We finally got our mission assignment for this month, and God definitely doesn’t mess around when you ask him to take you to the lowest places and be able to shine His light there.
My team is working with Team Reckless this month on a project in a slum area of San Juan called Guachupita (Pronounced: Watch-you-pita). Here’s a little history on the place…
Guachupita is actually a small piece of land that is considered a “green zone.” Here in the DR, that means that it is not a piece of land that is good for sustaining life. It is surrounded by two small rivers, both of which are highly polluted and which easily flood across the entire community. The people that take residence here do not actually own the land, which basically makes them squatters. Additionally, because of the tropical weather in the DR, every 3-5 years the whole community is usually wiped out because of a major tropical storm. Guachupita originally housed what was considered the lowest of low, the poor, the needy, and the criminals. In fact, in the past this community was known for its violence through both gun and knife fights. Needless to say, this is a community surrounded by a large amount of hurt, fear, abuse, & sickness.
Our ministry contact is an American born missionary named Miguel who has committed his life to the Dominican Republic. He, his wife, as well as additional missionaries have spent a lot of time praying, teaching, and loving on the people in this community. Miguel’s outlook for this community is that one day it will be one of the most highly esteemed areas in San Juan! I know you must be thinking… “how is that ever possible?” But our God is so much bigger than the poverty that exists in Guachupita.
Our work this month consists of a large amount of manual labor. We are clearing land, picking up trash, and building a canal which runs through the community in order to reduce the amount of stagnant, contaminated water which covers much of the area. It’s definitely a dirty job! There are places throughout the community that have years and years and years of trashed just piled up. In addition, there is no type of irrigation system in this area, therefore waste is not usually disposed of properly either. Oh yeah, and there are wild goats, pigs, chickens, cats, and dogs just wandering around. Interesting place, Guachupita. 🙂
I should probably mention at this point that the children of this place are absolutely precious. From the time we crossed over the bridge into Guachupita, they grasped our hands and hugged us with both arms. This morning, when we walked back in, many of them were there to greet us once again. Though we don’t always communicate well with one another, the language of love speaks loudly throughout.
This morning we spent time clearing a play space for the children. You would not believe the amount of children that run around bare foot atop of areas covered in glass, trash, and animal poo. A little gross, I know. While it was definitely a tiring job working out in the sun, it was also ridiculously rewarding as well. What’s even better is that many of the kids came out and we were able to show them how to do things in their own community that would make it much safer & cleaner. These children are definitely the future of this place. With lots of love, teaching, and prayer…just think of what they will be able to teach the next generations!
Our teams most definitely have one of the toughest ministries this month, but we could not be more excited about it. Please be praying for our safety, our health, and just energy to last while we spend 6-7 hours/day working outside in this environment. God is already working in this community and I cannot wait to see what is in store for the rest of the month. Pictures & more stories from Guachupita to come soon!
