One Man’s Trash-
One morning in Nicaragua, our team hopped in the bed of a truck and rode out to the Granada dump. We went with a couple people from the church, and a few tubs of hot rice, beans, and drinks. When we arrived at the dump, the view was amazing. A heavy cloud obscured the summit of Volcano Mombacho to the South; to the West we had a clear shot of the cathedrals rising above the red roofing of Granada and the shimmering Lake Nicaragua in the distance. As fascinating as the panoramic view ahead of me was, I was more captivated by what laid at my feet. A quaint landfill with several small huddles of people waiting for the next load of garbage to arrive. As some people from the church unloaded the tables and food, my team scurried about and invited everyone in to come and share a meal. As we walked around, our host shared with us the average day of the people who work at the dump:
A morning breakfast of rice and beans is the hope, though sometimes not a reality. They then proceed to the local dump to sort through mounds trash for pieces of scrap metal, glass, plastic, and anything else that may be of worth. The people working at the dump are third in line for scraps, as there are people who go through the trash as it sits on the sides of the streets, then it is ran through again by the garbage truck drivers and workers, then finally the people at the dump get to scour the rest in hopes of finding enough recyclables to support their families. On average, a worker at the dump can expect to make about $20-25… a month. In the US, that’s roughly what an entry level worker makes in two hours of busing tables, washing dishes, or flipping burgers. When I heard this, the statistic I’ve heard for years finally hit home. “2.8 Billion people, nearly half of the worlds population lives on less than two dollars a day.” This is a level of poverty that I’ve never seen nor experienced.
I came back to reality when the host called us back to the tables to start serving food to the newly formed line. Before dishing out the rice and beans, the host asked me to share a short word from scripture to everyone in line. What am I supposed to share with a group that I have just met, and don’t have any comprehension of what daily life is like? Then I realized that my message can’t come from me, there would have been a massive disconnect. I knew it was going to have to come from the Lord. I prayed, and then I let the Lord speak through me. I honestly don’t remember exactly what I said, I just know it made sense. I read Matthew’s account of Jesus walking on water and calling Peter out of the boat and how it relates to our everyday faith in the Lord, even in the midst of struggles, crashing waves that try to pull us under. I spoke of how when we keep our eyes on Jesus, we won’t sink. I know that because it’s what I had to do in that very moment.
Even though I can’t relate to what these people are going through, I know Jesus can. He’s experienced it all, from poverty to pain. I’m certain he spoke through me to the workers, and am certain he will continue to do so on this journey. All I have to do is be obedient and trust him. Trust him with the words needing to be spoken, with actions needing to be taken, and most of all trust him that he will provide in all circumstances regardless of how i’m feeling in the moment.
I’ve learned more about myself in the past two months than I have in the last three years, and I would be naive to think I can share all of it in a series of blogs, but I can share glimpses of what God’s been teaching me. On this day at the dump, he taught me that he’ll show up when I keep my eyes on Jesus.
When was the last time you felt overwhelmed by your circumstances? What do you find yourself looking towards when you’re faced with adversity?
Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
