Steve and Glenda Evans ...with the Africa Oasis Project

"We Have Hit A RIVER!"

2011-05-31T11:18:00.097+02:00

Water shot high into the air. The people danced for joy as the water gush out of the ground. In Zimbabwe the drilling rig foreman announced, “WE HAVE HIT A RIVER!”
The article below is featured in the Long Africa Day video that you can order by clicking on the following link http://thelongafricanday.com/ You can also a view the video trailer.
Earlier, the foreman didn’t think they would find water. The last few drills in the same area had been unsuccessful, but he didn’t know the powerful prayers of the church people as they asked the Lord to give them water. When the drilling rig hit the water, it was a happy day in Overspill, Zimbabwe.
Water was “Spilling Over” at the Overspill Worship Centre, where Tsungai Chinyama is the pastor & also the General Superintendent for the Zimbabwe Assemblies of God. He & his wife, Constance started the church in one of the poorest suburbs of Harare.
Pastor Chinyama like all Zimbabweans, knows about challanging situations. Steve & Glenda remember when he accepted the Lord as his Savior over 20 years ago, choosing to go to Bible School over the objection of his family. The church has experienced much growth meeting only under a steel structure.
The local conditions had deteriorated. The people were becoming desperate for clean water. People in Overspill were only getting water from the city every 7 days, so they started digging hand-dug wells, lining the wells with old tires.

These wells were shallow & unclean, causing severe illnesses. The Overspill church wanted to make a difference & help the people in their community. A request was made to The Africa Oasis Project (AOP) for funds to drill a deep well.
When Steve & Glenda Evans visited with the local leadership, it was decided that a well, producing clean water was desperately needed in Overspill. The church was encouraged to pray that enough funds would be raised to pay for the drilling. The site for the well was marked right beside the church. Some months later, the wonderful news came from BGMC, saying that the Boys & Girls in the USA had raised the funds for the well.
On the dedication day, it was an emotional moment as Constance (in the blue dress) prayed over the well. With tears in her eyes she said, “The boys & girls in the USA, (BGMC) have given the money for this well, so that our boys & girls in Overspill can drink clean water & grow up to be healthy.” Dean Galyen, Zimbabwe missionary & moderator, enjoyed pumping the well while Steve filled the container & gave the clean water to Constance to drink. From the place near the church that was marked with bricks, there is now a well that is pumping water from the underground “River”.
Water & Jesus are now “Spilling Over” to the people in the community of Overspill. YES, with the Lord’s help, BGMC, AOP & the Overspill Worship Centre have made a huge difference in Zimbabwe!!

Water In the Desert - One Phone Call Away

2011-01-04T06:36:00.024+02:00

One phone call was made from a drought stricken village in Northwest Kenya. The need was expressed. Funds were gathered from undesignated offerings sent in monthly by friends & churches. The well was drilled beside the church. Now the entire village comes to church daily to get clean water.

If you could catch a tiny glimpse of the dusty kids in the village of Tiya, in NW Kenya… If your feet could walk on the dry crusty land that had no rain for over 3 years… If you could grasp the reality of how far the people have to walk through the hot desert to get water… You would begin to see what Steve saw when he arrived in the village of Tiya & why he made the phone call.

It took 2 days of driving on rough dirt roads to reach Tiya from Nairobi. AOP was doing water projects in the region. Steve, with the Kenya missionaries & National Church leaders went to see the completion of the wells. Tiya was not on the list to get a well, but concern was expressed about going to view the situation in Tiya & word was sent to the pastor that the church leaders were coming to visit him.

The pastor was not in Tiya when Steve & the group arrived at noon. The village explained that he left at dawn, on his bicycle, to collect water for his family from the nearest river. His wife, too weak from delivering their 3rd child, was not able to make the long journey. Steve describes how he saw the pastor coming into the village, sweating from the long journey & pushing his bicycle with the heavy containers of water strapped to both sides. Watching this touching scene, Steve decided that funds just had to be transferred to Kenya to pay for one more well. Steve called the Africa Office in Springfield & was told enough offerings had come in that month to total the amount needed to drill the well in Tiya.

The miracles of water coming to Tiya are amazing. Steve was able to call from a desert place in Africa. Funds were available in the USA from donors. The drilling rig was in the area & could drill immediately. Enough water was found to provide for the entire village. The well & pump was installed right beside the church. The pastor has people coming to the church everyday for… CLEAN & LIVING WATER!!!!

Isaiah 41:17 & 18 reminds us of the Tiya Water Miracle in the desert…

"The poor & needy search for water, & there is none.
But I, the Lord will answer them.
I will open rivers for them & fill the desert with water" (NLT)

"Bad Water" becomes "Jesus Water"

2010-05-01T05:23:00.101+02:00

The northwest region of Kenya, Turkana, is known for the extremely dry terrain & the brightly beaded women...

These women spend most of their day, walking many hours to find water for their families. In some places of Turkana it has not rained for 5 years. One village was getting their meager water supply from a river, but the water was bitter & polluted. The people called the village Lochoromoit, which means "the place where I met my enemy," because it was a place of "bad water." Africa Oasis funded the drilling of a well in Lochoromoit, where they hit an abundant supply of water.

Steve visited Lochoromoit the day after the pump was installed on the new well by the church. He traveled there with missionaries for 2 full days on rough, dusty roads.

The first person to greet them was a very joyful pastor. The people of his village were gathered around the well, pumping water. Yellow water containers were everywhere, waiting to be filled.

"We are no longer calling this village Lochoromoit, the place of bad water," said the pastor. "It is now called Lochoro-Yesu, the place of Jesus-water!" Once again, donors giving to AOP have helped impact an entire village in Africa!

And the brightly beaded women of "Lochoro-Yesu" are rejoicing to have the well by the church, right in the middle of their village!

WATER AT MIDNIGHT

2010-01-22T22:01:00.010+02:00

Imagine getting your drinking water from a smelly disease infested hole in the ground...
This is the image in many places in Africa of young girls spending their day scooping water out of holes.

Funds from donors have changed this situation for the people in the Mahobong village of Lesotho. Recently, Africa Oasis Project drilled a well & installed a pump, giving the people clean water to drink.

High in the Lesotho mountains, people live in simple huts, wear heavy blankets to keep warm from the snow, have shepherds caring for sheep & water is a huge challenge.The only water available came from a small mountain spring. With so many people trying to collect the water during the day, the spring could not produce enough water for the village.

“The people in the mountain village of Mahobong are getting water only at midnight," was the report sent to us by Alan Pettenger, AGWM missionary to Lesotho. "Even in the below freezing temperatures, they are wrapping blankets around themselves & walking down the mountain trails, hoping to find & collect water."

When Steve & Glenda visited Mahobong & viewed the people’s source of water from the mountain spring, it was sobering. Young girls were crawling into the small hole at the spring to collect water, one cupful at a time. The cattle were also trying to drink from the same spring & dung was seen & smelled everywhere. Cholera could be the result of such conditions.

Appeals were made for funds to drill a well in Mahobong, beside the church. Additional support funds coming in monthly, enabled Steve & Glenda to travel to Lesotho twice to organize the drilling of the well. The drilling rig struck water at 80 meters. The supply of water was enough for the village.

Mrs. Mafalesi, the pastor’s wife expressed the delight of the people, as she pumped water from the newly installed well.

“Our people were waking up at midnight to find water. Now we have clean water, right beside the church & the people in the village are coming to the church for water. Yes, our church is also growing….the people are flowing into the church like water!!”

Steve & Glenda ministered at the church in Mahobong. They saw the completed well & rejoiced with the people. BGMC Buddy Buckets were distributed & the women sang & danced around the well. They also carried their new buckets back to their home, full of water. Once again, this was an incredible witness for Jesus, as Living & Running Water was flowing from the church well in the Lesotho village of Mahobong.

WAITING for the WATER in VENDA

2009-09-23T10:46:00.181+02:00

The children came & watched all day.
Steve paused under the shade of his STL Vehicle & Glenda sat on a blanket.
We were in the tribal area of Venda, South Africa, drilling a well, constructing a church & caring for widows & orphans at the HIV/AIDS Home-Based Care Centers. Earlier, Wayne & Delight Peercy invited us to Venda, to hear the request from Pastor Jeremiah Mathelemusa. We knew Pastor Jeremiah very well. We had helped him build a church, 9 years ago, with our son, Todd. Since then, Pastor Jeremiah had started 5 more churches & 15 HIV/AIDS centers, caring for over 500 orphans/vulnerable children. Now the care-givers were needing a well, so they could grow vegetables, to feed the orphans.
We also knew Venda, from all the stories told by Glenda’s Dad, Vernon Pettenger, who lived in Venda, 84 years ago, as a missionary kid with his parents. For Glenda, it was a special week, because 2 miles away, in the same valley, was the abandoned mission house, where her Dad had lived.
5 Hours after the rig started drilling, water gushed out of the ground, 3 stories high!
You just HAD to be there to see how excited Steve got!

This was our 1st time to actually be on site, when the drilling rig hit water. YES, Steve danced in Africa!! Steve hugged the local care-givers. He called friends from his cell.

Steve & missionary/builder, Charles Hasselbring thanked Jesus for the water! The village people came to see the action. Many hands helped to to lift up the water tower.

School supplies & food were given to the children. BGMC buckets were
filled with food for the care-givers. Pastor Jeremiah enjoyed tasting the clean water from the well.

A night service was held under the new church structure, to celebrate the new well & to tell people about Jesus, the Lving Water. Even the men from the drilling company & the chief's son attended the service. In ONE week, a difference was made in ONE village... a church steel structure was built, a well was dug & widows & orphans were cared for. To those supporting The Africa Oasis Project, you too helped us make a difference!!

At the end of an incredible day, water could be seen coming from the drilling rig & flowing down the hill. Yes, it was worth the wait! There were streams of Running & Living water for ALL to Drink!!

Glenda shares on WOMEN, WATER, The WORD & WORSHIP

2009-06-04T21:03:00.063+02:00

Everyday, the WOMEN of Africa wake up & have to deal with the reality & challenge of where they will find WATER that day for their families. Everyday, I meet these WOMEN. I am touched by their determination to find this WATER. These WOMEN attend the churches of Africa. They are hungry for the WORD & they love to WORSHIP. But the WOMEN also need the WATER for their homes & families.

Two years ago, I drank contaminated water from an unknown water source. I was speaking at a Women’s Conference in the rural areas of Southern Zimbabwe. The result was some unpleasant days recovering from this action. Now the women were asking me to minister again.

I didn’t want to return unless there could be a well for the Women at the conference. When AOP made arrangements to start drilling for water in Southern Zimbabwe I was excited. However, the first 2 attempts were unsuccessful, resulting in dry wells. We asked friends and churches to pray with us for a breakthrough. My prayer was, “Lord, I want take the WORD to these WOMEN, but they also desperately need the WATER”. Time was running out, but the praying didn’t stop.

A month before the conference, news came from Zimbabwe missionaries Jim and Brenda Strysko that the drilling rig hit water in the village of Garanyemba. We were excited, because this village is centrally located & on the main travel road to all other rural villages in the area. Dean & Peggy Galyen, also Zimbabwe missionaries contacted us. They had funds from USA churches to enlarge the steel structure at the Garanyemba Church, to accommodate all the women who would be coming. Then the Zimbabwe women’s leadership called to say, “We are meeting at Garanyemba village, by the new well & under the church’s new roof. Can you please come & bring friends to minister.” I immediately felt led to invite Carol Traub, whose church, Bethel Church in Modesto, CA. had given funds for a well in Zimbabwe. Pastors Cliff & Carol Traub, had also ministered in Zimbabwe, a year earlier, praying over the dry wells. Carol was delighted to come & preach.

Getting into Zimbabwe would be the hardest challenge. First, Carol’s 3 suitcases, full of gifts for the pastor’s wives got lost in flight & arrived a day late. Then we couldn’t get all the food, gifts & 40 BGMC Buddy Buckets into the car. Steve, my wonderful hero & world-class packer came to my rescue.

At the border, for the first time in 30 years, the officials, refused my entrance into the country. They said I was not the legal owner of our STL vehicle & demanded my marriage license to prove I was married to Steve. For over 3 hours I went from office to office, trying to sort things out while Carol kept praying. Back at home, Steve tried faxing a 4 page legal document, stamped by a police station, proving that I was his wife & not stealing his car. Carol & I waited & prayed under a thorn tree until finally clearance was granted. The only thing to laugh about was the sign in the public toilets!!!
When we arrived at the conference over 350 women were all sitting on straw mats, under the shade of the steel structure, holding their babies & waiting to hear the WORD. Carol was ready to preach and they kept asking for more. Some of these women had walked over 10 hours to attend the 3 day conference.... the older women coming by donkey carts.

As Carol & I shared the preaching sessions, we could see the cooks fetching water from the newly installed well. They went in groups, balancing the buckets of water on their heads. Carol learned how to eat cornmeal mush with her hands & how to preach at night with 2 available light bulbs & a headlight around her neck.

We went to view the newly drilled well in the village. It was 2 blocks from the church.. When we arrived, 2 young boys were filling up their containers. I gave them a BGMC Buddy Bucket to take home to their mother. I would have loved to have seen her expression when they told her, “We met a lady at the well, who gave us this bucket to give to you.” We prayed over the well, thanking the Lord for letting the water flow. Carol pumped the well & I drank the water. Praise the Lord, this time I did not get sick!!

The giving service was the highlight of the conference. This was the service where the women blessed their pastors & wives with gifts of clothing, blankets, dishes, grain, goats, chickens & even cows. Carol also had gifts to give the pastor’s wives from her ladies in Modesto. We filled the BGMC Buddy Buckets with useful gifts like pens, pencils, journals, nail files, soxs, soap, lotion, candy, perfume & jewelry. The women yodeled & cheered when the buckets were given to their pastor’s wives. They also loved hearing that the boys & girls in the USA raised the funds to buy the buckets.

There was great rejoicing that afternoon in the village of Garanyemba for many reasons. The village had WATER & the pastors went home with their buckets overflowing. The WOMEN came dancing, bringing their gifts on their heads & they responded to the WORD preached to them. In a country where food & supplies are hard to find, where the inflation rate is the highest in the world, these women had found the secret of giving joyfully & completely, as they WORSHIPED the Lord.

Miracle Well In Memory of a Special Mom

2009-01-31T21:19:00.107+02:00

“You will NEVER get water from this well”. These were the sobering words spoken to Pastor Kenneth Nyoni, by the well driller, who had drilled for 2 days, at the church property.

Pastor Kenneth & his wife Lillian are pastoring a new church in Cowdray Park, Zimbabwe. When Glenda asked them which church they grew up in, Pastor Kenneth replied, “Mama Glenda, in 1982, we both were sitting in your Sunday School class, next to your sons, as you taught us. What a wonderful JOY it is, when missionaries discover that ones they have discipled, even over 25 years ago, are still serving God & bringing others to Jesus. The country of Zimbabwe, where Pastor Kenneth struggles to pastor, is in a very critical condition. The cholera situation is headline news around the world.

Now Pastor Kenneth was hearing that the well drilled at his church, which was meant to provide water for his people & mix the cement to build the church was dry. Since his people only receive water from the town, one hour each week, it was hoped the well would bring clean water for those suffering from cholera and AIDS. Since over 80% of the people are unemployed, the church also wanted to grow vegetables so people could have food to eat. Steve and Glenda joined the church in laying hands on the dry well, praying that miraculously the water would flow. Watching Pastor Kenneth pour out his heart to the Lord, as he held on to the dry well shaft, was heartbreaking.

Six months later, Pastor Kenneth sent an exciting message to Steve. “Pastor, a miracle has happened. PLEASE come and see our well. The water is gushing out!!” When Steve looked down into the long dark shaft at the well, he could see his face in the reflection of the water. Both Steve and Pastor Kenneth rejoiced together at the miracle God had done. Plans were made to dedicate the well.

In January 2009, Steve and Glenda returned to Zimbabwe for the dedication of the well. Their STL vehicle was packed with food and BGMC Buddy Buckets to give to Pastor Kenneth’s church. Accompanying them was Steve’s Dad, Jack Evans. Jack had donated all the funds for the Cowdray Park well, in memory of Steve’s Mom, Ruth Evans, who passed away in 2006. Ruth had worked most of her life for the California Alameda County Water District, so clean water was important to her. Knowing her only son was in Africa, providing clean water to the people was also important to her.

The well dedication was a day of celebration. Steve preached on the word, “SUDDENLY” highlighting in the Bible where “Suddenly” God did miracles when circumstances seemed impossible.

Pastor Kenneth kept pointing to the well, just yards away from their church building and saying, “Now the water is gushing out!”

Glenda handed out dozens of Buddy Buckets to the women, who danced & yodeled around the church.

Jack had the honor of pumping the water from the well that truly did “GUSH OUT”. Pastor Kenneth dedicated the well to the Lord as the women stood ready to fill up their buckets.

In the midst of much suffering in Zimbabwe, it was wonderful to pause for a day to celebrate & thank the Lord with Pastor Kenneth & his church. The former dry well was now miraculously gushing with water, in memory of “Ruth” a very special Mom.

A Christmas List from the Women of Chad

2008-12-06T16:23:00.168+02:00

“Old women need water close by”, said a tiny, wrinkled grandma in the village of Bedjaoumian, in Chad. “Four miles is a long walk to get water”, she added. Glenda sat on the ground with this grandma & listened
through two interpreters, as she talked about the village women walking to a contaminated river, to get water for their families. The village elders also explained, how they didn’t have the funds to line a hand dug well with cement rings. So, in desperation they dug a big hole, as deep as they could make it. However, the sides kept caving in, making it dangerous for those digging as well as for small children who might fall in & get hurt. They finally got discouraged & gave up. The women now take the “Long Walk” everyday to get the water they need.

Steve & Glenda traveled to Chad recently, to see the water needs of this country. Bill & Sonja Shaw, veteran missionaries were our hosts. These are friends we consider among our “missionary heroes” in Africa. The Shaws showed the Evans four of the 10 water projects, which are in extremely needy villages. Some of the villages were a 2 days drive from N’djamena, the capital.

Glenda enjoyed taking pictures through the dashboard of the Shaw’s STL vehicle. The reality of getting to these villages meant, driving through rivers, driving on footpaths where the grass was taller than the car, sleeping in a hut at a mission station & having no water for a shower at the end of each hot day. Most of the bathrooms along the journey, were “fully air-conditioned” behind any African bush, with curious eyes always watching!

Wherever we went, the village elders and pastors gathered around, under a tree, to discuss the water needs for their village. They also fed us boiled millet mush with fish stew, served on a large tray, for everyone to enjoy together. On the Sunday, after church, we visited 4 villages and were served the same 4 meals, all 4 times, in about 4 hours! Yes, we REALLY did eat the food from this large tray!!!

Every village that we visited, Glenda asked the women how they coped with limited water and how they would feel, if there was a clean water source in the village. A long journey was made to the village of Bitoye, the last village before the border for Cameroon, Central Africa Republic and Chad. Pastor Abel greeted us & told us there were 5,000 people in his village with only 2 wells.

The women wait over 4 hours in line some days, to fill their containers at the well. There was lots of fighting among the women, to be the next in line.

Pastor Abel then shook he head and said, “My wife comes too late with my supper!” When Glenda asked Pastor Abel how his wife would like a well near the church, he gave a big smile & said, “She & the women will be so happy....YES, she will certainly dance!!”

On the Sunday, Steve preached on “Living Water” in the village of Beganbe.The shallow hand dug well in the village dries up every year during the dry season. For 6 months, the women have to walk over 5 miles to the contaminated river to get water. “We suffer much” they told Glenda, and they would be full of joy, to have a clean, deep well in the village. While Steve and Bill Shaw went to inspect the dry well, Glenda & Sonia Shaw enjoyed meeting the women after church.

In the village of She 2, we met Pastor David & his wife, by their village church. She didn’t say a word to us, but her eyes showed her grieving heart. One week earlier, they had buried their 7 year old young son, who died of a water related illness or malaria. The Shaws then told us, "Too many children in Chad never reach adulthood." We found the water situation in this village to be quite severe. The hand-dug well was full of contaminated mud & was making the people very sick. We will always remember seeing the pain on the pastor’s wife’s face. Her silent grief touched us deeply. We spent time praying for this family before we departed.

Now for the good news... The estimates for the wells in Chad have come in under $5,000 each. This is the best price we have found in Africa. Bill Shaw located a drilling company that uses incredibly simple technology for drilling wells. It does not require transporting a huge drilling rig, which normally causes the price of drilling wells to be expensive. A well was drilled recently, at the Chad Bible School’s new campus, using this technology. We found the local builders using the well water to mix the cement & make the bricks. The well will also provide water for the students & faculty, when it is officially opened in January 2009.

Traditionally, Christmas lists can have many items on them. For the women of Chad, clean water could be first on their list. Said one of the women, “We will come to the well with MUCH JOY, we will thank the Lord & the donors!”

God's gift of Jesus, is the real reason for this season. May our gifts this Christmas also have eternal value!

Steve Got Hugged in Timbuktu

2008-10-30T21:55:00.062+02:00

Recently, Steve traveled to Mali to view water projects near the ancient city of Timbuktu. The entrance point of Islam into all of West Africa, is Timbuktu. While sitting by a collapsed, hand dug well, surrounded by sand dunes, Steve was introduced to Mata. He is a Tuareg nomad that the local pastor has befriended. When Mata was told that Africa Oasis Project was interested in helping local believers in Jesus to find water solutions for his people, Mata threw his arms around Steve in a spontaneous gesture of gratitude.

Steve went to Mali at the invitation of David & Linda Arzouni, our long time heroes. Before we became missionaries, we remember being challenged by David's testimony of how God miraculously intercepted his life, making him a soul-winner to tough places in Africa. [Please click on the following link to view more about the Arzouni's & Timbuktu in particular: http://www.arzouni.com/index.php/newsletters/issues/the_church_is_alive_in_timbuktu1/ ] David makes a powerful statement in this link about bringing Living Water to the nomads in Timbuktu, where God told him: "Meet them at the Oasis. If they don't have one, give them one..."

Getting to Mata's village, turned out to be quite an adventure. A common sight on the roads was to see people & goats traveling on top of overloaded vehicles. For Steve, it involved an over night flight from Pretoria to Senegal, with 14 hours waiting in a hot, sweaty airport, before the flight to Bamako, the capital of Mali. The next day, David & Steve joined Rick Caswell, Mark Alexander & Pastor Isaac, along with 5 days of food & water, crowded into David's over-worked 4x4, for the 2 day journey to Timbuktu. Along the way, there were several major breakdowns, a pontoon river crossing with David's car on the Niger River & lodging at 1/2 star guesthouses, that featured crawling critters in Steve's bed.

All this, to see the need for water in Mata's area, where over 800 people are struggling to find water, after the collapse of their hand dug well. The people are having to walk many miles in the hot sandy desert, to find the water they need.

Mata's home was a dome shaped dwelling built upon the hot desert sand dunes. Before departing his area of Timbuktu, Mata wanted Steve to ride his camel. The camel protested vehemently, with agonizing shrieks, so the ride was quite short.

Steve came home with a far better understanding of the needs of the Muslim people of West Africa & a much deeper appreciation of our collegues called to live & work there. We are endeavoring to help find the $60,000 needed to drill 3 wells in Mali, where we desire to provide an Oasis for people in need. These will be deep water wells. One well will be for Mata's community. Our prayer is that soon Mata, as well as many, many others will have an abundant & clean water supply that will lead them to The Living Water at the Oasis in Timbuktu!

SPECIAL WELL, SPECIAL PLACE & SPECIAL PEOPLE

2008-09-13T18:17:00.084+02:00

Steve & Glenda recently witnessed a joyous celebration in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. In the midst of the country’s water crisis, a well has been drilled beside the church, Calvary Tabernacle. The people gathered to celebrate & we were invited to attend. “This is a special well,” says Steve. “Having it beside the church makes it an evangelism tool, for people to come for running and Living Water.

This is a special place, as we helped to build this church 26 years ago, when we 1st came to Zimbabwe as missionaries. The people receiving this water are some of our dearest friends in Africa. The funds to drill the well came from special people & churches in the USA.”

Reports came to us that Bulawayo was running out of water. City water was available one hour, every 7 days & was polluted. Missionary-Nurse Practitioner Brenda Strysko was caring for people suffering with cholera due to the bad water. Everyday, people continue to arrive at Jim & Brenda Strysko’s house, desperate for medicine, because there is none in the hospitals.

We found Mama Chimsoro, the pastor’s wife of Calvary Tabernacle storing precious water in an old steel drum we had left in Bulawayo many years ago. The drum still had Glenda’s Dad’s name on it. Vernon Pettenger had shipped it to Africa in 1967.

Seeing the grim situation & realizing generous offerings had come from individual donors & churches, we decided this well needed to be drilled. The challenge was that recent drillings had produced dry wells. So we asked churches in Zimbabwe & the USA to pray. Pastors Cliff & Carol Traub, from Modesto, California took a trip with us to Zimbabwe, to lay hands on the dry wells & pray for water to flow. By faith, the drilling started at Calvary Tabernacle & they hit water the first day of drilling. God had truly answered the prayers of many people!

There was lots of excitement & thanksgiving on the dedication day for the well. It was also the 1st time, BGMC Buddy Buckets, raised by the boys & girls in the USA were given out. Bright yellow smiley faces on bright buckets were everywhere. Glenda enjoyed handing out the buckets to the women. They danced & yodeled as they were given a bucket. The women were grateful, saying the buckets were a big & useful gift. They could wash clothes in the buckets & also store clean water, because there was a lid. Steve & Pastor Chimsoro prayed a dedication prayer that the well would be incredibly productive for many years to come.

Even the children enjoyed themselves. They wanted to pump the well & carry the buckets home, for their mothers. We were full of emotion & gratitude to the Lord, as we watched the celebrations around the special well, at a special church & seeing special friends being blessed. Another church & needy people have now been helped in Africa. And what a privilege we have to have special people in the USA helping us to do this.

Buddy Buckets & Children in the USA Provide Water In Africa

2008-08-30T21:23:00.023+02:00

Can kids in the USA really make a difference in Africa? Can they do something, so that kids in Africa have clean water to drink? According to David & Mary Boyd, directors for BGMC, kids in the USA can help by raising funds for wells & they are doing it with lots of enthusiasm!

BGMC stands for “Boys & Girls Missionary Challenge”. It is the missions emphasis for children in the Assemblies of God. BGMC teaches kids at an early age to be generous about giving to needs around the world. You can learn more about BGMC at http://www.bgmc.ag.org/

Earlier this year we sat with David & Mary, discussing the huge need for water in Africa. They shared with us that BGMC wanted to help by raising funds for wells in Africa & also give buckets wherever a well is drilled. Then came the idea to create the character “Buddy Bucket” & to make smiling stickers to go on the buckets. The next time we saw the Boyds, they introduced us to the happy character of Buddy Bucket. We started dreaming of 1,ooo's of water buckets being given to people in Africa.

Buddy Bucket stickers are now coming to Africa. The first well raised by BGMC is being drilled in Togo at the SADA Bible School. The old well on the campus is shallow & has only polluted water. It is also an open well, making it extremely dangerous for the married student’s kids who run the risk of falling into it. Because of the funds from the Boys & Girls in the USA, these kids will now be safer as they play & they will be drinking safe, clean water.

As we travel in Africa, we take the Buddy Bucket stickers with us. Recently in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Christi Strysko helped us put stickers on the buckets. She is the daughter of Missionaries, Jim & Brenda Strysko. After many challenges in this desperate country, we are seeing wells drilled. Plans are now being made to dedicate these wells & give out the Buddy Buckets as an extra blessing to the people. Thank you to the boys & girls in the USA. You are definitely making a difference in Africa!

Plenty of Water at Zimbabwe Wedding!

2008-06-07T16:18:00.056+02:00

It took us 11 long hours to get to the wedding in Zimbabwe, of Pastor Choice Nyathi, the District Supt. of many village churches. Included in the journey was a border crossing. Hundreds of people were bringing desperately needed food, fuel & water containers to family members. Their vehicles were over-packed. We were also in the crowd bringing supplies & food for the wedding.

The final 30 miles to the village of Tshoboyi, took 2 hours on rough & rocky roads, congested with donkey carts & women carrying water buckets. We knew we had arrived when we saw the ash-painted stones, leading us to the homestead of the groom. On the 2nd day of the wedding celebrations, Pastor Choice was bringing his bride home to his village.

The Africa Oasis Project has been drilling wells in the villages of Zimbabwe. Three months earlier, water came gushing out of the dry, dusty ground of Tshoboyi. This was just in time for Pastor Choice’s wedding.

Earlier, Steve & Zimbabwe missionary Jim Strysko, along with the local pastors, dedicated the well to the Lord. Now it was time to enjoy the water at the wedding celebration!

WATER was everywhere. It was being carried from the well to various places in the village. People were drinking freely from 50 gallon drums and colorful containers.

Steve preached out of the Song of Soloman, a salvation wedding message, "Two are Better than One" & how with Jesus this "3-fold cord" will strengthen any marriage into which He's invited. The bride & groom arrived smiling as crowds of people clapped & yodeled. Glenda was eager to join the enthusiastic dancing of the women.

Rice, beans & little meat was served at the wedding feast. The wedding party & honored guests also enjoyed the orange concentrate mixed with the well water, until the juice was finished.

The rest of the people were satisfied with just the water... there was plenty & they could drink as much as they wanted. YES, the water from the well at the wedding in Zimbabwe didn’t run out!!

africa oasis project now has it's new website!!! (click here)

2008-03-26T13:14:00.006+02:00

...the answer to africa's water crisis, lies just beneath their feet...
____________________
The Africa Oasis Project, an initiative of Assemblies of God World Missions - Africa, has been created to bring safe water to the people of Africa.

Partnering with local churches & organizations, AOP focuses on four major areas:

Deep water or shallow wells
Rainwater harvesting & storage
Education on combatting drought, soil erosion, etc.
Training local people in:

Well/pump maintenance
Sanitation
Irrigation
other water-related issues

Africa Oasis Project is founded on a deep commitment to addressing the critical issue of inadequate or inaccessible safe water for masses of people throughout the continent of Africa.

To learn how you can partner with Africa Oasis Project, please visit www.africaoasisproject.org

Or call Africa Oasis Project at: 1-417-862-2781 (extension 1701)

To contribute, write to:

Africa Oasis Project - Assemblies of God World Missions, Account #316963(40), 1445 Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802 U.S.A.

Wheelbarrows Full of Water for Christmas in Lesotho

2007-12-02T16:08:00.000+02:00

At Christmas time, people around the world have Christmas wish lists. In the African village of Sekamaneng, high up in the Lesotho mountains, the local church asked for a well. The people live in mud huts, have no running water and wear blankets in winter because of the snow.

The church wanted to bring clean water to their people & grow a vegetable garden so they could feed the orphaned children who live in child-led households that surround the church property. Donors generously gave & the well was drilled. Missionaries Alan & Pat Pettenger hauled water storage tanks to the village & arranged for the drilling of the well.

During this Christmas season we traveled up the mountain roads of Lesotho to view the finished project. We found a grateful pastor, not in his church suit & tie, but in blue overalls. Pastor Sefuthi was watering the vegetable garden behind the new well & greeting the villagers as they came to get water on the church property. He proudly showed the well, pump & green storage tanks to Steve. We also had the joy of hugging the kids & hearing what a blessing the clean water & vegetables were to them.This is exactly what Africa Oasis Project's core values aim to do. AOP drills wells in needy villages & for vulnerable orphaned children. AOP likes to drill on/near church properties, so that people are directed to the church & a Bible trained pastor, who can tell them about JESUS the Living Water, as well as giving them clean, running water.

As we drove away from this village we saw many people with wheelbarrows full of water containers, leaving the church property. While many in the world are getting new jewelry or the latest electronic games for Christmas, the people of Sekamaneng in Lesotho are receiving something far more valuable to them. They are getting WATER for CHRISTMAS & they are taking it home in wheelbarrows!

Thank you for your offerings to Africa Oasis Project that help bring water to Africa, especially during this Christmas Season.

Buckets, Barrels & Bibles

2007-10-28T13:25:00.000+02:00

...Water Challenges at Africa's Bible Schools

Madagascar -- Manny Prabhudas reports that their 10 year old Bible School has had no running water. All water is hauled in buckets & barrels by the 80+ students. Funds are still needed for this worthy project. Would you like to be an answer to the students prayers, so that they will not have to drink polluted water & have much more quality time for their studies?

Equatorial Guinea -- Carrol Deal is trying to build and make blocks for the Malabo Bible School by trucking in all the water in plastic tanks. The water is then channeled through PVC pipes to rusty barrels. Many hours of his day is consumed by dealing with these water issues. Funds to complete this project are still urgently needed.

Benin -- At the Dassa-Zoume Bible School in Benin, there are 92 students, 42 are new students. Big blue tanks have been installed by each building, with water trucked in & placed in the tanks for the students to use. However, in the dry season, they still go for days without water. Sometimes this becomes a crisis, when the students have to go through the neighborhood asking for a glass of water. These students know what it is like to be thristy & are praying for the funds to drill a deep well.

Togo -- A new Bible School campus is being built in Togo, 7 hours from Lome, near the Burkina Faso border. Recently, Steve & Glenda traveled there with West Africa Area Director, Tandy Tarr, to view the progress & see the need for water. Classes cannot start in 2008 until there is a water source on the property. Steve & Randy prayed over the campus with General Superintendent Mitre & the local church leaders of the Togo Assemblies, that funds would soon be available to drill a well on the campus.

The local churches are helping to build this northern Bible School. The young men are laying the blocks & the young girls are bringing in the sand for the foundations. It is not coming by truckloads, but the girls are carrying the sand, above their heads, in the same containers used for carrying water. We saw the sweat pouring off their faces as they kept going to dig up more sand and carry it back on their heads. Glenda was deeply touched by the commitment of these girls. Her silent prayer that day was, "Lord, You see the hard work of these young girls. Please make it possible for them to become students at this Bible School & future pastors' wives. May they someday be trained to carry the Good News of Jesus to their villages."

Water Just Under Their Feet

2007-09-11T20:40:00.000+02:00

The Africa Oasis Project (AOP) has a new theme that was launched at the recent Assembiles of God General Council 2007:
...The Answer to Africa's Water Crisis Lies Just Beneath Their Feet...

As promotional material was being printed with the new Africa Oasis Project theme, a BBC news article grabbed our attention. "Water Find May End Darfur War" was the headline news on July 18, 2007. The article described a huge underground lake that had been found in the arid Darfur region. Your offerings & prayers are helping AOP find the water in Africa that is just beneath their feet!

Buckets & Water Bottles

2007-07-21T17:35:00.000+02:00

Many Americans can't be without their water bottles & cell phones. They take them everywhere... in their cars, to the office, to church... & the list goes on! They use them more than 6 times an hour & they wear them hooked to their belts.

Recently, we journeyed with pastors down a dusty African road, to be shown the water needs in their villages. Glenda took many pictures of people on the road. Reviewing the pictures later, these women with their heavy bucket of water captured our attention. In the foreground of this picture, was also our water bottle, waiting to be enjoyed in the comfort of our air conditioned vehicle.

The reality of this stark contrast further motivates us to continue to bring clean water closer to those who walk so far, on hot dusty roads, burdened with heavy buckets of water.

What Makes the AFRICA OASIS PROJECT so Unique?

2007-07-21T16:31:00.000+02:00

You will find us...

Traveling with Pastors to needy villages in Africa
Listening to the needs expressed for clean water
Preaching that Jesus is the Living Water
Providing clean water for thirsty people

We use donor funds carefully...

The National Church in every village is enabled to be the keeper of the well
Missionaries already supported by USA churches, network with the Africa Oasis Project to help bring water solutions throughout Africa
AOP does not have a big office with a huge PR budget. We work from offices in our homes or in our vehicles as we drive down dusty African roads

2007-05-26T11:40:00.000+02:00

Glenda Drinks Contaminated Water in Zimbabwe!!!

Recently, Glenda drove a car of pastor's wives to Zimbabwe, to minister at a women's conference.

Beside the tent, was a cistern, (sometimes covered with a tarp), where water was stored for over 300 women for 4 days. The cistern also became a handy place for people to sit & visit.

Glenda and her team took food for the conference. The kitchen was next to the cistern. Inflation rates in Zimbabwe are the highest in the world, at over 2,000%, so bread, rice, tea and powdered milk were a great treat for the ladies. Many hadn't had bread in over a year!

Enough fuel was brought along into Zimbabwe for Glenda to return across the border into South Africa. Pastors helped to refill the tank. However, most of the women attending the conference came by donkey cart. They also brought their water containers by donkey cart and filled up the cistern.

On the 3rd day, Glenda's bottled water supply ran low, so she asked for a cola. There were none, so being the tough Missionary Kid she thought she was, she made an unwise decision to drink from the cistern. It was salty & murky. Glenda had 4 very unpleasant days, after the trip, feeling quite sick! She now understands first hand why people drink dirty water... they are thirsty and there is nothing else to drink!

We are continuing to raise money to drill wells in Zimbabwe & plan to be returning soon to see the drilling rig in action. As funds come in to Africa Oasis Project, we will keep drilling in Zimbabwe & throughout Africa. Please do write us, if you want to help.

A View From A Village Church Door

2007-03-05T21:55:00.000+02:00

Some people drive 4x4 vehicles, so they can feel a bumpy road and enjoy an extreme adventure. We travel rough bumpy roads to find villages that desperately need running water.

Last year we traveled to the village of Mwanabaya in Tanzania, with Ron and Gloria Hanson. There were mostly bicycles on the road, carrying containers of water for the village. The people told us that if they don't have a bicycle, then they walk 8 hours a day, in the dry season, to fetch water that is still so contaminated, that they have to boil it, before they can drink it.
We talked to the pastor and the elders of the Tanzania Assemblies of God Church in the Mwanabaya village. They told us their mud-walled church was the only church in the Muslim village of 2,000 people. A much needed well would be a great witness to the Muslim community. While we could make no promises, we prayed with the pastor, asking God for a miracle of funds to come in, to provide the well for the village.

PRAISE JESUS, the funds have come in, the well has been drilled and a pump has been installed. This well is now the talk of the entire village. In Mwanabaya, people are discovering that Jesus cares about their physical and spiritual needs. Dozens of buckets from all over the village, are lined up everyday, to get the water.

Recently, Ron reported to us, "I visited the well and drank the water. It is beautiful, sweet and clear water and the pump is easy for the women and children to use".

It is the desire of the Africa Oasis Project to drill wells, as close as possible to churches, so that people can come for running and Living water. The well in the village of Mwanabaya can be seen from the church door.
Everyday the pastor watches the village people bring their buckets to get water - Running & Living Water is Flowing from this church!

As we TRAVEL in AFRICA......we hear the same story, over and over...

2006-10-22T17:48:00.000+02:00

Imagine waking up in the morning & brushing your teeth in water from a polluted cistern. Imagine drinking this dirty water because you are thirsty & desperate. Imagine a child dying of diseases found in water from a dirty cistern...

As we travel in Africa, we hear the same story over and over in the villages that we visit... there is no water or only contaminated water... the women walk many hours to get a bucket of water... the children are very sick with life-threatening diseases... these villages need wells & clean water solutions.

Glenda took this picture of a dirty cistern in a village. It was the drinking water for the pastor and his family, who live beside the church, in a mud house. We only found the pastor's three young children at home. They said their parents had been gone all day looking for water & food.

Standing beside the church and viewing the dirty cistern, the realities of Africa tugged on our hearts. This village had a church and a trained pastor to tell them about Jesus who gives "Living Water". But still they struggle everyday, walking many hours to get clean water to drink.

We live and minister in Africa. Our desire is to continue to help these villages, find Jesus and also find clean water. As funds come in, wells are being drilled in the villages & we give the Lord Jesus all the praise. We deeply value your prayers & your partnership offerings for the Africa Oasis Project.

Wells ARE Being DRILLED!!!

2006-08-19T19:06:00.000+02:00

Steve recently visited the drought devastated area of northern Kenya where this past year some 75% of the cattle, 40% of the camels & many numbers of people have lost their lives! Enroute to the village of Wagir, bones of animals were seen along the dusty trails & dried out river beds.

Yet, Hallelujah prayers are being answered... & the situation is being changed! Steve was able to witness our AFRICA OASIS PROJECT partners, World Serve International & their drilling company Maji-Tech (which is based in east Africa) drill wells in northern Kenya. This is making a huge difference between life & death in this area. Because of the urgent need & desert type terrain, these were deep wells of over 300 feet, at a cost of approximately $25,000 per well. Each well will service the needs of an entire village.

Steve joined Assemblies of God World Missions
Africa Regional Director, Mike McClaflin, along with East Africa Area Director, Greg Beggs & watched the wells being drilled. Hal Donaldson, Convoy of Hope Founder/Director, was also there, overseeing the distribution of food that Convoy of Hope had trucked for the local village people.

Your faithful prayers & financial contributions are helping us with our travels to needy areas & the discovery of water solutions for the people in Africa.

New Adventures for Steve & Glenda...

2006-06-11T20:35:00.000+02:00

Recently, we flew from our home base in South Africa, to Tanzania to view the water needs of that country. As we drove through Tanzania with our hosts, Ron & Gloria Hanson, our hearts were gripped by the images of people trying to find water. Women were carrying incredibly heavy & unstable buckets of water on their heads, ...while others were transporting water on their bikes.

Children were collecting muddy water from the side of the road after a brief but welcomed rain, with the intention of selling it back at their village.

At one dried out river bed we saw school children digging for water. They were on their way to a village school & had stopped to collect a bucket of water to take to school to drink. Glenda being curious, got out of the car to view the situation up close & helped them fill the bucket.

Having witnessed these images, we are getting a clearer perspective of the huge water needs in Africa & how the AFRICA OASIS PROJECT can make a meaningful difference in people's lives right where they live. The people we saw need safe drinking water. AFRICA OASIS is digging wells & providing rain water catchment & filtration systems. Your prayerful partnership will enable us in these wonderful opportunities to make a difference in the lives of Africa's hurting people.

Steve & Glenda's Home Page

2006-05-27T12:34:00.000+02:00

April 1st 2006 we started our new responsibilities with the Africa Oasis Project. Our Assemblies of God Africa Regional Director, Mike McClaflin, is calling Steve "The Water Ambassador" for our mission in Africa. You will not see us this dressed up for some time to come. From now on we will be journeying into dusty, drought-sticken areas, sweating, digging wells & helping provide water solutions for desperate people in Africa.

Through our Blog-site we will endeavor to keep you posted on the current needs & how your offerings can help us bring Living & safe water to Africa. If you have questions or want to contact us, please e-mail steve.evans@agmd.org