The New ‘Praying for Rain’
Communities experience God’s provision through water wells
Unless you live in a community without access to clean water, it is difficult to explain what it is like. It is typical to walk 30 kilometers (approximately 18 miles) everyday and only return with two buckets of water, hoping that will be enough. Even then, your only choice of water is usually mud brown, polluted and unsafe. I have seen this experience day after day.
As we now know, Tanzania is experiencing some of the worst drought it has seen since the 1950s. The situation is getting worse as the short rains were non-existent this year. But through WorldServe and its water drilling business partner, Maji-Tech Engineering, there is hope. By providing water solutions such as drilling water wells, Maji-Tech offers continued and sustainable help for the Tanzanian people, both physically and spiritually.
Here are two stories of communities that have been impacted physically by the work of WorldServe and Maji-Tech, as well as spiritually.
The first is in a Maasai community about 100 kilometers in the middle of the Tanzanian bush called Loiborsoit. A couple years ago, a water well was drilled for the community. Along with the well came the construction of a medical clinic and the beginning of a church. With new access to clean water, the community grew because they suddenly had water for their cattle and goats, as well as for themselves. However, there still was not enough water. Not only was the Lobersoit community dependent upon the water, but many others from surrounding communities also came to the well and depended on it.
For this reason, a company called Bundu Safaris offered to sponsor the drilling of another borehole for water. We went and watched along with the community as the rig drilled a new borehole. The result was not as expected. The well came up dry – no water. I couldn’t comprehend why. There was no reason why these people shouldn’t have water; they are the ones who really need it.
Water drilling is a tough business. What I mean by that is there is never a guarantee of water when you drill. Though we do a geological survey and take other steps to identify the best drilling site, there is always the possibility that there will be no water. Even if the person or business sponsoring the drilling is wealthy and can afford to drill multiple times, or there is lots of property and opportunity, it is still difficult to swallow every time there is a dry borehole.
As I was trying to understand the question of why there was no water, the Maasai village chairman came and spoke to me. He said, “David, we are the ones who made a mistake here. When you (Maji-Tech) came to drill the first borehole, we prayed and believed that God would bring water, and He did. It had a huge impact on our community to spring people to God. This time we didn’t pray when the borehole was being drilled, but we have faith that God will provide for us still.” I didn’t get it until then, but I suddenly understood that the people of Lobersoit experienced something else. Even though this time they didn’t get water, their community received something even greater than physical water, but by the living water, Jesus.
The next story is about a school, St. Jude’s, which has over 400 sponsored children that come from all over the city of Arusha in northern Tanzania. The headmaster of St. Jude’s took a step of faith by adding an additional 200 children to her program with the expectation that a new water well would provide for the additional children. Through the drilling we were able to provide for the school enough water for the additional children as they are given a top-quality education to further Tanzania for tomorrow.
These are just two glimpses into the hope that is spreading as Maji-Tech grows and reaches more communities with access to water.
David P. Bongiorno, a recent graduate of Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California and son of WorldServe President John Bongiorno, is interning with WorldServe’s water drilling partner in Tanzania. He enjoys learning the operational side of the water drilling business, as well as experiencing the ministry side of sharing Living Water with people.