Imagine that you’ve never seen running water.
Many children at Petals of Hope Academy in Liberia never had. Even some of the adults couldn’t believe it when they first saw water “running out of the wall,” in the ministry’s compound. Everyone gathered to celebrate—singing, dancing, and praising the Lord.
The next school day a teacher wondered what was keeping her students from returning to class after being excused to use the newly built restroom. She went to look.
An amusing sight greeted her in the restroom: a group of several young ladies huddled together, moving their heads in sync with the water as they flushed the toilet over and over again.
When parents arrived to pick up their children later that day and saw the water system, one mother said, “My daughter is more civilized than I am.” Several parents wept at the wonderful privileges their daughters were enjoying at the school: running water, a purification system to provide clean drinking water, and flushing toilets.
Through ANM, donors helped provide the plumbing system, and a church team from the Point in Charlottesville, Virginia, helped install it. One man on the team, Julius, was a plumber. He worked diligently during the 10-day trip to finish work on a well, a water tower, and the pipes to move water around the school and guest house. A Liberian plumber worked with him, and other members of the visiting team pitched in as needed.
The well is open to people from the community outside the ministry compound and this will be a great benefit. When a medical team held a one-day clinic, they saw 200 people and most were dehydrated. ANM’s Africa regional director, Tony Weedor, explained, “When you have to carry water for even 15-minutes, you are careful how much you drink.” (Tony’s wife, Beth, is pictured above, trying out a new water spigot.) This clean, local water will help with the hydration problem and bring better health.
As the people wait in line for water, they talk about the well, how it came to be there, the team who installed the pump and water lines, and Jesus, who seems to be at the center of it all. Thanks to the generosity of Christians like you, this community will be changed forever.
