When Water Finds a Way

Beneath the dry, cracked earth of a remote mountain village in Thailand, hope had been waiting.

It had waited through years of sickness, through seasons of rain that filled a polluted river, through prayers whispered in church gatherings under a leaking roof. And then, one day, water drawn from deep within the ground came rushing to the surface—clear, clean, and overflowing with promise!

For generations, the people of Maephrik, Thailand, relied on a river choked with trash and tainted by chemical runoff for drinking, cooking, and bathing. The water caused painful rashes that scarred their skin and marked their daily struggle. And during the dry season, even that water was hard to find.

Lina Nakeevee, a local Jesus follower and the wife of a pastor in the village, knows the pain of those days all too well.

“Especially when we have rainy season, the water gets dirtier,” Lina shared. “We would get all kinds of sicknesses and usually the kids here would get skin rashes and diseases.”

Fourteen-year-old Kitchai is one of them. “I have had a rash all over my body from the water,” he said. “There are still some scars.”

Others in the village echoed the same deep need.

“When [the companies] … plant the rice, they use a lot of chemicals and it comes down the river, and it contaminates all the river,” Philip Chaisuriya Suetipon said. “Especially with the rainy season, the water is very dirty. And in the dry season…we don’t have water for like a month. Some of my family got sick.”

For years, Lina and her husband, Pastor Anon Nakeevee, prayed with their congregation for fresh, clean water. They didn’t know how their answer would come, but they held on to hope—trusting God to provide.

Then, one day, the answer arrived.

“I thought it was a dream,” Lina said of the day they heard relief was coming, thanks to the incredible partners of Joyce Meyer Ministries. “We were praying for many years for this, and then suddenly it came to pass. When the time of God arrives, that is the right time for everything!”

And when the water came, it was more than relief—it was a celebration. For the first time, fresh water poured into buckets and basins—safe, abundant, and accessible to everyone. The sound of children laughing replaced the silence of worry. Mothers drew water without fear. This wasn’t just a change in daily life. It was a sign: God sees us. He hasn’t forgotten us. He answers our prayers.

“We don’t have to worry about running out of water anymore,” Philip said after the Well of Life dedication ceremony. “I’m very, very grateful to have this well to use every day.”

Next to the new well stands another answered prayer: a brand-new, beautiful church building. This strategic combination of a church and a well—a project we call a Well of Life—is meeting both physical and spiritual needs, offering clean water and the hope of the Gospel in one place.

For the last decade, Pastor Anon and Lina led the Grace Church congregation in a structure they were quickly outgrowing. And when the rains came, families would shuffle to drier corners to avoid the dripping roof.

Now there’s plenty of space to accommodate the growing church and youth group.

“I want the church to impact the community,” Pastor Anon shared. “I’m believing that our people can know Jesus and come to the church.”

 “Today, I am very excited,” Lina shared. “I am overwhelmed with joy and very thankful for those who helped make this dream come true.”

Now, clean water flows freely. A thriving church stands ready to welcome more people. And in the heart of this mountain village, hope is no longer buried—it’s alive, visible, and transforming daily life.

Because of the generosity of partners like you, families in Maephrik no longer fear the very water they depend on. And neighbors gather around this Well of Life to hear about the God Who answered their prayers.

But this story isn’t over. There are more villages still waiting. More prayers rising from cracked soil. And more hope ready to rise to the surface. We’re ready to bring it.

Does Your Heart Beat for Medical Missions?

If you’re looking for an opportunity to serve on a short-term medical/dental outreach, here’s your chance!

Come be a part of a once-in-a-lifetime experience and provide care for those who need it most. One thing’s for certain: Lives will be changed…including your own.

Check out our upcoming trips at joycemeyer.org/MedicalMissions