The well pump is now installed and the first water has been pumped from the well!  This is a huge blessing for the community and for Heartline.  Why Heartline?  Heartline built five houses for families on this land and were looking to complete it with building a community well (for all around the area) and a community toilet (not sure the proper way to say that).  Living Water was willing to provided the well.  I found out during the ceremony that a man donate all the money for the well to be built in Haiti.  He has since passed away after having terminal cancer. His wife was able to take some initial pumps of the first water drawn.  It was a very special moment for her as this was her husbands last dying wish.  What a great impact this will have on the community in Corail, Haiti.  Before Women (mostly) would have to carry water from miles away.  Think how much water weighs.

To show appreciation and thanks, the community children sang a couple songs.  Since you actually can’t drink the initial water drawn from the well then they used it to clean people’s feet.  They initially cleaned the feet of members of the community but one of the guys gave Melissa a little wash 🙂

Videos

Singing Songs

Singing Songs

First Water Pumped from well.

Washing of Feet

This made me think of the example of Jesus.  The verses about washing each others feet has become more realistic while living in Haiti.

First let me explain.  Coming from Minnesota, I only wear sandals in the summer days.  So we are talking about a good, full, quality, three total days :-D.  In Haiti, I have worn sandals every single day. Looking around I see many others also wearing sandals.

The problem is that you feet get chalk full of dust and dirt.  It takes some major scrubbing to get your feet clean after being out during the day.  You don’t even need to be walking in mud.  Just from the sand off the road.  This made me think about John 13.

⁵ He poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.”

¹² After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked,“Do you understand what I was doing?¹³You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. ¹⁴And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. ¹⁵I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. ¹⁶I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. ¹⁷Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Why would he do this?  This must be one of the must humbling jobs you could ask someone to do.  I hardly want to look at my own feet, let alone clean someone else’s feet.  It makes me think, he must have loved the disciples so much. He wanted to demonstrates how important it is to treat each other with the same type of humility and love.  Jesus was taking on the job of the lowest servant.  How many of us would volunteer for the lowest level task or assignment at work?  Would I volunteer for it?

It is a good reminder of how important it is for us to be servants to the guests and others. Really being servants to the Haitian people. These are brothers and sisters and it is important to wash them with humility, love, and help meet any needs with only the humblest servant sacrificial attitude.