Living Water International Rwanda

MacGregor and Ashley Magruder are serving full time based in (OR from) Kenya with the Africa Regional Office of Living Water International (LWI), a worldwide Christian organization that helps communities acquire badly needed clean water, hygiene education and sanitation technology.  The Magruders with their three children, Lillian, Ella Jade and Duncan,  reside in Nairobi, Kenya having relocated after three years in Rwanda. 

MacGregor currently assists in managing the Living Water programs across Africa with a concentration on the Eastern region.  Advising and consulting with the local program staff in efforts to fund and obtain clean water and ultimately, eternal Living Water through Christ.  In most situations, the solution to clean drinking water is through the installation of drilled wells (or boreholes) with hand pumps, because the pumps are simple to operate and repair, alternate solutions can be rainwater harvesting, natural spring protection or filtration technologies.  LWI is currently transitioning into a full WaSH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) organization where sustainable projects can open even greater doors to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Ashley Magruder is a certified ESL (English as a Second Language) instructor, one of the many needs identified upon their arrival and has a passion for assisting young students prepare for and pass the English Equivalency Exam to qualify for further education opportunities in the U.S., India and Europe.  She has also trained pastors, taught parenting skills and volunteered at local orphanages.  Making their mission experience a family endeavor is her top priority and will be seeking God’s calling in their new community of Nairobi.  

 Living Water International Nicaragua 

A team of four men from First recently made a trip to Nicaragua to assist in the building of a new
Living Water International well.
Enjoy this report from one of the members of the team.

1. Mission: Bring water and the Word to impoverished rural communities in Nicaragua
2. Water Well: We drilled a shallow well 100 deep…typical for these wells. Two days drilling and reaming. One day setting casing. One-half day setting the pump and discharge string of pipe.
3. The water well was sited at a church in Queztalguaque on the outskirts of León near the northwestern coast of Nicaragua. 
    a. The church was concrete and cinder block with a structural steel tin roof with a dirt floor. Churchgoers bring their own chairs. 
    b. The Pastor and church community were very helpful- they dug the initial two drilling pits, provided a tank trailer for water to make up drilling mud and to flush the well. They also refilled the pits with dirt when the drilling was finished. 
    c. The Pastor was particularly helpful and worked very hard, tending to several minor needs of the project during the three and a half days we were there. 
4. The Living Water International Compound: 
    a. The headquarters and the home of the leader were located in a housing complex in a compound on the edge of León. There was security around the clock packing heat. 
    b. Accommodations were spartan but comfortable – two bunk rooms and one bathroom, with a cold water shower, for the men. The bedrooms had air conditioning but our room’s was not working very well. 
    c. The food was three meals a day – very good but somewhat foreign – plantains and rice were present in almost every meal. 
5. Drilling the well: 
    a. The drilling team left the base compound at 8 AM each day and got back to the compound about 4:30 to 5 PM, driving each away about 45 minutes. 
    b. All work was done in two rotating shifts – one gringo operating the drilling rig controls, one sifting for cuttings and connecting drilling stem segments, and one cleaning trenches for cuttings, and one cleaning two screen filters for drilling mud/fluid return. 
    c. The well appeared to be successful and the team left the well with remnants of bleach still in the casing for mud breakdown and disinfection. The final chemical analysis won’t be done for 30 days. 
    d. The well is pumped by a manual lift pup ranging from 5 to 10 gallons per minute and will serve the local community – limited by the distance a person can carry water. 
6. Impact Culturally:
    a. Eight American Gringos managed by a National drill team…drillmaster and an assistant…supervised by the Nicaraguan director, Jorge’ Alvarado. 
    b. Good interaction with the locals – some gifts, Frisbees, football, crayons. 
    c. Locals watched drilling operations all of the time – 3 to 15 people usually. 
    d. Hygiene class was offered to community women teaching them clean cooking practices – washing hands, cooking, germs, etc. 
7. Spiritual Impact: 
    a. It was nice meeting others….of the eight on the trip, four were from Spokane, Washington, and four were from First Pres Church. Dave McMillan, the father of a First Pres member, Heather Moret. All were strong Christians. 
    b. The group shared devotions and testimony before each day started at 6:30 AM with good discussions about what God and the Lord meant to the group. 
    c. The LWI leader, Jorge’, was a wonderful story and a leader seemingly well grounded in worship. Jorge’ is a leader that worked hard, let his staff lead and grow with responsibilities, and yet had a good sense of humor. There were awkward moments but a wonderful experience for all – both Nationals and the Gringos. 
    d. All work days and all meals started with a prayer. The end of each day was more inspiring than the last. On the last day, we completed the well about 11 AM and celebrated with prayers led by the Pastor and our group…all of us holding hands in a circle around the well. 
    e. When the Pastor was leading the prayers, the members of his congregation in the prayer circle were all praying as well – a very powerful moment of Spanish chants and prayers in many voices. 
    f. The Gringos discussed Friday night that it was important and good that the Nationals managed the drilling operations and the the Gringos accepted the direction that the Nationals gave them with humility and good attitudes. Very enjoyable and successful fun. 
    g. The local community fed the drilling team lunch on the last day – chicken soup – a safe meal to eat so Jorge’ told us. 
8. Inspirations: 
    a. It was a wonderful experience showcasing the goodness of God interacting with the goodness of Man. 
    b. All Gringos who went said they would do it again – of those from Spokane, one was on his 4th trip and one was on his 2nd trip. 
    c. The members of the community were ecstatic about the well – the Pastor was absolutely beaming with so many “gracias’s” in his concluding prayers. 
    d. Once again the constant prayer, reflection and discussion about the meaning of Christ in our lives was the ever present lighthouse beckoning us in the direction we need to chart in our walk through life. 
It was great and great is the Lord. Amen.