Author: SuZan Klassen

Fred’s Drilling Crew Disappointed

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Fred and his drilling crew.
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Another hole collapses.

Fred has been in Congo for seven weeks now. He reports that the second hole Dale and he started went crooked and collapsed last week just like the first one. A big disappointment!

Fred has wisely come up with an alternative plan. He will concentrate on rainwater retrieval from house roofs. Congo certainly has plenty of rain to catch. Here is what Fred sent:

“I have decided to use local materials as much as possible for the water-collection systems on individual homes. We’ll use one hundred liter plastic cans similar to the ones many Americans use for trash. They are readily available here in Tshikapa, and they are only $15 each.”

100 liters is approximately 26.5 gallons or about 5 – 7 trips to the spring or river to get water.

We here at Hope 4 Congo will have to rethink our method of drilling in Congo for the future. This makes five holes without water.

Catching rainwater is a great idea. We’re not sure why the Congolese have not done it. It has a lot of potential. It’s easy to do and rain is plentiful in Congo.

Sometimes our western way of thinking takes a lot of time and effort to catch on. Please pray that the Congolese will see the value of this system to supply their water. Also, that they may see the potential business opportunity in it as well.

Fred is trying to introduce good business practices to them. Pray that they will see this as a way to provide for their families.

We’ll post more information when we have it or on July 7, whichever comes first. In the meantime, please pray for Fred and his efforts to help the Congolese. Also, please follow us so you won’t miss out on any of our news and updates.

©2015 Hope4Congo

Dale has Malaria; Fred Continues Drilling

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Dale on the left, Fred in the background

Dale has been our source of updates due to his internet connection. Since Dale is back home now this is the last photo we have to share at this time.

Unfortunately, Dale has come down with malaria. It will take several days for him to recover. Please pray for him to feel better soon.

Fred is still in Congo. He reports they drilled down about eighty feet on the second well, but they had to abandon the first hole because it went crooked and collapsed at the bottom.

They have found water again, but we haven’t heard anymore from Fred at this point.

Please continue to pray for a successful well and that Dale will recover quickly.

And as always, please follow us so you’ll keep up with the news from Congo.

~Blessings

©2015 Hope4Congo

Saturday Afternoon Off

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Gravel from underground river

Dale writes: It is Saturday afternoon. We stopped drilling and took the afternoon off. We praise the Lord that we reached small gravel stones. This shows me that the underground river is close. I pray that we’ll reach water on Monday.

God is to get all the Glory.

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An afternoon off.

©2015 Hope4Congo

Searching for Water

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Moving drilling equipment to a new site.

Dale Beverly and Fred Suter made the trip to Congo this year. The purpose of the trip is to drill wells for safe drinking water.

Dale writes: We searched for underground water, but didn’t find anything. So we went across the Tshikapa River to another village that needs good clean drinking water. Found a large underground river that we can drill into. Will move drill equipment there tomorrow. It will take all day to move and get set up.

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Setting up equipment.

©2015 Hope4Congo

God Cuts Some Red Tape

We’re reminded again how important flexibility is when traveling in Congo.

All the police want money since they’re not paid well (if at all) by the government. So they expect to be paid by travelers, especially westerners.

When Dale and Fred got off the plane in the small airport the police took their passports and sent them walking through the bush to the Provincial Commissioner’s office (approximately 3 miles).
They were escorted by the police because they thought Dale was a businessman. The church officials arrived. They explained that Dale and Fred are volunteers helping to put in a water supply.

The Provincial Commissioner saw that Dale came from Tanzania and that he speaks Swahili. They had a conversation about home and people. The PC let them go and told them to have a good time. He returned their passports. They parted good friends. What a relief!

God is soooooo good. Even though Dale’s Swahili isn’t very good at all, God put all the right words in his mouth. Fred wasn’t spoken to at all and doesn’t know Swahili. God obviously had that PC from Tanzania in that location for a reason.

Dale said that he felt like Paul before King Agrippa. Only praise God, neither of these men were in chains.

Dale and Fred made it to the village church conference center, home for the next 3 weeks for Dale. Fred will be staying longer. The village mamas made their food: Ugali ya muhogo and stew. Dale loves it.

They spent the evening sitting outside enjoying the sounds of village life. No traces of water underground yet.They’ll check other places.

In the meantime, enjoy the photos of the village welder. Have welder will travel–rather ingenious contraption–a homemade welder on a homemade cart.

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Have welder, will travel

This man makes his living traveling from place to place with his welder. As we’ve mentioned before, bicycles are extremely important in Congo. Here the welder is repairing someone’s bicycle.

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©2015 Hope4Congo