At the Dump

We started off today by going to a different village close to Hope of Life. We not only provided Toms shoes for many in the village, but also washed their feet before placing the new shoes on them.

It was a humbling experience to perform Jesus' act of showing the "full extent of His love" (John 13:1). Holly shared this verse with us from her devotions for the day.

When the distribution and foot-washing was complete, we played soccer and frisbee and colored with the kids. We also had a manicure station set up where even Roger had two of his nails painted.

In the afternoon, we took a trip to the dump. We took turns serving in the feeding center first. This is their one hot meal for the next 48 hours. It was very chaotic, but we were so grateful to get to experience it.

We took a "tour" afterwards. Our guide, Hugo, told us that many people walk one and a half to three hours several times per week to collect anything they can sell. If they collect 100 pounds of glass, they can receive $2, which doesn't buy much in Guatemala.

Respiratory problems are a big issue because of the smoke they breathe in from the trash burning. We met Quana during our tour. She has lived in the dump for 10 years with her five children because her husband is too sick to work.

All in all, it was an eye-opening experience for all of us. Even Hunter said, "I'll never think my life is anything but great ever again!"