DIG A LITTLE DEEPER IN THE WELL

PERHAPS, I SHOULD SET THIS UP....IN THE 80'S, THE OAK RIDGE BOYS DONATED $50,000 TO A CHARITY ORGANIZATION....IN TURN, THE CHARITY ORGANIZATION GOT THREE MORE PEOPLE TO DONATE THE SAME AMOUNT...WITH $200,000, WE FLEW DEEPWATER WELL DIGGERS FROM TEXAS TO DIG 4 WATER WELLS IN THE RIFT VALLEY IN KENYA.....WHERE THERE IS WATER, THERE IS LIFE.....IMMEDIATELY, SMALL COMMUNITIES FORMED AROUND THE NEW FOUND WATER, AND EACH OF THE FOUR COMMUNITIES WERE NAMED AFTER THE FOUR OAK RIDGE BOYS......NOW, FOR MY BROTHER FRED'S STORY.....

DIG A LITTLE DEEPER IN THE WELL

by Fred M. Allen

Several years ago the Oak Ridge Boys of Nashville, TN, recorded a song by the above title which impressed me very much. It emphasized that one cannot always be sure what a person is really like from outward appearances only, but you have to “dig a little deeper” to find out what that person is really like inside. Only then can you be assured that what you see is what you get.

I was thinking of that song one day while being shown a well in Nasimbandu Village in Zambia, Africa. Hand-dug water wells in the desolate area of Western Province in Zambia, Africa, where my wife, Joy, and I served as missionaries. The well was about six feet in diameter, eight feet deep and was holding about six inches of water. I learned that day that this one well is the only source of water for a village of 60 people. I watched as the women came to the well with a long pole with a plastic container attached to it. They took turns scraping the container along the sandy bottom of the dish-like area and eventually filled her larger container. Then, she let it set for some time so the sand could settle to the bottom before she used it for drinking and for preparation of food. 

As I observed how desperate they were for an adequate supply of clean water, I began studying the situation and felt that surely there should be some way to make more water available to the village. Although I did not know anything about the soil in the area except that there was deep sand everywhere, since this was a part of the Kalahari Desert, I made a suggestion that they should “dig a little deeper in the well” so more water could be collected. I sensed that there was some doubt on the part of the village men, but they agreed and began digging until they reached a depth of several feet below the previous depth of eight feet. They were still digging when my team and I had to leave that village to go to another village where we were expected.

Two weeks later our team returned to Nasimbandu only to find that the well which they dug deeper at my suggestion had been abandoned and a new well a few yards away had to be dug to replace it. I inquired about what had happened. Then, one of the men explained that a line of clay is found at the same level as the stream of underground water, and that, once the clay is removed, there is nothing left to hold the water, so it sinks deep into the sand and is gone completely. I asked, “Why didn't someone explain this to me before?” They said they did not want to hurt the feelings of the missionary who was there to try to help them. I felt terrible when I realized that I had destroyed their source of water when I asked them to dig deeper in the well. I apologized and they forgave me.

I learned an important lesson that day: that missionaries can learn much from the local people when it comes to dealing with those natural things like water wells which they have been digging for years. However, I decided right then that there is still something I can do to help their situation. I called the villagers together and told them that I would return to my home 150 miles away and begin seeking a way to help them have a proper well dug in their village soon. Within a few weeks, I had

gotten the funds and approval from my Mission office to coordinate a water well project not only for this village but at 13 other locations which would serve 39 other villages in the area. Within one year we had completed 14 hand-dug water wells which should last for many years. In every location where we dug water wells, we preached the Gospel and new churches were started. 

Thank you, Oak Ridge Boys, and especially your lead singer, my brother, Duane Allen, for the inspiration you gave me many years ago which God used to bring cool, clean water to literally thousands of wonderful people in Zambia who had never before had a generous supply of cool water.