Picking up trash for the glory of God
Picking up rotting trash around the project is not my idea of a good day. It is a job that is little overwhelming at first because of how much trash there is and also the smells that come along with the task. Needless to say i was so excited to spend the morning picking up the rotting piles of trash!!!!
Honestly,my thoughts were…why dont they have a better stystem. cant they just put the trash in trash bags and keep them somewhere where animals and flys cant mess with it..like normal. Here in nicaragua I have to constantly remind myself that there normal is different than my normal.
I was in a mind battle to stay positive as my team and I was loading the piles of trash into the truck. When we had finished the truck was overflowing with rotten garbage and dead grass and varous other smelly things.
Mario was ready to take the truck to the dump and after all of the work i was excited to get to go and unload the trash at the dump. mostly because i would get to ride in the truck…which is like my favorite thing to do here…there is something about the wind in your hair and the freedom of standing on the back of the truck and enjoying the miles and miles of open grass lands followed by breath taking volcanos, mountains and hills. and i cant forget about the sky…miles and miles of crystal blue sky with a few clouds here and there is wonderful. I love it.
I sat on top of the cab of the truck and rode down to dump the dump with mario and a few other people. the ride was especially breath taking down this particular road. the lush green feids and volcanos are breath taking everytime i see them! it was a perfect day in nicaragua.
(This is the Volcano and my house…yes the volcano decided to erupt…but dont worry every one is safe! This is the view i wake up to every morning! its so beautiful!)
This trash dump was like nothing i have ever seen before and i dont know if i was prepaired for what i was about to see..As we pulled up to the trash dump the smell was overwhelming. there was literally mounds of trash in every direction and as we drove farther down the path my heart skipped a beat and sank into my stomach. Beyond the piles of trash that stretches for a few acers are …houses. i dont know if they can be consitered houses. my heart broke. these people literally live in the trash dump with their house made of pieces of trash they have collected. i cant get my mind wraped around that thisis reality for some people. i just kept thinking this is unreal.
I still can not beleive that right in the middle of this beautiful land is a place so dark and so sad as this one I wish that there is something i can do to help these people.
This situation really got me thinking about all of the overwhelming blessings i have and how thankful i am for what God has given me. Now i thank God more than ever for the little things…for picking up trash, sleeping in a bed at night, eating 3 meals a day, walking miles in the pooring rain or sweatin 24 hours a day. God has been pouring overwhelming blessings into my life and all i can do in return is thank him and realise that I need more of Him and less of me.
….never again will i complain about having to pick up trash….
Dearest Emma,
There is nothing like seeing how pelple in other lands
live to appreciate just what growing up in a country that
was founded by Biblical principals truly means. I was able
to see poverty similar to what you are experiencing there
when my squadron of B36`s flew to North Africa.
I have always been of the opinion that until you serve as
a servant you cannot appriciate a job as a supervisor. It
would appear that you are learning this lesson of life
yourself.
We Miss you very much. Your dad is coming over this morning
to take me to church.
It was 80 degrees on Thursday. This afternoon we are expecting some snow. WOW!
The Lord is blessing us and has all of our lives. I`m glad
to know that you rely on his goodness and grace also.
We love and cherish you very much.
God bless,
Grandpa and Grandma
Seriously, everyone’s grandparents reads their blogs. I need to get mine to get on mine sometime haha
Coming back to that lesson about their normal is different than your normal is something I learned over and over again while I was on the WR. I love the thankfulness and humility that came out of picking up trash. Thanks for sharing this Emma!