At about 6:00 pm today, we watched water first being pumped out of our well, through our pipes and fill the main tank and bath house tank, and run through all the faucets.  To God goes all the glory.  The entire water system was initiated and executed in 1 1/2 weeks.  Making this more amazing is the fact that prior to leaving for Kenya, despite our best efforts and pushing, we accepted that drilling the well was not possible during this visit due to red tap, questionable drilling contractors, and confusion.  We had hoped to just get some prep work done.

Right now in fact, Greg is in the shower and water is spewing out of all faucets and the top of our tanks to flush the system.  All the kids are watching water cascade 25′ down from the top of our 3000 liter tank.  This is really exciting and humbling that God allowed us to be part of his work here.  Don’t get me wrong, we have a few leaky pipe connections to fix but that is for tomorrow.  We have had this project on our plate for nearly 2 years and tonight it is real.   It is also better designed than I planned, better performing than I hoped, and under budget.  Thank you to all the people who have supported this project and prayed for it!!!!

Today we met with the Area Chief (Like a county Mayor) and the village elders to discuss Mission Servants vision of blessing the community in addition to the orphanage.  We informed them that clean healthy water will be available to the community within 2 weeks (after testing and addition of the chlorinator) and asked their help to manage and administer it so the community is responsible.  They were very excited and appreciative and consider it a huge blessing.  Clean drinking and cooking water is going to be provided to a thousand people, an answer to one of their two largest needs.  Thank you Lord.  (Education is the next largest need and a subject for one of the next posts).

I’m going to take a shower now.

Inserting the pump into the well, 35 meters down.

Water coming from the faucet on the kitchen building on the left.

The Area Chief, Job, viewing the community access point.

Greg and I are still here, Tony and Terri are on their way back to the States.  It has been proven to us many times that God is more ambitious and with a better plan than we can ever be.  It is humbling to me to realize I have set my goals too low…that almost never happens.  It is commonly said that God is in control but this trip we have seen a perfect plan unfold before our eyes that we had nothing to do with planning.  It’s like God is saying to us….quit worrying about the details and plan B and C, I’ve got a plan in mind…just go and enjoy the kids.  Our projects and kid time are going great and even the vehicle trouble we have been having has worked out to our benefit.  God is good!

Tomorrow we will have the pump installed in the completed well, we will have pumped water into our completed elevated tank and pipes, we will have pressurized well water in our kitchen, bath house and toilets, and to the community distribution spot at our gate.  We have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow to discuss clean healthy water distribution to the community, beginning within 2 weeks when the water quality test results are in.  This is all in a week and a half and under budget.

Thank you for your prayers!

Here are a few photos….

Placing the tank up on the 18′ stand

Someone had to go in to secure the pipe couplings….

Hooking up to the piping.

How many guys does it take to thread a pipe?

Joy with a bike tire “hulahoop”. No…her name is Joy.

OK OK…you can have anything just turn off the cute powers.

Catherine with baby Stephanie

Mail day for the kids…this means so much to them

Greg talking about his blessings….

….and a beautiful view of the countryside.