I thought when I woke up on Wednesday October 17th that it was just another day. I had no idea that it would be a day where I got to experience something that most people will never see in their lifetime. It is a day that I will never forget.

Sometime this past year, a family took their ten year old boy to Uganda. The family was serving with Ekubo ministires. Christy and George Magera, the leaders of Ekubo ministries, took this team to the village of Mazzi one day. While there, the ten year old named Jack walked with the children his age to fetch water. He walked almost 2 miles one way to fetch dirty, contaminated water from a stream. Jack returned to the United States and begin to raise money for building a well for this community. To build a borehole well, he would need around 8 thousand dollars. At ten years old, he begin to raise money and awareness for the need for clean water in Africa. The money came in, the well was built, and on October 17th  we celebrated with the village of Mazzi as they saw clean water for the first time in their village.

The entire community was there, from the oldest man to the youngest baby. They wore their best clothes. The children performed songs and danced for us. George spoke to the people about the goodness of Jesus and to the children about he used a ten year old boy to accomplish great things for the kingdom of God. Then we all walked down to the well, thanked Jesus, and pumped the first clean water in the history of Mazzi.

There was clapping, crying, screaming, and jumping when water flowed out for the first time. The children ran up and put their hands in clean water and laughed and smiled. Then, they rubbed water on their faces and begin splashing one another.  I looked to a teammate and, almost in disbelief of what was going on, said to her, " Think about what we are seeing right now. We are in the middle of nowhere Africa watching hundreds of people get clean water for the first time. This is a once in a lifetime kind of experience."And I imagine that on this side of Heaven, it will be one of the greatest celebrations we will experience in our lifetimes.

There was an old man standing behind me. He was dressed in his nicest clothes and some kind of nice hat. He tapped me on the shoulder and said, "I have to see! Let me see." We cleared a path for him and he walked up to the water. He put his hand under it, collected a little water, and tasted it. He walked back and said, "It is good."


We proclaim that He is the Living Water. Just as that clean water brings life to a community, He brings life to my soul. I want to celebrate the life I have in Him like that because He is a God who is worthy of that. He is the God who has said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (John 7: 37-38).

We leave our friends in the village of Mazzi. They were strangers only a few hours before, but now they feel like family to us. We cry as we hug them goodbye. We know that we will forever be connected to this little village. I open up my bible and here is what I read, "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to the springs of LIVING WATER and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Rev 7:17). I know very little about the book of Revelation and the symbolism etc, but that didnt matter. This was the verse God gave me to assure me that He was alive, present, and at work here.