This morning we were able to see the new carpentry shop for George's
Boys (Only a Child Ministries). A true highlight for us all to see these
young men who have chosen a better life for themselves away from the
streets and into the shop producing the most beautiful wooden boxes. I
am sure that you have already heard from Connie on this one so I will
not embellish anymore on this subjectJ
From there we made a most somber visit to the volcanic- ashen cemetery.
First, we had to pay to even enter. In Guatemala, people are buried
above ground, so you could just imagine the elaborate buildings filled
with graves and flowers. Some of the buildings were approximately three
stories and Kevin referred to them almost "like Condos" for the
deceased. Spaces are rented for six years for the bodies. If the family
is unable to pay for the rental, the graves were then chiseled from the
cement and then disposed of in the adjacent dump. Just a frightening
sight to witness caskets just laying open on the hill over looking the
dump. It was heartbreaking.
And the dump- there are no words to describe this devastating place. Our
view from the cemetery was overlooking the dump. We thought that the dump in Coopersville smelled bad- not even close. The hardest part,
wasn't the overwhelmingly horrific smell, but the hundreds of people IN the dump. To many in the La Libertad village, this is the only way of
life. The dump is their livelihood where they collect things to sell for
recycling, and search for things to eat for their families. We were all
immediately changed by this experience. And forgive us when we get home,
but throwing something in the trash will probably haunt us for quite
some time.
After a delicious lunch of beans, rice and tortillas, we anxiously
ventured out to make home visits in La Libertad. Something about this
village- it is located on top of the old dump. People were actually
LIVING on top of the garbage. After attempting to get people to move
several times, the municipalities gave up and poured dirt and cement for
the people to build their homes on. And when I say "build" I mean that in an entirely different way in which we build in the States. The homes are literally made of tin pieces with a dirt floor. Although us "Gringos" stood out like a sore thumb, the people of the village were very kind and welcoming to us all. There were people selling fruits, veggies, etc… every few steps of the narrow path. It is so hard to put the experience into words.
The home visits were anything but ordinary. From visiting a young lady
who just recently lost her mother to a weary woman getting over
sickness, The experience was overwhelming. Our last visit was with a
family that had just buried a family member moments before. They were
chased out of the cemetery dodging bullets that were meant for a family
behind them. The very same cemetery we were visiting just hours before .
I will not get into any more detail about the home visits today, for I
am still trying to process them all.
All in all, it is amazing to see how content people are with what they
have and how exciting it is to be able to pray with these people.
Tomorrow, we begin our faith lessons in Amatitlan , approximately 45
minutes away. We will be sharing the story of Esther with nearly 75
children. How excitingJ
Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
Dios Te Bendiga! (God Bless)
Jamie
P.S. We want to start the world on fire…. Watch out!!!!
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