Monday, July 23, 2012
I had to really prepare myself for today’s ministry. We were told that it smells terrible…
Today was the first day we went to the dumps of Tegucigalpa. I had seen some images and video of a dump in a class that I took at my church back home. Just seeing that made my heart ache. The whole bus ride to the dump, I prayed that God would not let the smell get to me and that He would shine His light through me.
When we arrived, the smell was bad, but not as bad as I had expected. As I walked out I tried to take it all in. It was overwhelming. It brought me to tears as I walked to the edge of where the trash was. Seeing such a place on a television was one thing. But being in the midst of it, and then looking out on the beauty of Honduras, was a completely different thing. The fact that these people live and work here everyday is so sad to me.
I made my way around, and found a group of three girls. These girls were so beautiful. They were teenagers. Two of them were sisters, and the other was a friend.We learned from talking to them that they work there five to six days a week. They also have to take a two hour bus ride to get there, and then again late at night to get home. Just looking in their big beautiful dark eyes, I could see their yearnings for something more. There were a few of us from our squad talking to these girls, and we decided to pray for them. Our prayers were that these young women would be filled with the joy and the strength of the Lord.
I also talked to an older woman named Guadelupe. She was so beautiful! I could see in her eyes and the wrinkles on her face, how hard she has worked throughout her life. She told me that she has eight children. And she used to work here everyday to provide for her family. This woman has been through so much, and yet she finds something to smile about everyday! Now that is powerful! Guadelupe gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, and we spoke blessings over each other. I could just feel the joy of the Lord through her words and her embrace.
As hard as it was to go to this place, it was hard to leave. The question always remains, “was that enough, or what difference can a few hours in this place make?” On the bus ride back home I had time to process this experience. From my questions, came a few answers: “You brought food to fill their bellies. But more importantly, you took time to show these women that they are worth your time. And even more than that, you showed them that they are so precious in God’s eyes!”
