Tuesday, January 17

Today started at the usual 6-6:30 breakfast, followed by devotions.  We packed our lunches and headed to the Chimaltenango dump.  Lazaro has a ministry to people who make their living there, searching through the trash for anything they can use or turn in for recycle money.  It is a dirty, smokey place.  A huge ravine, covered in trash, smolders in various spots day and night.  Trucks come in and are unloaded by hand, and then the mostly women and children begin picking their way through it.
The women and children we met with seemed familiar with the message of the Gospel as Glendy, Lazaro's wife, spoke to them for a few minutes in Spanish.  You could tell it was an encouraging and applicable message, and also very heartfelt, as the women and children listened and responded to what she was saying.  Following her message, we handed out lunch bags and then sandwiches, juice boxes, fruit, and snacks.  Some saved them for later but many at them immediately.  We learned that the children could not attend school as they would need uniforms and supplies that cost around $100 U.S. each year.  To make it even more difficult, uniforms change frequently and additional costs come up often.  There is such a huge need here, in so many areas of these peoples' lives.
When we left the dump our group split up, with some going to the orphanage to visit the children and finish painting, and some going to the village to finish the fronts of houses.
The orphanage got the outside walls completely painted in a nice, clean, bright white.  All but two of the houses got the fronts put on and completed.  The two that did not get completed had industrious owners who put down cement on the porch area right away, so we couldn't walk on it today.  A couple of teams of 3 should be able to finish those in short time tomorrow.
When we were walking to complete another house front, a car pulled up and the man inside seemed very interested in what we were doing.  He also enjoyed using his English.  As we talked, a young woman came up and through our friend in the car, Mateo, we learned she wanted us to know she needed a house.  Her name is Anna, and she has 5 children.  She does not currently attend the church, which is how the builds were coordinated and planned out.  We told her we were here to show God's love to them and encouraged her to talk to the Pastor and share her needs with him.  We told her we would be praying for her to receive a house also.  Hopefully today a seed was planted that can lead to a growing relationship with Jesus for Anna and her family.  Please pray for Anna and her needs, as well as all the people in Guatemala who have to work so hard for even the basic needs.