Tuesday we visited the Linda Vista community. We toured the small community with their leader Mario and he told us several things about their property and the trials they have faced living there. He said that they began building there two years ago and everyone’s house was made of different plastics. More recently they were able to afford nicer material and now the houses are made of sheet metal. One day his hope is that each person’s house would be made from stone so that they can pass this community on to their kids. Before they began squatting on the land, which means they don’t own the land, but they just plant themselves there and live there, many bad things were happening on the property. It is right off the road and many girls would get pulled off the road and everything stolen from them and they would be raped. Also as a way to keep anyone from living there the government came in and wrecked some of the land by making huge wholes and therefore cliffs that can really affect the people in the winter months when the rain comes and erodes at the land.
I was really upset hearing these things about their government. Why don’t they want their country to succeed? Even further then that when Mario and his wife applied and pleaded with the government to install running water and electricity they denied them. The Linda Vista community had to come up with all the money themselves and do some under the table work to get these things installed since the government wouldn’t give it to them. They are currently digging the trenches for the running water and their lights have already been set up. Each family of the community pays about 100 dollars rent per month, however each family only makes anywhere from 120-150 a month. How are they to pay for all the other things they need? And in these months that they got electricity and water they had to pay 100 for electricity and 200 each for water to run to their house. They are doing everything and anything they can to make ends meet. The extreme poverty was really hard to comprehend.
However these people were very rich in spirit. There was such a strength to every person we met. The group from Dories Promise split in to three teams, each with a translator and a board member from the community. The board member had carefully chosen two homes that each team would bring a food bag and pray with the family. Both homes I visited were those of single moms. The first, Olivia, asked us to pray for her family and health. She makes tortillas for income and her family relies on her to pay the rent. Her older kids and their families as well as her little ones live under her roof. I loved watching her face light up when one of our team members gave her a purple cross and told her God has clothed her in hope. She went from a straight face to a full teeth smile and you could just tell she was touched.
In the second home we learned that this mom had come down with a sickness in her throat and therefore the lady whose home she cleans for her income told her she is not allowed to come work. She has been going around to those in the community asking if she can wash their clothes for a little money however she has been struggling to provide food for her family. She cried when we gave her the food. She said we were angels that God had sent her. I forgot to mention that when we entered her home she apologized for not having a living room and told us we could sit on her bed. She was so kind and sweet in spirit. It was a joy to pray for provision and blessing over this woman of the Lord and her kids.
From almost the moment we entered the community these two little girls followed me around. They found me no matter which house I had went in or what I was doing. It was so fun to see their little faces and they would run up to me and I would tickle them and make them laugh. Precious little gems Melissa and Julia!
After the home visits the team split up between laying concrete and passing out donations. There were 19 water filters to give out and lots of clothes and other items. Amore and Chloe were very touched and also broken as they passed out the donations. They said it made them examine their own hearts because these people were so thankful for something so little and we have so much more and yet aren’t as thankful. The rest of us laying concrete got to experience the hard work ethic of the community members as they partnered with us to lay 90 meters in just one short morning. In the first round of concrete our team mixed while the men of the community passed the buckets to lay it out and then for the second round we switched. Even though the project was physically difficult we made it really fun! I love the team here and the people of the community that we got to work alongside!
When we came home from Linda Vista we had lunch and then Kelly led the special mothers devotion. She spoke about them being a light in the darkness. They are a light to these kids in every job they do here big and small. After the encouraging word Molly and I passed out the bags that our bible study and other friends had helped us put together. Then Pablo went around and read each of them the verse in their bag. Two of the ladies eyes welled up with tears, the verse was just the promise they needed reminded of that day. I loved embracing them and thanking them for their work!
As most of you know, I LOVE zumba, and when the missions coordinator asked me if I would teach the kids, I said of course! So in the afternoon we got the team and the kids together and had so much fun dancing together! The battle was their favorite. Even though many of the kids and team members got worn out, my girls kept on dancing all the way up until the time they had to go in for showers! I really enjoyed shaking and laughing with them!
Before I went in for debrief I went and found my boy Abe. He was getting lotioned and I could hear his distinct laugh. I helped him finish getting dressed and just enjoyed his laugh while I put his socks on and tickled his feet. We did airplane and I ran around with him on my back and he kept saying my name! My heart just melted. I love my kids.
