Sheets and Strings…

We all piled into a small SVU, two in the back with the boxes of food, 3 piled into the middle seat, and 3 more piled into the front seat. The hot hair was thick even with the windows down there was no relief of cool air coming from outside. We did not drive far from where we have been staying but when we pulled up to the gymnasium ,that we would be serving food, it seemed as though we were in a completely different city, yet it was only 10 minutes from the comfy compound we live at. When we pulled up there were buckets of water spread out across the pavement and small children still clothed where bathing using small scoops to get the water out of the bucket and pour it down their head. I could not believe that this was how they were having to bath themselves, I stood there in shock. We waited outside for instruction as to where to bring the food, as I stood there all I could think of is: is this real life? This can’t possibly be real! After about 5 minutes we were instructed to bring the food into the gymnasium. As we entered the gym, the hot heat hit us even worse then it had before, and the stench of months and months of trash build up hit our nostrils. We had no time though to worry about that, before we even had the food set up small children with bowls where already running up to us with hungry stomachs. We poured scoops of rice in their bowls and then on top of the rice was a mixture of meat and beans, all I could think of is: is this really all these children may be eating today? The people came lining up patiently waiting for their serving for the day, small children that were not even as tall as the table the food was on, where rushing up to us placing their bowls in the air for us to grab and fill. As I was serving the food I looked over and there was a small boy sitting on the muddy wet floor using his hands to feed himself, they don’t even have utensils, but it does not even bother them, they are happy and filled with joy to have food in their bowls.
After we were done serving, two of us decided to go walk around the community that had been built in the gym. I walked up the stairs ,slowly entering into the community, when I reached the top of the stairs all I could do was stand there completely still. In front of me was something I had never in my life seen.

Picture a huge fort, the type of forts you and your friends built in your living room when you were younger, but picture over 100 sheet forts spread across an entire gymnasium. All you could see where thousands of sheets strung up with string, you could not even walk with out having to duck so that you did not get caught up on the string that was holding a families home together. We began walking around, weaving under and between each piece of string, as we began to walk the stench of garbage became stronger and stronger, I looked over to my left and in the stairwell was what had to of been months and months of trash that they had no where to put it but in the stairwells, and now the smell and the bugs where overwhelming. I looked to my right and there were 3 small children sitting in their make shift home of sheets, eating the food we had served them and staring at a small TV. I thought to myself again is this real life? As we were walking we were greeted by many children all running up to us, asking us our names and how old we were, they did not even seem phased by the living conditions they were being forced to live in. All I kept asking myself over and over again in my head is, is this real? Can this really be real? These people have nothing but it does not even seem to phase them. After talking to some of the young girls, me and the other girls that I had come with began a singing session. We sang any song that we could think of, as we were singing more and more kids kept circling around us wanting to sing and play with us. I had two little boys chasing after me and giving me sticks, and laughing at the top of their lungs. These kids had pure joy. I thought to myself again how is this possible?
Our time soon came to an end, I did not want to leave, all I wanted to do was stay all day and pour into these people. The funny thing is that I came there to help them and bring them hope, with small portions of food, but I left there and they taught me and brought me abundant joy that day. We piled into our SVU all 8 of us again, and drove 10 minutes back to our compound, back to our comfort. All I could think about when I got back from how just 10 mins, literally just 10 mins down the road, people are living on nothing how has this happend? All I could think of is how do these people still experience abundant joy when the rest of the world would tell them they have nothing. The verse that kept coming to mind that day was:

For many of the people in the Philippines they have learned the secret of living in every situation. They have experience something that many of us back home have yet to experience, and that is the true abundant joy that comes from God alone. Not the joy that comes from having lots of material things or lots of people around us, but the true genuine joy that can only come from God alone.

*** There was a flood that hit the Philippines on September 26,2009. It was recorded as the worst flood in the history of the Philippines. Months worth of water fell upon the city in a matter of 6 hrs.The people living in the gymnasium are families that lost their homes due to severe water damage, so they are all living in community in the gym that was given to them.