Water is life.
This simple yet profound statement is forever imprinted upon me. My wife, Nony, and I came to hear it many times while serving as welfare service missionaries in Zimbabwe, Africa. The first time was at Trintas orphanage.
We had only been in Harare a few weeks. We read in the “Previous Projects” files of Trintas Orphanage that a borehole had been successfully drilled just over two months earlier. We determined to make a follow-up visit to see what we could learn.
We navigated our way to the outlying suburb of Epworth. It is a very poor area; there is little to no infrastructure for basic utilities, such as water, power, or roads. Very few are employed, but each has their own little hustle trying to earn a dollar.
We arrived at Trintas unannounced. We saw two small, simple buildings and a roofless pit toilet. A mango tree offered its precious shade; the yard was packed down by years of children’s feet traipsing here and there. To our right, we saw a water tank on a five-meter stand with a small sign that read, “Donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”. A garden of green vegetables stood in stark contrast to the parched earth surrounding it.
Not All “Saints” are Members of the Church
We were greeted warmly by the brother in charge, who offered effusive thanks for our visit and the life-changing donation of the borehole. We were introduced to the two middle-aged sisters who own the site. We learned they were effectively abandoned in their childhood and later separated from their children, who were taken away by their fathers. The land had no economic value; ownership simply offered the right to occupy.
These two true Christian sisters chose to give of their one tangible resource, as well as their time and love. Neither they nor the brother in charge nor the other volunteer benefited financially from their efforts. The poorest of the poor were at Trintas. Many were true orphans, and others were left to fend for themselves while the adults in their lives were off trying to find means to survive. Trintas offered refuge and love. They cared for about seventy children, providing, as best they could, a learning and home environment with just barely enough food to survive. As we came to know the realities of Trintas, we were in awe of the love offered to these little ones.
Water Brings Life…and Hope
With these realities in mind, consider the miracle of a clean, dependable water source! The brother in charge proudly showed off an expanding garden that can already produce food year-round and is utilized daily to feed the children because it can be watered during the long dry season. Water for drinking is not rationed; children can wash their hands after using the pit toilet, which can now be cleaned regularly. The Church gifted not only life-giving water, but with it the precious gift of hope.
He asked if we could stay for the children to assemble under the mango tree and present a program of thanks. Of course! They had prepared and memorized “poems” to share with us, hoping that we would visit. Decades-old children's benches were arranged under the tree, and the children gathered. Their broad smiles touched our hearts. One by one, the children selected from each age group shared a poem. With great concentration and heightened elocution, in a language not their first, they expressed deep gratitude for the gift of water. “Water is life” was repeated as the flagship statement. Our understanding and appreciation of this reality deepened.
Over the course of our mission, we had the honour of playing our small role in bringing water to thousands of needy brothers and sisters. I think of Karori Primary School out in the bush, with its 583 students and the hundreds of nearby rural residents who all relied on a single shallow well. Water was drawn from it with a plastic jug, and it often ran dry by the end of the dry season. To see the joy and the relief on the faces of children and staff when water comes gushing from the ground at the drilling of a successful borehole is priceless. A clean, year-round, reliable source of water at a rural school changes everything! Children and staff flock to such schools, where health improves, cholera is held at bay, toilets are cleaned daily, and gardens are cultivated to feed the children. Additionally, pigs, chickens, and goats can be raised for food and income. In one case, fish farming was even instigated! Truly, water is life!
Living Water Brings Life Eternal
Having witnessed the intense gratitude for life-giving water by those who once lived with scarcity and uncertainty, the magnitude of the promises and invitations made by the source of “living water” (John 4:11), even Jesus Christ, is impressed upon me.
To the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, referring to the water drawn therefrom, He said: “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14)
Elder David A. Bednar explains: “The living water referred to in this episode is a representation of the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel. And as water is necessary to sustain physical life, so the Savior and His doctrines, principles, and ordinances are essential for eternal life. You and I need His living water daily and in ample supply to sustain our ongoing spiritual growth and development.” (“A Reservoir of Living Water”, BYU Devotional, February 4, 2007)
Shortly after our return from Zimbabwe, I paused in the foyer of the Cardston Alberta Temple after a session, my attention caught by the stone mural of Christ and the Samaritan woman at the well. I found myself contemplating it with new eyes. As the water trickled from the mural into the pool at its base, I was struck by the wonder of the temple as a place where Christ offers His “living water”.
Water is life! Thanks be to Christ for His “living waters”. (1 Nephi 11:25) May we embrace the depth of His love and drink deeply from His “well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)