From The Chapel, Akron, Ohio Website:
“Our Christ-centered, holistic ministry gained momentum in November 2006. A team of eight taught the Bible to many Bible-illiterate church leaders and served in very practical ways such as health education. Chapel representatives met with village leaders and learned of their biggest health need—water. The village wells yield only brackish water. And, in just a year, 32 women and children were killed by crocodiles in the nearby river while collecting the only potable water available. Added to the problem, severe waterborne diseases in the river threaten the population. Upon return, the team led The Chapel’s congregation to give $25,000 for a pump, a two-mile pipeline, and storage tanks so clean water would no longer be a concern.
“With great delight, as of Summer, 2010, The Chapel has provided four clean water stations in Chaimite (serving 1000 families), with all of the water pumped from the Limpopo River (no more crocodiles or waterborne diseases!!). Three water stations exist in Koka-Misava (serving 1500 families), with one station drawing water from a solar-powered well and the other two from another well–all water from deep, clean aquifers).
“The two villages have a history of some Christianity mixed with a large dose of animism and witch doctors. Either no understanding or a warped concept of Jesus and the Gospel is the norm in southern Mozambique. However, Chapel teams, in cooperation with on-the-ground World Relief personnel and others committed to Christ and sound doctrine, have been able to teach the Gospel widely to adults, youth and children. There is a growing embrace of Christ and his Word. Physical water has saved many lives, but our prayer is that the living water of Christ Jesus will quench the thirst of those who are spiritually parched. ”
Each water station is staffed by a person who collects a small fee for each container of water. The community water committee handles the funds and uses them to maintain the water stations and pay the staffers. In Chaimite the fund grew and they decided to build another water station themselves. They dug 3,600 feet of trench to lay the pipe and paid $10,500 for the materials and labor to do this.
The team from The Chapel that was visiting was invited to the dedication, October 4, 2011. The village was very grateful to The Chapel for providing the seed money for the first water stations and to World Relief for organizing the construction of the stations. This has led to a sustainable water project for this village of 9,000 people. They are taking responsibility to meet the needs in their community with their own funds. It is a good example of giving a hand-up so people can help themselves instead of making people continually dependent on hand-outs.
During the dedication they sang a song that speaks of the water of life that satisfies and quenches thirst. It is living water and we will never be thirsty again. A skit was presented of women collecting water at the river and being attacked by a crocodile. They are so grateful that now they can get clean water close to home and without this danger. The community leader expressed deep appreciation to The Chapel and World Relief for bringing this resource to Chaimite and for helping the community to begin reproducing water stations. They spoke of The Chapel and WR being the “grandparents” seeing this new “child” born. No celebration would be complete without singing, dancing and presenting capulanas and scarves. It was a very joyful day in the village of Chaimite.
You can view more pictures of Chaimite and Koka Misava here: http://www.youtube.com/user/mjsm1th?blend=22&ob=5#p/u/0/HwXyDzGDpg0 This was a trip two years ago but some of the same people returned this time.
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