Each
of the ministries has impacted me in different ways. One of the most difficult
ministries that we are involved in is the dump ministry. It is only once a
week, and we bring a meal of beans, rice, eggs, cheese and a drink. These
people work 6 days per week literally in trash. Some work for the mayor,
bringing it in and loading it off the trucks. Others sort through and find
things such as plastic bottles to sell. The aroma of this place is of disgust;
rotting trash, mold, and among it all there are dogs, cows, and vultures that
leave waste. Flies are all over, in particular where there is food.
Mario,
the man that leads this ministry, was explaining to us that most of them
believe in God, but believe that their situation is some type of punishment. He
has tried to explain to them that the Lord sees us all in love and wants the
best for us. Many of them started going
with their parents as children, and grew up into the same job. They now bring
their children, and the process will begin again. In this particular dump for
Granada, they do not live there. In Managua, there is a community built in the
dump. They even have schools and homes there. Many children do not know what it
is like outside of that.
I
struggled with what to pray for these people. Health? Food? Better
opportunities? Something that I realized they are struggling with is not having
the hope of God. Mario said these workers are very poor in spirit. They don’t
realize that they are dearly loved, cherished, and God did not intend for a
world where people worked in places like this. I am sure their burdens are so
heavy; most of us may never even be able to understand what kinds of things
they deal with every day.
I
doubt that I will have a huge, lasting impact in their lives. I hope they feel special
and important when they are being served by others, if only for that brief
time. But I can lift them up to the Lord, and ask that He would somehow lift
the weight they are carrying, somehow bless them and give them joy through the
Holy Spirit and the opportunity to know the loving God that we know so
intimately.
Please
think of these people and pray for them, and continue to pray for our team. To
God be the glory always!
“The
Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all
their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those who
are crushed in spirit.” Psalm
34:17-18
