Posts Tagged ‘well’

The story isn’t over yet!

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Sunday, April 21st, 2013

After about 2.5 weeks of well-drilling and reaching 90 feet, the drilling apparatus broke INSIDE the well.  The tube that connects the drill bit to the drill rig snapped about 25 feet down.  Because of the way it broke, there was no way to get the 65 feet of metal tube and the drill bit out with the tools the drilling team had.

The broken tube is visible on the right side of the well shaft.

So, making sure they had tried everything they could, the drill team packed up their equipment and headed home to do maintenance on the drill rig, talk over a plan of action with their boss, and find equipment to extract the broken tubing and drill bit still in the hole.

As of right now, we’ve not heard back from the drilling team as to future plans, but when they left, they assured us they would be back to finish the job!

The well-drillers left the village to do repairs on the rig and to return with better equipment.

Obviously, this is not how WE had planned this.  We had in our minds the plan that we thought would best glorify God and help us. :)   However, from knowing God, we know that this is NOT beyond His control.  We know Him as the Creator of the World, the rocks, the water, etc.  He is the Provider of everything we need, and the Lover of our Souls.  His plan for us and for this community of Nahuatl is infinitely greater than anything WE could dream of, and so we rest and trust Him to work His plan in this situation.

Thanks for praying with us for the Nahuatl, for their salvation, and for water.  Please keep praying!  The needs have not changed!

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Battling…

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Wednesday, March 27th, 2013

Today the well project grew in intensity.  Now it is no longer something that will be a “great blessing” or “filling a great need” in the community.  It is a spiritual battleground.

One of the men of the village recently stopped by to “help” us.  We’ve been battling through hard rock now for many days, not passing through it yet, and not finding water.  There’s been little things that have broken, a hose connection, a stripped bolt – small but vital.

Checking a bolt that is stripped and getting ready to "fix" it with duct tape

Our friend stopped by to help us.  He said, “You know, you’re struggling through the rock, your things are breaking, and your not finding water because you haven’t given an offering to [the territorial spirit that lives on the hill in the middle of the village and rules the community].  If you left a few pesos there, everything will go more quickly, no one will be hurt, the equipment will not break down, and you would find water!”

Another person told us, “It’s not going well for you because you don’t believe like we do!”

Today is also the first of 3 consecutive holy days that the people here “keep” by not working among other things.  We are obviously, and loudly, from the noise of the drilling machine, not “keeping” the days, going against their customs.

The drilling continues

From the people’s perspective, drilling a well is more than just a drilling machine grinding through rock.  It is about the spiritual world, and success is dependent on your allegiance to those powers. The community is watching but expecting failure.

The people are a little shy, but are excited to see the well process is we accompany them.

Our allegiance is not to some territorial spirit or a plastic idol paraded around town during these “holy days”.  Our allegiance is to the CREATOR of ALL the earth, the rocks, the ground, the water, and the spirits.  He is the ALMIGHTY GOD, the ONE TRUE GOD.

We are praying that He would glorify Himself and magnify Himself here in our small village.  We are praying that the well rig will burst through the rock and that there would be LOTS of water.  We are praying that God would show Himself POWERFUL, and that ALL the people here would see and know that our God is greater than their gods.

Will you pray with us?

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Two steps forward, One step back

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Friday, February 1st, 2013

I recently read “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps”  as I was reading through Proverbs on my way through the Bible.  I think God is especially teaching us that He is in control and that His timing and His plans are best.  I’ve written several times about our well project – about how excited we were when God provided over $20,000 in the space of a few months.  We figured clean water was right around the corner.

Then, after plans with two drillers fell through, we realized that God’s timing and His plan was not ours.  We ran out of time in the spring of 2012 to drill before rainy season.  We got in touch with another driller and looked forward to winter of 2012 when they committed to drill our well.  The final date was set for January.

At the last minute, January re-scheduled to February.  Now, the February date has been cancelled, and we haven’t gotten word yet about March.

In faith, Pete Hypki and Ben finish the water storage holes necessary for the drilling process.

Please pray with us for God’s timing.  We’re completely and totally dependent on God, for the right drillers at the right time and for there to be water within drilling depth in our area.  Please pray for us, also, for peace and patience as we wait, that we might model godly testimonies before the Nahuatl who watch our every move.

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Well update

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Monday, May 7th, 2012

Over a year ago, we presented the idea of a well to the community for approval and permission.  They wholeheartedly approved as water is a big necessity here.

Then, we told people about the need and God raised over $20,000 for the project in just a few months.

At the same time, we contacted another mission agency to the north who drills wells.  After a bit of dialogue, that fell through.

So, we contacted a private driller on the coast close to us.  We met him through a friend.  Once we had all the money, we contacted him again to work out details and dates for drilling.  When he didn’t respond, my co-worker stopped by his office a few weeks ago and found out that he was no longer working at that job.

So, now with rainy season just a few weeks away, we are communicating with a third driller.  They are an organization farther south in Mexico that works with the government to drill wells in small communities who need clean water.  But, there’s not time before the rains begin and before the roads become impassable to complete the necessary paperwork and get all the equipment up there to drill.

So, at this point, we’re hoping to work it out to drill sometime after the rains end.  Maybe during the winter!  Please pray with us about this need!

Hauling water

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Clean water is on its’ way!

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Tuesday, March 6th, 2012

God has provided 100% of our goal for drilling a well!  Through many different people and churches in the last 6 months, we have received gifts that total over 20,000 USD!

Soon, we will have running water, instead of spending hours each week hauling water.

We have scheduled a hydrologist to travel into our village to make a scientific study of where we’ll drill, how far we need to drill, and what material we will be drilling through.  The driller will also accompany him, and hopefully at that time we can schedule a date in May for the drilling to begin!

Soon, clean drinking water will be available in Las Moras.

We thank GOD and we thank YOU who have sacrificially given so that there is a reliable source of clean water in the village.

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Needed: Clean Water

Posted by Rachel Chapman on Sunday, October 23rd, 2011
We hope to provide clean drinking water for the village and a source of running water for us.

In Las Moras, Mexico, the Nahuatl people have few options for water. Some haul it from a nearby stream where people also bathe and wash laundry. Some haul it from small, dirty springs that are often muddied by livestock. Some gather it from puddles when it rains. None of them have access to clean water, and many suffer from water-borne illnesses like typhoid and dysentery.

When we began working in Las Moras, we immediately identified clean water as one of the community’s critical needs. The remote location, depth and size of the well, and equipment needed to provide clean water placed an early cost estimate at $20,000. We are now earnestly seeking funds with the hope of raising enough money to drill the well in May 2012. The goal is to make clean water available for all the people who live there, including our team.

Would you pray with us that God would provide the money for the well?  Would you also pray that God would use us to show His Love to the community?

Would you like to help finance a well for Las Moras?

Call New Tribes Mission’s Finance Office at 1-866-547-2460 to donate with a credit card.  Specify your gift is for the Mexico Fund – Well Project.

OR, send a check made out to New Tribes Mission to

New Tribes Mission
1000 East First Street
Sanford, Florida 32771

with a note saying it is for “the Mexico Fund – Well Project”

Either way, you will receive a tax-deductible receipt. THANK YOU!

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