The water pipes at the early childhood education center where Omar Bohorquez worked had been dry for 16 years. Training from Resonate Global Mission inspired Bohorquez to provide a solution.
Venezuela’s water infrastructure struggles to keep up with the population’s needs. While some schools, homes, and businesses have access to piped water, the supply is limited and unreliable. Most buildings do not have access at all and must find other sources. Those who can afford it dig wells. Those who can’t typically rely on other means such as purchasing bottled water or collecting rainwater.
Staff at the early childhood education center had tried to dig a well before, but the work was hard and expensive. They ran out of funds and commitment before they ever reached water. Instead, the school relied on the community to provide the water they needed. Parents and neighbors with wells often dropped off full containers to help get the school through the days and weeks.
But then Bohorquez, a deacon at Getsemani Church, participated in Timothy Leadership Training from Resonate. TLT is a program for pastors and other church leaders that provides biblically based, practical training through an interactive approach. It is especially valuable in countries, such as Venezuela, where the church is growing rapidly and formal training in seminaries or other institutions is hard to come by.
In the first module, “Caring for God’s People,” Bohorquez and other TLT participants were challenged to ask themselves, “What does your community need the most? And how can you meet that need?” Bohorquez immediately thought of the school where he worked and their need for water. He developed a plan to bring water to the building.
First, Bohorquez gathered a group of people from his family, church, and other TLT participants to pool their money and purchase tools. Then, between work and other commitments, Bohorquez and volunteers began to dig.
On the third day of digging, a shovelful finally unearthed a small pool of water.
Bohorquez said the completion of the well project caused “a commotion in the community.” Neighbors were thrilled, and the church hosted a small celebration where they not only shared food with the children at the center, but also shared how the gospel inspired them to meet this pressing need.
Word even spread to the government municipality, and staff members came to test out the well. Participants are sharing the story with other schools in hopes that they will also be able to provide safe, clean water to their students.
Bohorquez is thankful for TLT training provided by Resonate and the change that it’s bringing to his community.
“Before TLT we had good biblical teaching,” he said, “but what sets TLT apart is that it’s good, biblical teaching that is also practical. We can see how it’s changing our lives and community.”