Day 6: The Dump (By Vince Barker)

They are some experiences in life that are beyond words.  Some things just can’t be explained and require a firsthand glimpse in order to gain a better understanding.  We knew that today was going to be a game changer and an experience that we were eager to share with those back home, but to describe our experiences in words is almost inadequate and incomplete.   Nevertheless, here is day 6.

It started off like most other days since we’ve been here.  Breakfast and coffee as a group while the guys messed around with a puzzle that had been becoming more and more complete as each day went by.  The two big agenda items were passing out food to the people in the dump and handing out food and clothing to families in a nearby village.  We had been excited about visiting the dump since the moment we heard it was a possibility.  The fact that people base their daily sustenance on things they scavenge from other people’s trash was hard to comprehend from our point of view and thus, a little intriguing. 

We met up with another missionary (also named Mark) at a Texaco station near the dump to inform us on what to expect.  It turns out Mark had fed people at the dump every Wednesday for about 3 years.  Prior to that, Mark would always drive by the entrance but was warned never to go into the dump because it was a dangerous place to visit.  Not heeding that advice, Mark did travel into the dump and what he saw started a ministry that focuses on bettering the life of the people who rely on the dump for their livelihood. 

We left the Texaco station and headed up into the dump.  Mark’s truck had rice, beans, tortillas, and water for us to pass out.  Driving up into the dump reminded me of the dumps in America, a large mound of trash with trucks passing in and out and heavy equipment pushing around trash and moving dirt.  The only difference was that there were people everywhere.  People were mixed in with the buzzards, dogs, and cows, all scavenging for something “valuable”.  Some sick, twisted form of sustenance.  Many covered their faces with ski masks to try and keep out the smell, dirt and trash swirling through the air.  The large machines kicked up dirt and piles of trash were set on fire creating a suffocating black smoke, which whipped around in the wind.  The clothes that these people wore were covered in an oily film, which had developed from the extended use, and environment in which these people lived.  The first impression was shocking, that people could, are – were living this way.

We formed three lines next to the truck.  One for men, one for women, and one for children.  It was surprisingly orderly, thanks to Mark who made this into a weekly routine.  We passed out the food and water until it was gone.  The kids were laughing and playing, smiles on almost all of their faces.  It was awesome to see the innocence of these kids and by interacting with the people we began to see the separation between the people and the animals.  At first glance, the people were acting like animals, doing what the animals were doing.  It was only after we started interacting with the people did we realize that this was God’s creation.  Like it or not, God created these people and His Spirit was felt at the dump.  This was the modern day leprosy colony outside the city gates, a place were Jesus would hang out.  Jesus did hang out at the dump today.  God’s glory was shown through our actions and God’s creation has new meaning to us now that we have seen the light.  One woman said in Spanish that she wished that God would take her soul right now. Her tone was one of hope, not of despair, like the apostle Paul when he wished that God would relieve him of his suffering.  God’s work is not always easy and fun but the dump was an experience that none of us will ever forget.

After the dump, we went and picked up the bags of food that we prepared the first day we arrived.  We then headed to another community, veinte uno de octubre, and started passing out the food to each house.  The people there had no idea that we were coming so it was a great surprise to them.  Each family got at least one bag of food which will feed a small family for a couple of weeks.

Bags of Food to Deliver

We also had boys and girls underwear and girls dresses made out of pillowcases from the States.  The clothes were organized in the church building and people lined up ready to get the much-needed clothes.  It was awesome to watch the naked kids get underwear and the girls get new dresses.  Afterwards, the girls got their fingernails painted and we passed out toys to the young kids.  The interaction was great and refreshing after the experience at the dump.  Relatively speaking, these people had a much better standard of living than the people at the dump, but the poverty was still very apparent and our food and clothing were much appreciated.  We found out after we left that the people living at this community are in need of a bigger church building.  Apparently they are overflowing the current building and need more space to worship.  Cool stuff.

Girls at veinte uno de octubre village

We left veinte uno de octubre and went back to Monoloa, the same community we visited on day 3.  We found many of the same kids that we played with a few days prior and spent an hour or two hanging out with the kids and showing them the love of God.  My prayer is that the groups that continue to go in and out of these communities will paint a mosaic of the story of Christ.  We are just one of those small pieces in that mosaic.

Vince runs out of toys to hand out at veinte uno de octubre

We ended the night with an authentic Honduran dinner at the house of a family that we are connected to back from the US.  They cooked a huge spread of meat, beans, cheese, and plantains, which was awesome. The dancing afterwards was quite comical seeing the gringos best attempt at Latino dancing.  I thought the 93-year-old grandmother was going to die because she was laughing so hard.  Good stuff.

Mildred's Family, including her Abuelita