Trust

At our big final dinner with all the volunteers, Field Officers, Coordinators and staff we feast. And then share an observation.

I began by apologizing to all the Field Officers that I've worked with as well as office staff and pretty much everyone else. I'm a tough case. I don't want to say that I don't trust my people because I know they are here for me and have the answers, but I like to understand and I question everything. Everything! Why are we doing this? Why didn't we do that? That doesn't make sense to me...in the end, I usually defer to the Field Officer (as most of them have so much more experience than I do), but not before I get some sort of explanation.

I believe I come by this authority issue honestly (thanks, dad). My Field Officers have always been patient and explained and answered my queries and have mostly kept me out of trouble. And yet I still question. Thanks for your understanding.

One day we were headed out for our installations and we came to a police road block. We had already passed one that had checked my license and insurance sticker and let us through. So here is the second of the morning. The officer greets me and Laurie and then asks me, 'Where are you going?' 'I don't know.' He looked flabbergasted, 'You don't know?' I pointed at Alexander and said, 'He's the navigator.' 'So he's your compass?' And then he let us go.

As I drove I realized the truth in that interaction. We volunteers get in our trucks each morning, knowing (maybe) what direction we'll be headed and (maybe) how many wells we are aiming to install. We bring our compass with us because we have NO idea where we are going. And after some of the roads (very loose term there), I think it might be best that we don't know where the day will take us because if we knew, we might not agree to go.

I often joke with my Filed Officer when we come to a cross road or split and he tells me to go left...almost always my instinct would have been the opposite turn. 'It's a good thing I didn't leave you at that last well, we'd never have gotten back.' But it isn't really a joke. We need our compass, our navigator, and our trust to take us where we need to go.

(The count of installed wells at the end of Team 2 was 2603. Now Team 3 (African staff) has finished and the grand total is 2983 wells for 2018!!) Only together can we do the impossible! Give the gift of water: www.mmmwater.org