ASIA — “Here it comes!” the children shouted as a trickle of water turned into a gushing stream that poured out of the hand pump
spout.

With their new water system, the Makmur family would have a better life. No longer would their mother be hauling buckets of water each morning for that day’s food and chores. No longer would the disease-contaminated river water make their family sick. They would have clean rain water from a collection tank that they helped build — and it would be just outside their house.

“Thank you, Gary!” they repeated. “Thank you! Thank you!”

Throughout the week, Crossworld worker Gary had shared stories and deep conversations with the men of the Makmur family as they built the rain tank together. But before he left, he wanted to share with the entire family.

“Our bodies need water, and this rain tank will satisfy your physical need for the rest of your lives. But our souls need Living Water,  and there is One who can satisfy your spiritual need for all eternity. His name is Jesus.”

Gary continues to invite local men to join him in the rain tank project. More than just for business, employing local men also allows him to disciple believers to reach their own people. One such believer, Sukarno, learned the trade from Gary and now leads his own tank-building teams, boldly proclaiming the gospel and making disciples himself.

“He so beautifully draws from the [local] worldview, stories and philosophy, and presents a contextual but very clear message of Jesus,” Gary said. “He is able to weave the message of living water into the [local] culture in ways I never will be able to.”

Together, Gary and his team of disciple-makers are transforming communities both now and for eternity, one rain tank at a time.

Pray for more local believers to catch the vision of reaching their own people in their own cultural context through the rain tank business.

Italicized names were changed to protect identities.