Team 1

We’ve arrived! 13 American volunteers to be divided into 5 pairs to go out in 7 trucks on Tuesday and start installing wells. 

I’m not here as I arrived 2 hours later…

Tom, Doug and Jim came in a week early to help the African staff get everything ‘ready’. I helped with this last year and found most of it already done but it is always good to get more eyes on it. Checking trucks, looking at plans on where to send volunteers, planning for the unexpected, prepping tool boxes, calling to see how many wells are ready in the different areas, etc. 

During training we started with a devo I the Good Samaritan. Looking at taking care of others. Being the one who helps. That is why we’re here. 

We were given our money. For $1 the exchange into Malawi Kwacha is 1,930. It is quite a stack of money. Discussion on when to use personal money (lodging, dinner, speeding ticket) vs Marion money (fuel, repairs). 

We got phones and went over data collection at the wells, dedication service, tools in the tool box, truck highlights and then the first drive to reorient ourselves to driving on the left side of the road. 

Jamie and I are excited to be staying in Nkhoma Synod (central Malawi) to start our installations. We’ll be off early tomorrow morning!

Any amount small or large will help to fund this life giving gift. For $500 (an entire well) you will get a picture of the well and some of the villagers that you have sponsored. To donate go to mmmwater.org

Zimbabwe

I came to Zimbabwe a week early to visit my friends and get time zone acclimated. The first 2 nights are usually the hardest but I think I did well. Slow mornings (for me). Third term of school started up this week. They’d take off early with Ute on her way to work and I would read and relax. 

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Afternoons spent crocheting and playing games (phase 10, cards, field hockey 🏑), cooking. 

Saturday evening was Zimstock! A concert/carnival fundraiser for the Hellenic School. What fun!

Now it’s time to get ready for wells! 

Any amount small or large will help to fund this life giving gift. For $500 (an entire well) you will get a picture of the well and some of the villagers that you have sponsored. To donate go to mmmwater.org

El Paso 2026

I’ve been in El Paso for a week now. Volunteering to give hospitality to those let out of detention. It’s different each time I come back (this is my 4th trip). Very few new arrivals to the country, many who have been picked up in US cities and sent to ‘camps’ here around El Paso. Many with the proper paper work to be in the US legally. Many who have been here for many years. The stories of ICE raids on people driving to work, picked up at work, having their doors almost busted down. ‘Officers’ not looking at paperwork and/or taking someone else in because the get paid by the body. One was told to ‘look at it like a vacation and he’ll be out in a short while’- 6 days later he is dropped off in El Paso with no id to get back to Minnesota. 

I’m glad I can be here to help but am sorry that I’m needed for this.

3,138

The American part of the well installations is over. (Ended on Saturday). The count of dedicated, installed wells was 3,138. (The African teams have continued installations so the number is higher now). What an amazing time we had. I loved having Casey here, working with so many friends and getting to celebrate God’s gift of clean safe water with si many who have been dreaming and working for it for so long. 4,150 have been planned and will definitely be installed. There are more that have been asked for and are needed. And 1,500 (at least) still need funding. Any amount small or large will help to fund life giving gift. For $475 (an entire well) you will get a picture of the well and some of the villagers that you have sponsored. To donate go to mmmwater.org

Casey and I left for South Africa and Kruger National Park with my friends and we’ve been seeing all the animals. The pics are not the greatest but…wow! We’re staying in a private park and they have ‘wild’ animals that come to visit at our house. 

A well

Week 5 numbers are in! 2,786 wells have been dedicated and installed! Many still need funding…

 We arrived at the well and they were there waiting. The most people we’ve seen at a well this year. It was my turn to enter information into the android. As I walked up a woman continued singing with the rest, but came over and shook my hand and pulled me in for a hug. I got the gps reading and was waiting for the depth measurements. The foot valve had been left at the truck (luckily not far away). The women changed songs to one that they dance to so I quit waiting and went to dance (of course I did). 

Then I finished entering the technical info, build quality, who is present at the well, who built the well, etc. As I finished that they started to set up for a drama. We watched them act out getting water from their old source, a shallow hole that was very sandy and didn’t have much water. Each scoop also pulled up sand and those who came to get water each explained why they should get the little water that was there. And they would fight over it. The drama was full of laughter but it was a sad story. 

Then they took us a little ways away and showed us the old water sources. The first was small enough that it was scooped out with a cup…to fill a 20 liter bucket would take a lot of time. The other was larger (pictured) but still shallow and not a fast refill. They said women would sometimes sleep next to it. 

The joy of the installation was overwhelming. They listened intently to the dedication. And celebrated back to the truck. 

Uchindami kwa Chiuta!

Any amount small or large will help to fund life giving gift. For $475 (an entire well) you will get a picture of the well and some of the villagers that you have sponsored. To donate go to mmmwater.org

We’ve moved!

 Week 1 numbers for team 2: 406 (that’s a total of 2,217 this year!)

On Sunday we went to church: choirs, prayers, a sermon on Daniel (can’t tell you much more than that even if we were at the English service), welcome. Then to a little cafe for some tasty samosas. A couple hours of downtime and then…

We’ve moved to Rumphi. (North of Mzuzu, in some mountains) Some of the dirt roads are graded right up until they aren’t! Lots of dust. Driving up and down and then hiking the rest of the way (uphill in both directions but also steep downhills). 

We had a day with wells that had over 11 ft of water! (One was 26 ft of water in a 37ft well!) 

We have passed a couple of previously installed wells but always from a distance and while driving…until today, we hiked right by one, so I filled up. It was from last year. 

We’ve had a few road blocks along the way…firewood, a truck, cattle…

Any amount small or large will help to fund life giving gift. For $475 (an entire well) you will get a picture of the well and some of the villagers that you have sponsored. To donate go to mmmwater.org

Team 2 Week 1

weeks!

What a week it's been! On Sunday,Team 2 arrived, and Team 1 left on their plane. 1,808 wells were installed during the first 3 weeks. 

We trained again on androids and got our float money (MK1,500,000 = $725). Found out Casey and I were headed up to Mzuzu to start. So on Tuesday we dispersed (the Tanzanian team left Monday for their loooong drive). A caravan of 5 trucks headed north.  We dropped Francine and DiAnne in Kasungu to work with Happy, then Doug and Lucas in Jenda. Mr Khosa got a call from our CFO that he had a flat just ahead of us , so we all went to the rescue. Easy change once a good jack was found and on we went. 

Mr Nyirenda came to pick us up the next morning. He'd already loaded the truck with his Installaton Supervisor,  Mr Chimiliro. And out we went. 7 wells both day 1&2! We've had singing and dancing, waiting for arrivals of the villagers and sadly one well that didn't have enough water. (They will redig, and then we'll be back for installation). We've been gifted 4 eggs, many chickens, bananas, cassava, a litre of milk, maize, potatoes, plantains.  We've been prayed for and blessed, been talked to pass thanks on to friends in America and asked for more help for their neighbors.

Casey was asked to give names to twins and so here are our namesakes. (I've since heard that could mean we're responsible for their education?!?)