Exchanging garbage for food !

In the mid 1990’s, among the shanty towns we were helping, were three that were situated near Tijuana’s biggest dump site at the time. Colonia Salva Tierra was the closest, with Colonias Flores Magon and Las Cumbres also in that area.

For a few years we worked with a wonderful older couple who had a house and feeding station at the exit of the dumpsite in Salva Tierra. We brought food every week.  We also often had bible studies with the kids. Standing at the back of the van with Roger and the sweet older pastor holding our song sheets, we sang with the kids. With our eyes closed and holding our noses to keep the smell away, it was easy to imagine that we were singing with a children’s choir in a nice church in San Diego.

Working with these children was a unique and precious experience. Many of these kids did not go to school. On this Tijuana landfill, children often work alongside their families. They collected and tried to sell all sorts of items they found rummaging through garbage from sunrise to sunset.

These people were called Pepenadores, which means: waste pickers. They are people from the community who make their living picking through the trash left by city dump trucks. Almost everything they have, wear, or even eat comes from the dump. In the garbage, families find what they need to survive.

There were even some of these families that had built shacks and lived on the dumpsite itself. There were no sewers nor running water on the dumpsite. Electricity was stolen from nearby electrical poles. Since this was considered an illegal community, there were absolutely no city services available in that area.

Working with those kids we quickly learned to have a strong stomach and to turn off our sense of smell. They would come straight from the dump to the feeding station. Even though they were filthy and smelly their big smiles won us over week after week. They had to be some of the most grateful kids we were helping at the time.

During that time, we also had a feeding station in Colonia Flores Magon. One day, after delivering food at our feeding station, we were leaving the Colonia on our way to another of our feeding stations. Walking by the side of the road, we saw a family we knew who lived in Flores Magon. The three kids regularly came to our feeding program and bible studies. As soon as the kids saw our red van, they started to waive. Roger stopped the van and we got out to talk to family. The mother told us that they had just gone to the dumpsite to try to find some food. The kids each had a dirty little metal pail in which they had their dumpsite food.

Not wanting to offend them, we diplomatically looked at what was in the pails. Even though we were both shocked, we had to act as though everything was normal.

Their little pails were full of broken pieces of dirty tortillas, pieces of mold ridden bread and half-eaten vegetables. It was completely disgusting. Our first thought was to throw these pails in the ravine by the side of the road. But, this would have been very offensive to this family.

Roger had the gift of diplomacy. I, on the contrary was more direct. He used to tell me that at times my diplomacy was accompanied by a brick. In our years together, if he thought that I was going to use my kind of diplomacy, he would simply say: “Denise, let me take care of this.”

On, that day, on that dirt road, a short walk from the dumpsite, even Roger was not to sure how to handle the situation. Remembering that we had food in the van including some cookies, he asked the kids if they wanted cookies. Of course, their answer was yes.

We then went to the back of the van and opened the doors. First, Roger reached for the box with cookies and handed me a bag for each child. The kids were very happy.

While Roger was taking out the cookies the kids had deposited their dirty little pails at the back of the van. With perfect timing, the Holy Spirit moved in like a gentle breeze into Roger’s spirit and he asked the kids if they could do him a favor. I had no clue was he was doing, but he had the children’s attention, so, I just stood there and waited to see what was going to happen.

The three kids were very enthusiastic about the thought of being helpful to hermano Roger. Then, he said: “I have a proposal to make to the three of you.” He then put an empty cardboard box near the kids dirty little pails and asked the kids if they were willing to exchange what they had in their pails for some of the food we had in the van. The kids were excited and of course their answer was yes. By then, their mom got closer to the back of the van and Roger had her full attention. The children knew that our food was good because we gave them groceries on a regular basis.

Carefully and with gentleness, Roger picked up each little pail and emptied it in the carboard box. Then, he turned to me and asked me to help him. We filled three plastic bags with rice, beans, bread and whatever else we had in the van. I handed the bags of good and clean food to the kids. The smile on their faces was all the reward we needed. They said thank you and we each received a big hug, including one from their mom. 

Meanwhile, the dirty little pails were still at the back of the van. Not giving them back was not an option.  Since Roger had started this “project”, I was not going to interfere. He took another plastic bag and put the dirty little pails in the bag. Then, he handed the bag to the mom without saying word.

He then closed the van doors and after getting another round of hugs we got back in the van to go to our next destination.

 When situations like this one arose, after we had dealt with it, we often did not feel like talking. The emotions could be overwhelming. Silence was like a refuge where we could process what had just happened.

 We drove to our next destination. Before unloading the food, Roger took a garbage bag and put the entire cardboard box containing the dump food, inside the bag. Then, he left on the side of the road near our other feeding station so the garbage truck could pick it up. The irony was that this spoiled food came from the dumpsite and that is where it was going back. Amen!

I had not seen everything that was in those dirty little pails, but Roger told me that when he dumped the contents in the cardboard box, he saw bugs crawling on the food.

I am so grateful that the Lord permitted us to be on that road, exactly at the same time as this family was walking home from the dumpsite. That was not a coincidence, rather it was certainly a divine appointment.

In Matthew 25: Verse 35a, the Word of God says: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat…”

Verse 40 says: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

As Christians, we always should be attentive to anyone coming out of their “own brand of dump” and needing our help. When we lend a helping hand to one of these, it is Jesus Himself we are helping. That thought should always motivate us to be kind and compassionate.

  

God bless you,

Denise

 

 

Note: That dumpsite has now been closed for several years. Amen!