How would your daily life go? Would you get used to the smell, or would you feel nauseous whenever a breeze came through? Would you feel accomplished when you found a valuable during the day? Would you strive everyday to help your kids to have a better life? Would you be ashamed of your job, or work at it with pride?
I feel these are questions the people who work in the garbage dump probably think about every day. Every day they wake up, walk next door to the garage dump to dig through trash hoping that today would be a good one and they found something valuable. Then when it was time to end work for the day, they walk outside the dump, to their small house to raise their kids, eat and sleep. This is their life. Every day.
It is hard for me to imagine living like this. To realize how these people live versus the life I have come from is a humbling experience. I have a way out. I have choices for my life. I am able to go to a University, travel the world, live pretty much wherever I want to. But for the kids in this place:
this is where they were born
where they will grow up
where they will find their spouse and raise a family of their own.
and this is where they will die
All outside of a garbage dump.
When I first arrived at the garbage dump, I wanted to do nothing more than just pray. So I walked around, blanketing the homes in prayer. That is what they need most. Only the Lord knows their situation and only the Lord knows their future. We are here temporarily in order to teach the children and join them in fellowship. But after we leave and move on, they will still be there. Living outside the dump and working inside it. How more ‘stuck’ can you be?
Though it may be hard, the words of the Lord from Matthew 25 encouraged me.
“Then the righteousness will answer him, ‘Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?’
The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
