Mission Peru

Hello parents. If you don't already know me, my name is Kaden Norcross. I'm a grade 11 student in Peru serving as part of the mission Peru 2020 team. Here I've come to learn lots about myself, God and the world outside of North America. I've been faced with many challenges here, however, the outcome has always been rewarding. I've gone from chopping weeds to visiting children in the dump and all of these experiences have been beneficial.
I would like to share my favorite part of the trip, which was visiting the Elim kid's ministry in the dump. I had an epiphany about my priorities during that experience. The dump was an awful environment. It was obviously filled with garbage, but the air that these kids were breathing every day was intoxicating. People were burning garbage and the air was filled with black smoke and a rotten aroma. When I saw the kids I nearly cried. They were all covered in dirt, with torn clothes, yet they were all smiling. To think that I had the audacity to complain about simple things like internet connection or chores made me feel guilt like no other. These kids wake up every day to scavenge for food through garbage, yet I complain about what I eat for dinner. I had a realization about my values later when we were playing with the kids. The kids had just been handed out cookies by our ministry and they were eaten pretty quickly. However, this one boy ran up to me and held one cookie up to me. I didn't believe that his kid could be handing out the little food he had so I asked a Spanish speaking student what the kid was saying, and she translated the boy's words to "do you want one?". If this 6-year-old child is willing to share the little food he has with a stranger, It is clear that things of the world should not be my priority. I realized that I need to shine God's light out onto others, as this kid did to me, instead of focusing on myself and my desires.