Clean waters and the living water. By Tim Harley

As I prepared for this trip, I prayed that God would open my eyes to see what He wanted me to see and to touch my heart to feel what He wanted me to feel. He used a song by the group Mercy Me to help. The song they wrote says, “Word of God speak, would You pour down like rain washing my eyes to see Your majesty.” So each day of our trip I would pray this same prayer asking God to reveal Himself to me that day.

(children at risk, a common scene at the CAR)

I didn’t realize how hard it would be when God answered me. I saw despair and hopelessness in the lives of those we met as I had never seen before. Hunger and sickness overwhelmed many we saw. I felt anger as I learned of the constant injustices that occur every day. At times it was overwhelming, and I wondered, “Can I really make a difference or are we wasting our time here?” But God kept reminding me that He was bigger than any problems I saw and, and He loves this country.

(hope in the midst of despair)

I began to see hope through various ministries we were introduced to. The light of the gospel is piercing the darkness, giving people a chance to experience God’s love. Some of these ministries included orphan care, medical outreach, nutrition education, assistance for victims of AIDS, radio, and water well drilling for villages. The need for safe drinking water really stood out to me because of my own involvement in the water well industry. Safe drinking water is foundational to all societies. Our team saw first hand the impact good water can have on a village. The overall health improved drastically when contaminated water no longer was used.

One example our team saw was in a Pygmy village in Bayanga. This village traditionally used the water out of a nearby river for every day use. As a result, water borne diseases ravaged their bodies killing many, causing severe sickness in others. Survival was extremely difficult. This past year a water well was drilled for the village.

(signs of hope -- an agricultural center in Berbarati)

(trees are provided to cooperatives in villages to provide them with a variety of fruit trees to supplement their diets)

The benefits of this safe water have been undeniable. Certain illnesses were almost eliminated. Hope has been introduced to this village. The villagers sang and danced demonstrating their gratitude for the well. Jim Hocking shared with them. He used the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. He compared their old contaminated water to contaminated lives because of sin. Just like the well offered good health, Jesus offered the woman living water.

(Tim-- making a small difference, with the gifts to orphans provided by an ABF from our church)

As Jim shared this, I realized the powerful connection between meeting physical needs and meeting spiritual needs. It was so natural to bring the gospel into this village. The well offered opportunity for the gospel to be shared and in a way that was so clear and understandable to them. This was God on display before their very eyes.

(women working - a common scene all over the CAR)

It’s my prayer that God will use me to help pass the vision on to our church and community. The opportunity to provide other villages with good water is exciting. The impact could be eternal. It’s huge. Matt. 10:42 says, “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” I believe God wants us to give many cups of water in His name.

(Tim, with his new friends on top of the hill in Bessai, the birthplace of GBC work in the CAR)

I believe God has given us the opportunity and privilege to be a part of His plan in the CAR. I’m humbled to think that God, in eternity past, planned for our team to be in the CAR at this time. I’m also excited to see what He will do through our team and our church to impact the CAR for Christ. Eph. 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

(Tim & wife Jeana, at the "Garden of Eden" in Gamboula, close to the Cameroon border)