Some thoughts…
Since Camp I have been VERY busy. I work(ed) (just finished 5 days ago) at a childcare/daycare center with little 2-3 year olds. They are so cute, but it takes a lot of energy! It’s a loong day with very little pay, but my love for the little guys was enough to keep me there for as long as I was!
It really got me thinking though…. I was working there just for the summer to keep myself busy and make some money along the way! BUT, there are some women there that do this for a living, full time. Running around all day, from my opinion the income was way less than I think it should be for the work that goes into it and yet they do it because they have families to feed, bills to pay, gas to buy to get to work. Which got me to thinking. I wonder what the women in 3rd world countries would feel about this life? They would probably rejoice over such an opportunity. I’ve seen first hand the women that walk miles everyday to carry gallons of water to bring to their families. Some dig through the garbage dumps in Nicaragua all day long collecting giant bags of plastic bottles for maybe enough to barely feed their family rice. Or the women we hear about it Thailand that feel as if they have no other option but to go into prostitution just to make enough money to support their family… How does this happen? I guess you just have to look at it in perspective. No one is any less fortunate because the women that walk that far everyday to get water don’t know any different and are more than willing to take the hike for their families. On the other hand we have water coming out of a faucet, clean water at that and we can sometimes be unhappy with our life and always striving for more and easily frustrated with things.. for example: A car accident on the highway. Traffic may be backed up for a mile, instead of the “I will wait patiently here because I want them to make sure that everyone in the accident is okay” I find myself getting all rilled up sometimes getting frustrated with the traffic because I will be 15 minutes late somewhere. When some people don’t even have the luxury of taking a car to the store, or to work, they ride the bus or bike, or just walk. One day in Nicaragua we got to take the kids that live in the dump (this is a massive dump HUGE) on a school bus outside of the dump to the park…with grass and swings (things we take for granted)..
I kid you not the little girl next to me (right side) She staired out of the window the ENTIRE 30 minute bus ride without blinking…just pointing and smiling… This was the FIRST time she had ever been outside of the dump, and she was 7 years old. She was in “awe” of what she was seeing. She literally “couldn’t believe her eyes”. I wanted to cry just from the overwhelming joy that was lighting up her face. These people in Nicaragua, the poorest of the poor are so PROUD of what they have. We went into villages in VeraCruz (outside of the dump) but similar living conditions… scrap material that make up their houses, very very little. dirt floors, no real furniture of any kind, eating rice and beans for every meal. The first day in VeraCruz I held hands with a little girl for about 2 hours… we did not speak 95% of the time (I don’t speak Spanish, and she did not speak English…only when a translator was around were we able to communicate) BUT regardless she held my hand for 2 hours looking up at me occasionally and smiling, any time I would have to itch or wipe the sweat from my forehead she would grab my hand right back.
. She just consisted of Love, she wanted to share her love with me and she wanted my love in return. When it was time for us to go she grabbed me and started taking off one of the bracelets on her wrist (need I remind you.. these people have nothing.. so these two bracelets were probably the extent to her jewelry collection) The translator (on the left in the swing picture) came over and told me that this little girl wanted to give me her bracelet. It was the only thing at the time that she had to give and she wanted me to have it. “I couldn’t believe my eyes” I told her I wanted her to keep it, but what I experienced was a whole community based on LOVE… needless to say I took the bracelet and wear it as a reminder of the secret of the poor. 
They live a life of LOVE and are so happy with what they have and who they have. They even bought us a pinyatta on the last day we were there… collected all the money and had a big dance party for us with a pinyatta… it didn’t even have candy in it because they couldn’t afford it) but they wanted to bless us and show their appreciation for us coming and helping them, when really they don’t realize what an impact they made on my life.
I kid you not the little girl next to me (right side) She staired out of the window the ENTIRE 30 minute bus ride without blinking…just pointing and smiling… This was the FIRST time she had ever been outside of the dump, and she was 7 years old. She was in “awe” of what she was seeing. She literally “couldn’t believe her eyes”. I wanted to cry just from the overwhelming joy that was lighting up her face. These people in Nicaragua, the poorest of the poor are so PROUD of what they have. We went into villages in VeraCruz (outside of the dump) but similar living conditions… scrap material that make up their houses, very very little. dirt floors, no real furniture of any kind, eating rice and beans for every meal. The first day in VeraCruz I held hands with a little girl for about 2 hours… we did not speak 95% of the time (I don’t speak Spanish, and she did not speak English…only when a translator was around were we able to communicate) BUT regardless she held my hand for 2 hours looking up at me occasionally and smiling, any time I would have to itch or wipe the sweat from my forehead she would grab my hand right back.. She just consisted of Love, she wanted to share her love with me and she wanted my love in return. When it was time for us to go she grabbed me and started taking off one of the bracelets on her wrist (need I remind you.. these people have nothing.. so these two bracelets were probably the extent to her jewelry collection) The translator (on the left in the swing picture) came over and told me that this little girl wanted to give me her bracelet. It was the only thing at the time that she had to give and she wanted me to have it. “I couldn’t believe my eyes” I told her I wanted her to keep it, but what I experienced was a whole community based on LOVE… needless to say I took the bracelet and wear it as a reminder of the secret of the poor. They live a life of LOVE and are so happy with what they have and who they have. They even bought us a pinyatta on the last day we were there… collected all the money and had a big dance party for us with a pinyatta… it didn’t even have candy in it because they couldn’t afford it) but they wanted to bless us and show their appreciation for us coming and helping them, when really they don’t realize what an impact they made on my life. 
This is why I am SOOOO EXCITED about this 11 month adventure! I LOVE new cultures, new communities, brilliant vibrant people! I understand that not everywhere is going to be like Nicaragua. BUT I do know that I love the language of LOVE, a language of its own and the more you give the more you receive… its the secret of the poor A COMMUNITY BASED ON LOVE. you see God just SHINING THROUGH these people and they don’t even realize it. They changed my life in 10 days…
PICTURES:
http://www.lachurecaexhibit.com/
La Chureca is the trash dump in Managua, Nicaragua where we did a lot of ministry. Here is a “photographic journey” of the people and the trash dump that was a benefit for Love, Light and Melody. There are some amazing pictures that capture the reality that is life for these people. Check out Lovelight & melody while you are at it!! http://www.lovelightandmelody.org/ (there is a great video on their site)
