Water, Electricity and a Tall Engineer

Electricity and water - my 2 favorite things now that we live in a 3rd world country, and often the most inconsistent services in our lives here.

We rarely have running water in the house, but the bill still comes every month, on our doorstep, usually increasing from the month before. Unfortunately, taking it to the FIPAG office and complaining isn't really an option. Complaining doesn't typically yield results here - only money can do that. I'm extremely thankful that we have a well in the backyard!

The electricity is slightly more consistent, usually only going off for 1-2 hours a day. The longest we have been without electricity since moving is 5 days - 120 long hours! While this really isn't that big of a deal, it's just another reminder of what I've always taken for granted.

Several lines serve thousands in our community 

Water and electricity make life easier, although I used to believe that electricity was a necessity. However, now I know I can do without it fairly easily, but with water, there is no compromise. Nothing happens without water. Life ends without water.

Backyard well

Water is a necessity we have been working to secure for this project. We have hired a friend we call Papa Berry, a jolly South African with an incredible accent and a contagious laugh. He has agreed to help us with this huge undertaking of finding water. His business is to dig boreholes for a living and he has offered to do what he can to help us on our current site. He agrees there are few problems with water where we are located, but his engineer and geological specialist will first have to take a look before we decide if it's worth drilling.

Our engineer, Gaumbe, is another man on our side. He is a tall, slim Mozambican whose smile is so big he can light up the darkest places. We met with Guambe Friday and he let us know how we can move forward with starting the foundation. Obviously, his first concern was water, and his second concern was funding. He believes so much in our project so he is doing everything he can to cut down on costs of labor and materials. He is currently extremely busy with the construction of our church, but he is making us a priority on his long list of projects. We are so thankful for his experience, engineering abilities, his faithfulness to God, and his giving heart.

Our engineer, Guambe

Guambe has calculated the costs for all of the materials we will need, and while the figures can be overwhelming, we know that we serve an awesome God who has met every single need we have had so far.

We have had every need answered in one way or another. We currently are about $11,650 away from our goal for completing this first building, and we know the funding will come through by God's grace.

With ongoing construction, it is important for us to have monthly donations so construction doesn't come to a halt in the future. Have you considered becoming a partner? If not, now is the time. Every dime you donate goes towards the project, not our personal financial needs.

We are currently in need of 10 monthly donors to commit to $50/month for the next year. Make it easy on yourself, and visit our website to set up automatic giving through PayPal: heartfortheneedy.org.

Thank you for your prayers and for all of your support. We know that as the project progresses we will continue to have great success, and we give all the glory to God! Without Him, none of this would be possible.

Be blessed,

Phil, Laura & Jadon, too