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It's hard to believe that we leave Tegucigalpa tomorrow. I apologize for not posting the last 2 days, but we haven't been at the Micah house in the evening and that is where we can connect to the internet.
Actually, we were at Micah Tuesday evening but I was emotionally drained and just wasn't able yet to put into words the events of the day. We went back out to Villa Linda Miller and continued working on the school, digging for the foundation walls, applying cement/plaster to the cinder block walls of the completed rooms, painting, and doing crafts with the kids. Then, since we didn't go on Monday, it was our turn to go up into the dump and pass out water and then down to AFE and play with the kids.
Some of you have seen pictures of the people that live in the dump. But it is impossible for a picture to convey the reality of it. There were about 20 of us packed into the Toyota van with 100 bags of water. And literally hundreds of people digging through the mountains of garbage, looking for food and anything of value that could be salvaged. Small shanty's made of cardboard and tin are scattered here and there for the lucky ones. Others have only a cardboard box to sleep in. We drove through the trash yelling "agua" out the window and people would run to the van to get it. Some carried thinner soaked rags in plastic bags that they constantly huff on to escape the reality of their lives. Kids with hands completely blackened by filth. They wear rags and fight street dogs, vultures, and each other to survive.
It was too much for me to handle, absolutely unbelievable to my suburban white mind that people actually have to live like this. But the thing that was so completely unbelievable to me was this...as I sat in the van crying, tears running down my face, one of the men that lived in the dump came up to the window and with a look of concern on his face asked Brian why I was sad.
How strange to have this man in such desperate conditions have compassion for the sadness I was obviously feeling. And yet we who have so much walk through much of life with little to no compassion for the lost and hurting around us. As we drove away I again remembered what Beth Ferrell told me. We will not be able to get them out of the dump, but we can give them all the hope that is only in Jesus Christ.
We hope, though, that if the Lord allows us to build the school that maybe we can be part of getting a few out.
At AFE we set up play pools for the kids, some we brought down from the dump. They hauled bucket after bucket of water just so they could play in it for less than an hour. What a difference to see these kids that will work for an hour so they can play for 30 minutes, where in our society we want it in 5 minutes and want it to last until we want to stop. We played soccer and pushed them on the swings, and then when it was time drove them back up to their home in the "crematory".
Yesterday we worked at Villa Linda Miller again and then the school children treated us to a traditional Honduran dance, sang songs, and expressed heartfelt thanks. It was very touching to have such heartfelt sincerity poured out for the work that we did.
Brian worked on the Micah van, showing Eric how to change oil and then teaching Pedro how to change a diesel fuel filter. Pedro has a huge desire to learn anything and everything he can about mechanics and construction. He's a big guy with a big heart for God. We went back to AFE and embarked on a huge water fight with just about everyone getting back into the van completely drenched.
Dinner was at the Leadership house, pupusas which are corn pockets filled with beans, cheese, and vegetables. Afterward we spent time in worship and prayer, a very fitting end to 3 days of service.
Today after doing a home visit we went to the bilingual Christian school that Michael suggested and then looked at a piece of property near El Tigro, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa. It's a beautiful area with a very reasonable price. Land and construction costs would be well within our budget, so we will be praying for the Lord's leading in this.
And so tomorrow we leave Tegucigalpa...leave our home. We will be spending 2 days together as a family digesting all of the events over the past week and getting ready to return to Oregon. Thank you all for your prayers, they have truly sustained us.
Gracias mi hermanos y hermanas in Jesus Cristo,
The Wiggs
Actually, we were at Micah Tuesday evening but I was emotionally drained and just wasn't able yet to put into words the events of the day. We went back out to Villa Linda Miller and continued working on the school, digging for the foundation walls, applying cement/plaster to the cinder block walls of the completed rooms, painting, and doing crafts with the kids. Then, since we didn't go on Monday, it was our turn to go up into the dump and pass out water and then down to AFE and play with the kids.
Some of you have seen pictures of the people that live in the dump. But it is impossible for a picture to convey the reality of it. There were about 20 of us packed into the Toyota van with 100 bags of water. And literally hundreds of people digging through the mountains of garbage, looking for food and anything of value that could be salvaged. Small shanty's made of cardboard and tin are scattered here and there for the lucky ones. Others have only a cardboard box to sleep in. We drove through the trash yelling "agua" out the window and people would run to the van to get it. Some carried thinner soaked rags in plastic bags that they constantly huff on to escape the reality of their lives. Kids with hands completely blackened by filth. They wear rags and fight street dogs, vultures, and each other to survive.
It was too much for me to handle, absolutely unbelievable to my suburban white mind that people actually have to live like this. But the thing that was so completely unbelievable to me was this...as I sat in the van crying, tears running down my face, one of the men that lived in the dump came up to the window and with a look of concern on his face asked Brian why I was sad.
How strange to have this man in such desperate conditions have compassion for the sadness I was obviously feeling. And yet we who have so much walk through much of life with little to no compassion for the lost and hurting around us. As we drove away I again remembered what Beth Ferrell told me. We will not be able to get them out of the dump, but we can give them all the hope that is only in Jesus Christ.
We hope, though, that if the Lord allows us to build the school that maybe we can be part of getting a few out.
At AFE we set up play pools for the kids, some we brought down from the dump. They hauled bucket after bucket of water just so they could play in it for less than an hour. What a difference to see these kids that will work for an hour so they can play for 30 minutes, where in our society we want it in 5 minutes and want it to last until we want to stop. We played soccer and pushed them on the swings, and then when it was time drove them back up to their home in the "crematory".
Yesterday we worked at Villa Linda Miller again and then the school children treated us to a traditional Honduran dance, sang songs, and expressed heartfelt thanks. It was very touching to have such heartfelt sincerity poured out for the work that we did.
Brian worked on the Micah van, showing Eric how to change oil and then teaching Pedro how to change a diesel fuel filter. Pedro has a huge desire to learn anything and everything he can about mechanics and construction. He's a big guy with a big heart for God. We went back to AFE and embarked on a huge water fight with just about everyone getting back into the van completely drenched.
Dinner was at the Leadership house, pupusas which are corn pockets filled with beans, cheese, and vegetables. Afterward we spent time in worship and prayer, a very fitting end to 3 days of service.
Today after doing a home visit we went to the bilingual Christian school that Michael suggested and then looked at a piece of property near El Tigro, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa. It's a beautiful area with a very reasonable price. Land and construction costs would be well within our budget, so we will be praying for the Lord's leading in this.
And so tomorrow we leave Tegucigalpa...leave our home. We will be spending 2 days together as a family digesting all of the events over the past week and getting ready to return to Oregon. Thank you all for your prayers, they have truly sustained us.
Gracias mi hermanos y hermanas in Jesus Cristo,
The Wiggs
1 comment:
As always, thanks for the update! WE MISS YOU GUYS!!
...Nightstrike was madness! 250 volunteers! (and that's being conservative)
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