Water Without Walls

How one well in Larabanga is breaking barriers and building bridges for the Gospel in Northern Ghana 

In the Gospel of John chapter 4, Jesus breaks social, racial and gender barriers by speaking to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well in Sychar. He offers her “living water” that leads to eternal life, reveals her past, identifies Himself as the Messiah and teaches that true worship is not confined to a specific location but must be in spirit and in truth. When the Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into town to buy food.) He later told her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” 

This passage is one of my favorite scriptures. Although the Samaritan woman did not initially know who Jesus was, she engaged in an open and honest conversation with Him. She freely expressed her thoughts and, in the end, became an evangelist to her entire community. Water drawn from Abraham’s centuries-old well became the meeting point of grace and revelation that day.



Similarly, the town of Larabanga, located in the West Gonja District of the Savannah Region of Ghana, is home to notable landmarks such as Mole National Park, the Larabanga Mystery Stone, and the Larabanga Ancient Mosque considered the oldest mosque in Ghana and one of the oldest in West Africa, dating back to 1421 and built in the traditional Sudanese mud-and-stick style construction. Visitors to the national park often have the opportunity to explore these historic sites. 

Recognizing that the presence of the Ancient Mosque reflected a predominantly Muslim population, we respectfully asked Mohammed whether the town’s leaders would permit us to construct a well for the community, as this aligns with our mission. After consultations with the elders, we were granted approval to proceed. Although there were one or two existing wells in the village, they were reserved solely for Muslim ritual ablution before prayers. Occasionally, a water truck arrives to supply residents, who then carry water back to their homes, providing an important supplement to the limited wells. In response, Global Servants aimed to provide an unrestricted water source accessible to the entire community, specifically for household use. As Global Servants’ President Travis Rutland often quotes John Wesley: “Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, for as long as you can.”



Previously, Global Servants constructed a sanitation unit for another village in northern Ghana. Upon completion, the chief instructed our pastor to inquire whether non- Christians would be permitted to use the facility. When asked, Travis gave a firm and immediate “Yes.” It is noteworthy that after this message was communicated through the chief, he and nearly all the village elders attended church the following Sunday to express their appreciation. Subsequently, we received a request to build a personalized sanitation unit exclusively for the chief.