Mission Aviation Fellowship flew The Bucket Ministry to eastern Uganda to distribute water filters, help curb diseases caused by drinking dirty water, and share the Good News of Living Water.
Fifteen-year-old Jeremiah Wamimbi suffered for years from illnesses caused by dirty water. He battled constant diarrhoea and typhoid, falling ill, recovering just enough to keep going, and then getting sick again.
But three months ago, everything changed when missionaries from The Bucket Ministry visited their home with a bucket filter bringing clean, safe water.
“My son has suffered from diarrhoea and typhoid for many years, but now, with the gift of the bucket, his health has greatly improved,” said Joyce Mwagale, Jeremiah’s mother.
My son has suffered from diarrhoea and typhoid for many years.
Mission Aviation Fellowship flew The Bucket Ministry from the capital Kampala to Tororo airstrip in just over an hour, from where they travelled the remaining 40 minutes by road to Mbale. By comparison, the road trip from Kampala to Mbale would take over 5 hours.
“The beautiful thing about MAF is that they provide tremendous service in getting missionaries to where they need to go. They have become an important part of helping us do the work of God,” said Jim Gentle, Head of Development in The Bucket Ministry.
Joyce described the water filter as a miracle. She no longer had to worry about paying hospital bills for her frequently-ill son. The bucket became a means of saving, and she no longer worried about spending money on charcoal to boil water.
In Mbale, The Bucket Ministry focuses on the suburb of Namatala: A slum characterised by poor housing.
Over 80% of Namatala households have no access to safe drinking water, so they rely on the heavily polluted river as one of their main sources of water. Residents use the river for various purposes, including drinking and washing their laundry.
“When there’s no money to buy water from the tap, we use the water from the river,” said Sikola Manake, one of the receivers of the water filters in Namatala. “We also face other constraints, like needing money to buy charcoal to boil the drinking water.”
“My son used to have typhoid but ever since we got the bucket, he never got sick again. Now that we have the bucket, we are sure that we can drink water from the river and still be safe from diseases,” she added.
The ministry goes beyond the distribution of water filters to help protect people from diseases. During follow-up missions to see how the filters are being used, missionaries not only preach the gospel but also witness the development of positive relationships among neighbours.
“Buckets have given us a chance to penetrate people’s homes and share the gospel,” said Edwin Chapia, East African Director of The Bucket Ministry. “We’ve witnessed families being reunited as the gospel is being preached.”
Buckets have given us a chance to penetrate people’s homes and share the gospel.
Jim Gentle was amazed by what he called “the ripple effects of the bucket,” from providing safe drinking water to reaching people’s homes, creating disciples and seeing people baptised.
During their recent visit, 15 young people were baptised as a result of the bucket distribution and follow-up meetings.
