It is that sound on the roof, you know it, the pitter patter of the first drops and then the deafening roar of rain pouring from the sky. The sound drew me to go out on the porch and watch it soak the ground, bringing life to the hardened soil. In Zambia this year God has answered their prayers, quite overabundantly I might add, for rain. The past 20 years have been less than adequate but this year it has almost been too much.
I love being in Zambia during the rains. But this year, it was not just healing rain for the ground but for my soul. It was an overabundance of love, support and encouragement pouring from dear people, our partners in Zambia.
The theme of water on this trip was quite easy to spot. The miraculous way in which we got the bore hole wells set up, sited, dug and the hand pumps put in, was truly exciting. Really, you have no idea! These wells will now give life giving, clean water to the community of Chibolya! See the rains could only provide water that was in reality, still dirty when collected in their hand dug wells. Going deep into the clean underground water table is what it took to give water that makes a difference. And it is the same concept with the true Living Water, Jesus. You can try to dig your own well, try to get to clean water on your own, or go to the source, the life giving water that Jesus talks about in John 4. It’s Jesus that makes a difference.
It was so humbling to give life giving water to the community of Chibolya and be able to share about the true Living Water to this community (and give out New Testaments!). A community God has picked out of all Zambia so we can join Him and pour our lives into. I prayed as I left on this trip that I would be, “poured out as a drink offering, an empty vessel for Him.” God is so amazing that as I prayed that prayer He was already planning on filling me back up in the home of and through the care of our partners. Healing rain. Living Water. Borehole Wells.
