By Gary Preston
An hour’s drive east of central Kolkata we arrived at the village of Kalagachia. This small village was the site for the dedication of a brand new fresh water well and church building. The water will supply the needs of at least 300 villagers and the new church building is the only one within 15 kilometers. There is no way you could find this village except with someone who knew the way. There are hundreds of narrow roads that all look the same, with people, animals and vehicles of every kind filling the streets. The combination of honking horns and all the unique smells made the journey truly special.
Young men playing drums and the smiling faces of many children, villagers and the local officials greeted us upon arrival. The new water well is located right next to the new church, which we feel was so appropriate. The well to bring and sustain the physical lives of these precious people and the church to bring and sustain their spiritual lives through Christ Jesus. What an honor and privilege this day has been for my two traveling companions, David Wessler who is our German office director, Adel and me. It was an honor to be able dedicate this well and pray for God’s favor and blessing upon this village on behalf of the Healing Place Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana who partnered with Hand of Hope in this project.
As we walked back to the minibus more and more villagers continued to stream in to celebrate this special day dressed in their best clothes. Bad water is by far and away the number one cause of disease in India. What a blessing to know, this threat has been greatly reduced for these people. Thank you partners for helping make this all possible.
Hand of Hope is the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. Our goal is simply to help as many hurting people as we possibly can, to alleviate human suffering and to help Christians grow in their faith.
