Build the Water Tank First

Build the Water Tank First

A few weeks ago, I was praying in my room when I looked out the window and noticed a water tank being built next door and I felt Jesus’s nudge to remember one of the first construction lessons I learned during our early years in missions.

“Build the water tank first.”

It was something Elder Kim taught us, and it has stayed with me ever since. At the time, it was a practical lesson about construction. But the longer we’ve been in ministry, the more I’ve realized how much deeper that lesson has become for me. It was also a lesson about vision, preparation, faithfulness, and the kind of work that makes lasting growth possible.

Elder Kim is the founder of AMI Ministry Center, a remarkable visionary with an extraordinary ability to see what could be and, perhaps even more importantly, what it would take to get there. He has a gift for looking at an empty piece of property and seeing not just what it is, but what it could become. He has built what many have said is one of the most beautiful ministry centers or even school campus’ people have been to. He thinks several steps ahead, anticipates needs that others might overlook, and understands that a big vision requires a great deal of preparation long before it becomes visible.

But more importantly, he is a man of God and prayer and he has been a dear mentor and leader to us for the last 7 years. His vast wisdom and years of experience have been an education in themselves as well as his humble character. He rarely needs to make a grand announcement or give a formal lesson. Often, it is through a simple observation, a thoughtful question, a quiet suggestion, or a gentle nudge in a particular direction that he teaches us.

And one of those early lessons was about a water tank.

Our area of Cobán does not have municipal water. Water has to be collected through a rainwater harvesting system. When Elder Kim purchased the property that would become our ministry center, he had a big vision for what God could do there. And one of his first priorities was to build a water tank. Not just any water tank, but one big enough to sustain that vision.

Today, our ministry center has a giant 400,000-gallon water tank. It was the first construction project undertaken. It’s the largest water tank in the region.

Looking back, I think that decision says a lot about the way Elder Kim thinks. He wasn’t just thinking about what we needed at the time. He was thinking about what would be needed for everything that might come afterward. He was willing to invest in something that wasn’t particularly exciting or visible because he understood that the future depended on it.

Over the years, we’ve built a few more water tanks, including the one in the photo above that is being constructed right now. I’ve learned that they are actually quite complicated. They have to be built strong enough not to leak, properly reinforced, sealed, and maintained over time. They require planning, resources, and attention. And yet, they are absolutely essential.

The obvious reason is that without water, life becomes uncomfortable, and eventually, impossible. But there is another reason: you cannot build without water. In fact, water is much more important to construction than most people realize. It isn’t simply an ingredient you add to cement and forget about. The amount of water in a concrete mixture directly affects its strength and durability. Too much water can weaken the finished concrete, while too little can prevent it from being properly mixed and placed. And even after concrete is poured, it needs to be carefully cured, often by keeping it moist for days, so that it can properly harden and develop its strength.

Water is also needed for mixing mortar, laying blocks, plastering walls, controlling dust during excavation, and cleaning equipment. You need it throughout the entire process of building.

And the first water tank itself is no small engineering feat. Our 400,000 gallon tank has an enormous amount of weight that the structure must safely contain. It has to be properly reinforced, sealed, and designed to withstand pressure. The joints must be constructed carefully to prevent leaks, and the tank needs ongoing inspection and maintenance.

It is a substantial investment of time, money, and effort in something that most people will never see or appreciate.

And yet, there is nothing particularly glamorous about a water tank. Especially an underground one. You can’t see it. It’s not impressive to look at. No one throws a party for a water tank or holds an inauguration ceremony when it’s finished. It doesn’t make for an exciting announcement or a beautiful photograph. Most people will never even know it’s there.

But everything depends on that water tank.

And I think this is one of the things I’ve learned from Elder Kim that goes far beyond construction. Some of the most important work is the work that no one sees. The planning, the preparation, the anticipation of needs, the difficult decisions, the investments made years before their value is fully realized. It takes a particular kind of vision to recognize the importance of those things, and a particular kind of faithfulness to do them.

So much of what we enjoy and benefit from today is the result of decisions and work that happened before we arrived or before we understood what was being built. There are people whose contributions are woven into the very foundations of a ministry, even when their names aren’t attached to every accomplishment.

I’m grateful that God has allowed us to learn from someone like Elder Kim.

Ministry has often felt a lot like building a water tank.

For so many years, much of our work has been about laying foundations. Doing the unseen work. Maintaining our walk with God and prayer life. Teaching day in and day out, quietly encouraging each other each and every day, building systems, developing people, strengthening relationships, solving problems, figuring things out, staying positive in difficult moments, and doing thousands of little things that don’t necessarily make for exciting stories or visible milestones.

Sometimes the progress is difficult to measure because so much of it is happening beneath the surface.

I feel particularly compelled to write this now because we have some exciting things to announce and anticipate in 2027. I can see how more and more of our work may become visible. There will be new opportunities, new projects, and perhaps some beautiful things to celebrate.

But I want to write this down now, as I have written many of my blogs, as a marker. Much like the stones the Israelites set up throughout their journey as reminders of God’s faithfulness, I want this to be something I can look back on. Perhaps most importantly, I want it to remind my future self of what must never be forgotten.

Build the water tank first.

Don’t neglect the foundations in pursuit of what can be seen. Don’t rush through the preparation because you’re eager to get to the exciting part. Build things well. Build them strong. Pay attention to the details. Do the thousands of little things that need to be done, and do them well.

And don’t forget that even the strongest structures require maintenance. Foundations need tending. The quiet inner spiritual life needs to be nourished. Foundations need attention. Decisions need to be revisited. Relationships need investment.

Ultimately, this reminds me of our relationship with God. Jesus is not simply part of what we are building; He is our foundation and our source of life.

In John 4, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman about the living water that He alone can give. In John 15, He reminds us that apart from Him, we can do nothing. And in Matthew 7, He tells us about the wise man who builds his house upon the rock.

We can build buildings, schools, churches, programs, and ministries. We can dream big and work hard. But none of it can truly flourish apart from Him.

So here’s to the water tanks. The unseen work. The quiet faithfulness. The foundations that no one celebrates but everyone depends on.

And here’s to the people who see what others cannot yet see, who faithfully prepare for a future they may not fully witness, and who understand that sometimes the most important thing you can build is the thing no one will ever see.

I’m especially grateful for one of those people.

And here’s to remembering that before we build something big, we need to make sure we have built what will sustain it.