Water Problems

The water had been off for a day and a half, but that is not unusual here at Karanda.  Then we got a call, "4 of the 5 boreholes have run dry!  Do what you can to manage until we can pump up water from the river!"  We quickly shot out a request for prayer and water came back on after the third day, with only a pitcher left from our resevoirs.  It was a  beautiful sound to hear our tank filling up at 5 AM!

But we still have a problem on our hands.  This is June, and the rains don't come until mid-November.  It is highly unusual to get any rain until then.  In the past, the water table has not been so low until later in the dry season, and so it is difficult not to worry.  Water is something you just don't do without.  If this was just our own home, or a small compound, it wouldn't be such a concern.  But we are a hospital with big water needs.

 Our hospital laundry is always busy keeping linens clean.

 The gardens provide almost all the food for patients enabling us to keep costs down.

A busy kitchen making "sadza", the staple (made from cornmeal).

This just touches a few areas where water is vital.  Right now the river is quite low.

We are not the only ones who use the river.  It is used to water vegetable gardens (what the people around us survive on), do laundry, water animals, as well as hauling back to their homes for daily needs.

The lack of water is a community problem, and many people from around the surrounding villages have been coming to our compound to get their water.  Our boreholes have been carrying a heavy burden.  But God promises to meet our needs.  The borehole we just drilled a couple of months ago is now meeting the needs of our compound, as well as our part in being responsible with the water we have.

Resevoirs of water for when it is turned off daily.  We use it sparingly and reuse water however we can for flushing toilets, etc.

A small tub of water can go a long way!  (especially when its a sweet baby who's been in it!)

Thank you to all who have been praying with us for God's provision or guidance in what to do with this water situation.  We are so grateful that in this place we have the Living Water Jesus talked about in John 4 when he met the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well.  Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water [the physical water] will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  (John 4:13-14)

We have a great opportunity to share this abundant, life-giving water with those around in the community as they come to us seeking a basic need.  We look forward to see what God is doing and will do in both realms.