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July 19-30, 2023 - Guest Writer: Fountains of Hope Board Member and Kenya Trip #1 Team Member Betsy Binkholder
I recently returned from my second trip to Africa with Fountains of Hope and continue to marvel at how richly these experiences have blessed me. In addition to installing the water purification systems that bring life-changing, lifesaving, clean, safe water to the schools and communities we install them in, the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with the residents, especially the children, causes my heart to soar.
Our team installed two purification systems on this trip, including an extra tank to capture and retain the rainwater, which will be pumped into the FoH purifier tanks. We trucked water in to fill them initially because the area is in its dry season.
We were also blessed with the opportunity to provide health and hygiene training in two schools, where we helped the children understand how germs are spread and the importance of wearing shoes, shielding their coughs, and washing their hands. We told them how the water purifiers we installed would help eliminate the spread of some deadly diseases that threaten their community. We left school supplies and hand soap for their washing stations. At the smaller school, we gave each of the 200 students their own pencil, eraser, sharpener, and bracelet that said, “Jesus Loves You.” The elation that they expressed over receiving such simple possessions was priceless.
We visited a girl’s orphanage where the girls were so excited to receive bright-colored socks, bandanas, bracelets, and rings from us. We were thrilled to accompany them to a Giraffe Sanctuary and Amusement Park as well. Seeing the pure joy in their expressions as they received our simple gifts and explored these venues was a blessing.
I pray that our presence and loving attention will reflect Christ's love for them beyond the trinkets we gave them and even the clean water we provide. I pray they will hold these memories in their heart for a lifetime and that it will provide them with a sense of pride and inflate their self-worth by knowing that in addition to the small group of Americans that visited them, there are hundreds more people across the globe who love them and care enough about them to give money to fund the systems we installed and the gifts that we left them.
There is so much more that could be done for every individual we met, but I am grateful for what we did for them and pray that it will have a more powerful and positive impact on their lives than we can hope or imagine.
I thank every one of you who gives towards the projects of Fountains of Hope and the teams that travel to share the love of Christ and provide life-sustaining water to those who are so much less fortunate.
If you would like to join Fountains of Hope on a future trip, or you'd like to support a specific trip, you can find out more at FountainsOfHope.org!