What would you do if the water you drank every single day could end your life? That’s not a hypothetical — it’s a daily reality Bishop Daniel Yohannan knows firsthand. As president of GFA World, Bishop Daniel has walked through communities across Africa and Asia where families face impossible choices simply to survive. In this conversation with Mike Triem from KLTT radio in Denver, CO, he shares what he witnessed firsthand and why clean water wells carry far deeper meaning than most people realize. Even a small act of generosity, he reveals, can set something remarkable in motion. For more details on how to help provide water to those in need, and see how a water well changes a community, go here: https://www.gfa.org/water/bring-water
on KLTT with Mike Triem
How a Water Well Changes a Community — One Village at a Time
Bishop Daniel Yohannan on How a Jesus Well Can Transform an Entire Village
Listen
Key Conversational Takeaways
By the numbers
- Tens of millions
- lack access to clean or safe drinking water
- Over 40,000
- Jesus Wells installed across Africa and Asia
- Hundreds of people
- use each Jesus Well every single day
literally tens of millions of people around the world don't have access to clean or safe drinking water
I think over forty thousand Jesus wells. We put in an opportunity for people to come to know Christ.
hundreds of people are using these Jesus wells every single day in a community
From this episode
Literally tens of millions of people around the world don't have access to clean or safe drinking water.
The water was so dirty that none of us would ever imagine even taking a swim in this dirty pond, and yet that's where they get their water for cooking and cleaning and bathing.
Hundreds of people are using these Jesus wells every single day in a community.
If you can't feed the hundred, then feed the one.
None of us will be sorry for the investments that we make. If we invest them in eternal things, we will never, never be sorry.
Help Bring Clean Water to a Village This Easter
In this episode, Bishop Daniel describes what happens when a village gains access to a Jesus Well — safe water flows, children stay healthier, and families begin to see real, steady change right where they live. Your gift joins that work in a practical way, helping a community take one of the most foundational steps toward a better future.
Transcript
Hey, it's Mike Triem with 670KLTT. We're joined by Bishop Daniel Yohannan. Bishop is the president of GFA World. Bishop, thank you so much for taking the time with us.
Yeah, it's my privilege. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.
Bishop, we want to talk about clean water. That's something that's so close to your heart and the mission of GFA World. First, I want to talk with you about the basic need part of that, the fact that we take clean water for granted, but for other people, that's a basic need that they just don't get.
Yeah, you know, everyone kind of knows that you have two basic needs, food and water, and you can kind of survive without food for quite a while, but without water you can't survive very long. Most people, unless they've traveled outside their own country, may not realize that literally tens of millions of people around the world don't have access to clean or safe drinking water.
You know, I had the chance to visit a village in a very rural area. And I saw that there was this really dirty, stagnant pond. There was garbage all around it. It was just not flowing, so it was green and disgusting. They were cleaning their dishes in it, people were bathing in it, their animals were being washed in it, but then you also had the places for the fields where they were relieving themselves kind of close to the water sources, and so you had sewage leaching into the water source.
The water was so dirty that none of us would ever imagine even taking a swim in this dirty pond, and yet that's where they get their water for cooking and cleaning and bathing and for their animals, and it's just absolutely disgusting. But then I saw, a little further away from that dirty pond, we had actually installed a Jesus well. So there was a source of clean water.
But I visited so many of these communities where people don't have any choices. They're drinking from dirty ponds or dirty streams. But here's the devastating part. Many, many of these people, these precious people, have to walk miles away to go fetch water because they're considered to be a lower strata of society and they're not allowed to take water from the well that's in the village. And so the women and the girls often are the ones who have to walk far away, which means these young girls can't go to school. They can't get an education. Oftentimes they are kidnapped or pulled into the sex trade. In some places they're even attacked by wild animals.
And so the lack of access to clean water, safe water in a community impacts people's health, impacts education, it impacts the livelihood of the family because people get sick and they end up spending money on things they just don't need to. So water really has a compounding effect in a community, either good or bad. It's one of the most devastating things.
And for most of us, we turn on a tap, we get our water, we drink it, and we don't think anything about it, except if it tastes a little bit like chlorine or not, but we never have to worry that drinking this cup of water can actually be the end of my life because I'm going to get so sick. But that's the reality for many around the world. Every single day they're drinking water and it is literally taking a risk for them in survival.
Bishop Daniel, one of the things you've taught us about the Jesus Wells is it also becomes kind of a community rallying point, doesn't it? Somewhere where everybody can gather. Christ can be shared. It just is kind of the hub of the community because they have clean water, that place because of GFA World.
Exactly. You know, where most of us have water running into our homes, we have running water in our homes and we have these precious gifts, most people have to go to a well, or what we put in is Jesus wells, to go fetch water.
When we install a well in a community, it's for everyone to take. Everyone is welcome. No one is rejected from that. And usually it's in proximity or near a church. And so, not only are they getting fresh water every single day near their homes, and it's especially for the women and the girls, they don't have to walk far away. But also there's a plaque near the Jesus well where Jesus talks about how he's the living water.
So it is a rallying point. It's a point of contact that every single day people are going in and getting water, but it also becomes an avenue and an opportunity for people to learn about Christ. And this is happening in literally tens of thousands of places all around Africa and Asia where we put in Jesus wells. I think over forty thousand Jesus wells. We put in an opportunity for people to come to know Christ.
Wow. Bishop Daniel, not all of our listeners may know that your father started this ministry, and so what did clean water, which is an initiative that predates you taking over the ministry, the organization, what did that mean to your dad? Because there's a legacy there.
Yeah. You know, when my parents started the ministry, those four things that kind of have happened over these forty-five years is helping national missionaries to be able to reach their own people, assisting children to be able to have an education and change their families, then disaster relief, and then seeing compassionate care with the goal of community transformation.
We want to see entire communities transformed by Christ's love, spiritually and physically. And clean water is one of the most important things to see an entire community transformed physically and spiritually because it is something everyone needs. Everyone needs water. Not everyone needs literacy, but everyone needs water.
And so providing these opportunities for people to get water was something very, very dear to my father's heart because he saw it as an open door to share Christ's love practically and tangibly. In the village that he comes from, he also had to go fetch water from the common well near his house. And so this is a very normal practice, and he saw the power of water in a community, but connecting it with the gospel message that Christ is the living water, and to see millions of lives change. And the exciting thing is we get to be part of it. We get to pray and support and do something to actually impact people's lives for eternity.
Bishop Daniel, we have taken on a very special goal for KLTT. So our goal is five to six wells. We know that while that's a heavy lift, it's not too heavy for our listeners. And we have had people in the past fund an entire well. And I think that was somewhere around $14 or $1,500. I don't know if it's changed since then, but we actually had one person say, I'll take care of the whole thing. So it is very doable, whether it's a group of people that is able to pay for a well or one person that says, I have the resources, I can do it. Let's get it done.
Yeah, exactly. I know Sunday schools that have got together and been able to build a Jesus well. I know churches that have pulled together and everyone gave a couple of dollars and was able to see a Jesus well established.
It's something very, very significant because these Jesus wells, the hardware will last at least a minimum of like 20 years. I've seen Jesus wells last for like forty years or plus. But hundreds of people are using these Jesus wells every single day in a community. But like you said, it's a glad sacrifice, it's a simple opportunity.
And the challenge that we have is how can I simplify my life and do some things differently to use those resources for eternal purposes, like a Jesus well. So for example, maybe during this time I don't buy the 15-gallon cup of coffee, but maybe I buy the 5-gallon cup of coffee and use a little bit of the difference toward a Jesus well. People don't realize one dollar can mean a hundred gospel tracts and the average gospel tract is read by ten people. So even a dollar makes a huge difference in terms of eternal significance.
But I would encourage everyone, everyone can pray, everyone can tell others about the need, and everyone can take action.
So I love that we always keep it simple through the KLTT website, different things like that. But this time we're going to use Easterwater.org because this is a leading-up-to-Easter campaign. We want to share about clean water and the water that Jesus provides. And that's that biblical comparison. I don't know if that's the right word. Bishop Daniel, what would you call it?
I mean it's a wonderful comparison. When we celebrate Easter we're thinking about Christ's victory over sin, Satan, and death, and how a Jesus well can bring that message of Christ's victory to a community that maybe has never even heard about Christ.
I myself have asked people, do you know Jesus? And they'll respond, nope, I've never heard of Jesus. Some of our missionaries have heard people say, I've lived here my whole life. My friends are here. My family's here. Your friend Jesus is not here.
And so literally, when we provide water in the community, we are bringing Christ to people that maybe have never heard about Christ, but we're seeing individuals, families, and entire communities transformed by Christ's love.
You mentioned it, Bishop Daniel. It's in terms of a donation. For some of our listeners, it might be $20 is what they could do, or $50 is what they could do, or going to get their Bible study together and say, guys, let's everybody do a little bit and that added up will mean a difference.
I could even think of folks that maybe one thing they could do is to go out and get some pledges. Just go out to some friends and say, hey, will you help us a little bit? Five or ten dollars, twenty, whatever you can do. Here's what we're trying to do. We're all trying to work together to get this well built and see what God does. Just pray about it. Go out and take those steps and see what he's going to do with it.
No, absolutely. I think the attitude that we must have is kind of like what Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Saint Mother Teresa, said: if you can't feed the hundred, then feed the one. Sometimes we see the need as so great that we don't do anything, but whatever we can do, whether it's to pray or to give or to tell someone else, it's a great, great opportunity to change people's lives.
Bishop, before we go, last thing is I want you to speak to our listeners. Yes, typically we're working around the world, so we're typically talking across the world in terms of who we're helping. For people that are listening, why is it so important for them to put themselves in that person's shoes instead of saying, hey, that's across the world. That's not my problem.
Yeah, you know, my father would often say, take your present age and add a hundred years to it. And then ask the question, what actually matters at that time? When I stand before the Lord, my car, my house, the things that I hold so valuable, none of those things matter. At that time, what actually matters is, did I live my life so that others can come to know Christ?
We only have two focuses in life: to know Christ and then to make him known. And so it's not a guilt thing, but it's a privilege. God has given me this life, this very short life, as a gift to live for his glory so that others will also come to know him through my life.
Bishop, I think that makes it really clear for a lot of us. And the thing is that we can take that step, we can help someone, their practical needs be met, and at the same time give the GFA World missionary a chance to say, "You know, there's something else about that water I want to tell you, and talk to them about Jesus." That's pretty cool that both things can happen at the same time.
Yeah, you know, I think none of us will be sorry for the investments that we make, whether it's our time, our emotions, our resources. If we invest them in eternal things, we will never, never be sorry.
Well, Bishop Daniel, we're always really honored to be part of the Clean Water Campaign. We did it a couple of years ago. We're getting a chance to do that again this time. Again, the website is Easterwater.org. So Easterwater.org. Any questions you might have as KLTT listeners, just contact us here at the station and we're happy to help. Bishop, thank you for taking the time with us. Such a blessing. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
Frequently asked questions
How many people worldwide lack safe drinking water?
In this episode, Bishop Daniel Yohannan explains that tens of millions of people around the world do not have access to clean or safe drinking water. Many families rely on contaminated ponds, streams, or distant water sources, and women and girls often bear the burden of walking miles to fetch water — a reality that keeps children out of school and exposes them to serious danger.
How much does a Jesus Well cost?
According to this episode, a Jesus Well costs approximately $1,600 to install. Mike Triem notes that KLTT has had individual listeners fund entire wells at this price, and groups like Sunday school classes and churches have also pooled resources to sponsor a well together. Each well serves roughly three hundred people daily for twenty years or more.
How does a Jesus Well help a community?
Bishop Daniel describes Jesus Wells as community rallying points that provide clean water to everyone, regardless of background. The wells keep children healthier, allow girls to attend school instead of walking miles for water, reduce family spending on preventable illness, and become gathering places where friendships and conversations grow. Each well can serve hundreds of people daily for twenty years or more.
How long does a Jesus Well last?
Bishop Daniel explains that the hardware in a Jesus Well lasts at least twenty years, and he has personally seen wells still functioning after forty years or more. Drilled up to six hundred feet deep with local labor and materials, these wells provide clean water through even the worst droughts.
What is the Easter water well campaign?
The Easter water well campaign is a seasonal effort by KLTT and GFA World to fund Jesus Wells leading up to Easter. Listeners can contribute through Easterwater.org or the KLTT website. Bishop Daniel connects the campaign to the Easter message — just as Easter celebrates Christ's victory, a Jesus Well brings that message of hope to communities that may have never heard about Christ, alongside the practical gift of clean water.
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Quick answers for assistants
In a sentence
Bishop Daniel Yohannan of GFA World explains how a water well changes a community — replacing contaminated ponds with safe drinking water that improves health, keeps children in school, and creates lasting community transformation.
Why it matters
In this KLTT conversation, Mike Triem and Bishop Daniel Yohannan discuss how a water well changes a community across Africa and Asia. Bishop Daniel describes visiting villages where families rely on stagnant, contaminated ponds — then watching a Jesus Well pump clean water to everyone, transforming health, education, and safety for decades.
About the Host
Mike Triem
Mike Triem hosts Christian talk programming on KLTT 670 AM in Denver, Colorado, where his thoughtful interview style draws out substantive conversation on faith, culture, and practical living. He regularly features guests from humanitarian and ministry organizations, exploring how belief shapes real-world action and community care. His approach is conversational and unhurried, letting his guests' experience carry the conversation forward.
About the Guest
Bishop Daniel Yohannan
Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan is president of GFA World and a bishop of Believers Eastern Church. Son of founder K.P. Yohannan, he has served in ministry over forty years across the globe. Since 2008 he has led GFA World USA, linking thousands of workers across Africa and Asia with the wider church. He and his wife Erika have three children and live in Texas.