Jesus Well Refreshes Parched Villagers Part I

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This area of Uttar Pradesh, India, has a scorching dry season each year. And during times of drought, the temperatures soar even higher—and the village wells run dry.
One high-caste landowner has the deepest well in the village, which reaches to a depth of 500 feet. But during the dry season each year, even his well runs dry.
Many wells in the area, like this one that is now overgrown, have dried up permanently, and can no longer provide water for the villagers.
When wells dry up, people have no alternative but to draw drinking water from the same muddy, stagnant ponds where their livestock wade and drink. They must also wash their clothes and bathe in these ponds.
But low-caste villagers have trouble finding a drink of water no matter what season it is. The high-caste villagers do not allow the lower castes to draw water from their wells.
GFA World helped change all that by drilling a Jesus Well in the village where native missionary Harish Kumar serves. This simple hand-pumped well produces clean, fresh drinking water all year long.
The Jesus Well is located along one of the main thoroughfares in the village. People come to the well and are able to freely draw water from its abundance, regardless of caste.
Next to the hand-pump well is a plaque bearing the inscription, “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).
Harish Kumar serves as pastor of a church in this village. “When they come to drink the water and they see the Bible verse written there, we are able to interact with them and share the Gospel,” he says.
“Through people seeing the inscription that Jesus is the Living Water,” Harish says, “I have been able to share the Gospel with at least 100 people. And two families have received the Lord and are so happy!”
As they pump water from this well, many in this village are now eternally grateful for God’s wonderful provision that ministers to both their physical and spiritual thirst.
date posted 11/13/07