| Welcome to the Myra’s Wells Newsletter January 2023 |
To read this newsletter:
- Simply scroll down to read the full newsletter;
- OR click this link to download a printable A4 version;
- OR use the index below (click on the headings) to read it section by section.
| Introduction |
We hope that you are enjoying a happy time over the Christmas period! It is a time to remember that God demonstrated His love to the world in such a wonderful way. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman ..” (Galatians 4:4).
It is that love of God towards us that drives the work of Myra’s Wells. The provision of clean water in places where there is none – or where there is just not enough – is our way of sharing God’s love with many people.
Thank you for your support in this venture! As funds are available, we will continue into this New Year and pray that many will see beyond the physical water to the living water that leads to true life.
| Summary of projects in 2022 |
2022 has been a remarkable year! The Lord’s provision has been truly amazing. Funds have been made available that have enabled us to complete 49 major projects. 47 of these were new boreholes; another one was a conversion of a handpump at an existing borehole to solar powered pump and water tower; and the other was a major renovation at a village where a solar powered pump and water tower (fitted by another agency) had developed a major fault.
By the end of the year, there were 272 projects on the Wells List (click here to view the full list).
| New boreholes with water towers |
Of the 47 new boreholes, half, have been fitted with solar powered pumps and a water tower. Some of these are in the Ouagadougou area where the population has been swelled immensely by “Internally Displaced Persons” fleeing violence in other areas. Here are photos of just three of them.
Busy water tower at Tengandogo
And another busy water tower – at Boassa this time.
At Zinguédéssé, children from the nearby school are enjoying the water. The water tower here is part of the project undertaken on behalf of Rotary International.
| New boreholes with hand pumps |
The remainder of the new boreholes have been finished with traditional hand pumps. In less densely populated areas, hand pumps are still more than adequate – and they make the funds go further as well. Here are just a few photos from these projects.
Jenny and Peter’s well at Monomtenga
A donkey cart waiting patiently at the new well at Tébourou. With all those containers to fill, it could take a while!
Well blessing at Boassa Ypala
| Recent wells and stories |
Here are pictures and a little bit about some of the places that have received new wells in the last 12 months – and one place where we chose not to drill.
| The generous spirit at Pefrou |
Pefrou is well number 258. The borehole there was a good one making 6000 litres of water sustainably available every hour! It was an obvious candidate for a water tower and we were debating whether to take this option. However, as we debated, an email arrived from the pastor there (via Christine). He said that he knew of four other villages where they needed a well and he said Pefrou would rather have a hand pump so that we could help some of these other places.
That is very kind of the people there. A water tower would have been much easier for them to use. We have the details of two of the other four villages and expect details from the remaining two soon. Then we will decide which ones we should help.
Here are pictures of the new pump at Pefrou. The lady in the first picture is cleaning the pump area. This is pleasing to see!
Later, we then heard again from the pastor. You should bear in mind that, by “members”, he means “people attending”. Here is what he said:
“We thank God for the well at Pefrou. We praise his name. We also thank those who help by giving their money so that our life can be changed.
You have been so good to us; God also. I am happy to share with you the goodness of the well at Pefrou.”
He told us that, before the well, there were about 190 “members” including 130 children. After the well, there are now about 255 “members” including 190 children. He goes on to say:
“Today we have 255 members in the church
The well has reconciled the village – there is no conflict among them because they all met at the well and talk together.
We have some new born again who cannot come to church because they are from strong Muslims families and they are badly treated so pray for them.
35 among the new born again are taking courses to be baptised very soon.”
| Well Blessing at Sankuy |
It is becoming more difficult for the church at Ouagadougou to organise Well Blessing meetings. This is partly because of the increased security problems and partly because the minibus, that Myra’s Wells sent out in a container several years ago, is no longer reliable. However, in May, a Well Blessing was possible at Sankuy.
Here are some of the photos that were taken on that occasion.
These first two are a reminder that water is needed for more than just drinking. The pastor’s wife has washing to do and growing crops is important too.
These photos from the same Well Blessing are reminders of other things too. The pastor at Pefrou (above) talked about the well bringing the community together. Here are local people, some from Ouagadougou, small children and the Imam from the local mosque, all enjoying the new clean water.
| Not all places need new wells! |
We received a request from Adulum for a well. Jeremy, one of our Trustees, was in Ouagadougou in September and he visited the village to assess how great the need was for a new well. (Although the application forms, photos and videos give us a lot of information, personal visits are best when this is possible.)
He found there was a good well here already – a foot operated one. Another well would, perhaps, be useful, but there are other places with greater need than here. We take a lot of care to ensure that we drill where the people are worst off. (Christine must get very frustrated by the questions we keep asking her, but she never complains!)
Jeremy was amused by the teddy bears waiting patiently in the corner while the girls filled their containers at this existing well.
| Banfora CSPS (Clinic) |
We have mentioned this project before. Another Christian charity working with pastors and churches in Burkina Faso is Jacob’s Well (although they don’t drill wells). They asked if we could help them to provide a well at a clinic at Banfora. Jacob’s Well paid for the drilling and Myra’s Wells paid for the water tower. We have had the following photos and a report from Jacob’s Well’s worker at Banfora:
Hello beloved of God,
Infinite thanks for the thought and for all that you do for us.
By the grace of God, except insecurity all is well. The clinic works very well.
There is great satisfaction for the borehole which supplies the clinic directly and the families who are close, and often women come from afar to collect the water because the flow is very good; night and day, the women and children take away the water, especially since we preferred to give the water free and hired our association for maintenance in the event of a breakdown. We have created a management committee that involves all the neighbouring families and even the people in charge of the mosque next door, which has a tap that we have installed in the courtyard. We did this for the promotion of social cohesion and above all divine Love without distinction.
The head of the borehole management committee is the imam of the mosque, who brings the neighbours together and raises awareness about hygiene around the taps.
For the clinic we have gathered the necessary to start the construction of the pharmaceutical depot in December. Our procedure: a contractor draws up the estimate, we start gathering the construction materials (aggregate, cement and iron), and we find a serious mason who will start the work. We find it always works out cheaper.
For the closing we put in prayer and we will see after the end of the work for the pharmaceutical deposit.
At the same time I am sending you pictures of the well.
Say hello to MYRA’S WELLS friends.
May the Lord strengthen you!
| Prayer before drilling |
Gondrin is a village near to Tenkodogo in the south east of Burkina Faso. Christine arranged for someone to visit Gordrin to assess the need. He told us it was the most needy of four villages he went to. Myra’s Wells arranged for drilling in November. It was pleasing to see this picture of a prayer meeting before drilling commenced. God is gracious. The borehole was positive. There are no pictures yet of the finished well but we trust they will come soon.
| Planning meeting in Ouagadougou |
We often think that the UK end of Myra’s Wells has the easy part! The part that Christine (and everyone involved in Burkina Faso) have is the difficult part. Arranging drilling means coordinating the surveyor, drilling contractor, water testing, supply and installation of the pump (and water tower if appropriate), and building the well surrounds etc. It is a lot to ask volunteers to do and we are hugely grateful to all involved.
These photos were taken at the meeting in November where Christine and Michel met all those who would be involved to plan wells in the north and south east.
| Visit to Burkina in January |
Eddie, together with our local supporter Geoff, is expecting to visit Burkina Faso in January. In the current political and security climate, please pray that they will be able to do the things that are planned – and that they will be kept safe in their travels.
| Lydia’s wedding |
In the newsletter last January, we introduced you to Lydia who is the full time bookkeeper and administrator in Ouagadougou. This January, we want to congratulate her on her wedding which took place on 12th November. We pray that she and her husband, Roland, will be a bright testimony to the Lord and that they will know the Lord’s blessing together as they set up home together.
| Prayer points |
- Praise for the wells that have been drilled recently and all who have become Christians as a result of wells drilled;
- Prayer that they will be a witness to God’s greater blessing of salvation through faith and by grace;
- Prayer for safety for the drilling teams in areas where security is not guaranteed;
- Prayer for safety of Christine and her helpers based in Ouagadougou;
- Prayer for Eddie and Geoff’s visit to Burkina in January.