God Sweats the Details

Jeff writes:

It has been two weeks to the day since we got our last rain. Our tank is down seven rings. We are still recycling as much water as we can.

The students are allowed one bucket of clean water per day per family. This means that they generally go without drinking water for a meal. In spite of this, they appear to be handling it well.

We pump untreated Waghi River water to wash clothes and dishes, take showers and flush toilets.  The pump has been repaired, and we have had a steady supply.

Three weeks ago in a faculty meeting I asked whether anyone in the room would be willing to DRINK Waghi water, and of course, no one volunteered. Then I asked if they would drink the water if we could filter it. Most were still reluctant. However, if we could successfully remove all the nasty bacteria and organisms in the water, we would have an unlimited supply of fresh clean water.

I am in the process of building a slow-sand water filter, which if assembled properly, could supply us with all the drinking water we would need. I have a good handle on the technology, but the materials we have to use here are limited, so I have had to jury rig a design. Even though there is great urgency to get the thing built and tested, there have been many hiccups and delays along the way, which are typical but frustrating.

So please pray that we get a lot of rain. Also pray that we can get the filter built. The photo is of some students who helped me to get clean sand from a river bank to use in the filter. The plumber is installing the fixtures, and tomorrow we plan to sieve the sand and gravel. We hope to be able to get the thing started this week. Please pray that we do.

By the way there is a spiritual lesson in this. I learned about slow-sand filtration while on a mission trip to Guatemala in the 1990's. We built water filters there based on this principle. God does not waste even the smallest of experiences. He knew I would need to use this idea here as Joseph said to "preserve many people alive." (Gen 50:20. In other words God sweats the details, and He does not let anything good go to waste.. (Zech 4:10)

I wonder what the Lord is doing in your life today to better prepare you to serve Him in the future?  Why don't you ask Him?