28Bold Do Something Book

28 BOLD

THE STORY OF a story of God doing the impossible through a girl who kept saying yes

BY CHRISTAN BARNETT

The righteous are as bold as lions.

Have you ever felt God calling you to do something bigger than yourself?

Maybe you’ve thought: there are too many needs, the problems are too complicated, the opposition is too great... But still, you can’t shake it. You have to do something.

This is the story of 28Bold - a story way bigger than me, a story of bringing life to people no one was willing to help, a story of being bold and saying yes when fear and walking away made way more sense.

On the following pages you will find my story, but really this is God’s story. He has shown up again and again as I have continued to be obedient.

My commitment has always been to do the next right thing, and He has continued to make a way for us to dig wells and see lives change. It’s been incredible.

I pray these stories of saying yes, stepping out in faith, and trusting God inspire you to do something bold too.

- Christan

When I was eight years old, I did a project on Burkina Faso. My teacher said we could pick any country, and I wanted to do an African country. Traveling there was always at the top of my bucket list.

In hindsight, I know God was working something in my heart way back then. He was preparing me for something beyond my wildest dreams.

It’s always been Africa.

8-year-old

Christan with her project on Burkina Faso

Photo by Daniel Gutierrez

Photo by Haley Lamb

One Sunday, my church announced they were taking a team on a mission trip to South Africa, and I knew immediately I needed to go.

The plan was to work with a church in Phakane, South Africa. Before the trip, I knew very little about Phakane, and I had no idea this trip and this city would change the course of my entire life.

During the first few days of the trip, I started to realize the sobering reality of life in places like Phakane.

Phakane has one of the highest sexual assault rates in the world along with a strong culture of fatherlessness. There are limited jobs, countless orphans, and a strong presence of witchcraft.

I was broken over this city and its people. And, I also fell in love with this city and its people. Their culture was beautiful. Their way of life was challenging. I fell hard for the people of Phakane, and Africa quickly began to change me.

My journey to Africa began in early 2012.

Photo by Haley Lamb

Photo by Haley Lamb

I recently read a quote from world traveler and author Jessica Nabongo that resonated with me so much. She said,

On this first trip, a deep love for Africa was birthed inside of me, and I couldn’t wait to return.

“I am Afric an not because I look African, but because Africa was born inside of me.”

I met Pastor Muzi on this first trip to Phakane.

Muzi had many options of places to settle down and do ministry, but he chose Phakane because of the extreme needs.

The Chief gave him land to start a church after he arrived, making many in the community angry. They did not want a Christian pastor there where Muslims with a mixture of witchcraft are the norm, and in retaliation, community members poisoned and killed his wife.

Today, Muzi is the legal guardian of over 70 children in Phakane who need a guardian to receive government assistance.

His story of staying and enduring through great opposition and persecution continues to challenge and spur me on today.

Despite this extreme opposition and the loss of his wife, Muzi stayed.

Muzi and members of our mission team

I tend to act first and think later. So when I got home from that first trip to South Africa, I went straight into action mode.

The church in Phakane was planning a garden project they needed help funding. It seemed so simple and would “solve” their need for a feeding program. I would raise the money for them to build the garden and it would help feed their community.

My 30th birthday was just around the corner, and I decided to ask everyone to bring donations for this garden instead of presents.

We raised the money, and I sent it off to Phakane. There was never a thought in my mind that it wouldn’t work.

When I got back to the states, I knew I needed to do something.

Photo by Laura Gay

Photo by Christan Barnett

I planned a trip to return and check on the garden later that same year.

While I was in the states, I never heard much about the status of the garden. I assumed it was producing and thriving.

It wasn’t until I was about a mile out from the garden site that I learned it was drying up and nothing was growing.

This is when I started learning there was a much bigger problem here.

There was no water.

1 in 10 people in the world do not have access to safe water.

Photo by Christan Barnett

This was a primary water source for the community before our well project in Madagascar.

5 million people die each year from water related illnesses.

One child dies from lack of clean water every 12 seconds...

Photo by Laura Gay

As I was standing over the garden feeling defeated, God began speaking to me so clearly.

I knew I had to choose. I could go home and act like I didn’t see this failing garden, or I could do something. I chose to do

something.

I had no idea what was ahead of me. I had no answers and no money, only my heart telling me I couldn’t just walk away and that I had to do something to help these people I had come to love.

In life we often come to these crossroads. We are faced with a problem. We see a need. We sense God is calling us to take action, but we hesitate and make excuses. We turn

away instead of moving toward action.

These were my honest thoughts at the start. Weren’t there already dozens of huge organizations helping with water projects here? I thought one of them would be willing to help.

I started Googling and calling all the major nonprofits, and I kept getting back responses telling me the reasons they couldn’t help.

They didn’t have any equipment in South Africa. South Africa was the most developed country in Africa with the most resources. They don’t need it as much as other places. It’s too dangerous.

While there is truth to some of these reasons, they didn’t provide a reason why these people I cared about so deeply couldn’t have access to their most basic need – water.

Water in Africa seemed so cliché.

Photo by Christan Barnett

After striking out with established nonprofits, I started calling the South African government. I thought there was surely something they could do to help their people.

I slowly began learning about the full scope of the water issues in the region. A majority of the water pipes are controlled by the government and because of corruption they are turned on and off all the time.

Limiting the people’s source of life is a game for the powerful. My phone calls and emails to the government were a dead end because even if I could get them to do something differently the local people wouldn’t trust it.

Everything I was trying felt like a dead end. No one was willing to help build a well in Phakane. One night, everyone in my house was in bed, and I was up thinking about the faces of these people I loved who I couldn’t just give up on.

It’s a form of control.

I kept thinking about this impactful book I had just finished on my last trip to Africa, Love Does by Bob Goff.

At the end of his book, he put his cell phone number and said he was available for anyone to call him.

So, I did.

As the American consulate to Uganda and attorney, Bob has experience with African governments and he emphasized that whatever I did it needed to be local - the locals had to be bought in for it to work long-term.

We didn’t have a long phone call, but I left with renewed hope and some next steps to move forward. So, we started raising money.

I dialed Bob Goff’s phone number, and he answered.

Photo by Laura Gay

“That’s what love does - it pursues blindly, unflinchingly, and without end. When you go after something you love, you’ll do anything it takes to get it, even if it costs everything. ” Bob Goff, Love Does

Photo by Christan Barnett

Once we started raising the money to dig the first well, my sister suggested we make this a non-profit so the gifts could be tax-deductible.

I told her that sounded great, but I have 2 kids, am married and have a full-time job. I wasn’t exactly in a place to start a nonprofit.

It all seemed crazy and I was scared of failing.

I didn’t know how to run a business or how to run a non-profit, but I knew I needed to see this through. I knew God was calling me to say yes again and I was willing to count the cost.

A friend at church put me in touch with an attorney and we started the 11-month process of becoming 28Bold, Inc as a recognized 501c3.

This was uncharted territory for me.

At his point, you may be asking, why 28Bold? Where did this name come from?

I mentioned to one of my African friends, Pastor Alfie, one day that I had been emailing government officials in South Africa trying to get someone to help me.

He messaged me and quoted Proverbs 28:1.

“The righteous are as bold as lions.”

The truth is I didn’t feel bold when I sent those emails. It didn’t feel bold to just send an email and ask and I really thought I would never even get a response.

What Pastor Alfie said that day stuck with me. Maybe it was bold; not a boldness that came from me and my strength, but from God.

Maybe that’s what this whole thing was aboutbeing a little more bold.

Photo by Christan Barnett

This friend who spoke the emboldening words of Proverbs 28:1 over me that day was Pastor Alfie. He and his wife’s story is one you should know.

I first met Alfie and his wife Edith on my very first trip to South Africa. I had never met anyone like them. They are both well-educated, an architect and a teacher from Kenya. They moved to Nelspruit, South Africa to plant a church with two small children and no real income, leaving behind their successful careers in Nairobi, Kenya to fullfill their God calling. Nelspruit is a city that still feels the impacts of apartheid even though it ended in 1990, leaving a great divide between the white and black races.

Pastor Alfie and Edith found a room to borrow on Sundays for church and they would take themselves and their small children to church every Sunday for weeks and months, setting up sound equipment and taking up an offering every week… even though for many weeks it was just the four of them

The resilience and faith it took to stay with it even though they could not see the fruit of their labor for so long was an initial inspiration to me.

Alfie and Edith, with their business background and ministry experience, really helped me frame out the vision for 28Bold.

Alfie talked with me about how strategic and impactful it would be to have water attached to the local church. These conversations were where this vision was born.

I remember them sharing very vulnerable stories of their ministry struggles, learning and teaching forgiveness to leadership members and congregants.

Their impact on me and 28Bold is beyond words, and we wouldn’t be where we are without them.

In the beginning, I was focused on this one project in Phakane. I thought maybe we would do one or two more and that would be it.

But then, the doors kept opening for other projects.

My commitment to God was that I would continue to do projects as long as the money came in and it has continued to flow.

I started to realize that if God has blessed this, no one could stop it - not even me.

I told God many times, “I don’t know what you are doing, but I am here for it. Even when it’s discouraging, defeating, and hard - I am going to keep going. I want to be at the center of whatever you have for me.” It’s scary to say,

But, I’ve lived long enough to know that when you live in this space the things God can do are bigger than anything you can plan or imagine.

“Here I am, send me.”

Photo by Christan Barnett

With man, it is impossible, but with God nothing is impossible.

Photo by Laura Gay

While God had blessed our work tremendously, we began facing very challenging, difficult moments that nearly made me quit.

In 2020, like the rest of the world, we had to put all of our plans on pause. We canceled Zambia indefinitely as it was scheduled for April 2020.

Due to different goals, we lost some of the partners who had been with us from the very start. These were some of our dearest friends, and I never imagined 28Bold without them, but I felt a reassurance that God would carry me and He would carry 28Bold.

There were relational conflicts and accusations against my motivations and heart for the people of Africa and it nearly broke me. I cried for days. I remember walking around my house saying I had a non-profit for sale.

In these moments I told God straight-up, I know you are working still, but if you want me to keep doing this - you are going to have to make it happen. You are going to have to show up.

And let me tell you, He has.

There were times I wanted to give up.

Photo by Christan Barnett

Emily P. Freeman coined the phrase do the “next right thing” in one of her books and it has stuck with me ever since I read it.

When life gets hard, when the rubber meets the road, and when you want to give up, I’ve learned you must have a foundation to fall back. You have to remind yourself of the truths that got you where you are in the first place.

In 2020 and many times before and after I’ve reminded myself of this wisdom, “do the next right thing.”

Throughout this journey, I’ve remained committed to doing the next right thing God called me to do and trusting He would work out the rest, often not seeing the end goal or how it would all work out.

Sure, there have been trials and things haven’t always gone as I have planned, but He has always worked it out for our good and His purposes.

Saying yes can be scary. Following a dream takes risk. God never says following him will be comfortable and easy rather, we know opposition and hardships will come just as they have for me. But my commitment to God has remained –to do the next right thing.

Photo by Christan Barnett

Photo by Laura Gay

Now, I want to take you on a journey to each place we have dug a well. I want you to see their faces and hear their stories. I want you to see how God is moving and working throughout Africa in ways we could have never imagined.

Each of these projects has changed me. Every person I have met and every life changed has impacted the 28Bold family so much.

I pray their stories change you too.

Let’s go on a journey, first stop

- Phakane, of course.

Photo by Laura Gay

She came with water.

Our first project was in Phakane, South Africa where I had been many times and where this whole passion started. While I was familiar with the place and the people, I still had no idea what to expect. I had never dug a well before.

We hit water on September 29, 2017 at 50 meters - a moment I will never forget.

On this first trip, the gogos (grandmas) in the village named me “Zanamanzi” meaning “she came with water” in Swati. They also gave me this name.

Being given this African name meant so much to me, it’s hard to put into words. In all African cultures the name that one is given always has meaning. God used me to bring them life - to bring them water, an incredible gift and privilege I will never get over.

Photo by Laura Gay

Water brings joy.

I met Peter in Phakane on one of my first trips and since then he has become a trusted advisor, savvy travel partner, and most of all a dear friend.

He is 1 of 16 children and grew up in Nairobi, Kenya. He is the child of a minister and came to South Africa to find opportunities. For a living he brokers vegetables from farmers to supermarkets.

He has helped me navigate through different African cultural differences, negotiated deals with me, and has been a spiritual advisor and friend throughout every dig.

Thank you, Peter.

This all would not have been possible without Peter.

Photo by David Barnett

Phakane is a matriarchal community and the grandmothers specifically hold a high place of respect and honor. They are called gogos.

On this trip where we finally dug the well in Phanake I will never forget when one of the typically quiet gogos in the community spoke up. In fact, prior to this moment I dont think she had ever spoken to me directly.

She looked at me smiled, and said, “I thought you would never come back.”

This is when I really started to grasp the power of long-term investment, continuing to show up and come back.

“I thought you’d never come back...”

Pastor Noszipho was the first female pastor we had worked with, which surprised me that the church in Africa would have a female pastor, but is a reminder of the matriarchal nature of their culture. The area around the church in Msholozi is densely populated with a lot of blue-collar workers and school-age children.

The well there is providing water for 600+ people daily.

Photo by Laura Gay

At every project site, there are inevitably kids usually younger as the older ones are in school.

Drilling can be a bit of hurry-up and wait and while we wait we often play. I take soccer balls, bubbles and other toys to enjoy with the children while we wait to hit water.

Much like the children in America, African children love attention, playing games, and laughing. This adorable girl was named Magan and I had so much fun taking pictures, playing and dancing. She held my hand for much of this day in South Africa.

These children bring so much joy and fun to what can be the long days of drilling.

Photo by Christan Barnett

African Food

African food can vary from place to place, just like in any other nation, but I have loved trying new foods and learning how they are prepared at each meal. This meal was in Madagascar and included rice, vegetables and chicken curry- showing the eastern Indian influence on the culture.

Photo by Laura Gay

Women & children carry the weight.

Generations of women’s lives are now changed because of water.

Throughout Africa women and children carry the weight of collecting water. It’s estimated worldwide 2 million hours are spent collecting water every day by women and children.

Children miss school and women are hindered from doing much else with their day. Hours and hours are consumed by water.

These wells can change their lives forever. They can dream again and not worry where their water will come from.

Photo by Christan Barnett

Photo by Christan Barnett

These women are remarkable, and some of them I will never forget. This is one of those women. I remember clearly the moment she looked at me with her baby girl on her back and said,

This moment was so powerful and stunning. This child, who she was carrying on her back, would grow up in a new generation where she would have more opportunities because she no longer has to spend her days collecting water.

“Now I can bathe my baby at night. Thank you.”

Photo by Laura Gay

LOUIEVILLE, SOUTH AFRICA

This project in Louieville was at the top of a mountain. At the time, it was the deepest we’d had to drill, and it was quite difficult.

But, we finally hit water at 80 meters.

Water witching, also known as water divining or water dowsing, is a practice used to locate underground water. Contrary to how it may sound, it is not a spiritual practice whatsoever, merely has a misnomer name that insinuates.

A person walks carrying the divining rods and the rods will cross over each other making an “x” shape where there is water under the ground.

They also show which direction the water is flowing in the aquifers beneath the ground. We’ve used this practice at several of our sites to locate water.

The geologist who taught me about water witching

Photo byJerry Lambert

This is the only school project we have done as we typically only partner directly with churches. I made an exception because the school is in close proximity to a church that oversees the school. John Mdluli is primarily for low- income students who have little access to clean, running water at home.

The school has over 1,000 students who now receive fresh water from the well daily.

Photo by Daniel Gutierrez

Photo by Daniel Gutierrez

I met Dennis Wevell through a local pastor on one of our trips and he quickly became a dear friend and encouragement to me and 28Bold. A business owner and respected member of the local church and community, Dennis was a trusted confidant.

He is also the primary reason we took on the John Mdluli project- because he was very involved in the establishment and running of the school.

As a local business owner, he helped build and grow the school and mentored many throughout the process.

Much to our horror, Dennis passed away in February of 2023. His legacy lives on through the work of 28Bold, the John Mdluli school, and beyond.

Photo by Christan Barnett

Photo by Christan Barnett

For this project, we worked with Pastor Dinah. He oversees many churches in Madagascar, some in the city and some in the rainforest. This project was at his personal church in the city of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar affectionately referred to as “Tana”.

Under Pastor Dinah’s leadership there is a bible translation group working on translating the bible in all the dialects in Madagascar- people groups that have never seen the BIble written in their language.

Photo by Christan Barnett

This was a fun snack- girls in the rainforest of madagascar grew corn, popped it and then made them into popcorn balls. They were so excited to present us their prepared snack and it was delightful to taste!

The rivers at Lemur Park in Madagascar.

When we arrived in Madagascar we already had an estimate for drilling in hand as we always do before even committing to a project. However, after we got there, the driller wanted to increase the price quite significantly. He said he wanted to ensure the water was going to flow, but I felt like he was being dishonest. We went back and forth for hours with Peter translating.

Although he and I spent many hours negotiating the day before, we couldn’t come to an agreement. I thought we weren’t going to be able to finish the project.

The next day he called and said he had gone home and told his wife all about the situation.

His wife then told him he needed to repent and ask for forgiveness. She reminded him he needed to do this unto God and not unto man.

We ended up drilling at the original price. He asked for forgiveness and the two of us reconciled. We had a great relationship for the rest of the trip.

Once again, a great reminder never to underestimate what God can do in the hearts of people to advance His mission.

Did you know you can tell how close you are to hitting water by the soil? The texture and amount of water signifies if water is close... Here we are testing the soil.

What do you think?

Are we close?

Photo by Daniel Gutierrez

Photo by Christan Barnett

Photo by Christan Barnett

We partnered with Heli-Mission to reach the areas that were only accessible by chopper or foot.

(right) Antananarivo, Madagascar view from chopper.

Photo by Christan Barnett

This project was unique because we had to reach these locations by chopper. Because of the difficulty of access, we could not dig a well.

People traveled on food for up to 3 days to reach us and pictured here is Pastor Dinah demonstrating how to use the filters.

Instead, we delivered 400+ water filters.

Photo by Daniel Gutierrez

This project in Msholozi was really special to me because my family came. My mom, my dad, my husband, my oldest son, and my sister came with me and it was so special to show them the full spectrum of 28Bold. They finally got to see the mission and vision come to life and it was such a special way to celebrate our American Thanksgiving holiday that year.

We sang at Nelspruit Lighthouse that Sunday for worship and David gave a brief message on being a generous giver. It was cultural Sunday for the church, so the church members were dressed in their native tribal attire. Lunch was served- making bellies and hearts full.

My family came to Africa.

I’ve had the honor of taking my older son, Harrison, with me to Africa three times. It has been such a joy to watch him experience the world and see the disparities between the world he lives in and the world beyond him. I have faith that traveling with me has taught him so many intangibles and grown his heart for others as he grows in his relationship with Christ.

I was delighted on our first trip (pictured) he didn’t hesitate to play with the kids, help prepare a meal, or move equipment. He has been given the gift of helping, and I love to see him honor our Creator with that gift. He, like I, has also taken on the phrase, “I

need Africa more than Africa needs me.” Africa just changes you.

Photo by Josh Bailey

I met Pastor Denis through my sister who had been to Pastor Denis’ church many years before. When I wanted to make new relationships with pastors in Africa my sister thought of Pastor Denis. He pastored a church in Nairobi, Kenya connected to the Church of God denomination. We began drilling in September of 2021- the first project after the pandemic slowed everything down. Prior to September, Peter and I had already clocked hundreds of hours preparing for the Nairobi well. Kenya proved to be extremely complex to navigate with permits and many prerequisites to drilling. Peter, born in Kenya, arrived there a few weeks before I did to visit with his family he had not seen in so long and prepare for us to drill when I arrived.

Myself, my sister, a photographer and videographer all flew to Nairobi in September, but got stuck in Paris due to visa issues. I had been to Kenya a few years prior, but it was after that (and right before this trip) they required Americans to obtain a visa many weeks prior to travel. This landed us in Paris for the weekend, but truthfully there was no guarantee we would even be able to leave for Kenya. Through MANY miracles we received our visas around midnight on Sunday night and our rescheduled flight left Monday morning. I was so anxious to get to Kenya I hardly slept.

I always describe this project as a labor of love.

Even though we missed Sunday church many of the congregants from the church came by for a visit while drilling was going on. Every day Pamela, Denis’ wife, would prepare us lunch and we would take afternoon coffee or tea. It was a lot of waiting as the drilling went on for days.

About 200 meters down, the drill bit broke.

Translating from Swahili, it was explained to me that they were going to attempt to use the drill even though the bit was broken and by all experience that had learned we should really pull the drill back up and start over. The drillers continued to drill and we reached water at 260 meters. We celebrated and laughed and I felt so relieved. Little did I know that it would be Easter of the following year before we would be allowed by the Kenyan government to use the well.

As the weeks turned into months and Pastor Denis and I communicated I could feel his desperation rising. The well was functional, but the government had to come to the property and grant permission to utilize the power source or else we would be in violation of the law. We discussed solar panels as an alternative option, but the price was outrageous. So, we waited. Finally, the day before Easter 2022 the Kenyan government granted the rights for us to access the power source and distribute water.

On Easter, the line for water wrapped around the block.

Pastor Denis’ team strategically spoke to people waiting in linesharing the Good News, connecting it to the parallel of clean water and so many lives were changed that day.

This project was by far our longest and most costly project primarily because of regulations from the Kenyan government.

Despite the challenges, we were so grateful to be working alongside Pastor Denis Pamba. He has become a great friend and mentor to us at 28Bold.

Denis is so faithful and persistent in his care for our work.

He has done an incredible job of leveraging the well at his own church for Gospel growth, and he has helped us with several other projects across Africa.

He, his wife, and three kids live on the church property in Nairobi.

Photo by Meagan Lambert

Photo by Denis Pamba

The church, led by Pastor Denis, has done an incredible job of using the well as an opportunity for outreach and sharing the gospel.

You can see here their tent and volunteers set up here praying for people as the line wraps around the church.

On the first day of the well functioning in Kenya, we saw 17 people come to know Christ as they were waiting in line for water.

Photo by Christan Barnett

Our partnership with the 6 Degree Initiative in Togo has been a work of God. From the beginning of 28Bold, our desire has been to see lives changed not only by meeting physical needs but also meeting spiritual needs. We want to see people come to know the true living water – Jesus. 6DI has proven to be a strategic and aggressive partner- all for the Mission.

The 6 Degree Initiative plants churches amongst the unreached people groups of Togo and Benin. Their goal is to raise up 190,000 disciples in these unreached places. We are so grateful to be partnering with them in this mission. Just outside the 10/40 window- the area of northern Africa, Europe and Asia that has the majority of the world’s Budhists, Hindus and Muslims, the opportunity is endless for the impact of the Gospel in West Africa. So many people have not heard the message of the Good News.

This is why our partnerships with local churches have been essential.

Photo by The 6 Degree Team

Photo by The 6 Degree Team

Photo by The 6 Degree Team

Photo by The 6 Degree Team

One of my favorite parts of the job is going back to visit completed projects.

Seeing a community changed, sicknesses decreased and stresses eased is a gift I fully cannot explain-the impact is real and tangible.

However, it’s not always that easy. Some projects have needed repairs or upgrades in order to handle the increased water demands for things like toilets or sinks and I really didn’t anticipate that dynamic early on.

Overall, the joy and smiles are real and it’s one big happy reunion when I get to visit because a generation has been changed forever with reliable access to clean water.

Photo by Daniel Gutierrez

to be continued...

These projects are just the beginning. We will keep going as long as God keeps opening doors and providing the funds for us to change lives.

We will keep asking what the next right thing is and keep taking even the little bold steps of faith, trusting we have a big God who can meet all our needs and more.

We can’t wait to see what God has in store for 28Bold next, and we want you to be there every step of the way.