living water wells
Dr. Massey's 100th Well - India
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CBN.com - INDIA - During the dry season, cattle, wild animals, and the people in this remote village in southern India only have one source of water – a small, contaminated spring. Laxmi and her family spend hours each day just getting a couple jugs of water.
“Every morning we go to get water, so we can cook and bathe,” Laxmi says. “But we are always afraid of getting attacked by wild animals or bitten by snakes.”
Laxmi and her husband work as day laborers, but the jobs are limited.
“It takes so long to get water,” she explains. “Many times we get to the market place late, and there are no more jobs left.”
Laxmi asked a local pastor for help. He told Operation Blessing India about the need for water in the village. The people at Operation Blessing knew the well would be a very special one because of the person who was sponsoring it.
Dr. Esther Massey is a retired general practitioner and anesthesiologist living in California, who once volunteered on a medical mission to Kenya. One day she was invited to have dinner with a local co-worker and his family. She didn’t know what to do when they brought out a basin of water before the meal.
“It was brown dirty water, and I had to wash my hands in it. I didn’t want to embarrass them by not washing my hands, so I washed my hands, and I remember saying to myself, ‘here comes cholera,’” Dr. Massey said.
Dr. Massey didn’t get cholera, but at the Nairobi hospital, she treated many people who did.
“I also had a patient who had typhoid. He was about seven-years old, and he died. I know that typhoid is from dirty water.”
Dr. Massey returned home with a new passion — getting clean water to families all around the world. Over the years, she has sponsored 99 wells through Operation Blessing’s Living Waters program.
“It was such a wonderful feeling to know you are doing something worthwhile for the world,” says Dr. Massey.
It turned out that her 100th well was to be dug in Laxmi’s village.
The drilling truck couldn’t handle the dirt roads, so the Operation Blessing team travelled by cart to bring in manual drilling equipment and pipes.
“I’m happy that God saw how we suffered and then sent you to dig a well for us, so we can have fresh drinking water,” Laxmi said.
A hand pump was installed, and plaques with scriptures in English and Telugu were placed next to the well.
“It will give them hope,” Dr. Massey said. “It will give them something to hold on to. God is our strength. God is our anchor in life.”
“I want to thank the kind woman who helped us get the well, and I also want to thank Jesus Christ,” says Laxmi gratefully. “Our kids are safe and healthy. We can get water any time of the day, and we can get it quickly. We can cook our food and go to work on time. We are very happy because of the well.”
Like Dr. Massey, you can be a part of what God is doing in the world today. Your gifts to CBN demonstrate the love of God to millions of hurting people all around the world. Through your partnership, you provide medical missions that treat the sick, dig clean water wells to help thirsty villagers, and comfort disaster victims, quickly bringing them the help they desperately need − all in the name of Jesus. Please join with us and make a life-changing difference in world today.
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