BCM employs every available means to bring the Gospel into unreached villages. Each one, whether van teams, education, medical, relief work, Jesus films, or just plain tracts and bullhorn, each plays an important role. Relief work, such as well drilling, carries the double benefit of rescuing those in grinding poverty, as well as creating a welcome for the Gospel, in villages where news of forgiveness in Jesus might otherwise be rejected.

Well drilling has worked well, although it is not done often. It takes a lot of resources and planning up front, and we usually drill a village well when a visiting American team has decided to take it on as their special project.

JESUS WATER;

In most of the world, the need for access to clean water is a daunting need. The lack of clean water is a relentless plague for most of rural Asia, causing disease, infant mortality and endemic poverty. In India, the cast system also rears it’s venomous head over limited water supplies, as lower cast families are commonly forbidden to use village wells, and are forced to walk for miles, to carry back what water they can find.

When the Christians show up and drill a new well anyplace, that well is understood to contain “Jesus water”, and as such, is universally recognized as freely available for even the most despised castes.

“In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand…..” Eccl. 11:6

On July 16, 2010, Ben’s team from Louisiana finally descended on a dusty Tamil village, after many months of careful planning, joining the local BCM pastor from that region, and a visiting staff team from the BCM training center. The twelve Americans had settled on drilling a well in some needy village as their chosen project to redeem their mission trip to India, and now the day had come. An Indian well normally costs one to two thousand dollars, depending on the depth.

“…and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Matthew 5:45

The drilling company advised them to expect to reach water at no less than 300 feet underground, and the drilling began. When they had passed through over 300 feet of dry, solid rock, the team made a decision to pay the crew to keep drilling, in hope of finding good water further down. At 620 feet, they were compelled to quit, with nothing but dust and sorrow to show for all the effort.

“….for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, this or that.”

Eccl. 11:6 b

With pragmatic and sacrificial faith, Ben sent word to Louisiana, requesting that they send additional funds for a second well. Their home church arranged for it to be transferred through our office in Oregon that same hour.

The united team relocated to a nearby spot where water was also a dire necessity, and they solemnly filled the evening with the incremental dust and noise of a second search for subterranean water. As the disciples prayed and the villagers pondered, the well-drilling crew hit a sweet gusher at 170 feet, forever changing the fortunes of the impoverished village, and opening a wide door there for the Gospel, for years to come.