We arrive at a schoolhouse in the village.
The one room schoolhouse is filled with precious faces and home made desks.
They greet us and I’m immediately filled with joy. Smiles and laughing all around. Their excitement radiates into my own heart and together we enjoy sharing songs and a story from the Bible.
Before our time is up, we pass out a small packet of butter biscuits to each and I sit down at a desk with two beautiful young girls. In their desk I noticed a bottle filled with murky water. In my mind I question if it is even water,
and before I can ponder the thought too long,
we’re escorted out towards the village.
Something about the bottle left me uneasy as we walked toward the village. The children followed and I couldn’t help but pray.
Father, where there is a need here may you please provide? You are the Provider. The Faithful One. The One who sees our needs and meets us where we are.
We pass by many people of the village. Men shucking plants and vegetables that have come from the garden. Women hand washing clothes and cooking rice over the fire. I’m still unsettled. I’m starting to feel the heat of the day on my shoulders. Dust and dirt everywhere. We pass by a drunk sitting in his door frame.
God, why addiction here? They have so little already. This broken world stretches to the farthest of villages, and I can’t seem to find You here. In this darkness, God, You are their beacon of light.
Our host asked if we wanted to see their watering hole, which would be a potential location for the ministry to drill a well. Without hesitation we started walking through the fields. We passed the first water hole and it was completely dried up. We made it to the last water hole, and the sweat dripping from our faces would have equated to more water then I saw in the water hole.
There it was.
Nearly empty.
My heart breaks. I’m hurting for how thirsty these people are. I thirst for more of You in this desolate, dry desert.
We return to the village, where I see a coconut tree three stories tall. And a man clinging to the top of the tree. Coconuts fall one by one from atop and then one splatters- water sprays on the ground and everyone reacts disturbed.
Reality sets in. Turns out the coconut tree is one the main sources of water for the village in this season. It’s the safest water to drink because they don’t have a proper filter system for the stagnant run off water from the watering hole.
I immediately recall the water in the bottle in the desk at the schoolhouse. And my heart hurts more. Felling as if it’s broken into pieces, I feel their thirst. A dried up water hole and a coconut tree- It’s all they have.
What will it take to bring light to this village? To instill hope in the hearts of its people? They are suffering God, and I want to help them. Where are you?
“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”
Psalm 63:1
My team is handed each a coconut to drink. We struggle immensely with the thought that we are taking from them their only source of good water. We can’t say no because that would be disrespectful, so instead we drink and allow the numerous children around us to have the coconut meat on the inside.
This village has never been introduced to Christianity. The entire village worships to idols and all I can do is pray for a little glimmer of hope.
We return to the village a week later for a night crusade. As we walk up the red dirt road, a teammate notices a pattern on the dirt.
It was rain. In the time that we were gone the village had experienced a small shower. A glimmer of hope.
That same night, we shared a video and 3 of our team members poured out their hearts in testimonies of God’s faithfulness in their lives. I felt Him fully present. His Spirit was moving and we couldn’t mistake it. Many people gave their life to Christ. One of which was a woman of high authority in the village. Another glimmer of hope.
I see You in the rain patterned dirt, I see You in the coconut trees, I see You in the laughter of children running rampant in the red clay dirt. I see You in the songs we sang, and in the food we shared. I see You in the lives that will be forever changed. You are the hope.
“I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life..”
Psalm 63:2-3
When I’m full of doubt,
when I grow weary that there isn’t enough,
when I see others broken and in despair Jesus is teaching me to look for Him.
And in Him is where I find my hope.
Hope that drives out darkness. Hope that destroys doubt. Hope that brings peace. And when the world believes there is no chance, a hope that brings life.
It will take time for the well to be drilled.
Many more coconuts will need to be fetched. But the glimmers of hope have proven that God is here. He’s waiting for the one to turn and run back to Him. I believe there is a revolution brewing in this village. A village of idol worship will be overcome by the power of God’s love.
His love has the power to reach places our eyes can’t even see.
He brings light. He is our Hope!
XOXO
Tay
