Waiting in Hope

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, in God’s word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5 

The faith that we find in these villages is not without doubt, but it is couched in hope. Hope for clean water, hope for promises kept, hope for health, hope in God.

Words from some village leaders:

 •  We knew we wanted a well and so we made bricks in the hopes that help would come. 

•  We waited all day yesterday - until dark. But we knew you would be coming. 

•  We have been waiting and doubting that this would truly happen, but now it is here. 

My understanding is that a village wanting a well has many steps to get one. They form a committee and go to the local government who can tell them the organizations that work in their area. If MMM is picked, they must provide the sand, bricks, gravel, and labor. There is a yearly maintenance fee and there will be a trained maintenance person in the area. They meet with an MMM worker and pick an appropriate place for the well. 

In between each of these steps there is lots of waiting, time for doubt to creep in. Time to remember other foreign help that was offered but never actualized. 

And then the season comes. Building season is a frenzy. The top slab is made, and the well is dug until there is at least 6 feet of water in the hole. Bricks and clay surround it and the cement top slab is placed. 

Then more waiting: waiting for installation time and the volunteers to arrive, in country and to this particular village. Communication can be spotty. Challenges arise and installations take longer than anticipated, which means that the next well will have to wait for another day or longer. And so doubt creeps in. Disappointment. But the hope is still there. The preparation has been done. In the end, MMM installs the well. Clean water is celebrated and glory is given to God. 

Application Question: We all wait in hope. What are you waiting for? Praying for? Remember that God’s time isn’t our time and hold on to your hope even if you are doubting. 

Prayer: O Creator, thank you for the hope that you have instilled in each of us. Help us to hold on to hope even when we doubt, even when we think it has been too long. Remind us that you love us and want the best for us. Amen

The demo

After the dedication and before the picture a demonstration on using the well correctly is done by the Field Officer, Installation Supervisor, or me. 

Correct pumping is two handed with one foot in either side of the pump facing the drain /spout/bucket. I start correctly then move a foot to the edge away from the pump. It is much harder. 

You pull the handle up to about your belly button to pump. Not super high, and not low enough to hit the top of the pump (giving you a good beat but not good for the pump). I demo both those and then dance around, looking from side to side, patting my baby on my back, waving at a friend and then turn around to sit on the handle…tsk tsk. Every one laughs at the azungu doing it wrong. 

Then to the bucket where I pretend to shower and wash my clothes, but as this is a shallow well neither should be done close to the well (bore holes are drilled and very deep and are ok to wash near)

You have to take your full bucket away and picking it up to put it in your head I find needs a mid high place…the concrete cap is good, the plastic spout is not!

It also brings lots of laughter when I put a bucket on my head and wave goodbye and start to walk away. I then pretend to trip and act like I’m going to spill the bucket but usually I don’t really. 

Gratitude

At the end we ask if anyone else would like to speak. Often the chief will speak at appoint someone or the chairperson of the village water committee. Each one is different and yet there are common themes that run through them. 

Glory to God! First thanks to God for this gift and second to the donors in America for making this possible. Thanks to you volunteers for coming from so far away. We welcome you with open hands and open hearts! This is a joyous day. 

We were getting water over there (with a point or wave over a hill or far off) and it was unsafe, unclean, we were drinking with animals. 

Or, you see we have water here but it is not safe or clean and now we can be assured of clean drinking water. (These are often near a slowly moving or stopped stream, pond, other water source that is green, has animal prints all around, frogs inside). 

Our women would go to the borehole (safe water afar off) or to the dirty source and be chased off by others, get into fights at the waterhole. They would have to get up at 2 and 3 in the morning to get to the after source and back in good time. 

Thank you for this gift, our children will now be able to go to school. This is a special day for us!

This one was even done in English! (I usually don’t have them on camera as I’m not expecting it)

The installation

Get to the well and clear it of the sand that has been on it to cure the concrete (this is usually done before we get there) Attach the metal head into the hole in the well. 

Attach the foot valve to the big pipe and lower it into the well to determine the depth. Take it out and measure it for the records. 

Cut it to the correct depth and attach the collar which keeps the pipe from falling into the well. 

Attach the pump to the t handle and then to the small pipe. Place them next to the big pipe to find the correct length and attach the plunger. 

Put them both on the well and rotate the pump on the head until very tight. 

Warm up the spout and attach it. Watch the water come out!!

Team 2 arrived!

They came in on Sunday (bringing the plane that Team 1 left on). Had dinner and let them (and us) sleep. I spent the day relaxing at the hotel, reading and getting my clothes washed (ok that didn’t take me very long), helped a little getting things ready for Team 2. 

Sunday morning birthday celebration!

Monday was back to orientation. The devo to start was about being here, in the moment, remember where and why you’re here. Enjoy. 

We went over androids, money, dedications, reminders, tools, tool boxes, trucks and got our assignments. I’m heading out to Dwangwa which is close to the lake and hot and last year had a flood after we left. I’m working with Jan Van who was my trainer my first year.

Tuesday morning birthday celebration!

Team 2 minus the TZ crowd(they’d already left)

We have arrived in Dwangwa with a drive through Nkhotakhota Game Reserve (elephants, baboons and kudu seen) and checked into our hotel. I’ve been to this hotel before…and some of it was washed away last year. There are 99 wells left uninstalled with our field officer. (Team 1 did about 250!) we’ll get to work in the morning!

Team 1 2024 - 1506 wells!

(My parents got power back yesterday. No water and spotty cell service. My sister is also ok in Old Fort. Both have neighbors with wells and the communities are coming together.)

Yesterday (Saturday) we all gathered again at Thope Lodge in Mponela. (Minus the 4 who were here for 2 weeks and left last weekend). Francine and I went out for a half day of installations and helped with 5 wells. At 2 of the wells (huge village in need of even more water points) before we even parked the truck much less got out we could feel the energy and hear the roar. The crowd was large and they were already singing and dancing. It felt like a wall getting out of the truck! There was just enough room to get out and then we were shaking hands, greeting, singing and of course I started dancing with them. Wow. The joy. It didn’t stop until the first well was installed. As they were close we entered the information and took a picture and went with everyone to the second where we did the dedication. (After entering the info for this well too). Agogos shaking our hands, smiling and dancing. Laughter in their mouths and their eyes. It was beautiful! 

That evening we met for a rundown of the numbers. The goal for 2024 is 4,550 new wells…team 1 installed and dedicated 1506!! 

There are already 1907 wells ready and waiting for pumps…team 2 has their work cut out for them. Then team 3 (our dedicated African staff) will finish up the others. 

Tom gave us a rousing encouraging and important talk about telling the story and raising the money for these wells. As of Oct 2 MMM has funding for 1940 wells. The story will be told. The money will come. We believe but we also move our feet and do what we can. 

Team 1 went to the airport this morning. Team 2 came in this afternoon!

Want to help? Donate at mmmwater.org/donate any amount helps. $475 funds a well for a village. 

The dedication

After the installation, we gather the village for the dedication and ask for a villager to pray. We then introduce ourselves and our MMM workers. We talk about the Americans hearing about the need for clean water and wanting to help, gather the money to pay for the cement, the pipes, and the pump. Then that the village also wanted clean water and so they put in the work: digging the hole, making the bricks, gathering the sand and gravel. That only together is there a strong well here today. 

We ask who the well belongs to. Though I have learned that ownership here is understood differently and thus I ask who will be using this well. Is it the Americans who paid for it? Is it the organization that helped construct it? NO! It is you. This well is yours. And so you are the ones to take care of it. Keeping animals and trash away. Using it correctly. Keeping fertilizer and buildings far away to keep the water safe and clean. 

We talk of the maintenance fee that is paid yearly that insures replacement parts when the well breaks. We point out the maintenance person and make sure they know how to get in touch. And remind them that when they come to fix the well the village should give a gift of appreciation because the maintenance person doesn’t get paid to fix the well. 

We explain that the picture we take is sent to the donor in the US to show that there is a well and clean water and a happy village. We open the floor and a chief speaks thanks and admonishes the village to take care of this blessing. 

Then a demonstration on how to pump, with a few more instructions, maybe some splashing, dancing, gift giving and it is on to the next well!