
they knew…this was God’s directive; drill deep water wells in
communities that got their water by carrying it long distances, from
polluted streams. The guidelines for consideration were very
specific; it had to meet the needs of Christians or be a Christian
witness; it had to be an answer to prayer; it had to have local
oversight to be maintained and repaired; and the well had to belong
to a community so local warlords couldn’t move in and take over,
selling the water to the poor.
They agreed to deposit any extra or
unexpected funds into a group account. They gave money from the sale
of an old car, employment shift differential, work bonuses, overtime
and unsought part-time jobs, speaking honorariums, aluminum cans, the
difference between buying an item on sale and its regular price; God
presented them myriad inventive ways to save. No one missed a meal, a
mortgage payment, or tithing. And in less than a year, they amassed
over $30,000.
With God’s guidance, they financed
the shipping of a drilling rig, and the drilling of two water wells
in Serabu, Sierra Leone. To date, they are still drilling wells.
†
The power to impact the world for
Christ is within our reach; God is looking for those who will ask for
the impossible, believing He will respond. So when we commit to
joining Him in projects He is passionate about, things happen.
It’s not the extraordinary who do
great things; more often than not they are just everyday people doing
what God laid on their hearts.
Do you have a desire to make a
difference? Ask God where to start, and then step out in faith!
Prayer
“Show me where I can
impact the world, LORD, and guide my steps as I
go about the business of being Your implement. Amen.”
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