Garbage Dump Ministry

Yes, it is true that the poorest of the poor in Nicaragua, and many other nations too, live in the garbage dumps.  Our team was bussed way outside the city limits to where the dumps are and we brought in musicians and a truck filled with food to hand out: chicken, rice & beans, tortillas.  The first indication that we were getting close was the thick, black methane & sulfur gaseous smoke that filled the air and our lungs immediately.  As we unboarded the bus, there was a feeling of oppression and we were met with hard looks of resistance and anger.  Past groups may have set the stage for our chilly reception.  It did not take long and we made our purpose known: joy, love, live music, which is never heard in the dumps, violin, guitars, drums, song and dance. I suddenly realized I was leading a circle of children in dance while stepping in and over raw sewage. They did not even seem to notice, and so I did not either and danced on. 

Awhile later, I was holding one end of a jumprope while Winnie Banov held the other; we were teaching the children how to line up and jump in. Only some seemed to get the hang of it while others freely jumped in anytime they felt like it.  The we held the rope tight and had the kids take turns going under it, limbo style, while we lowered it progressively. When it got too low, they just stepped over.  We laughed at how they adapted in this first time ever jumping rope. 

Stickers and candy were a big hit as we placed them on faces, arms and shoulders. While the people lined up for food distribution, the team went down the line and prayed over those in need of a miracle. Deaf ears were opened that day as God answered the prayers of His people.  I watched as one mother's protruding vein in the back of her leg receded after several of us prayer for her. Others asked for soul healing from deep wounds or unforgiveness.  Many were led to receive the Lord into their hearts for the first time. 

As we left the garbage dumps that day after several hours of ministry, our skin pores, ears and noses were filled with black residue.  And a residue remains in our hearts of all that we experienced there in a place forgotten by most but cherished forever by those who witnessed it.  The people, the children, they ran after the bus with smiles, waving, filled with joy, and the evidence of the Kingdom released there that day was obvious in the polar opposite response from arrival to departure.