Drilling Past Bad News
05-May-2022
www.maranatha.org -- This week, we’ll venture into the jungles of India to visit a village so remote, none of Maranatha’s water well contractors wanted to go there to drill for water. The steep mountain roads that lead to the village of Taosang punish any vehicle that attempts to pass with large ruts and rocks. Contractors were worried that their vehicles would be damaged trying to make the journey. Maranatha wouldn’t be able to drill a well in Taosang. With many other villages to help, Maranatha leadership could have simply moved on to the next site on their list once this roadblock appeared. Your kids will see how Maranatha trusted that God had a plan for the people of Taosang, and consider how they can also trust in God when challenges arise in their own life.
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Pre-video Discussion Questions
- Have you ever received bad news that a trip, party, or other event was canceled? How did it make you feel?
Introduce the Video
In today’s video, after well-drilling companies refuse to go to a remote village, Maranatha trusts God’s plan and gets creative.
Post-video Discussion Questions
- Why didn’t Maranatha want to move on to the next village after finding out the drilling companies wouldn’t come to Taosang?
- In the Bible, Nehemiah received some bad news that was also very discouraging. You can read about it in the book of Nehemiah. The people of Israel had been living far from their homeland in the kingdom of Persia. Nehemiah served the Persian king as his cupbearer, tasting drinks to make sure there was no poison in them. He received news that his city of Jerusalem was destroyed. His people had tried to start rebuilding it, but other nations nearby had attacked and left it in ruins. Nehemiah turned to God in prayer, and after some time, had an idea. He would ask the king if he could return to his home land to rebuild the city. The king agreed and Nehemiah traveled to Israel to lead the people in the building process. Sometimes you may get news that is disappointing like Maranatha or Nehemiah—how does praying to God help?
Prayer Points
- Help us to pray when we receive bad news.
- Ask kids what they would add to the prayer list.
Did You Know?
- The pipeline at Taosang was the first of its kind for Maranatha, but since installing it, we are installing pipelines in multiple locations in India that are hard to reach.