Day 4

It is still Day 4. As opposed to reporting on it the day after. Today was the most emotional day so far. Breakfast was a dinner-esque dish that looked none too appealing so I went the granola bar route. Peanut Butter is strongly in the lead as my favorite.

This morning we went to Baloc which is the city dump for San Pablo. I think when I heard before that people were living in the dump, I imagined that it wasn't a real dump or some lessor version, but it is a full fledged garbage dump. There beside a breath taking, palm tree laden mountain is an equally breath robbing mound of trash. The land directly adjacent to the dump is public land, so people that cannot afford to rent or own their own property build shanty homes against the barb wire fence surrounding it. You literally have to bend and crawl through openings in the barb wire just to enter the homes. There is a creek which is really just run-off from the garbage that supplies the water for cooking, cleaning, and of course to carry off their waste. The disease potential is more likely to be infected than not. In the midst of this hell on earth is Frontline Ministries and the campus pastor of the soon to be Baloc Campus. His story is pretty remarkable. He was working in other capacities with Frontline and didn't really know anything about Baloc. One night he had a dream and in it he saw a building and the name Baloc. Within a few days he was introduced to what was going on there and knew it was what God was calling him too. So he moved his family into a house near the dump. As I discovered hanging out at his house, if the winds are blowing the right way you can smell the dump. Even if the winds are blowing in your favor, there is a constant parade of trucks carrying their smelly loads past his house. His house that has electricity only when he hooks it up to a car batter. The running water is a pump out in the yard. All to be apart of God's work in this terrible place. I will never make jokes about my cut in pay again.

On our visit to Baloc we visited several families. The last one we visited was a woman whose 7 year old son was killed by a bulldozer moving trash. As we heard her story and looked around at her living conditions, Noreal (I am sure I misspelled that), the campus pastor asked me to share a word of encouragement with her. How in the world do you say anything that isn't incredible trite and stupid? Luckily God gave me the words and we prayed with her. She had stopped coming to the church because it is right across from the funeral parlor where her son had his service so it was just too painful. She said she might come again this Sunday - I hope to see her there.

Frontline has started a program with funds, from among other places, Celebration Generosity at CCC that provides permanent housing for people living at Baloc. Frontline pays a down payment of 28,000 pesos and the families have to pay 300 pesos a month there after, until the home is paid for and theirs. It moves them out of the disease infested dump site and along with programs to create income, such as agricultural and other supply exchanges, gives the families a hope for a better life. With the current exchange rate 28,000 pesos is less than $700 US. The cost to Frontline is a little more but literally for $1200 to $1500, a home can be built for people that are living in total poverty. Frontline has secured finances to build 5 homes and is currently looking to secure more land for a Campus right outside of Baloc and to build more homes. Right now Noreal drives a truck into the dump sight every Sunday morning and picks up 20-30 people for church at the Blue Box.

In the afternoon we went and did a street feeding for people that have built somewhat more permanent homes on public land along the railroad tracks. Tonight we went back to Noreal's house for a bonfire with some of his leaders. Most of them are young people no older than our students. It was amazing to see students being the most powerful force on the planet - from opposite ends of the planet - sing praise songs, sharing testimonies, laughing and joking around a bonfire. God is on the move here. It is so hard but it is so good to be here. I miss home so much it hurts. It's Day 4