Water Well Dedication to the memory of David Parker

Today was our last day of ministry in the villages.  Tomorrow we will be in Parintins. At the close of the day we were able to have a celebration of the succesful drilling of a water well that we placed in a small community in the Nhamunda area.  The water that came from this well tasted great and was some of the cleanest I have ever had in my life.  While river water is obviously plentiful in the Amazon it is more polluted by the day thus causing continuous illness for the precious people that live in the 30,000 villages.

 

We have been praying all week as to who to dedicate this well to and we gave that decision to 5 of the PCA students that have been on this trip at least 3 times.   They all whole heartedly wanted to dedicate the well to David Parker a much loved Trinity Christian father who just recently went to be with the Lord at a young age.  Beth and I went to Baylor with David.  He led a full life and made an impact on everyone he met.  I always remember him with a smile on his face.

 

David was a family man.  The day he went to be with Christ he had been married exactly 25 years which is rare in this world.  David loved his bride DeLynn and called her Princess.  David loved his 4 sons and was actively involved in every phase of their lives.

 

David lived a full life that was not wasted.  He was the head of the deacons at Parkway Hills.

 

David will be remembered by so many for all the ways he touched their lives.  This water well in his honor is another tribute to his life.

 

How will you and I be remembered when our time to meet God face to face comes?  Will we have lived this life for ourselves or poured it out in service to other people.  One thing that struck me on this trip is the two messages that come across my cell phone depending where we are on the Amazon River.  It either says  NO SERVICE  or VIVO (which is the phone provider).  VIVO in Portuguese means ALIVE.  The thought crossed my mind that when there is NO SERVICE (to God) we are not as ALIVE in Christ as we should be.  Only one life will soon be past - only what is done for Christ will last.

 

Thank you for your prayers this week.  We saw the Lord move in mighty ways!  In the last two weeks roughly 60 students from TCA and PCA had their lives transformed here on the River.  I was particularly blessed to have the blessing of my nephew Luke Gilliland experience the work here.

 

Christ Is Life!  Johnson Ellis           (We will try and get another blog out on our way back up the river.  All is well with students on the trip!)