Please read Part 1: Over the River and Through the Trash… and Part 2: Over the River and Through the Trash…
Laughter erupts from the back of the 15 passenger van as we bounce over the bumps – more like giant ruts – in the dirt road. The kids’ heads about hit the ceiling and they cling to their ice cream cones. Between bumps, they carefully lick their cones, savoring every last taste. Chocolate is the clear favorite of the night. After church, on the way to their house, we made a quick detour for ice cream. By seeing the excited look on their faces and their noses pressed up to the glass case containing the “prized possession”, you would have thought they won the jackpot. Tonight, I think they did – church and ice cream in one night!
I cannot wipe this huge grin off my face. I feel like a proud parent. This weekend (our last Sat. and Sun. here), the entire Mohica family finally came to church. Adolfo definitely looked like a proud grandparent. The kids looked great. A clean pair of pants, a new shirt, a shower; “dressed in their Sunday best” seems like an understatement. They all glowed. Their smiles are testimonies to how the Lord is working in their lives – even though some may not realize it. The Lord is doing amazing things in this family. He’s a fan of the “underdogs”.
We finally reach their home. As each individual hops out of the van, I wrap my arms around him/her and eagerly receive his/her embrace. This is the perfect ending for an amazing month in Nicaragua. My mind flips through the memories that have been made while spending time with the family. They have taught me a lot through observing their lives: a living demonstration of simplicity, true community, faith, love, hope amongst poverty, sacrifice…
(most of these photos were taken by Tim Weisemann)
Hope amongst poverty: The Lord opened a door of worship. One afternoon we were able to share in some pretty sweet fellowship in their backyard. Shawna, Manuel (our Nicaraguan Pastor) and one of Adolfo’s sons blessed us by playing the guitar. We sang together and prayed together. Our voices soared over the dump. “I am here amongst you, amongst the trash, the sorrow, the struggles…You look for me and you shall find me,” the Lord whispered. “I will never leave you nor forsake you…”
Community: Talk about living in community. One eats, they all eat. One works, they all work. The entire family works in the dump, kids and all. No complaining, that’s life. We were able to experience ‘pay day’ last Friday. Every 15 days the city comes around and collects all their recyclables that have been scavenged from the dump: metal, paper, plastic, aluminum. They are weighted and then traded in for money – very little money…
Sacrifice: Buying the “gringos” flavored ice so they can cool down. Giving up their seat so we can sit in the shade. Sparing their drinking water so Tim can wash his burn and giving him their treasured lotion to help sooth the pain.
Love: Adolfo blessing Tim and I with two of their family bibles and having the family “send us off” to Peru by praying for us on top of the trash heap.
Simplicity: Using an old, broken computer monitor as a chair…going barefoot through the dumps…using cloth scraps from the trash in order to clean burns…using a barbed wire fence as a clothes line…I could go on all day…
Faith: Adolfo praying everyday that his entire family will know the Lord. His fervent prayers are being answered as you read this blog…
This relationship has gone full circle – a mutual encouragement and blessing – all united by Christ’s desire for his children to love and serve one another. Blessings to the Mohica’s.
