Mission Peru

by Gregg Wartman, Glengate Alliance Church

I met an old woman in the garbage dump today. Well, at least she appeared old to me. I wonder how this place might age a person beyond their years. Chi Chi, a man who lives in the dump, appears to be in his late 30’s early 40’s, but he is only 28. Imagine a life spent on a pile of trash, living in the refuse of people who don’t even know that you exist. Image the years of worry, fear, anger, and desperation that have been added to these people’s lives.

I don’t speak Spanish; I only know a few simple phrases. I needed something to say to these people as I handed them a fruit. Dios Le Bendiga – Glob Bless You. I think I said it about a 100 times in my head on the bus to make sure I had it down. I probably asked about 3 times to make sure I had it right. Dios Le Bandiga. I said it to that old woman as I handed her a tangerine and she repeated it back to me. She had more to say but I could only catch a few words. She pointed skyward and I heard the word Padre, which I knew meant Father. Her eyes began to water slightly as she spoke in Spanish about her Father in the sky. I also think she was talking about how much she appreciated us being there, thanking us for the gift of a simple fruit – the best thing she probably had had to eat all day, maybe all week. Her Father in the sky. I said Cristo Lama, the other phase I had learned and practiced on the bus, Christ’s Love. She understood. We started to move on and I pointed skyward and said “See you again in Heaven”. I don’t think she understood me, but maybe something deep inside her did. We left her to move to other parts of the dump, to see other people, listen to other stories.

It was soon time to leave the dump but I was still thinking about that old woman. I asked Amber, who could speak Spanish, if she could help me say goodbye, well at least goodbye for now. I asked her to tell her “I will see you again in Heaven”. I gave her another tangerine, a hug, and a cheek to cheek kiss which is customary.

We left her again but she did not leave my mind, I will always carry the memory of her with me. Maybe I will be back here some day and I will see her again. Maybe she will die before that happens. But I am confident that I will see her again, whether it be on this Earth or someday in Heaven with our Father in the sky.