Well Diggers a 'God-Send' for Myanmar Villages
YANGON, Myanmar -- Much of Myanmar is under water due to heavy rains and mass flooding, prompting many to pray for the deluge to end.
But it's a different story in communities such as Nyaung Ta Kar village, which, despite political and economic changes, still lack clean, portable water.
Villagers are hoping the rain will fill up a water container because the rainwater is what they use for cooking, bathing, and drinking.
In the summer months, they get water from man-made ponds. Because of the lack of clean water, people get sick from diarrhea and skin diseases.
Nyi Nyi Htwe is pastor of Karen Baptist Church. For more than four years, he's prayed every night that God would provide clean water for their village.
"We prayed for clean water for our village because our children were getting sick," he told CBN News. "Scabies was common to the children because of the dirty water and my daughter had it, too."
According to Pastor Htwe, several attempts to dig wells here failed until CBN Humanitarian and Disaster Relief came to partner with the church and the local people to build a well.
"Organizations came, but it did not work out because they did not dig deep enough for the water to come out," he said.
Jesse Tun is a project coordinator for CBN Myanmar.
"We involve the community in our projects," Tune explained. "We also dug the well in the church compound so more people can come. And just like what it says in the Bible, 'Jesus said, those who are thirsty come to me and you will not thirst anymore.'"
"Hopefully, when they come to get water here, they can also try to join the church," he added.
"I believe CBN is God-sent," Htwe said. "Because of the water, the people even from other villages come to our church. Not only do they get physical water, but they receive the Living Water as they get to know more about Jesus."
"We are happy because we don't have to buy clean water and our children can take a bath with clean water. My daughter's scabies will soon be healed," he continued.
"Thank you very much CBN. God bless you and God use you more," he said.
"Thank You CBN!" Htwe's 4-year-old daughter Gloria echoed.
CBN is committed to helping the people of Myanmar in the long-term. Wells are proposed for drilling in eight other villages later this year.
