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Last August as SOTV members visited our partners in Tungamalenga, we were often asked to sing for the congregation members gathered as we visited from village to village. We sang something written recently by Nate Houge, "The Work of God."

The work of God, the work of God,
the work of God, it is not done.
The work of God, the work of God,
Oh, let his kingdom come.

On our visits to Tungamalenga Parish, it is easy to see the work of God that is not done. There are many children who still need support in order to get an education, the clinic needs medicine and more training for staff, there are ten village chapels in various stages of construction, the leaders of the microfinance cooperative ask for mentoring and training in administration and bookkeeping.

These are the feet, these are the feet,
these are the feet of Jesus.
These are the feet, these are the feet,
Oh, let his kingdom come.

The grandmother in the photo above is from a remote village halfway up a hill, around the bend and down the road from the main church office in Tungamalenga. Mama Petro is from Mahove and has walked to the parish office a number of times to ask the pastor and the partnership committee to help her bring a source of water to the people in her village. They currently walk several kilometers to a neighboring village for water, then carry it back uphill in five gallon pails on their heads. They use their water sparingly--she says they wash their bodies about every ten days.

These are the hands, these are the hands,
these are the hands of Jesus.
These are the hands, these are the hands,
Oh, let his kingdom come.

After several years of hearing the request from Mama Petro, Tungamalenga has placed the Mahove water project at the top of their list of priorities for our partnership. They have presented a plan for piping water from a good source several miles away; they will ask SOTV to provide funds for the supplies, while Tungamalenga would supply the volunteer labor to dig the trenches and install the pipes. Together, we are in the process of evaluating the feasibility of the plan, establishing cost estimates, timelines and a committee for supervision and project management.

The work of God, the work of God,
the work of God, it is not done.
The work of God, the work of God,
Oh, let his kingdom come.

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