Frozen Filth

 You know that bittersweet feeling when you come in
from the cold, and your body begins to tingle from the heat starting to warm
you up? Well, sometimes that’s how I feel after situations like these: honored
and blessed to serve, yet heartbroken and frustrated by the injustice and
devastation around the world.

 Last Saturday, we were given the opportunity to
visit the dump here in Romania. We piled into a van and stopped at a store to
pick up some groceries to hand out to the families. We didn’t really know what
to expect, but we knew that it was cold, and the situation for these families
would be heartbreaking.

 When we arrived, we began a trek through the woods
and across some fields. It was about 25 degrees outside, and everything was
beautifully coated in white frost. As we walked further through the trees, I
began to notice a few houses that were made out of old rugs, tarps, and pieces
of wood. In the silence of the fields, I could hear electricity flowing through
the power lines above us, but I knew the families below had no access to it’s
energy or running water.

 It was heartbreaking to see how some of these
people lived in poverty, but what was more distressing was learning about their
true lifestyle. These people are rejected everywhere they go. They work in the
dump because society does not accept them. No one accepts them. When I look at
their beautiful faces, I see loving and hungry hearts, but the rest of the
world can only see the filth and poverty. In the winter, the average temperatures
in Romania fall to the mid 20’s or lower. Sometimes they burn the extra
materials they gather at the dump for warmth, and if they want to bathe they
boil a bucket of water to use. They are hungry. They are cold. They are rejected.

 As we walked back through the winter wonderland, I
realized that I could no longer feel my fingers, toes, or face, but I didn’t
care about the cold anymore. As we left I quickly became frustrated as I longed
to do so much more for them. Sure it was great to hand them a bag of food, give
them a smile, stuffed animal, and tell them we were praying for them, but I
wanted so much more for them! In my frustrations I began to seek the Lord. The
next morning He quietly offered me peace and reassurance, and as Hebrews 6 says, “The Lord is NOT unjust.”