Saturday, July 16, 2011

The Borehole is Unveiled

For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.
Isaiah 44:3


In my last installment of my Kenyan travel series here, I mentioned that we were on our way to a community borehole. I don't actually know the name of the village where the borehole is located but I had been there years before (and it is several hours by dirt road to the west of Marigat). In my first visit about 5 years ago, the missionary at the mission station took me on a tour of this arid area and told me of his hopes and dreams for building a borehole and a new church as well. I didn't have the funds myself or the contacts for helping but I said I would commit this matter to prayer.

It took another year or more but through God's grace he led me to a Christian humanitarian group that promised to visit Kenya and see what they could do to help. Though it took them another year or so they did make good on their promise to visit Kenya. Once they saw this arid place for themselves, they committed to raising funds for the borehole. Now a borehole has been built but the community still has no water. The area has been terribly plagued by drought and some of the hostilities that have arisen have resulted in huge tensions in the surrounding area and even led to loss of life.

What is needed now are significantly more funds and a pump by which the water can be transported over large distances to the people who need it. I'm told that the humanitarian group hopes to make another visit late this summer or early Fall. I pray that they will make it and that they will indeed be able to raise the funds required. This would surely be a huge blessing to the people. In my most recent trip to Kenya, I just had to see the borehole for myself and recollect just how much has gone into the state of things as they are currently.  There have been other changes since I first visited,  including a new missionary to this village.  Thank God for people who are willing to go and minister in areas like this.

This road goes through a more densely populated part of the village where we were visiting for the day.

It led us to this road which I love as it has an umbrella of trees making it look like a pretty country road.

Despite the significant drought that has affected this area, the children are like children anywhere...

...laughing and playing and alternately confident and bashful with visitors.

Here I pose with some of the leaders in the community as well as the children in the neighbouring area. We are posing with the honoured guest, the reason for our trip, the borehole.  The clouds look like they are about to burst open with raindrops and drench the parched ground. But it wasn't to be.  Before long, the sky was clear once again and the heat remained.
Here is the borehole. It represents lots of prayer, struggle, ups and downs, anguish and dashed hopes. It also represents the hope that is still there for clear and pure water for this community of people.
It was very hot and dry in the area. These mud huts are the traditional abode of the people and I was invited into one. The adults were not home but some local men let me in.

I could not believe how absolutely cool it was inside and what a welcome relief!  The newspapers that hang from the rafters are cut into pretty shapes to decorate the inside.

The laundry flutters in the small breeze.
It was a blessing to visit this village again and now I continue to pray for their water needs. Would you join me in praying that this well could indeed be completed so that the children, the elders and the people in general can have some clean water to drink? 
God bless you.


Scenic Sunday
Please click on the words "Scenic Sunday" above, to see more beautiful scenes from around the world. I'm not sure why but the widget feature doesn't seem to be working properly.

23 comments:

Kilauea Poetry said...

Oh my goodness, what is that saying- (the mills grind slowly) maybe that's the mills of justice. But really, things more often do take long and we just can't see what God is doing or working out. It can be discouraging at times but worse if you didn't know Him who we can trust and who expects us to walk in faith. Yes I will! The huts are unreal!! So it was cool inside? This was really an encouraging post and I enjoyed the photos and the group picture of all of you too!

Joyful said...

Thank you for your prayers, Regina. They mean so much!

Diane said...

Having lived in Africa for most of my life I can appreciate the joy of having a borehole. Fantastic photos. Take care, Diane

clairz said...

You are having more adventures than many people could even dream of. Although we have a what we consider a shortage of water here in southern New Mexico, we always have clean water to drink and for use in our daily life and agriculture. I send wishes that these good people may have the same.

WebbieLady said...

I hope that help would come and can change a lot of lives in that place, especially the water pump you are mentioning.

It's lovely to be (a) child(ren), sometimes your worries are so petty, not like the adults...

Webbielady's Places

Joyful said...

Hi Diane, thank you for the visit. I know you would appreciate how much a borehole means ;-)

Joyful said...

Clair, I never really thought about my adventures like that because I know there are people who go into much harsher areas. Thank you for making me stop and think and thank yo for your prayers and thoughts for these people who need water. :-)

Joyful said...

WebbieLady, thank you so much for your visit. I agree that it is so nice to be a child who is able to let loose and have fun. I thank you for your kind thoughts for the water pump and for water.

Noel Morata said...

aloha,

amazing what people adapt in different environments, wish people could live more simpler and happier lives like these children :)

Lonicera said...

I can imagine how important this borehole is - I've been following news of the drought in the horn of Africa. I particularly liked the picture of the laundry blowing in the breeze, the light is just perfect. And the colourful one of you all together too.
And wow, look at your new blog layout... I want a full screen one too, but I can't do it myself, I'm so scared of losing everything...
Caroline

Joyful said...

Noel, thanks for the visit. We can learn a lot from children ;-)

Joyful said...

Caroline, I know you know about drought in Africa. It is a real shame that the people there go through so much suffering.

Thank you for recognizing my new blog layout. I can't know how others see it unless they tell me. I hope you get to try a new layout sometime soon.

Lesley said...

I cannot imagine what life must be like for these people who do not have an abundant supply of fresh water. This sure pouts our meagre 'drought' into perspective. We have no right to complain, but every right to help.

Joyful said...

Lesley, you are so right. We have no room to complain. I notice that in hotter summers, which we are definitely not having in Vancouver, people complain when told when they can water their gardens. Yet these same people waste water indoors every year by running taps and flushing toilets or overusing dishwashers and washers. We really need to visit elsewhere and see what we do have to appreciate. Thank you for your visit.

Joyful said...

Regina, I forgot to answer you about the huts. Yes! It was cool inside. You wouldn't believe the difference between indoors and outdoors. The indoors was an oasis.

Fjällripan said...

Interesting post and beautiful photos of a part of the world Ive never seen.

Joyful said...

Thank you Fjällripan for your visit. It's always great to have new visitors!

Shanda said...

These photos make me homesick! I love that you are posting them. Our church recently drilled a couple wells in the Villages in Zimbabwe. I got to go there last year and drink from one of them.

Sivinden said...

Interesting to see photos from a world I know so little about.

Fred Alton said...

Hmmmm. Looking at the photo, it looks like all that is needed is the pump. Is there water in that well? If nothing else, could a hand pump be installed? What would a hand-pump cost? Has this well ever produced water? Surely will be praying for this situation.

Joyful said...

Shanda, thanks for stopping by. I'm glad the photos remind you of home. xx

Joyful said...

Sivinden, I'm happy if I could help you learn a little more about a part of the world where few people will get to travel.

Joyful said...

You are right, Fred. We just need a good pump...But it seems it is a rather elaborate kind of pump that will be able to pump the water over a vast area. There is indeed water in the hole but I think it might need some kind of treatment as I've heard it is salty, if I'm not mistaken. In any case, I know there are engineers and learned people at work on this project. Prayers will help to make it come to completion.

A Few Days in March ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers. I hope Spring is treating you well so far. It's been roller coaster weather where I live with mostly ...