Joseph Project Land Improvements and Grease Monkeys

Idrissa raising the tower.

Pulling the tower upright with the truck

The crew

Mixing cement for the foundation. 

Left:Pastor Jean Benoit Right:Soumailia

Preparing to move the tank up the tower.

Idrissa at the very top. SCARY!

View from the top: Storage shed and Chez Sherri

View from the top: Greenhouse

Jonathan working the land with his home-constructed plow. 

Chez Sherri

Greenhouse

Greenhouse

Inside the greenhouse

Small water tower for the greenhouse.

Big water tower. Before 

Big water tower. After

Grease Monkeys: Jonathan & Louis Pierre

Working on the truck engine.

Idrissa and Jonathan

"Hmm, now what do we do?"

Pulling the engine out.

Projects Keep Us Busy

Jason and Moise pulling the bars to either change the bit or prepare to case. When we are using all the bars this process usually takes 30-45minutes. This is one of the guys least favorite parts of drilling. Those bars are heavy!

Jonathan showing Jason how to cut the slits in the PVC casing. These slits will act as a second filtering system, the first is the gravel we pack in around the casing.  Whatever the gravel doesn't catch the slits should and any sand that may get through will sink to the bottom.

Moise making Attaya. (See http://www.lifeofthekroezes.blogspot.com/2014/10/attaya-part-of-senegalese-culture.html for a description and quick cultural lesson on Attaya.)

The drill site. One of the elders of the village came by and enjoyed some shade while watching the guys drill. 

Just me and the machine.....oh and Jonathan playing in the dirt. 

Jonathan explaining each persons role once the casing process starts. Its important for everyone to know their job so we can move as quickly as possible. After taking this picture Jonathan called me over to pray and inform me of my job in the process. So I'm sorry to say I didn't get any pictures. Maybe next time though. 

Well Drilling always draws a crowd. A few times we have had to put up a barrier rope to keep people at a distance so we can work.

Moise flushing the well. It's always a wonderful thing to see clear water coming up.

Here, Jason is helping install a rope pump on a hand dug well at Aida's house. Jason and his church helped raise money to build a house for Aida and her three children. 

Aida's oldest, Jean (John), helping with the cement base.

Several years ago when Aida become a Christian, her Muslim husband divorced her forcing her and the kids to move to her families house. Her mother was very unhappy and said "Unless you remarry a respectable Muslim man I will have to kick you out." Aida's family never did kick her out but they made living with them miserable.  
Aida is an active member in the Badd Church, (See this blog post http://www.lifeofthekroezes.blogspot.com/2014/08/this-is-africa.html for pictures of the church.) and also her village community. She travels by horse cart to the surrounding villages teaching people how to read and write in their own language. She is truly gifted in languages and has a heart for serving the Lord. Aida is an inspiration and encouragement to all she meets! It's a blessing to us to be able to help Aida and her ministry.

Mami, Aida's youngest, and I had fun making faces and taking pictures while the guys finished up. When we first moved here she wouldn't even look at me, now we are pretty good pals.

This was taken last week when we went out to put in a gate and reinforce the well pump. Aida will be ready to move in as soon as the mason comes to finish the walls and install the back door.

Jon Jon, Jonathan and Jeremy headed out to ride on the dunes.

After lots of hard work we took Jason for a Fun Day to Pink Lake. Ok, who am I kidding, the fun was for us too.

Info on the Pink Lake or Lake Retba:
Pink Lake is named for it's pink waters caused by Dunaliella Salina algae and is known for its high salt content, up to 40% in some areas. The salt is exported across the region by up to 3,000 collectors, men and women from all over West-Africa work for 6-7 hours a day collecting the salt. The salt is also used by local fisherman to preserve fish and for cooking local dishes.

It is quite stunning, unfortunately I did not get a picture the day we were there. But, here is a picture I found online. And yes, it really is that PINK. To see more pictures just google "Pink Lake Senegal".
           

We had so much fun being "tourist" and riding camels.

Jonathan and Moise putting one of the corner posts in place.

Mixing the cement, Jeremy was the water boy.  It's a pretty important job as you can see in this picture.

Jeremy is missionary kid from here in Senegal; he graduated from Dakar Academy last year and is now attending a small Bible collage in the great state of Alaska (I've actually never been to Alaska, but I hear it's great.). He has returned home to see his little brother graduate from high school and to do a summer internship.While he is here he will be improving his welding skills, learning about well drilling, and studying the Serer language. This last month Jeremy has been a huge help to Jonathan and I and has also become a very good friend. We have loved having him in our home and join us in ministry, we'll be sad when he has to return to Alaska.

Commercial Wells and New Land

One of the first things we do is dig the mud pit. Here is the young man who accepted Christ helping dig the pit.

We use the pit to mix the bentonite and water. This mixture than circulates through the borehole and makes the rock and debris float to the surface. This young man has the strength of an ox!

Louis Pierre and Jonathan, just drillin' away.

 Oakley agrees, drilling is exhausting. He doesn't normally go out to the drill sites, he is more of a homebody. 

The camp site. This is what happens to your tent when a dessert wind comes up.

It was slow going through the clay, lots of standing and watching.

Until your drill bit gets clogged and stops the circulation. Then you have to stop, pull all the bars out and clean the bit. If only I had taken a pottery lesson or two, I could have made myself a new set of dishes with this clay. 

Jonathan welding the new fitting. 

He truly amazes me with his many talents, strength and perseverance. He just keeps giving it his all in spite of everything that goes wrong.   

Something we see a lot of out in the villages, horse carts. Besides being used for hauling brush, they are also a taxi service. Here in Mbour for .08 cents you can take a horse cart to the market.

The desert sunsets are beautiful, this picture really does it no justice.

Not just a man's job, I enjoy helping out when I can.

Unfortunately we are not putting this PVC in, but taking it out. This is the first casing that collapsed. 

This young man is very eager to learn and has even expressed an interest in well drilling. (He is the same one that helped dig the pit). Jonathan did a great job this day teaching him how to put in and take out the bars. You never know when you might just meet your next well driller. 

Uncle Tim on the new Joseph Project land.

 Happy Birthday Louis Pierre! It was so much fun getting to surprise him with a birthday cake.

Louis Pierre enjoying the shade and running the machine. I wasn't able to go out on this well project so there aren't as many pictures. This is the commercial well they did on the citrus orchard. 

Here is what a final electric pump installation looks like. The generator in the back powers the pump which fills the tank on top of the water tower that they then empty onto the trees.  Great work guys!

I hope that through all these pictures you now have a better understanding of well drilling and a glimpse into our lives......The Life of the Kroezes.