Jesus wells

From a recent Gospel for Asia (one of our favorite missions ministries) report:

“Pastor, what does this inscription mean?”

That’s the question Pastor Vampu is asked most often by the more than 100 Indian villagers who draw water each day from the Jesus Well next to his church. And he never tires of explaining the Bible verse engraved on a plaque in the local language:

Jesus
Christ says: “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but
whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst”
(John 4:13-14).

The reason Pastor Vampu, a Gospel for Asia native missionary,
is eager to share this message is that so much has changed in his
village since a GFA friend in the West sponsored the drilling of that
well a year ago.

You see, before the well was dug, the
villagers hated the Christians and did not allow them to draw water
from their seven community wells. That forced the believers to walk
more than 5 kilometers (3+ miles) every day to get drinking water from
other places. And because no other local source was available, they
could not begin construction of their church building.

That’s
why the whole community was stunned when the Christians didn’t build a
wall around their church property when their new well opened. Instead,
they invited everyone — including their persecutors — to freely draw
water.

As a result, not only has the fierce opposition toward
the believers significantly decreased, but the well has become a
miraculous avenue for outreach. Because of the well, Pastor Vampu
doesn’t have to seach for people who need Christ. They come daily right
to the front of the church to get water.

Drilling a bore well
for a needy community like Pastor Vampu’s usually costs between $550
and $950, but it can cost up to $5000 depending on the soil and the
depth we must go to reach water. So far, GFA friends have sponsored 75
Jesus Wells, and God is using each one as a powerful witness of His
love. The Jesus Well in Pastor Vampu’s village has become a visible
sign of God’s grace. The seven other community wells have become
bitter, but the Jesus Well continues to deliver sweet, life-giving
water to the villagers, who recognize this as a miracle from God.

More details of Pastor Vampu’s work in this village, and the difference the Jesus Well has made to the church there, are posted
at the GFA website. What an awesome way to share the love of Christ
with the lost, and to bless our persecuted brothers and sisters in
India! Anyone can contribute to GFA’s Jesus Wells project by designating their donation for Jesus Wells.