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We were a month into the dry season at our overseas location during our first term of missionary service. The clay soil had been drying out, with small fissures appearing on the terrain all over the village. The main deep water pump, fifteen metres from our home, had stopped functioning as the water table level dropped.

During the previous weeks, tiny worms began appearing in the murky water that was extracted.

Folks around us were wondering aloud what could be done with the pump. We thought that our neighbours were probably the ones to find a solution as they were more knowledgeable with the geography of the village’s water table. But two weeks passed, and nothing happened. A water pump over a hundred metres away became our solution.

One morning, before sunrise, I walked into our front yard, thinking where we could possibly attempt to sink a pipe to reach a shallower water table nearer our home. Suddenly, a Voice said, “Sink the pipe here, Gerald.” “Where?” I enquired, with my eyes on the ground, and turning around a full 360 degrees.” He said, “Where you are standing!”

That potential water pump will be between two houses; our home and our “adopted” mother’s. As foreigners in the community, we were assigned a family to oversee our needs and to resolve any issues that may arise during our stay in the village. Our “mother” is the first wife of the village headman.

In her 70s, she stays alone in a small one room hut, right next to us. During the day, she sat on her porch, weaving mats, and kept an eye on our home.

Our front door was always open after sunrise until sunset. If someone arrived too early in the morning, seeking some minor medical attention, she would announce loudly, “What do you want? They are praying. Come back during the afternoon.”

Later that morning, we consulted one of our neighbours, who was the expert in our village on the possibility of installing a pump. He was reluctant. He said that they had attempted that once before, and it did not hit any water table. However, I said I would pay him to make a second attempt!

He called a couple of other guys, and began digging. Just after midday, as the three metres pipe sunk into the dry earth, water came gushing out. A shout of jubilation went up from the small curious group that had gathered to watch the endeavour. I could see the shocked unbelief the three men had as they looked up from the pit.

By the end of the day, before sunset, every family living around us was queuing up with a pail ready to draw clear water from the small pump. It was still in use the day we left the village.

This story offers several lessons about faith and being attentive to unexpected guidance.

Don’t assume that someone else will solve the problem:

The villagers understood their environment better than the foreigners, so I initially expected them to find a solution. But two weeks passed without action. Sometimes we wait for the “right person” to act when we ourselves are being prompted to do something.

Pay attention to quiet, unexpected guidance:

The instruction to “sink the pipe” came when I was simply thinking and looking for a solution. Whether understood as divine guidance or an intuitive prompting, the important lesson is to remain attentive. Solutions can come in ways we do not expect.

Faith should lead to action:

I did not merely believe the suggested location would have water, but consulted someone knowledgeable, accepted that there had been a previous failure, and nevertheless took the risk of trying again. Faith becomes meaningful when it moves us to act.

A previous failure does not necessarily mean the next attempt will fail:

The expert said that they had tried that location before and found no water. Yet the second attempt succeeded. Circumstances, methods, timing, or persistence can change. We should be careful about allowing yesterday’s failure to determine tomorrow’s possibilities.

Persistence sometimes requires personal investment:

I did not stop when the expert expressed doubt. I offered to pay for another attempt. My willingness to invest my own resources demonstrated commitment to the solution.

Small actions can benefit an entire community:

The pump was initially motivated by a need near my home, but its benefit extended far beyond our household. By the end of the day, everyone had a pail ready. A solution to what appears to be a personal problem can sometimes become a blessing for many others.

Relationships create opportunities to serve:

The relationship with their adopted mother illustrates that living among people is not merely about receiving help. We had become part of a community, and the water pump ultimately served the people around them. Genuine relationships can turn individual needs into opportunities for mutual care.

Don’t overlook what is right in front of you:

The villagers had already identified a water pump 200 metres away as their solution. Yet the answer was apparently much closer. Sometimes we search farther afield because we assume the solution must be somewhere else, while overlooking possibilities immediately around us.

One person’s initiative can break collective inertia:

Everyone knew there was a problem, and everyone was wondering what could be done. But nobody acted. My decision to make another attempt changed the situation. When a group is stuck, courageous initiative from one person can create movement for everyone.

We may not see the full significance of an act when we begin it:

I was simply trying to find water near our home. Yet what emerged was a lasting source of water for the community. We often cannot know how far-reaching a seemingly small act of obedience, courage, or persistence may become.

When you encounter a problem, don’t merely wait for circumstances or other people to change:

Listen carefully, seek wise counsel, act on the opportunity you have, and persist even when previous attempts have failed. Sometimes the answer to a community’s need begins with one person being willing to stop, listen, and take a step of faith.

About Coram Deo

Coram Deo — before the face of God. This blog reflects on Scripture, world events, science, music, psychology, and the human mind — always through the lens of Christian faith. All of life is lived before the face of God.