The Well Ministries

As the service started I heard the announcement that there would be a special speaker and then my mind started to wander. I kept hearing this voice telling me things like, “I can’t believe you’ve taken on this responsibility to print this thing every month. Don’t you know how much work this is going to be.” “These ladies are going to laugh at you when you give them one – just like they laugh at you all the time.” “No one will appreciate it.” As I was sitting there beating myself up over doing this the special speaker started to preach on the Woman at the Well. I could hardly believe what I heard. It was like God said, “Kristina, listen up. I want you to do this.” Then I knew I had to bring them that evening. I didn’t even realize, because I had not been attending church, that the pastor had been preaching about the woman at the well for the previous six weeks.

After the dinner the ladies present started to share their testimonies about what the weekend was for them and what they learned from it. I was toward the end of the circle to share my testimony and I was going to talk about the publication as part of it. About half way around the circle those thoughts that were there that morning came back. The next person to share their testimony was Rev. Earlene Coleman who started by saying that someone had prayed for her before she went to the retreat that she would be like the well, spurting forth of living water. I could hardly believe my ears! We ran out of time and 6 women did not get to share their testimony and I was one of them. I was disappointed. The pastor’s wife made mention that I had brought something for everyone – for them to take one on their way out. At the completion of the service I went to talk to Earlene in hopes of asking her to consider writing each month for the publication. She told me she would be delighted to do that and she also said that not having read one word in the publication except the name, the Lord had told her that this booklet would be a success and would minister to hurting women. In addition, two days later I discovered that our pastor had started a series of sermons beginning the week we were at the retreat and continuing for about 6 weeks on – The Woman at the Well!

I was only able to complete about 300 copies that following week and I started distributing them at the Three Rivers Gospel concerts. When I discovered how fast they were going I knew I had to automate the process some to keep up with the demand. Instead of printing any more of the April 1999 issue I started on May’s and made the booklet the size it is now. This allowed us to use the available machinery to gather, staple and fold to more efficiently increase production. For the May issue we printed 1000 copies. Nearly all 1000 copies were distributed in the first week!

On the first day of distribution of the May issue, Three Rivers Gospel was singing up north and I wanted to go to the concert to pass out the new issue. Through a series of things that happened around the home, I felt it might be better to stay home. I decided to go to church but because I had been up late the night before working on the May edition, I did not make it to the morning service. I felt bad because they had a missionary from Russia that was speaking that morning and evening services. I did make it to the evening service and during his sermon he started talking about “The Woman at the Well!” He said that in the Bible times, when they would find a well of good water they would keep going back to it for a drink. I pictured my booklet, as the well of good water and that people would keep coming back to it to get a drink of the Living Water. He also talked about the Pool of Bethesda and how in the Bible an angel would come and stir up the water and the first person that jumped in would be healed. He said that we had that Living Water with us always – we can share it with others and we didn’t have to wait for the angel to come and stir it up. I pictured as if it was like a cup of water that we could share with someone else – and literally I printed 1000 cups of water! Matthew 25:34-36, 40 NIV says, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

Also this month we received our first letter stating a person had recommitted their life to God from reading our publication.

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