Serving in a slum community was a unique finish to my World Race experience. 3 1/2 years back it was a community like this that took my heart and had it set on returning back to the nations at some point in time. And in those 3 years, I schemed, planned, and dreamed about what another adventure out of Canada looked like. More importantly what an adventure of service and giving would be like. I loved walking through that garbage dump in Guatemala as I saw beyond the rubbish, the smells, and the poverty. I met a group of Jesus followers who were passionate with what they were blessed with everyday. With what they found to wear. They were content. Sure they dreamed of a better life, but the bottom line was they were content with what they had.
In this Phenom Penh slum called Stung Mien Chey, I met a similar community. This slum is located just outside the city’s garbage dump. Everyday hundreds of trucks drive through the muddy entrance road and dump people’s unwanted things and garbage. This dump, called “Rubbish Mountain” is where someone’s junk becomes someone else’s treasure. This opportunity for the Stung Mien Chey community. Many people come out of the shantys and spend all day sorting through the fresh garbage in hopes of finding plastics, glass, and metals in which to sell for some cash. It takes 1 kg of plastic to make 100 Riel (4,200 R = $1 USD) or about 2 cents. The average group of collectors collects about 22 kg per day. Many other great finds are old shoes for repair and resale, fabrics for various things, and small trinkets which can be made into souvenir type things that tourists buy.
That’s life out in the slums. Every minute of daylight counts. Families work together. Children go to “work” in the garbage dump after school. Everything is dirty, smells, and is filthy. But this is life for about 160-200 families here in one of the many slums of the city.
We visited the dump known as “Rubbish Mountain” one afternoon. My teammate Rachel led a woman to the Lord and I spend the time observing, praying, and handing out candies to children. It was a heart wrenching expereince once again. The Lord brought me back to a place where I was 3 1/2 years ago and it was beautiful. I truly saw where the Lord has taken me in that time. 3 years ago I wouldn’t have had the insight or the heart to “be” for the people that I did during this week. I thank the Lord for calling me out to the slums, I’ll never forget the faces that starred at me for that brief moment as they busily sorted through the garbage in search of the treasures available to them!
