Episode 5: When it Rains it Pours

      I have always thought that gray clouds & overcast skies had a couple meanings. You could expect either rain or just a cool & cloudy day. Growing up in New England a storm would include light to steady rain, with the occasional downpour or thunderstorm. Traveling in Africa during the rainy season, however, gave a whole new definition to the word "Rainstorm". In South Sudan, dark & stormy clouds is a guarantee for a deluge. You were never sure if it would just be a torrential rain, or a loud, blustering electrical storm of epic proportions! You always ran for cover because there could be 3 inches of water on the ground in seconds.  This cataclysmic nature of daily weather made for some interesting situations. Getting out & in from the farmland (6 miles away from the village) was always an adventure. Once, a commonly crossed bridge turned into a rushing torrent that had to be jumped & waded through on foot. On one of the more hair raising times, a few of us had to race a tropical rain storm to the village, on a tractor. Driving 18 miles per hour on an African bush road is the recipe for a bumpy ride! 

      I always marveled that, a few hours after a tropical storm, the ground would be completely dry. The volume of rain always amazed me & yet the ground soaked it up like a sponge. For awhile I wondered why so much rain was received during those wet months. It seems obvious, but It is simply God's provision & compensation for the months of dry weather (October thru March). He provides an abundance of H2O that enables a tropical & fruitful abundance to spring up. This in turn gives growth to the many different crops which feed the people. The concept of mixing water with dirt, then food grows up totally blows me away! God's wisdom & the beauty of His design always amazes me. Even in this sin-tainted & imperfect world (Romans 8:20-22), God's fingerprints are clearly seen.  Just like the predictable tropical storms of Africa, the Lord's provision for each of us is faithful & consistent. He knows exactly what we need & the perfect timing for it.
  "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."  ~ 2 Corinthians 9:8

      One future plan for our work in Borongole, South Sudan, is to find a way to collect the excess water during the rainy season. The stored water could then be utilized for irrigation and many other uses, especially during the dry season.  Another important development, is to look into ways that our village can raise money from the work of their own hands, in order to promote self-sustainability. Please pray as research is currently being done here, to enable our ground team to start a business there, which will provide income for them, as well as, fund other initiatives of Operation Nehemiah. We are very excited about this possibility... more details to follow!