5/9/15

Today we went to the dump to distribute rice, beans, and oil to the families who work there. Their work consists of sorting recyclables from the mountains of refuse that make up the dump. They sell plastic bottles and aluminum cans in order to live. Recently a 600 gallon water tank, which is refilled every two weeks, was installed on the site. It provides both safe drinking water and a place to wash their hands. Esteban, one of the team members climbed up on top of an earth mover and gave a short sermon on why we were there. He emphasized that God asks all Christians to share what they have. That is was an act of love on God’s behalf. These citizens of Roatán are among the very poorest. They bear the marks of a hard life spent outdoors, their skin leathery from the sun, eyes milky with cataracts, missing teeth, and wearing clothing most likely retrieved from the garbage of others. In the midst of all this, I saw a small baby in her mother’s arms. She was born on January 1, to a girl of thirteen. In this culture, pregnancy brings happiness to a woman’s life no matter the circumstances, even if the child is the product of an incestuous relationship. The striking contrast between this beautiful little girl and the squalor of her filthy surroundings reminded me that God makes no mistakes. Every life has a purpose even when that life doesn’t resemble our standards of perfection. As I stood there, feeling conspicuously clean, I was reminded of these words from Luke, Chapter 12. “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return”. Every day I am broken in a new way here. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be working in this beautiful and humbling place.