MY TRIP TO HONDURAS 2

Day 2: Friday - BLESSED

Today I was truly blessed to see God's hand and heart working in the most impoverished community I have ever seen. This village was built by people who came to the city looking for work and when they found none, they settled in an area surrounding a garbage dump. They scavenger through the garbage seeking anything which can be resold or recycled. Here in America we would call them "garbage pickers." But in this community, if you ask what they job is, they will tell you that they recycle plastics, or sell used books. They each have a very specific thing they are looking for to increase their "business." They are very proud and definitely don't enjoy what they do.

Before Compassion came into this area two years ago, the children where also spending their entire day at the dump site. They were covered with skin diseases and had parasites and were very ill. The parents had no idea that being in the dump was bad for their children. They were never educated on how to be a good parent and they are so poor they cannot afford medical attention, or schooling for their children much less for themselves. The parents not only didn't get married, but didn't know they were supposed to. Nobody had taught them about Jesus. It was a very untouched community.

Compassion partnered with the local church, House of Diamonds became the project name, because a missionary from the states felt God telling her that this area was filled with little unpolished diamonds and that through Him they would become polished. After Compassion came into the area, they urged the government to prohibit children going to the dump, which they did, the families were taught about the Lord and entire families were saved and so many marriages took place. The children were no longer facing the diseases they once did and the community is thriving more than ever.

This is Rosibel and her son Selvin. What a story. Her family was one who moved from the countryside with hopes of finding work, but ended up living and working in the garbage dump. Rosibel was 12 at the time and worked in the dump everyday for about 12 hours a day. She had Selvin at 15 and you can imagine how the vicious cycle of poverty and impurity and illness could have overtaken her and her child. But because of the love of Compassion, the church and Selvin's sponsor, Rosibel, now 21 has accepted Christ, married Selvin's father, took classes to become a teacher in the project and has a humble but exceptionally organized, neat, and tidy home. She is such an inspiration and great testament to what Christ is doing there in Honduras. God is moving in this House of Diamonds and polishing as He goes.

Just remember though, you cannot save a child's life simply by preventing him from dying. Providing food, water, education and medical attention is greatly needed, but Compassion International not only provides these things through your sponsorship, but is also introducing these families to the love of God and building a faith filled relationship with them, along with educating the parents. They are saving lives in every sense of the word.