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Water Well in IndiaMay 31, 2013A Story of God's Provision Recently our president, Dr. Peter Lillback, travelled to India to speak at Bethel Bible College in Punalur, India, where he joined Westminster alumnus T. P. Varghese (Ph.D. ’98). While on that trip, Dr. Lillback got to visit the site of a water well that had been dug a few years previously. The story behind that water well is a remarkable story of God’s provision.
Several years ago a Westminster donor indicated that one of his life goals was to distribute Bibles and drill water wells where there was a need for both. Dr. Lillback was able to provide the donor with a connection to Nigeria through one of Westminster’s alumni, the Rev. Dr. Philip Tachin, and through that partnership water wells have been provided for Nigerian communities. Shortly thereafter, T. P. Varghese visited the United States to raise funds for a well at his seminary in India. Bethel Bible College is built on a hill, and while the lower portion of the seminary had access to water, the buildings on the top of the hill had no access to water at all. Every day they had to carry buckets of water to the top of the hill to provide the buildings there with the water that was needed. When Dr. Varghese visited Dr. Lillback, he indicated that there was still $8,000 needed to finish the well. While he couldn’t offer any money from the seminary, Dr. Lillback prayed with him for God’s provision. Several weeks later, the Lord provided a new donor for the well in Nigeria who agreed to cover the rest of the cost of the well in India. One wrinkle in the drilling of this well, however, was that no one was sure if they would actually find water when they drilled. It was an act of faith to begin raising funds in the first place, but Dr. Varghese and the rest of the seminary were confident in God’s provision. Once the funds were raised drilling began, and by God’s grace they found water! God raised the funds and the right time, much in the same way he did for the well in Nigeria. When the funds were raised, Dr. Lillback asked if it would be appropriate to pay for an additional plaque alongside the list of donors. Dr. Varghese agreed, and this text was added: “I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41) |
