We have all heard the saying “Put yourself in someone else’s
shoes” and that is just what I would ask of you today. Over the past month our ministry has
been filled with much surprise, but one particular day struck a deeper
awakening in me the most, that day was in the middle of a trash dump or to
some, a home. Take a minute and
put the shoes on of a Cambodian bound by Rubbish Mountain.
Imagine being one of 2000 people who is part of a cast
system, but not just any cast system, one that has been created through your
own mind and the minds of your family, one that was bound to you before birth
with generational ties all over it.
The people of Rubbish Mountain live inside the walls of trash! From generation to generation they have
told themselves that they are lower than the city they see just beyond the
mound of rubbish, their parents and grandparents have succumbed to a lie that
they are not a part of Phnom Penh (the city) and that their lives will never be
more than a day in the dump. I
believe this is a lie from the pits of hell and I pray that it is in the midst
of being broken. It has been said
that the Cambodian government is moving the dump and relocating the people…that
has also been the word for years now.
Daily, 2000 come to Rubbish Mountain to work and out of
those, 250 live inside the dump.
Rubbish Mountain is exactly what it sounds like, a mountain of
trash. People quickly run after
the dump trucks to catch the disposal coming out. They are looking for two things: food to eat and contents to
sell, mainly metal and plastic.
Those that live there have nets upon garbage for homes and those that
live around it have homes made of cloth and wood. In most cases the entire family works, young and old
alike. This is the only trade
these people know, it’s the only way to make a life in their minds.
It’s the most jaw-dropping thing I’ve ever seen and surely
the most nauseating thing I’ve ever smelled. Heaps of waste being poured out of trucks, people running to
get the best pick, and trash burning.
Just a couple weeks ago a woman was killed by the truck as they go about
their business and do not watch for sifters…it’s truly a fend for your own
environment!
Thankfully we have a God who is at work though!!!! God has birthed a ministry called Water
of Life. They are fully sold out
to this community. Birthed from
Fallbrook, CA, this organization gives it’s all and more to these people,
providing health services, education and most importantly a HOPE IN JESUS
CHRIST. These people are learning
about Jesus and what He has in store for their lives. Please pray that these children are continually educated to
be allowed into the normal school systems, that these people would not only be
relocated soon, but more importantly that the government would help them to
find new trades. If they are not
taught to live and work another way this vicious cycle will continue with only
different surroundings. God is at
work, believe that and trust that He has a purpose and a will and it’s being
played out.
If you have more interest in this community and helping out,
please visit http://www.wateroflifeinternational.org
and learn more about what God is doing here at Rubbish Mountain.
