It was quite a day.

Where do I start? For some of us it was a day of firsts. For others it was a poignant reminder of what extreme poverty looks like and how brothers and sisters who struggle, stay faithful in the face of daily hardship.

Our first stop was a ministry called, Only a Child. It was started 15 years ago by a pastry chef from Boston named George Leger. George started a program for street boys that still serves homeless teenage and older boys/men. George's boys live and work together in hopes of learning how to be productive, Christian men. The boys work in a wood shop making cedar boxes, go to school, and learn to live like a family. Our girls were amazed by their stories and the boys enjoyed talking to girls who had come from such a long distance because they cared about them, their people, and wanted to share the love of Jesus. The girls told them exactly that, when they were asked, and the boys seemed genuinely touched at the girl's sincerity and interest in them. It was moving to watch this exchange. Some of the boys are in their 20's and still in 6th or 7th grade; they did not attend school when they were on the streets, and in Guatemala everyone does every grade, even if you start as a young adult. Some now attend college but still live with Only a Child, as it is the only family they have ever had. It is a small but impressive operation.

Ginny reminded us last night to "be still", just like Pastor Ken did during Lent. When we all looked out over the dump, there was nothing to do except be still. The vastness of the garbage dump itself and the humanity stifting through its filfth was overwhelming, not to mention the stench, the vultures, and the cemetary from which we viewed it. The Guatemala City Garbage dump is so far off the radar in terms of American life experience, we couldn't do anything except "be still". I think what moved us even further was the fact that one of the young Guatemalans who accompanied us to the dump and now works with Groundwork Guatemala as a teacher and "nurse", once worked in the dump for five years. She continues to live close the dump with her extended family, as do most of the Guatemalans working with Groundwork in leadership roles. They live and work with the people who need them the most. It is humbling.

The afternoon was spent doing home visits in La Libertad, the squatters area outside the dump. We broke into two groups; Jenna, Lisa, and Nicole went with Julian and Manuel two Guatemalan men from the ministry, and Emily, Ali, Anna, Kayla, and I went with Sandra, also a Guatemalan, and Kevin. In total we visited with seven different families in their shanties or on the street. Each was very different. Some were medical visits, some were to reconnect with people who had been served by the ministry and had known issues and challenges. Without describing each in detail, we prayed, sang, hugged, and talked with brothers and sisters who had incredible personal challenges such as cancer, diabetes, loss of husbands and children, alcoholic family members, children at risk from influences in La Libertad and beyond, sick children, not to mention that each was desperately poor, living in a place so unimagineably filthy and dangerous, it is hard to describe without pictures. All families made us feel as if we had done them a favor by visiting them; we felt they had done us the favor by allowing it. It was an emotional day, full of shocking new images and the realization that all of God's people are basically the same.

Tomorrow we head to one of two sites in Amatilan, a city about 45 minutes from Guatemala City, to begin our volleyball VBS camp and more home visits. Rain or shine we are ready...and I have a bad feeling it will be rain. It has been very cold and rainy the past few days, remnants of another tropical storm; the girls finally broke down and started wearing their ponchos. The tropics are quite an adventure, but we are happy and healthy and blessed to be here. Hopefully, we can get some pictures on the blog tomorrow. We are not permitted to take our own pictures outside the ministry house for our own protection. Kevin is taking pictures, however, so hopefully I can get his camera tomorrow night and attach some to the blog.

Thank you for your interest, and again forgive the spelling errors. Without spell check, I am a shell of a woman.

Blessings,
Sally and her "Guatemalan" sisters