You never leave. Everywhere I am, You are there.
“And remember, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Seeing God’s natural, intended beauty alongside the oppression of poverty at the dump is striking. This dichotomy is heartbreaking at best. Walking into the dump, one’s senses are overwhelmed: it reeks of rotting food, burning garbage, and animal carcasses; bugs (flies, maggots, and bees) and scavenger animals (vultures, crows, and dogs) are rummaging through the muck beside their human co-workers; the sun often blazes relentlessly and the humidity combined with the stench is almost unbearable. There is truly nothing redeeming about this hellish place. But if you take your eyes off of this horrific filth for just a moment, the sight is glorious. The dump is located along the rim of a lush valley with verdant mountains overlooking in the distance. This past Monday, the clouds were hanging low and dark in anticipation of a powerful thunderstorm. The view was breathtaking. I was awestruck yet again by the beauty of God’s imagination; He spared no expense in creating this world, to show us His magnificent glory. As I was contemplating these things, the line to Hillsong United’s song, “Aftermath,” came to mind: “the skies lay low where You are.” I was overwhelmed by the realization that God exists here in the dump, truthfully the lowliest of places. Despite its very nature, God has not abandoned His children in this place. Instead, He resides within them—they are His sanctuary and He finds them holy (2 Corinthians 3:16-17). He finds them clean, set apart. Even though we as humans allow our brothers and sisters to live this way, God’s compassion is still stirred. He still walks with them and hears their cries—just as He does our own. And His glorious creation serves as a reminder that Elohim (Creator God) is powerful, mighty, and ever-present.
The following day, we were able to serve these beloved people in a very tangible way: by putting on a children’s program and passing out food and clothing. Even though we were 45 minutes late because of car problems, about seventy individuals were present—far more than we were anticipating. We presented the program with singing, dancing, dramas, and a piñata. We then were able to be the hands of Christ by giving out bags of water, cookies, crackers, and uncooked rice and beans. Despite the large number of people, we had exactly enough food for every single person there. We had just enough money to buy rice and beans for 27 families (we thought that was an odd number, but used up all the money we had collected anyways) and that is the precise number of families that was there. We also distributed clothes and four pairs of boots. One of the girls who received boots was a 10 year old girl named Maria Elena. She is the oldest of six siblings and works with her mom (also named Maria) at the dump everyday after school. I was moved by just spending a few moments with this lovely little girl. Hugging her, laughing with her—these small things make her livelihood real to me.
Occasionally I wonder if what we walk into as a team is real life. Is it real that people—children—live and work in a dump? Is it real that girls are stolen mercilessly into sex slavery every day and seemingly have no opportunity for freedom? Is it real that children grow up without families to love them or provide security for them? Is it real that I am here ministering to these people? I can assure you from a little hostel in Guatemala
May His grace continue to rain down on you,
Meg
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