Have you ever heard someone say “the good, the bad and the ugly”? All three of those seem to be intertwined in this journey we call life, don’t they?
Summer time is always a test of faith in ministry work. It is the time of the year that funding is lean and discussions about how to ride out the season and provide care to the children we serve are abundant. But, you know what, our God is faithful. He was, is today and will be in the future. He has proven that to be true year and after year. And He chooses to call and use so many to step up and fill in the gap. One of those ways is a Summer Slump matching grant that our MFHI board sponsors each year. So, we want to first say thank-you to the many who stepped up and gave this year. You are our summer heroes!
So, as life typically goes, it is not surprising that when finances are strained, there’s further testing. Our well stopped pumping water a couple of weeks ago. This well, donated through Living Water Ministries, has been a huge blessing. It has the capacity to pump 18,000 gallons of water each day. We have a cistern that is filled by pumping in water from the well and then distributed throughout our property. So when the pump stopped, so did the water supply.
Typically, this is the rainy season in El Salvador. Normally, by this time of the year, we have rain daily, often very hard downpours that require eight-inch gutters to redirect off of the homes. Tropical rains. However, this year, El Salvador has had a drought season. Very little rain, some places haven’t had rain for over two months.
When we had someone come out to check our well and pump, we discovered that the water table dropped, thus the pump has a sensor on it that stops pumping so as not to burn out. Basically, we need rain.
And, I bet you’ve heard a parent or teacher comment on those teenage years. Yep, teenagers can throw life a twist or two, put that together with trauma in their backgrounds and a group together…yeah that calls for an extra dose of grace, unconditional love and a few deep breaths. Can we get an Amen to that?
This and many other “ups and downs” in ministry has us thinking, has us praying. And the one question we keep coming back to is: “Where do we go to fill up our dry wells?” We all go through seasons of hardship, disappointment and just plain “I have no idea” times. We feel “dry.” Our well needs to be filled. There is a source that satisfies and provides an eternal source of strength and comfort. And it is not a “what” but a “Who”! His name is Jesus. He is Living Water that flows in us, through us and out to others. Let us examine the ways we fill up our wells with things that are only temporary, that don’t really satisfy, but keep us thirsting for more and more. Let’s recommit to wave the white flag of surrender and be filled with Living Water!
Living Water is what changes lives, here in El Salvador and around the world. Join in by loving those around you and around the world!