I am finding it difficult to put into words all that I have seen and experienced this week. It is surreal to me that we have been in the Philippines for such a short time. Our days have been full and long. While each day has been different, I am thankful that there has been somewhat of a routine. I wake up early…exercise, shower, read, and journal. Then it is time to throw on dirty clothes, and load up to go to the dump site. Yes…a dump. That is where my team has been assigned to do ministry work this month.
Our first task was to clean up the children’s playground area. The church and school are in the same warehouse right in the center of the dump. Due to the rainy season, their playground area was completely flooded and overgrown with weeds. As you can imagine, there isn’t much of drainage system, therefore the water was trapped. An afternoon thunderstorm made our progress slower than it would have been, but we were able to pick up where we left off today and were finally able to see some ‘dry’ ground. Look at how much we accomplished!
The children were ecstatic to finally be able to reach the playground equipment without wading through the mucky water and weeds! Knowing this would be our site for the next month, we decided it would be smart to invest in some boots and gloves. I was more than happy for an excuse to go shopping…even if it was just for some cheap rainboots:).
Our first task was to clean up the children’s playground area. The church and school are in the same warehouse right in the center of the dump. Due to the rainy season, their playground area was completely flooded and overgrown with weeds. As you can imagine, there isn’t much of drainage system, therefore the water was trapped. An afternoon thunderstorm made our progress slower than it would have been, but we were able to pick up where we left off today and were finally able to see some ‘dry’ ground. Look at how much we accomplished!
The children were ecstatic to finally be able to reach the playground equipment without wading through the mucky water and weeds! Knowing this would be our site for the next month, we decided it would be smart to invest in some boots and gloves. I was more than happy for an excuse to go shopping…even if it was just for some cheap rainboots:).
Another day this week we spent shoveling sludge into bags. Pictures do not even do this job justice, but just invision the smelliest, dirtiest crap you have ever seen. The irony is, before we were given this task, we spent the morning discussing the worst jobs we had ever had. Little did I know how soon we would be eating our words… this is a job that even the locals don’t want to do. They were very appreciative of how hard we worked and blessed us with delicious fried banana treats and music to help us pass the time. I love that amidst the foul smells, and trash we were able to make the most of our situation, and literally dance in poop as we served the community.
I am glad that we are being challenged and definitely taken out of our comfort zones. However, everytime I return to the dump site, the reality of their lives becomes more difficult to accept.
Imagine living…
on $3/ day
for a family of 16
surrounded by trash
Imagine having…
nowhere else to go.
And yet…
still having hope.
Yesterday we also went on a tour through a grave site where families are living amidst tombs. Our contact, Joanna, told us that people have to pay to rent the tombs. If they can’t keep up with the payments, the front of the tombs are smashed in, exposing the decayed body. Imagine all the diseases these families are exposed to. As you walk further back, there are people living above the littered water on stilts. Young children are running on planks up and down the path, and could fall through the cracks at any moment. Yet what stood out to me amidst the death hovering in the air, were the smiles, the laughter, and the joy I saw in everyones eyes.
Imagine living…
surrounded by graves
covered in filth
forgotten by society
Imagine having…
nowhere else to go.
And yet…
still having joy.
I wish my words could transport you to the places I am serving. While the poverty is shocking and hard to process, I am thankful for this opportunity to serve a people that are considered the least of these. Please pray for the families and children we are serving. Also, for our teams…that we would have servant hearts and renewed spirits for the tasks we will face this week.
