#3 - Wednesday
Randy Stauner
Another busy day in Guatemala with new experiences and new rewards.
The morning took us to the "mall". This is a bi-level building filled
with booths. The upper level had many items woven in the beautiful
colors that represent this Country. The lower level was filled with
fresh produce. We were recommended not to buy any fresh produce
because, like the water here, it is contaminated. We have had to be
very careful not to drink the water or eat food we can't be sure is
safe.
We spent only an hour and a half at the mall as we had more important
things ahead of us. We arrived at the mission for a lunch of rice,
something like gravy that may have been made with beans and tortillas.
After lunch we were taken to one of two of the
largest cemeteries in Guatemala. The purpose of this trip was to give
us a bird's eye view of the city dump where the people we came to
serve scrounge out their survival.
The people are buried above ground in this cemetery and their family
must pay to keep their loved ones there. Failure to pay for the crypt
results in the body being tossed over the cliff into the dump.
Below the cemetery we saw truck after truck bringing the trash with
the people vying for position when the truck spills its contents.
Above the dump perched in the trees and circling in the sky are
hundreds of vultures. These birds are in competition with the people
and they can be seen on the ground in close proximity of the people.
This was a disturbing experience that touched us all with its sad
circumstance. We stood on that cliff and prayed for those poor souls.
We returned to the mission and our hearts were lifted by serving the
children. Our task was to teach some English to them. The children are
so loving and enthusiastic that they cannot fail to put a smile on
one's face. The entire afternoon was spent with the children except
for those who worked on clinical needs for those who come to the
mission with health problems.
As on the other days our dinner was waiting for us. The evening was
spent in fellowship with our team reflecting on the events of the day
and as we have done every evening we planned for tomorrow knowing we
will continue to make every effort to spread God's word hoping to
bring those we meet to Jesus.