Mission Peru

by Justin Charan, Bolton Alliance Church

So today I went to the garbage dump, which was one of the greatest experiences I have had since being here on this mission trip but also in my life. Many people had expectations and anxiety leading up to this day however, I felt a little different. I believed that keeping my eyes, mind and heart open for this day would have fully allowed me to understand the meaning of coming on the trip and the dump especially. Walking in the dump was hard for many people. I, for one was scared of the smell. However, my reasons and hopes for coming on this trip overpowered any smell. Not only my hopes and reasons, but the conditions I witnessed and the people I saw made me forget about the smell therefore, my heart was set on helping and conversing with the people working in the dump. I met many people at the dump and two people stood out to me. They were both named Maria and had spent 20 years working in the dump. They may have had different pasts and stories that led them to working in the dump however, they had many things in common. The one thing that stood out to me was that they both worked in the dump everyday for at least 8 hours a day. Right now in Peru, it is considered their “winter” so it was hard to picture how they faced these challenges during the summer when the sun was beaming. They spent most of their lives working in conditions that I would not dare step into. It really hit me when they both said they believed in God and were happy for us to pray for them. It takes an enormous amount of faith and trust in God to live and work in places that most people, including me, would not step into. Personally, it would be hard for me to love and trust a God where it physically appears that he has forsaken many of the individuals that live and breathe in the dump. My life has been perfect and there is nothing more I could ask for however, down at the dump, their life is far from luxury. We have it easy up in Canada where most of us just have to worry about our phones dying or our shoes getting a little dirty, but down in Peru and especially in the dump, they don’t know when they will get their next meal or what to do if their child gets ill. Not only did these people have a strong connection and belief in God, but most of them were smiling and finding the happiness and joy in their situation. They know that their life is hard and the things they must do to provide for their family are strenuous however, in the midst of their life, they can find joy. No matter the time, the place, or the circumstance, they always have a smile. For me personally, I would picture myself being depressed, grumpy and straight up moody all the time but at the dump that was not the case. Talking to a leader here on the team, he said that God acts through love. He is everything good. I believe that God works in every individual and I saw it firsthand earlier today. Through the time spent at the dump, and the prayer time we had, I have learned that my life in Canada is one of many blessings; I have now experienced the love of Christ in a different way and know not to take anything for granted.