Today we had the privilege, er, shall I say challenge to go to the garbage dump and minister to the people that we met there. Let me remind you, I don’t speak the language, and when I say garbage dump, I am not talking about the neat little gravel place that is fenced in and all the green dumpsters sit where you pull up and throw in your trash. I am talking where you drive into the middle of a village, Sumpango, and pull up to a what looks like a cliff and throw out your trash. Only for it to be ravaged by several local people that are looking for anything that they might need or want, up to and including left over food.
Our ministry contact Javier, whom took us here to minister, brought children’s clothes to give away along with spanish pamphlets about Jesus. We had purchased suckers and candy a few days ago so we took this with us as well.
Being honest I was uncomfortable before we even left. I thought there is nothing that I can do that will benefit these people that are in this desolate situation enough to make a difference. I was NOT excited. I went reluctantly and boy did God show up.
We pull up to the dump and there are about 3 adults and 8 kids there. As soon as Scotty, Christina (whom is fluent in spanish and such a blessing to our team), and myself get out of the van that we rode, a man walks up to us. He is obviously impoverished and his lips were so chapped that as soon as he started to talk to us they started to bleed. He told us that God had sent us to him and that we were angels from God sent for him. He said that he didn’t want to live the way that he was living and repented pretty much his whole life to us. He told us that he was living in a place about the size of the van that we rode in and that it was just covered by two sheets and that it got very cold at night. He said that he was a believer but had not been living that way for a while but wanted to. As soon as the man started talking to us I could feel the Holy Spirit move and new that it was a divine appointment for us to be right where we were at exactly that time. Christina would translate what he was saying to us and then translate back what we said. It was an awesome meeting. At the end of our conversation we asked him if we could pray for him. He said yes. Scotty and myself in English and Christina in Spanish. As soon as we touched Marco Antonio he began to weep. It was if no one had touched him in a very long time. And to be honest they probably hadn’t. He was dirty and had a pungent aroma coming from him. All I could say while praying was that “You are a prince”, and he is. A prince of God. After we prayed we gave him a suitcase full of clothes that may or may not fit him but we got bless this man that I, the one that dreaded going, got the privilege to meet.
We also gave two suitcases of children’s clothes to a single mother that was there with her three children, one of which was wrapped in a sling and hanging from her back underneath a blanket. Javier and two of my other teammates, Janee and Amber, got to pray for her as well.
We gave out all the suckers that we had and got to play with the kids that even though there extremely desolate situations, they had the brightest smile when they we picked them up and threw them in the air or when we would play tag.
It was an event that I will remember forever.
Everyone has seen the commercials on TV in America of the children with no shoes and living in a dump and we all think how sad. Well let me tell you they are still kids, princes and princesses of God. They have names and hopes and the most beautiful smiles in the world. I had the awesome privilege today to meet them. And no I cannot move them out of the dump. But I can give them something they probably don’t get very often. I can give them love and acceptance from an outsider. I can shoe them that it is ok to hug me and I will smile and laugh with you.
They are precious and important and loving and children of the most high.
Today is a good perfectly planned day.
In Him,
Cody
(I will post the video from the last post and pictures of the boys when I get better internet signal)
