pictures

Here are some pictures from around the village.  Sometimes it is difficult writing an exciting blog that describes exactly what we've been up to lately.  Most days are the same.  Usually we are drilling wells, working in the garden, visiting friends, running around town, at home, being parents to Silas, etc. - just life.  So this blog is really just a bunch of pictures of stuff we see or look at on a regular basis.

little Nathan squatting in the dirt

I love this little building.  It stands on the side of the road on the road to Obule.  

little girls fetching water for school

beans from one of the Farming God's Way demo gardens

children washing their feet in the new well water

all the roads are pretty bad and dusty.  Anytime you are driving you will find yourself looking at the back end of a lorry.

we are potty training, so Silas on the toilet is a common sight around the house these days

a well for James

James and his family earn their living growing fruit trees.  They have several citrus orchards and a number of mango trees.  The family sells fruit, but the majority of their business is in selling fruit tree seedlings.  They grow lemon and orange trees and after the trees are established, they will take the orange trees and graft them onto lemon tree root stock.  The lemon trees are heartier root stock and perform better in the sandy, less productive Teso soils.  

When we drilled this well at James's home, he and his family were in the process of growing some 40,000 orange tree seedlings.  They have another 3,000 mango trees, and a number of lemon trees.  James was able to sell all 40,000 of his orange tree seedlings!  He tells me that without this well, he would have lost all of his trees to drought.  We thank God for allowing us to be a part of James getting a well.  

water for three villages

We recently finished drilling a well in the village of Angoram.  The area had no clean water and most everyone was getting their water from a seep or natural spring down near the swamp.  The spring is also the place where everyone takes their livestock to water, wash clothes, etc.  We were able to drill a well near the natural spring and tap into the groundwater that is available year round.  The well was shallower than most of the wells we drill in this area, but it was a gusher.  We installed a homemade pump, sealed and cemented in the well, and now the folks from this village are celebrating the blessing of clean water.  I asked how far people were traveling to fetch water from the new well.  I was told people are coming from Angoram and the other two nearest villages and many are coming from as far as 1.5 kms away.  Hundreds of families are using this well as their sole source of water.  We usually try and drill family wells, but sometimes when we are drilling in an area that has no water, even our family wells turn into community wells.  Dan went to visit this well the other evening and said their were as many as 50 jerry (20 litres) cans lined up waiting to pump their water and return home.  It is amazing that something so simple can be such a hug blessing to so many.  We are so thankful we are able to be here and to witness all that God is doing here.  Thank you for your prayers and support.