Seven of us pile into a Volkswagen car that’s meant for five; we’re happy to be visiting the township though, so even crammed legs and numb bums don’t damper our spirits. Before visiting the township, Kyletschia, we make a stop in a rather wealthy neighborhood called Constantia; million dollar homes are tucked away behind every bend in the road.
We’re visiting a friend of the missionaries, Andy and Leigh, that we’re working with this month. Their friend works as a domestic in one of the homes, her face beams with joy when we meet her; her infectious smile looks as if it originates deep within her soul and spreads to her eyes. I like her immediately. We chat with her awhile and then make plans to have a “brie” (also known as a bbq) with her family on Monday.
As we leave, I take in the sight of the ridiculously large homes and wonder what it’s like to live in a huge house in the midst of such devastation. It bothers me in such a way that it makes the pit of my stomach feel nauseous. I put the thoughts of frustration in the back of my mind and peer out the window at the scenic view. We drive past a beautiful beach and a small suburb filled with quaint shops on each corner. People are walking on the sidewalks, eating in restaurants, and driving the streets in their BMW’s. All is at peace in their world.
Ten minutes later we arrive in Kyletschia. There are a few cars, mostly ones that are broken down and sitting idly in front yards with blown-out tires. There are no million dollar homes, but there are a million shacks made from tin and other building scraps that line the streets. Literally, a million people live in this township. There are shops on the corners like the ones we passed a few miles ago, but these are slightly different than the quaint shops that offer coffee and scones. They’re barely standing, you have to peer through chicken wire to see their selection and speak to the owner, and many of them are splattered with mispelled words and graffiti from local “artists” of the township.
These communities are only a few miles away from each other, but they are worlds apart in many aspects. I can’t help but wonder how our world formed into one where extreme wealth and extreme poverty co-exist within miles of each other. Why is it that the abundantly blessed aren’t reaching out to people living in complete poverty?
I sat and talked with God about my inability to understand; He reminded me that He’s already overcome all of these things. He reminded me that I can’t do anything with love if I allow frustration to overwhelm me.
No one individual can save the world from poverty. But, we can save the world from poverty together; when people choose to make small choices to help others, it creates a domino effect and encourages the people around them to also make choices to help others, which then creates one HUGE movement towards changing the world. So, I encourage you to make a small decision today….and it will turn into a big change 🙂
