These past few weeks have been filled with lots of travel and new places. After leaving Ethiopia, we had a layover in Toronto where we got to see the city which was surprisingly reenergizing and a little bit of culture shock after living in Africa for 3 months. Then we made our way to Costa Rica
So this past week we had what is called PVT or Parent Vision Trip. I was able to invite my mom which was a super cool experience to be able to do ministry alongside her.
During the week we helped make chairs for the place that we are staying at, called REAP Granda and went prayer walking through the local town visiting local houses and families and building relationships with them. My favorite ministry that we were able to do with some of the parents were going to the local dump. There we were able to meet some of the workers, share the word of the Lord with them and provide them a warm meal. The people that worked there are the bottom of the social class in their town and they receive no aid. from the government. they make their money by sifting through trash and looking for things that they can sell like plastics or metal. Except for the trash that is available to them has already been sorted through two times which leaves very little for these people. While there we saw generations sorting through the trash, one grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter all working side by side. As we were witnessing this, the Lord once again reminded me about how to be joyful during the rough patches of life, just like these people were joyfully doing one of the worst jobs.
Visiting this dump brought back so many vivid memories. In January of last year, I went with my school on a mission trip to Nicaragua. While we were in a totally different part of the country, we did many of the same types of ministries, including visiting the dumps. The dump we visited was very similar to this one and even grimmer. (It depicted a war zone with much smoke as they would burn the excess trash). Heres the picture that I took of that trip a little over a year ago:
This time while at the dump, the Lord reminded me of my earlier experience and showed me how far I’ve come since then. How far I’ve come spiritually, mentally, and creatively. It was so sweet to look back on the past year and see where the Lord has brought me. What He’s brought me through and what He’s taught me. The people that He’s put in my life and those that He’s taken away. The situations that He’s put me in and those that He’s protected me from.
