Monday, April 7

Today was a busy one!  We spent the majority of our day doing a few projects at KMC that they wanted done.  Painting the walls & benches and getting their baptistery water tight.  The work was hard, but rewarding and our team work is something that God has brought about and that we all appreciate greatly! 

In the afternoon, we were taken on a tour of the dump in Korah.  Words cannot adequately express what we all saw and felt.  Mountains of garbage where people live, look for recyclables and items to sell and food to eat.  Our guide was a man who has lived on the dump since he was 12 years old.  He introduced us to several others and shared their stories.  It was overwhelming for all of us to see such harsh conditions up close and to put faces and names together. 

We met one young lady who was searching for food for her little boy.  She is 18 years old and her son is 2 years old.  She had a sack of old potatoes and other items and told us about her son.  Her sister was taking care of him while she was working and he had a leg injury and some other health issue.  There was a church elder with us who spoke to her and invited her to come to church tomorrow to see what could be done to help him.  We are hoping that she comes.

The statement that impacted a lot of us was when our tour guide shared with us the impact that KMC has had in the community. He shared that 5 years ago, many of the people in the dump thought that God didn’t care for them and that he wasn’t there.  Through the time and dedication of the church elders, there are many who have the hope of Christ in them.  After questioning one of the elders, we learned that this process started 10 years ago.  Their patience and persistence is paying off – there is spiritual fruit being grown.  We are so grateful that we can be a support to this church that loves its community and is showing that love in real and practical ways.

Audrey was not able to go on the tour of the dump with the team.  Instead, she enjoyed the day as a middle schooler with her friend, Alli.  She wanted me to share that she learned how to make salt in science class by mixing chlorine and baking soda.  She loved spending time with her friend and learning something new.

~Melissa