Tom and I signed up for a training class to learn how to repair water wells/pumps through our new friends at LWI. The class was held north of Houston and lasted for 4 days. I was the only girl there in a class of 14 guys! We got to wear hard hats, and leather gloves and handle big, heavy tools-arrgh argghh!! We had to diagnose why the pump wasn't working, completely disassembled 12 different types of water pumps, fix them and put them back together again. (The instructors would 'break' them during the night) They did this three different times-so we got plenty of hands on experience fixing all 12 types of pumps.
The instructors were great guys-and we really learned a lot from them. Every morning we met at 7:30 for devotions, then breakfast, and then out into the hot Texas sun all day until 5pm. Then dinner, an evening class on different topics like water testing and chlorination of water, and then fall asleep exhausted until the next morning. The guys were great-they all treated me like I had a brain and was not just the 'token girl' and I got to handle the pipes and c clamps and get dirty like everyone else!
LWI trains people to go out into areas of the world and fix the water wells that are in disrepair.
The thing that struck me the most, was their constant admonishment to us to be culturally sensitive and respectful of the people we were there to help. And also the possible life and
death consequences of what we were doing with these wells. If we accidentally drop something down the shaft, or are not able to repair it- we can just get in our truck and be on our way, knowing that "oh well, we tried". But for the people left behind, they have no water-and very likely some of their elderly or small children will die. This thought was very sobering to us, and reinforced the gravity of what we are attempting to do.
The men who came to LWI Pump Repair Camp were from all over the country, and had a variety of reasons for being there. Some were preparing for mission work like Tom and I.
Some had already been on a water-mission trip with LWI and wanted to learn more.
Some came only because God laid it on their heart to come-but have no idea why or what God may be leading them into.....and that is what is so exciting about all this I think.
Ordinary people, like you and I, if we open ourselves up to be willing-there is no telling where God will lead us! What an adventure! What a privilege!
The next step of our training will be LWI Drilling Camp in September. I can't wait to drill down and strike water and have it gush up out of the earth all over us! Now THAT will be a blast!
