Day 6: Living Water

The well caved in and the drillers had to start over at about 10 meters down again—it happens because there is almost no rock beneath the surface in this part of the country. But, after two more hours of drilling the crew was able to drive the blue case pipe into the hole, drop sand down and backwash the pipe by forcing fresh water down the new well. While we waited, Kara, Jeremy and I played with the young children and Jordan went grocery shopping with Dennis to buy supplies for the orphanage we are scheduled to visit tomorrow.

The pace of life is slower in Mozambique. It is hard for a “westerner” to get used to this, as we are often slaves to our daily schedules at home. What we gain in productivity, we often lose in personal interaction and community. While I took a break to sip hot tea with the team, I noticed most of the village women sitting on the ground preparing “yeshima” and roasted chicken over open wood fire pits. There was a constant buzz of conversation, while chickens pecked in the dirt and a pig tied to a nearby tree grunted an appeal to be fed. No one seemed rushed or flustered, and I thought about the simplicity of it all. Yes, there was extreme poverty, few modern conveniences—except an occasional cell phone—and less excitement. But there also seemed to be less anxiety among these people.

As I was thinking about how peaceful the scene was, there suddenly was a loud scream, and all the women jumped up and ran toward the well. Apparently, the water coming out of the well had turned clear, and they were rushing to fill up buckets of this liquid we take so much for granted. I thought about times when a water line to our home had broken and realized how precious this event was to someone who was used to walking a quarter mile 4-6 times a day to fill a 5-gallon bucket of water with which to bathe and cook. I too would let out that shrill staccato scream produced by wagging the tongue back and forth in my mouth—Jeremy and I are still practicing.

The team later made what was called a “home visit,” which in reality was a visit with a community orphan trust center sponsored by World Hope. Here we heard about the chicken and egg production project to raise money for orphaned children, many in that terrible plight from the scourge of HIV/AIDS in Mozambique. Family relatives often are left to care for children who have lost both parents to the disease. Mozambican men leave their families for long periods of time to go and work in the gold mines of South Africa. It is profitable but dangerous to the health of their families. One thoughtless night spent with a prostitute can infect not only the father, but eventually the mother and children when he returns home. Lord, we pray for “living water” to cleanse this land; we pray for wisdom in how to live more compassionate lives back home.

Alive in the Lord,

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