Beside the Well

A well in Togo supplies physical and spiritual blessings.

Can you imagine life without clean water? In the United States, one person uses an average of 80–100 gallons per day. We use it for bathing, laundry, cooking, cleaning, watering our gardens and most importantly, drinking. God is so good to have created one of Earth’s most remarkable resources—one of the most precious assets we have. Without water, life could not exist. Perhaps that is why God created water before He made plants, animals and humanity!

When I visited Togo, West Africa some time back, I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the people in Lassa, a village in the northern part of this small country. The women had to haul water for their families more than a half a mile, and sometimes even further when the hand dug well in the village went dry. This well was very dirty, and from the odors ascending from its mouth, you could tell it had bacteria growing in it. Wells in Togo tend to be shallow, dug at the same depth as the latrines. Many people become sick from cross contamination and some even die from the water that is supposed to keep them alive.

Jesus likened the work of the Holy Spirit to a fountain of water within us. “He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive.” John 7:38, 39. The soul’s longing after God is likened to thirst: “My soul thirsteth for Thee, . . . in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” Psalm 63:1. And of course, it was next to a well that Jesus offered the Samaritan woman “living water.” John 4:6–14.

Today, the gospel is being preached beside a brand new well in Lassa, Togo. A church in Sandy, Oregon donated the money to help drill a well in some desolate village, and thanks to my time in Togo, I knew just the place where a well could be a blessing.

The new well in Lassa, Togo.

The poor of this village now have access to clean drinking water that has been government tested to be free from contaminates. However, providing clean, safe drinking water wasn’t the only objective of the well-drilling project; we also wanted to bring souls to the Lord by sharing the “water of life” with them. Physical thirst could be quenched at the well, but the thirsty would also be given an invitation to drink at the well that will never run dry. The well was purposely drilled next to a small Seventh-day Adventist church so that people would become familiar with who Seventh-day Adventists are and come in contact with church members!   

As soon as the well in Lassa was completed, girls, boys and mothers with babies strapped to their backs lined up to fill their containers. People came from far and near to share in the blessing. That’s when the local pastor’s work at the well began! While the villagers wait to fill to their containers, the pastor will be preaching to the people. When they have completed their task, they will be provided literature to take home and learn about God’s last warning message to Earth. These dear, spiritually thirsty souls will hear the words of life! We can hardly wait to see how God will bring souls to the truth through the preaching beside the well.

AUTHOR

Mike Bauler

Mike Bauler is the director of Mission Projects International. mbauler@missionspro.org

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Pray for this new project! Ask God to bring souls to the truth through the preaching beside the well.

Donate. You can support the work in Togo by sending your donation to Mission Projects International marked “Togo,” “Togo workers,” “Togo literature,” or “Togo churches.”

THANK YOU!

A big thank you to the church in Sandy, Oregon for donating the money to drill the well for this new project. Thank you also to each of you who have supported the work in Togo over the years! God bless you.