There is Water; There is Room

^{Genesis 26: 17-18 (The Message) "}So Isaac left. He camped in the valley of Gerar and settled down there. Isaac dug again the wells which were dug in the days of his father Abraham but had been clogged up by the Philistines after Abraham's death. And he renamed them, using the original names his father had given them".


It's been over a year in the making and "remaking" of the well at the Nazareth House Apostolate Compound on the way to Ismaia in Kabala, Sierra Leone.   But today, there is water - fresh, clean water.  

All of us at NHA - The NHA Board of Directors, the Staff in Sierra Leone, the beautiful people we serve, and especially  Pa Foday, James, Seraphim and I want to thank everyone for the combined effort to make this very important project a functioning reality.  

Pa Foday shows Mama Fatu the newly finished well! 

This is big! and you are all such a huge part of its accomplishment.   

Thank You!  Tenki! Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated.  God bless you all. 

James draws fresh water from the NHA Well of Rehoboth 

During the Rebel Attacks, many of the wells of Kabala were destroyed.  So, like Isaac, we have to reestablish the wells.    

The well that we rejoice over today, is vital to the survival of the people in the area near our NHA Compound and NHA School.   





As it was Isaac's top priority, it is also ours at NHA.  Hagar saw a well in the desert, so she was able to quench the thirst of Ishmael.  



We now have a working well where there was none, where the waters were dry and now we are able to quench the thirst of  Ismaia (Ishmael) Road (The name of the dirt pathway in which our compound and school reside).  


^{Genesis 26:19-24 (The Message)} "One day, as Isaac's servants were digging in the valley, they came on a well of spring water. The shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's shepherds, claiming, "This water is ours." So Isaac named the well Esek (Quarrel) because they quarreled over it. They dug another well and there was a difference over that one also, so he named it Sitnah (Accusation). He went on from there and dug yet another well. But there was no fighting over this one so he named it Rehoboth (Wide-Open Spaces), saying, "Now God has given us plenty of space to spread out in the land." From there he went up to Beersheba. That very night God appeared to him and said,

   I am the God of Abraham your father;
      don't fear a thing because I'm with you.
   I'll bless you and make your children flourish
      because of Abraham my servant."

In honor of Abraham and Isaac, we name this well at the NHA Compound and School:  The Well of Rehoboth, Kabala, Sierra Leone - for there is room, "wide open spaces" - the access is no longer restricted.  

We do so because the well was not built in a selfish manner, for there were many who participated in making it happen.  

It was not built for NHA's private use only but for all of us - those living in the area - along with the school and compound. 

Community means "fellowship with others, a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals; a group of people living together in one place, esp. one practicing common ownership attitudes".  This is what NHA is - community, not only at St. Simeon Skete but also here in Kabala. 

Wells in the Bible are linked with a long history of Grace.  The Biblical wells are not only reservoirs of indispensable refreshment but places where charity comes into play and where union of souls begins to take shape.  (Genesis 24: 11-20; 62; Ex. 2:16-21; Jn 4:6; etc.)

As we take joy in the digging, completion, and functioning of this well, we should also consider reestablishing many of the wells our forefathers dug in order to survive spiritually.  We must first consider the well of ongoing prayer in our lives.  It is the most powerful force around us, providing God the space to intervene in the affairs of our lives, yet... and yet,  it is the most unused and neglected source of strength around us.   God doesn't work apart from prayer.   If the well of prayer is not freely flowing in our life, we must re-open it.  Martin Luther said, “If I neglect prayer but a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith.” Isaac re-dug the wells of his father. Let us do the same in our own lives.

Report: Completion of the Well at the Compound: What it is going to take to get the job done.

A March 10th email to Mama Vicki from James Mansaray:

The Mansaray Family a few weeks ago in Freetown.   

Dear Mama Vicki,

Good morning and thanks for the phone call yesterday. I had been keeping busy as usual even though donations and post deliveries are a bit slow but we are doing what we can.  

NHA School Kids send their greetings & love to you!  (©2012 NHA all rights reserved)

The kids are on exams so that makes all of us to be very involved with activities. The teachers are doing extremely well and happy. 

Did you ever send the report cards? We are indeed in need of them asap. Sad that post is very slow these days. 

Sorry for keeping you waiting on the well report due to reasons beyond my control. Yesterday I finally got the men to check it up again. Here is the estimate we came up with and it contains the materials we need to bring it to a finish. It might take us till April ending but it will be good if we start now before the Rainy Season begins. 

They say Cholera is on the outbreak in some part of Salone making it scary for lot of people but we are ok here for now.

Materials to Complete the Well:

1.       Forty six bags of cement needed to cover up lining walls, Centre for culvert,head walls and Apron A bag of cement is Le. 45,000 (forty five thousand leones ) bringing us to a total of Le. 1, 980,000 ( one million nine hundred and eighty thousand leones).

2.       One trip sand and one trip granite stone Le. 600,000 ( Six hundred thousand leones)

3.       Sixty pieces of 1length iron rod at Le. 15,000 (fifteen thousand leones each) bring us to a total of Le. 900,000( Nine hundred thousand leones).

4.        2 role Binding wire ( One hundred thousand leones)

5.       Still cover for the top  (One hundred thousand  leones

6.       Hand pump ( Three million leones) The need for it is to let other people like the area neighbors, the school to fetch water without having to walk to the stream. Water from the well will run straight to the tank which we will build at the back of the compound.

7.       Mole rental for concrete work ( Four hundred thousand leones) but I might borrow it to some people here in Kabala.

8.       Adding it up all, we will get a grand total of Seven million and eighty thousand Leones. The workers  were already paid their labor by Anthony (the general contractor)  so we owe them nothing! and there is already a tank in store. We just have to prepare food everyday as the work is going on. Sorry it looks a bit more than what we expect but this is it. I hope this help. March till April ending will be ok so let’s see what we can do.

Thanks for all.

----James 


Note: Please don't panic, 7,800,000 leones is equivalent to 

$1,775 in USDollar.   

We have $500 already in for this project 

which leaves us $1275 to raise 

as soon as possible.

The faster we can raise the money, the quicker we can get the project started and provide water for the NHA Compound, School and area neighbors.   

We have already paid the workers for their labor through the funds we paid 

the general contractor last year when the NHA Compound was being built.  The expenditures to complete the well are all material costs except for the daily feeding of the workers.   

IT IS IMPERATIVE that we complete this project by the end of April.  This means we need to buy the materials ASAP (NOW)  in order to finish before the rains set in. 

We'd appreciate your financial assistance in providing water for NHA Compound which in turn provides water for the community and our school.  Thank you. 

Kadijah & Baby Vicki.   Notice those big cheeks on that baby girl! 

NOTE TO JAMES:  Baby Vicki looks so much like your mother, Mama Fatu!