Bobby, Joseph, Mike, Mindy, Audra and Eric Leonard The drilling crew.....

Upon landing in Kenya we learned the permit had not been acquired for the drilling and worse yet the paperwork had not even been filed! In Kenya it takes 2 – 3 weeks to obtain a permit to drill. So, it appeared that all hope was lost until a kind gentleman from the Ministry of Water showed up at the Kingdom Kids Rescue Centre to help! That was a blessing in disguise. He went further to help us and even had his car totaled in a wreck trying to help us get the permit. We finally did get verbal approval to drill. So on Wednesday we began the drilling in Namanga. The permit did come through later.

On our way to Namanga we heard it was extremely dry there and food was in great need so we stopped at a grocery store and bought tons of bread and milk to give out at the well site. Thank you Eric for your generous donation of grub for the hungry!

Eric handing out bread and milkAudra handing out bread and loving on the babies

Bread and milk for all

It was a long agonizing week as we waited and waited for water. Bobby and Eric busied themselves cutting a road all the way to the back of the property where the drill site was! Clearing acacia stumps and thorns to keep flat tires to a minimum was a tedious task.

Eric was such a trooper on the chainsaw. Go Eric!

At 150 meters when we were supposed to be in water there was still nothing but dust coming from the ground. Finally at 170 meters we hit some water but decided to go deeper to see if we couldn’t get a little more. We finally stopped drilling at 202 meters and were making no more water. The decision was made to come back in the morning and see if enough water was in the hole to case. So, the next morning after continual prayers all night long we returned to find approximately 5 gpm being made by the well! We were so encouraged and decided to case it and proceed with the finalization of this borehole.

Smiling faces as they learn we have water!

The kids all love Audra!

Bobby and Eric celebrating the final drilling!

On Saturday evening we began our preparation for the upcoming celebration and the first service of the Hill Country Bible Church Namanga. At the well site we found a whole crew of Maasai ready and eager to help. We held a prayer vigil and some neighborhood girls serenaded us with Maasai praise songs. We quickly deemed them to be our choir for the next morning as they held their first “choir practice”! The next morning they all appeared bringing with them approximately 50 more local Maasai for the first service and well dedication.

Local children sing for the well dedication

During the church service I couldn’t help but once again be intrigued by the shoes the Maasai wore. Used tires cut into shoes. Those who had them were blessed while still others had no shoes at all!

Men’s dress shoes……..

Women’s dress shoes…..

7 Maasai accepting Christ at the Tree Church

As we worshipped under the acacia tree aka “tree church” 7 local Maasai accepted Christ as their savior. It was a tremendous day! What a blessing. We also had over 30 people from Hill Country Bible Church Nairobi and Hill Country Bible Church Nyanza in attendance. The local counselor “governor” donated 2 goats for the occasion and the entire congregation feasted on roasted goat! What a celebration it was!

First tree church service – HCBC Namanga

That evening as we headed back to Nairobi I reflected on the day and was full of joy at what God had done. It was a long week but fruitful all the same. This was my first time to be in Kenya with Brio and the whole Well Aware gang and I was truly blessed as I pray they were. 17 people came with them to see the fulfillment of a borehole “water well” in Namanga, Kenya. Bobby and I enjoyed each and every one of them. What giving and loving hearts for others who are less fortunate. I was blown away! Thank you to the entire Well Aware Team! Without each and every one of you this well would not be in existence!

The Well Aware and Cultural Embrace Team!

Brio Yaipan – Founder, Well Aware

On Monday, Bobby and I had to head back to Rwanda. We had spent an entire week putting in a water well that meant so much to the people of Namanga. Within the next couple of weeks the submersible pump will go into the well and the generator will be added to run the pump. At that time our new pastor for HCBC Namanga, Mike Muge, will be permanently on site to continue development of the property and maintain the water well for all the local Maasai and their cattle and goats.

Mike Muge preaching the first service of HCBC Namanga

Since many of you have requested more photos here are some interesting ones I thought you might enjoy! Until we meet again in the blog……………  Bobby and Mindy

Eric Leonard having the time of his life?

"Little Man"This little guy I nicknamed “Little Man” because he was herding the family goats as he came in for bread and milk! He got into trouble several times for hanging out at the drilling rig instead of herding his goats! He couldn’t have been over 5 years old!One of the local Maasai girls pictured under the blue Namanga sky, with acacia thorns by her head.Maasai women gathering water for their families….Pond water or well water…..which would you drink?Kids from Kingdom Kids Rescue Centre

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Kibera Slums

There are 2.2 million orphans in Kenya. Most of these children live in abject poverty in the slums around the capital city of Nairobi. The Kibera Slum in one of the largest in the world with over a million inhabitants. In Kibera there is no running water, electricity or sewage system. To have only four meals in a week is a good week for most slum inhabitants. Over half of the population of Kenya lives on less than two dollars per day. AIDS is rampant in the slums of Kenya with many of the children infected, most having contracted it at birth from their mother. Many of these children succumb to everyday diseases that to children in the western world are but mere inconveniences.

typical street

We have started rescue homes to help get these children out of the slums. We provide an apartment that houses eight children, four boys and four girls. Each home has a full-time house mother that takes care of the children as a mother would in an other home. We feel that this is better than creating large orphanages because the children are in a normal family setting. The homes provide running water, three meals a day, medical treatment and schooling for these children. This allows them to have a fighting chance in life. We have in-country administrators that oversee the homes and insure that every aspect of daily life is taken care of in the best possible way. All of the personnel on the ground are Kenyans to insure that these children are still raised in the local culture.

Each home has a monthly budget of $1,400. This includes rent, utilities, clothing, school fees, uniforms, health care, food, etc… These homes are solely supported by regular monthly donors. If you would like to donate or be a regular supporter donate here. All funds go directly to the homes, and less than one percent is used in administration. It is truly a blessing to these children to be in a home and out of the slums.

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This property is in a major migration corridor between Kenya and Tanzania for the nomadic Maasai Tribe. In March 2010 we will be drilling a water well on this property. This well will not only be used for agricultural irrigation but will also supply water for around 5000 local Maasai and their herds of cattle and goats. Daily life is very hard for these people. They are one of the last traditional tribes in Kenya and Tanzania. Women spend most of their day searching for water only to find dirty water that makes their children’s bellies hurt. Children herd cattle and goats all day looking for grass for their animals. The Maasai are also the largest land owners, but due to lack of water wells and groundwater they spend all their time searching for what they lack….food and water.

You say change cannot happen for these people…do they want change? Would you want your life to change if you could have abundant clean water, food growing in the fields, and schools for your children to learn to read and write? What if you suddenly had medical care, technical schools to learn a trade, and you knew that tomorrow you would have food for your family? The Maasai don’t have any of these assurances. Tomorrow they face the same challenges as today: to search for water and food for themselves and their livestock.

This property will also be used as a working farm that provides funds to reinvest in the community for many worthwhile projects. It will also stand as an example to local Maasai of the prosperity that can be gained by not only grazing the land but also by farming. All the Maasai need is an example of what can be accomplished with their land and the water to irrigate it. Hence the need for Kingdom Drilling to provide water wells for these people.

Update:  Jan 28, 2011  Waterwell for Namanga Project is completed and the pumphouse is currently under construction, thanks to Sunset Canyon Baptist Church, Dripping Springs, Texas! The generator has been placed into service and water is running every day for the local Maasai. Thank you to all who have raised funds, wielded a chainsaw to clear brush and who have hung in there with us to see this project to it’s next stage. Phase 1 is almost finished and Phase 2 will begin with fencing the property and planting bananas.

More information on this project: 

    Namanga Phase I:  Well

    Namanga Project Home 

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