Water Games in Kinshasa

I just returned from my latest trip to Kinshasa to confer with our staff there. The night I arrived, I made sure we bought drinking water on our way to the guest house. After the staff prayed with me and left for the evening, I went to turn on the faucet to wash up. Nothing. I thought the water must be turned off on the outside of the house. In the morniing I went out to turn it on. The handle was gone, so I had to wait until the staff arrived. "Oh yea," they said. "There's no water in this part of the city. Here we have to buy wash water." I had not planned for that in my very tight budget, and I was not happy to hear it, but what could I do? I sent some staff to buy wash water for me.

Now that water was very precious, so I had to use it carefully. That night, I was able to wash my hair in about a quart of water and catch the runoff, using the same water to bathe, sponge style. I was able to catch most of that, too. I ran into trouble, though, when it came to using that same quart of water for flushing the toilet. A quart just didn't cut it.

Fortunately, after four days, the water began to run in a drizzle from the faucet. I was able to use the tubs I used for suitcases to transport supplies. Got both of them filled and never had to buy wash water again, although I had to always be thinking about keeping my reserves filled.

On my way to reconfirm my return ticket three days before leaving, we went by the offices of the main water company. On their beautifully manicured front lawn there is a huge statue of an African woman pouring an endless stream of fresh water from her bucket. I had to laugh at the symbolism. Endless water for the city? It appears to me that the woman's bucket is the only one in the whole city that has an endless supply of water.

No, Jesus has an endless supply of truly satisfying water for all who believe in Him. After ten days in Kinshasa, I realize more than ever how valuable that is.