Jesus Well, Andhra Pradesh

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In this rural village in Andhra Pradesh, India, summers are dry and extremely hot, leaving the villagers with very little or no water.
Many villagers raise sheep and goats as a source of income. During the summer, it is difficult for the shepherds to find enough grazing land and water for the herds.
Because the water supply is limited, villagers store water in containers. The need for water could be met through just one well, but up to this point, the only source of water has been a government-built water tank.
GFA World missionary Kavi Viresh seeks to share the Gospel with the people of this village. When he saw the lack of water, Kavi thought that if he could meet people’s physical need, God would also give him opportunities to meet their spiritual need.
Now Kavi has a practical way to show God's love through a new Jesus Well in his village. In this photo, you see believers praying with thanksgiving before they begin to dig their well.
GFA has put Jesus Wells in hundreds of villages. These wells provide the villagers with clean, fresh water and give pastors and missionaries opportunities to share Christ with those who come.
When Sudhir Rao, a mason by profession and a new Christian, learned that a Jesus Well was going to be dug in his village, he was more than happy to help with construction.
Even though the standard underground water level in the surrounding area is about three hundred feet, the drilling machine was able to reach water level in less than 100 feet. Kavi said that it was a miracle that God gave them water at such a shallow level.
Everyone rejoiced when they reached the water! It was a blessing to reach water level so quickly, as it often takes more time in difficult terrain.
The well construction crew worked to complete the hardware installation. The whole process took about two days.
The entire village can now draw water from the Jesus Well, even when the government-built water tank is out of commission.
The believers gathered around the well to dedicate it to the Lord through prayer and scripture reading. Their hope and prayer is that as the villagers come for clean water, they will also come to know Jesus, the One who can give them living water.
Each Jesus Well has an inscription on it that reads: Jesus Christ says: "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst" (John 4:13-14).
date posted 08/12/08