Drilling Diary - Day One

Well, we made it.  We were a little bedraggled as we made our way off the plane, but at least we were still upright as we made our way off the plane. Out of the 25 total pieces of checked luggage, 24 made it all the way to Blantyre, Malawi. While there was nothing critical in the missing bag, it would still be nice to have everything. Please pray that the last bag arrives soon, safely and intact.

Our primary objective in Malawi is to drill water wells and install the Access 2.0 hand pumps. Our primary well site is at the Bodza Feeding Center. The Bodza Feeding Center is a ministry partner of the Gregorys and it is financed and operated through Bridge to Malawi. Our team that came in November led some VBS-type activities for the 200 kids who are fed each day by the camp’s director, Jordan Dowbush, and his staff.

Just eight months later and the feeding center now feeds 303 orphans. With so many children, access to fresh water becomes even more critical when preparing and serving so much food on a daily basis, not to mention hygiene and sanitation issues. So, we’re digging.

The first day did not start so well. We had some issues with some poor grade square metal tubing. It’s not that there is better square tubing to purchase, it’s just that what is available is poor quality. In the course of about five hours of work we dug about seven feet. We certainly were not setting any speed records.

After some discussion, we decided that we would have to go back to Blantyre and manufacture some solutions on our own. So, after dinner, the five guys on the team went out to the garage and cut pipe, drill through galvanized steel and just have some male bonding time. Most everybody else on our team is quite skilled and proficient on power tools…I am not. And yet everyone used their unique skills and giftedness to accomplish as a team the task that had to be done.

Now at any point, all of this could have come to a screeching halt if even one person had allowed their ego to get in the way. But that didn’t happen. Everyone shared their opinions, we discussed the best solutions and everybody agreed on what must be done and the division of labor. We humbled ourselves to one another and set aside our own agendas for the accomplishment of a greater goal.

As I observed what was going on – I had been asked by this point to stay away from the power tools – I realized that I was watching in microcosm how the body of Christ was designed to operate. None of us are identically gifted. Everyone is gifted with different abilities, strengths, and weakness, all to be used in harmony with one another for one task: to glorify God and proclaim Jesus as Lord.

Just like our little work team, the work of the Kingdom can often be derailed by our egos. We decide that we want to have positions of greater prominence within our church, we may have our feelings hurt and sulk if we don’t receive the recognition that we think we are entitled to, we put our own personal agendas ahead of the purpose and mission of the church. Unfortunately, there is no church, small group or ministry that is immune to this type of distraction and conflict at some point in time.

Examine your involvement in your local church. Ask yourself why do you serve? Out of a need to appease your own guilty conscience? For recognition? Are you even serving? If not, why not? Jesus clearly teaches us that one of the traits he desires most to see developed in his followers is servanthood. Serving others because we see people as Jesus sees them. We serve others as a means of serving Christ and being obedient to his teachings and commands. But a close second is unity among the body. Jesus also teaches that the world will know that we are his disciples by our love for one another.

So, are you a team player? Do you swallow your pride so that Christ will get the greater glory? What are your core beliefs about your role in the body of Christ? Maybe it’s time for you to examine why you do what you do.

Soli Deo gloria.

Michael