Reflecting on Guatemala - 2015
The streets are narrow and clouded with flies. Watching our step was a must as liter and feces scattered the pathway. Different colors of corrugated tin are on each side, decorated with lines of tattered clothing. The skies are gray and rain begins to fall. The children take turns standing under the water run off from the roof lines to wash their hair and rinse the layer of dirt off their skin. We continue through the alleys, through the dark and solemn streets, and suddenly find the treasure. Beyond the clutter of garbage and rugged lanes we encounter Jesus.
We witnessed His faithfulness, His mercy, and His unfailing love. Had we been turned away by the hopeless appearance of this place we would have missed the hope the Lord has brought and His presence that overflowed and pierced our hearts. It wasn't in the way one might expect, instead He was disguised in the faces of children, the story of heartache for a single mom, the father who just spent the day rummaging through garbage as a last resort to care for his family.
Last week I served in the Guatemala City dump. After a civil war, just a few decades ago, displaced people settled in the dump out of desperation for a place to call home. With a lack of opportunities for jobs, these people spend their days sifting through the garbage in the dump for items that they can recycle or repurpose in order to sell and earn money. A whole days worth of work only brings in a few dollars, at best. The dump community lives in extreme poverty and are outcasted by the rest of the Guatemalan society, that largely views them as part of the trash they live in. While we saw terrible living and working conditions and heard people tell stories of their suffering and enduring hardships, I cannot discount the hope that is alive in these communities, the trust they have in the goodness of God, and the way God is moving.
During our time in Guatemala City we accomplished several projects. First was an eyeglass clinic, where people who have not been able to read or see up close for activities such as sewing were fit for a pair of glasses. While the glasses may be inexpensive the impact of these clinics is massive. Patients are able to have their stories heard and receive prayer along with their glasses that allow them to do every day things they have not been able to do in months or years.
Next we had constructions projects. Those on the construction teams built three houses and installed numerous stoves in the course of three days. Before the stoves, open flame fires were the only options for cooking and heating the home. As one may imagine, this is very dangerous and many times homes have caught fire, taking out a whole block of other houses with it. The stoves allow the residents to contain the flame while being more efficient in cooking and heating the home. They are relatively inexpensive and make a huge difference in these areas.
We provided a two day english camp program for a school in the dump. Roughly 325 kids, ages 4-9 years old, were with us and learned phrases to describe the weather, as well as how to tell God thank you for various things and people in english. Staff of the camps taught in fun and creative ways in which they encouraged the children in their learning and showed them the love of Christ. At the end of the camp each student received a bracelet that tells the story of the gospel and a medal for their hard work. I had the honor of coordinating and running this project this year. It was a major responsibility that, luckily, God equipped me for after I said yes. It was an incredible experience and opportunity for God to prove to me His strength and ability to use an average person, such as myself, for great things.
We spent a day distributing food bags to homes in the dump community. 90 bags were distributed by teams that visited the families in their homes, talked with them about their personal situations, and prayed over them and the gift of the food bag that God had brought to their home. While being a vessel to distribute these gifts from God our team was able to see and hear, firsthand, about the lives of the people that live in the dump.
An afternoon was spent with Puerta de Esperanza - Door of Hope -, an organization that works with prostitutes and their children. Our team painted a park with the children before we visited the market where the women who prostitute themselves go for business. This is also the market where many people who work in the dump take their items to sell.
Lastly, we had planned to visit a school in the slum of La Limonada. Currently, the gang lines have been broken and there has been an influx of violence where no one is safe. Instead of going to the school we brought the kids to an amusement park. Many of these children have never even left their community, so the excitement on their faces in experiencing a place like that for the first time was special to witness and be a part of.
In the english camps I had the privilege of working with some of the same kids I worked with last summer. Building on the friendships I have with those kids meant a lot to me and I could tell it was touching to them that I remembered them and would come back to spend time with them again. Some of these kids are so thirsty for the warmth and kindness in the embrace of someone else. I loved the many hugs they gave me every day, but there were some that clung to me in a way that made me hurt for the affection I'm not sure they are getting at home. Who am I that God chose me to show them that kind of love; to show HIS love?
Walking the streets of the dump, I glanced up to see a girl smiling and waving at me. There was 11 year old Jennifer. Two years ago, my first time in Guatemala, I met Jennifer while participating in an outreach project in the dump. Last year she was a student in our english camps. This year she was not directly part of any of our projects so I prayed that God would give me a sign that she was doing well. The next thing I knew I was standing two houses down from hers and she's waving me over. I gave my special friend a hug and noticed how much she had grown just since the previous year. In a way, I am seeing her grow from a young girl into a beautiful young lady. God has been placing her in my path and it may seem like a small thing but her friendship over these last few years is one of the greatest blessings for me in my time in Guatemala. I think of her often and ask that you would join me in praying for the Lord's provision over her life.
When we visited the market with Puerta de Esperanza I'm sure I've never been closer to hell on earth. The mothers of the children we had just painted a park with roamed the streets, looking for men to do business with. Trash was piled as high has a two story building. A man carried in a bag of an assortment of rotting food that was mixed with water from the recent rain that day, forming a mush that several others crowded around to feast on. The people wore clothes stained and covered in dirt, that looked as though they were going to fall apart as they were worn, and expressions devoid of life. After fun times with kids the previous couple of days this scene was a reminder of the injustice that is reality for these people.
I don't want to only paint a picture of despair for how the dump communities live, because I don't believe that is the message they would want for me to send and it would not be an accurate depiction. While visiting homes in the dump the first thing I noticed were the concrete roads. Just the year before the roads were dirt; straight landfill from the dump. Now they have paved paths that improve the appearance of the neighborhoods and, I'm sure, the functionality of the roads for those who live there and travel them daily. I was able to visit several homes of people who lived here, as we delivered food bags and got to know the families personally. I was incredibly inspired by one woman in particular. Her name is Sandra and she is my age. She lives in the dump and struggles to provide for her family of five. She shared with me that someone gave her money to help her financially. Even though she has young children to feed, she gave the money to a neighbor she thought needed it more than she did. Sandra assured me that the Lord has been providing for her in His mysterious and miraculous ways. Even though she has no money, God has given her everything she needs. She added that the things she still needed but didn't have were the items that were in the food bag I handed to her. I was touched by her generosity despite being in need herself, impressed by her trust, and in awe of the faithfulness God is showing her because of Sandra's faithfulness to Him. Sandra has so much joy in the Lord and peace as she relies on Him. I couldn't help but imagine myself in her shoes. If right now I had a family and did not know where our next meal would come from as I live in a dump, would I be joyful in Christ, resting in peace as I trust He has it all covered? Sandra is an example to me of what true faith looks like. I was honored to spend time with her in her home and hear her incredible testament of God's goodness in the middle of poverty and injustice.
Upon returning home, someone asked me what one thing I am hoping to bring back from my experience. This is my sixth short-term trip and while I am always extremely impacted by the week, I really just want to be able to share stories like these; they are the stories of forgotten people. They need us to be their voice to tell others what is happening, how others can help, and how Jesus is pushing back the dark. Everyone I encountered was so thankful for any sort of help. Even Guatemalans that were serving with us or heard why we were there thanked us for coming to help their country. Our mission on our trip was not to bring the people we were serving out of poverty, that is too big of an issue for us in a week. We simply wanted to restore dignity and let them feel known and loved for the human beings and creations of God that they are. In doing this, God is continuing to soften and transform my heart in the process. The hugs of children, the smiles of thankful mothers, and the friendships that were made are glimpses of Jesus to me - they gave me new life this week. I feel the responsibility from God in being His hands to reach out and His feet to walk these broken roads in order to bring His kingdom to the Guatemala City dump. I am grateful for every moment in Guatemala City this week.
Thank you to all of those who contributed to this trip financially or through prayer. Financial contributions helped to send me and fund projections, while prayers gave momentum and force to the work of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, for your generosity and contribution to everything that happened during this incredible week!
We witnessed His faithfulness, His mercy, and His unfailing love. Had we been turned away by the hopeless appearance of this place we would have missed the hope the Lord has brought and His presence that overflowed and pierced our hearts. It wasn't in the way one might expect, instead He was disguised in the faces of children, the story of heartache for a single mom, the father who just spent the day rummaging through garbage as a last resort to care for his family.
Last week I served in the Guatemala City dump. After a civil war, just a few decades ago, displaced people settled in the dump out of desperation for a place to call home. With a lack of opportunities for jobs, these people spend their days sifting through the garbage in the dump for items that they can recycle or repurpose in order to sell and earn money. A whole days worth of work only brings in a few dollars, at best. The dump community lives in extreme poverty and are outcasted by the rest of the Guatemalan society, that largely views them as part of the trash they live in. While we saw terrible living and working conditions and heard people tell stories of their suffering and enduring hardships, I cannot discount the hope that is alive in these communities, the trust they have in the goodness of God, and the way God is moving.
During our time in Guatemala City we accomplished several projects. First was an eyeglass clinic, where people who have not been able to read or see up close for activities such as sewing were fit for a pair of glasses. While the glasses may be inexpensive the impact of these clinics is massive. Patients are able to have their stories heard and receive prayer along with their glasses that allow them to do every day things they have not been able to do in months or years.
Next we had constructions projects. Those on the construction teams built three houses and installed numerous stoves in the course of three days. Before the stoves, open flame fires were the only options for cooking and heating the home. As one may imagine, this is very dangerous and many times homes have caught fire, taking out a whole block of other houses with it. The stoves allow the residents to contain the flame while being more efficient in cooking and heating the home. They are relatively inexpensive and make a huge difference in these areas.
We provided a two day english camp program for a school in the dump. Roughly 325 kids, ages 4-9 years old, were with us and learned phrases to describe the weather, as well as how to tell God thank you for various things and people in english. Staff of the camps taught in fun and creative ways in which they encouraged the children in their learning and showed them the love of Christ. At the end of the camp each student received a bracelet that tells the story of the gospel and a medal for their hard work. I had the honor of coordinating and running this project this year. It was a major responsibility that, luckily, God equipped me for after I said yes. It was an incredible experience and opportunity for God to prove to me His strength and ability to use an average person, such as myself, for great things.
We spent a day distributing food bags to homes in the dump community. 90 bags were distributed by teams that visited the families in their homes, talked with them about their personal situations, and prayed over them and the gift of the food bag that God had brought to their home. While being a vessel to distribute these gifts from God our team was able to see and hear, firsthand, about the lives of the people that live in the dump.
An afternoon was spent with Puerta de Esperanza - Door of Hope -, an organization that works with prostitutes and their children. Our team painted a park with the children before we visited the market where the women who prostitute themselves go for business. This is also the market where many people who work in the dump take their items to sell.
Lastly, we had planned to visit a school in the slum of La Limonada. Currently, the gang lines have been broken and there has been an influx of violence where no one is safe. Instead of going to the school we brought the kids to an amusement park. Many of these children have never even left their community, so the excitement on their faces in experiencing a place like that for the first time was special to witness and be a part of.
In the english camps I had the privilege of working with some of the same kids I worked with last summer. Building on the friendships I have with those kids meant a lot to me and I could tell it was touching to them that I remembered them and would come back to spend time with them again. Some of these kids are so thirsty for the warmth and kindness in the embrace of someone else. I loved the many hugs they gave me every day, but there were some that clung to me in a way that made me hurt for the affection I'm not sure they are getting at home. Who am I that God chose me to show them that kind of love; to show HIS love?
Walking the streets of the dump, I glanced up to see a girl smiling and waving at me. There was 11 year old Jennifer. Two years ago, my first time in Guatemala, I met Jennifer while participating in an outreach project in the dump. Last year she was a student in our english camps. This year she was not directly part of any of our projects so I prayed that God would give me a sign that she was doing well. The next thing I knew I was standing two houses down from hers and she's waving me over. I gave my special friend a hug and noticed how much she had grown just since the previous year. In a way, I am seeing her grow from a young girl into a beautiful young lady. God has been placing her in my path and it may seem like a small thing but her friendship over these last few years is one of the greatest blessings for me in my time in Guatemala. I think of her often and ask that you would join me in praying for the Lord's provision over her life.
When we visited the market with Puerta de Esperanza I'm sure I've never been closer to hell on earth. The mothers of the children we had just painted a park with roamed the streets, looking for men to do business with. Trash was piled as high has a two story building. A man carried in a bag of an assortment of rotting food that was mixed with water from the recent rain that day, forming a mush that several others crowded around to feast on. The people wore clothes stained and covered in dirt, that looked as though they were going to fall apart as they were worn, and expressions devoid of life. After fun times with kids the previous couple of days this scene was a reminder of the injustice that is reality for these people.
I don't want to only paint a picture of despair for how the dump communities live, because I don't believe that is the message they would want for me to send and it would not be an accurate depiction. While visiting homes in the dump the first thing I noticed were the concrete roads. Just the year before the roads were dirt; straight landfill from the dump. Now they have paved paths that improve the appearance of the neighborhoods and, I'm sure, the functionality of the roads for those who live there and travel them daily. I was able to visit several homes of people who lived here, as we delivered food bags and got to know the families personally. I was incredibly inspired by one woman in particular. Her name is Sandra and she is my age. She lives in the dump and struggles to provide for her family of five. She shared with me that someone gave her money to help her financially. Even though she has young children to feed, she gave the money to a neighbor she thought needed it more than she did. Sandra assured me that the Lord has been providing for her in His mysterious and miraculous ways. Even though she has no money, God has given her everything she needs. She added that the things she still needed but didn't have were the items that were in the food bag I handed to her. I was touched by her generosity despite being in need herself, impressed by her trust, and in awe of the faithfulness God is showing her because of Sandra's faithfulness to Him. Sandra has so much joy in the Lord and peace as she relies on Him. I couldn't help but imagine myself in her shoes. If right now I had a family and did not know where our next meal would come from as I live in a dump, would I be joyful in Christ, resting in peace as I trust He has it all covered? Sandra is an example to me of what true faith looks like. I was honored to spend time with her in her home and hear her incredible testament of God's goodness in the middle of poverty and injustice.
Upon returning home, someone asked me what one thing I am hoping to bring back from my experience. This is my sixth short-term trip and while I am always extremely impacted by the week, I really just want to be able to share stories like these; they are the stories of forgotten people. They need us to be their voice to tell others what is happening, how others can help, and how Jesus is pushing back the dark. Everyone I encountered was so thankful for any sort of help. Even Guatemalans that were serving with us or heard why we were there thanked us for coming to help their country. Our mission on our trip was not to bring the people we were serving out of poverty, that is too big of an issue for us in a week. We simply wanted to restore dignity and let them feel known and loved for the human beings and creations of God that they are. In doing this, God is continuing to soften and transform my heart in the process. The hugs of children, the smiles of thankful mothers, and the friendships that were made are glimpses of Jesus to me - they gave me new life this week. I feel the responsibility from God in being His hands to reach out and His feet to walk these broken roads in order to bring His kingdom to the Guatemala City dump. I am grateful for every moment in Guatemala City this week.
Thank you to all of those who contributed to this trip financially or through prayer. Financial contributions helped to send me and fund projections, while prayers gave momentum and force to the work of the Holy Spirit. Thank you, for your generosity and contribution to everything that happened during this incredible week!
Comments
Post a Comment