A Visit to the Dump

I went to visit the people of the dump today. It was not my first choice for places to visit in this fine city of Mazatlan, Mexico. But we worshipped at the Vineyard Church on Sunday and the pastor asked those who would like to prepare a lunch for the people who are in need to come on Tuesday for that purpose. He also suggested that we might want to come along to deliver the food.

The old bus that took us to where we needed to go clanked and grumbled its way up and down the mounds of garbage and other debris. When we finally stopped we could see the workers on the different heaps of trash slowly find their way to us. Those who work in the dump are not paid to do so. Instead, they are gathering anything that might possibly have resale value. They had already gathered bags of plastic, of rags, of tin cans, of bottles and had them ready for those who would come by to pay for them.

Suddenly a strong wind blew through the dump, and the flying debris made breathing a bit difficult for a moment. The people were incredibly dirty and I can understand why. Even after a hard day of working in such a disgusting place they still cannot go home to have a shower or bath. Water is scarce and there are times during each day when even the trickle of water that comes from the local tap is shut off to allow more water to go to the hotels and resorts. Keeping travelers happy is important business in thriving Mazatlan.

People in this part of Mexico are not starving but they often do not have adequate nutrition. When we gave each person a bag with a ham sandwich, an orange, and a bottle of water they said “gracias” and many of them pointed to the sky, letting us know who they were thanking.

Most of their homes are on the very edge of the dump. The homes are shacks that reminded me of the homes I had seen in the South African townships. We stopped at a couple of schools but found only a handful of children in each class. In most homes there is no one to wake the children in the morning and help them get ready for school. It is almost as though the adults in the community care very little whether the children go to school at all. Perhaps if that life is all they have known they become fatalistic about their children following in their footsteps.

People in our group who have helped provide food in different regions of Central America said that, as dumps go, this was a good one. I still am not quite certain just what qualifies as a “good” dump. I do know that throughout Mexico and Central America there are church groups doing the same work that Vineyard Church is doing. Still, the need remains huge. Vineyards website is: http://www.pacificpearl.com/the_vineyard/