So, at the start of this week, we found out that our main job would be to do “gardening” behind the school by the playground. Hmmm, gardening. Doesn’t sound too difficult, does it? Hardly sounds like something worthy of being disgusted by, does it? Pretty much sounds like a fun little activity that anyone could or would do, right?
Well, when we got there, this was definitely FAR from any gardening I have ever before seen. There was no nice little patch of dirt or even vegetables. Instead, the entire play area was filled with mud and algae/sewage/garbage filled water that was shin deep. And to make matters worse, sewage water continually flowed in through a gap in the wall. We had come in our tennis shoes and bare hands and had to remove EVERYTHING on top of the cement that wasn’t supposed to be there. At first, I didn’t want to step in, but eventually I did. Once I saw the guys jumping in, I knew I had to do it. It was gross but turned fun as we worked together. I threw my hands in the probably disease infested mess and pulled out whatever did not belong in that water. For one part, I was in charge of pulling junk off of the sucking contraption we were using to get rid of the liquid. Yes, this again made me want to vomit at times, but touching what floated in the water wasn’t the worst part. At one point, the water started bubbling, and while my and Tiffany’s mouth were open, it sprayed up into the air and into our mouths. I think my sore throat and runny nose started right then . . .
But if you think this is gross, the past two days we were moved out to the street of the dump site community. We were given lots of sacks and told to fill them with the mix of garbage/mud/sewage slop that filled the street. Now, if I thought working in the play area was bad, I was mistaken. Luckily, we had purchased boots and gloves after the first day, so we were a little more protected, but the smells of the mess turned my stomach HORRIBLY. I shoveled away and wondered how on earth we could even put a dent in this mess. My wondering turned to near frustration when I learned that the people partook in this activity EVERY TWO WEEKS!! Every time it rains, which is often during typhoon season, garbage is just swept right back into the street. And due to the fact there are not bathrooms, where do you think the people relieve themselves?? What we were doing seemed almost hopeless. Was what we were doing really making an impact?
Well, as time passed, it was clear that we WERE making an impact. The people in the commjnity came out in full force, lining the buildings and roofs, and many coming out to give us a hand. Little kids picked up bags with their bare hands and helped us as we shoveled in the junk. Some tried scooping up the mess, and even if they could only get a little water each time, they were happy to help. Many women and men came out too, and it became almost a party. Someone turned on the radio really loud so we had something to sing and dance to, and little kids would shout out “Hello! What is your name?” over and over again. Several women cooked us some delicious fried bananas for a snack and brought out water and pop as well. Their generosity was unbelievable, and even if the job seemed hopeless to us, we WERE bringing hope to these people. Amidst their laughter and smiles, I KNEW, that we were making a difference. One girl on our team said, “If jesus was here, this is exactly what he would be doing, scooping up the sewage.” These people wake up and go to sleep in the dump EVERY DAY. They have a hard life, and if scooping sewage is what I need to do to reach them, I am going to do it cheerfully.
“WHATEVER YOU DO, WORK AT IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AS WORKING FOR THE LORD, NOT FOR MEN . . .IT IS THE LORD CHRIST YOU ARE SERVING.” -Colossians 3:23, 24b
