If you’ve been reading this blog, you know that Kingsway has been in crisis for over a year now because their well broke down. Students must haul water from over a mile (2 km) each way every afternoon.
Back in April, Ken Watkins, founder of Genesis Waters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, visited Kingsway and decided to take this project on. More water surveys were done, and a couple of months ago they chose a location to drill. They were able to drill very deep and put in a pipe. But before the water can be used it must first be tested for whether it is safe and pure.
If it is good, then an electrical pump, a solar panel for power and a tank must be installed, along with plumbing and housing too. This all takes time and is not cheap! But Genesis Waters is funding all of this, which is a huge blessing to Kingsway.
Today we decided to get an update about the well that is being installed at Kingsway by Genesis Waters, since Milly is visiting Michigan.
Ken started with great news. The report from testing the water from the new well showed that this was some of the best water Ken has found in all of the wells he’s dug in Eastern Africa! It has very low levels of any impurity, which is really, really great.
Now they just need to source a galvanized steel storage tank which they hope will last for many years, find some local plumbers, then order all the parts and make plans to install everything. Please keep them in your prayers.
We said, the day that we finally turn on the pump for the first time, we should hold a big celebration! This is actually something from the Bible. Finding a well is a huge source of rejoicing for a community and frequently an occasion for song. We find this in Numbers 21:16-18:
And from there they continued to Beer; that is the well of which the LORD said to Moses, “Gather the people together, so that I may give them water.” Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!— the well that the princes made, that the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter and with their staffs.”
Our meeting with Ken Watkins at Genesis Waters today.