“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8, KJV).
Drilling Through Setbacks
Thousands of miles from home, carrying duffel bags with drilling parts and equipment, the first water team of 2026 arrived in West Africa ready to work.
FIA’s ministry partners had spent months preparing for their arrival. From coordinating with village leaders to surveying drill sites and building relationships with nationals, so that the Gospel could be shared. The team knew before they left that the drilling rig’s air compressor had stopped working. To prepare for this, they brought a replacement part, confident it would solve the problem quickly.
It didn’t.
When the team installed the new part and started the compressor, another issue surfaced. Without a functioning air compressor (vital to any drilling operation), there would be no drilling. No water wells. No way to fulfill commitments to communities that had been waiting, sometimes over a year, for clean water.
FIA’s first water drill team of 2026 – a dedicated, skilled group of men.
Choosing Faithfulness
Rather than losing days to frustration, the team pivoted immediately. Some grabbed tools and started installing windows and door frames on an apartment under construction to house future interns: young people who will extend the reach of this drilling ministry for years to come. Meanwhile, others kept troubleshooting the compressor, refusing to give up on the drilling mission.
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8, KJV).
One of the team members installing a door frame for the intern house.
God Answers
After several days of troubleshooting and prayer, the team tried one more solution, and the compressor roared to life! By the next morning, they were heading to their first drill site, trusting the Lord with the results and knowing He is the Provider of all.
Over the course of their trip, the team successfully drilled two water wells. Two sources of clean water that will serve communities for generations, and two more opportunities for local ministry partners to share the Gospel with people who’ve never heard it.
One of the successful wells drilled during this trip.
Pray With Us
Please continue to pray for our drilling teams serving in West Africa this year. Pray that God would work through setbacks and delays, that His timing would be evident in every project. Pray for the communities receiving clean water through these wells. Most importantly, pray that hearts would be softened to the Word of God, and that many would come to know Jesus, the Living Water.
Two team members working on the drill rig.
