Down in the dumps... and not a bad thing.

i never believed that i would count a trip to a city dump as a blessing or as a highlight in a day, but the trip i took the La Chureca (the city dump in Managua) yesterday was by far the best part of the day. upon loading the car w/ "un monton de pollo" as they say here, we were off. after some driving through the confusing streets of managua, we had arrived. rounding a corner, we were in a whole new world. the paved roads were traded for dirt, the tiendas and houses for mounds and mounds of refuse from the city. in the midst of all this trash live people who make their living searching for treasures. recyclable goods are pulled out and pieces of iron are taken to be sold for a few centavos. this place where conditions are hardly fit for work, let alone life, hundreds of people have made this their home. the sheets of tin serve as walls and are decorated with cardboard from the neighboring piles of trash. dogs work right alongside the children, scavenging for food. i'm told girls often offer their bodies to the truck drivers (as it's the only thing they have to give) so that they and their families might get to go through the truck's contents first. how can i even begin to wrap my head around this type of existence? oh yes and then we pass the "billiard hall" of the neighborhood, where the pool tables can be spotted through cracks in the walls. many people have been offered a life outside of the La chureca, but most never leave and those who do, often return. for me, i can't imagine choosing to return to this type of life, especially when someone offers you something else. but people are constantly coming in to help and give things to the people living in la chureca, and when i consider this, i guess i can see a little bit of the twisted logic of why they stay.

finally, in the midst of the burning heaps of trash and shacks, we arrive at what appears to be a watering hole in the midst of a desert. at first, it appears to be a mirage, but El Colegio Esperanza is as real as can be with 350 students who come for class everyday. we unloaded all the food (for our end of classes celebration) and got right down to meeting the kids we came to love. in all shapes and sizes they stand before me- their knowing brown eyes full of despair. i have no idea where to go or what to do. i am overwhelmed by the amount of kids who are desperate for any ounce of attention i can give them.


i start chatting with some girls. i take some pictures. i am carrying a girl named maria on my back. i am poked and smiled at by children that walk by. i am singing worship songs in spanish with the band, clapping and waving my arms in the air. a girl wipes the sweat from my face and neck. another tries to rearrange my hairstyle, and i am trying not to think about where her hands have been or the probability that she has lice. a little boy wearing rubber boots, despite the heat, motions for my water bottle. upon giving it to him, the contents are gone within seconds. after quenching his physical thirst, how i long to offer him the living water of the Lord, as Jesus did to the woman at the well. girls run around in what were once treasured dresses of American girls, probably worn only on special occasions, but are now used as everyday attire.


these kids are eage to soak up any love that i can give them. and for one of the most memorable times in my life, i saw a glimpse of how jesus must view his children. these children were dirty- we were in the city dump for pete's sake, and yet their physical appearance did not change the fact that they need to hear about jesus and are loved so much by the God of the universe. there was nothing i could do but put aside my selfish and conditional love and try to be the hands and mouth of jesus to these kids. what a challenge, but blessing after realizing i had been used by the creator of the universe!

after some more worship songs and a mime drama about the Gospel, it was time for lunch. nearly 400 plates of rice, beans, cabbage salad, chicken, watermelon and tortilla we served with lemonade. and then it was time for cake after the pinatas. how need it was to feed their mouths and then their souls with the bread of life as new testaments were handed out to all.

after all was cleaned up, we headed out to leave. our newfound friends gathered for one last hug and goodbye. one girl who was trying to stow away in our van- i told her that she was beautiful and that God loves her. she nodded and i wondered if she'd ever been told that she was loved. these kids are eager to listen, but who will tell them of the Good News?

as we left the dump, everything was the same as when we came in. the only difference was that there was a sense of hope in the air. God is working amongst the people living in La chureca and thos who minister to them. what a joy it is to be a part of His work and know that when we are doing what He has for us, we can find blessing in the most unexpected places, even in the middle of a heap of trash...