Water in Lui

Diocesan efforts in Lui successful. By Lisa Fox

Our parish has supported the companion relationship with the Diocese of Lui (Sudan) over the last year.  Some of our budget this year contributed to the crucial initiative to drill wells that could provide water in Lui. That effort has yielded more than we dared hope.   With offerings from Grace and other parishes in Missouri, our diocese contracted with a Ugandan company to drill three wells in Lui, hoping and praying they would find the right sites and be able to drill through that solid granite bedrock and hit water instead of oil.  

On Holy Saturday, we received a message from the Diocese of Lui that the drilling was successful.  Our diocese and the hydrologists chose three drilling sites: the Cathedral compound, Lunjine School, and the site of the new seminary.   We hoped one or two might be successful.  To our amazement and delight, all three sites were successful.  Each well was designed to go some 65 meters deep; in all three, the crew struck water at about 40 meters.   They continued to drill down to 65 meters, to ensure a good strong flow of water.

The availability of safe drinking water can make a tremendous difference in the lives of our friends in Lui.  As our Community Ministry Committee has observed, all of our other core efforts in Lui, especially increasing food production and improving education, are dependent on reliable sources of clean water.

For more information on Grace's global and community ministry efforts, see  Parish and Community Ministries.