Last weekend my church ended a four-week season of thinking about, praying for, and donating money towards the building of our 9th freshwater well in Africa. The weekend was highlighted by two events. On Saturday we invited friends and neighbors and enjoyed an outdoor benefit, "Concert in the Courtyard," with live music and tasty BBQ'd burgers with all the fixings you can imagine. And the children got a bonus of playing on an outdoor playground and zip line.
And then on Sunday our church gathered for a big Wells for Africa Celebration, highlighted by worship music, teaching and the bringing of all our coins to drop in the "Wells for Africa" water jug. Coins came from everywhere--underneath sofas, in cars, in dresser and kitchen drawers, inside Tupperware containers and piggy banks (see picture).
The Sunday celebration will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable weekend services in our church's history! I will never forget the joy on every child's face as we filled the large water jug full to overflowing with coins for the digging of our 9th well. (In coins alone, we raised just under $1,000.) And I will always be grateful and strengthened in my faith when I remember the moving experience of singing "How Great Is Our God" alongside so many friends, as we celebrated God's goodness and his undeniable presence among us that day.
I know Halloween is still a couple days away, but it feels like we got an early jump on the Thanksgiving season!
