I could have written about...
the 300+ medical checks that were completed on children who have little or no access to medical care...
the old and new friends that bonded in our love for the people of Guatemala and our calling to give to the "least of these"...
the beautiful children who steal my heart and compel me to do more, give more, love more, share more...
the conquering of my fear of horses as I scaled a volcano on one...
the families living in extreme poverty and the mom who is fighting against the system to provide an education for her children despite the fact that having them stay home and work in the fields would triple her income...
the City Dump where the smell is overwhelming, trash is everywhere, vultures wait for a piece of dead animals or human remains dumped from the cemetary, and children hide in garbage trucks in order to sneak into the dump and pull food from the trash for their family...
While all of these sights tugged on my heart, our Friday activities moved me the most. On Friday, we went to a Feeding Center in the City Dump community to wash feet and give out shoes.
There were over 300 children waiting to receive shoes from us. We had very little time to set up. The families crowded in on us desperate for a pair of shoes. It was chaotic and overwhelming!
Now, I had volunteered to wash feet. WHAT? Let me say it again...I, the clean freak, the one who won't allow my children to run around without shoes, the one who wears shoes in my own home, the one who hates feet, volunteered to wash feet.
So many parts of this experience were challenging for me...the dirt, the smell, the ripped up shoes, the children pushing to get their feet in my water basin, the lack of fluent Spanish that would have allowed me to give explicit direction, the chaos..,
Despite this...it was the closest I felt to God during the entire trip. I, the one with the power in that social situation, was humbling myself and washing their feet. What a reversal of how it normally is when I get my pedicures! I got to look in each child's eyes, talk to them in my broken Spanish, tell them how important school is, and pray for them in my spirit.
Their smiles were priceless! I wasn't offering them anything, but they were waiting in line for me to wash their feet. I was truly happy throughout the entire chaotic event. I. LOVED. EVERY. MINUTE. OF. IT! At the conclusion, the Pastor of the Feeding Center said..."People have brought them shoes before, but no one has ever washed their feet."
My eyes were full of tears...we truly showed those children love!
"The King will reply "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sister of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
