"How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure."
The Dump
The trucks move like clockwork, one after the other, driving to the same part of the garbage dump in Guatemala City. Putting noisily and releasing thick brown exhaust into the air, they reach the edge of the dump and drop their cargo.
Dirt-covered people carrying large sacks surround the trucks, each appearing to be working alone and in competition with his neighbors. They scramble for recyclable items, food, broken toys, and whatever else they can find. Trucks have been known to lose their traction on the trash and crush people. Dozens of vultures fly overhead or perch on the trash. Small fires blaze on the dirt, like a scene from Terminator. This place is out of movie.
My first sight of the dump was at the overlook. Imagine peering over the edge of a large canyon, but instead of seeing a river you see lines of dump trucks and people as small as specks collecting around the trash heaps. The drama of the dump can even be felt on the drive to the overlook. You have to navigate through an expansive and grandiose cemetery The tombs close to the edge of the overlook have begun to fall apart under the crumbling dirt they stand upon while their caskets lay on the ground, broken into by robbers looking for jewelry.
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| View from one of the dump entrances. Although I have good access to the dump communities (by far more important), dump officials will not let me inside the dump compound. I'll make another attempt to enter the dump next week. |
Despite all of this, my first visit to the infamous dump was underwhelming. I stood on the overlook with a camera, filming the activity from hundreds of feet away. My desire was to be close enough to the small specs below as to be able to recognize their humanity. That's what moves me. When poverty doesn't have a face, I'm rarely moved to action. But when I personally get to know someone living in poverty, it puts enough fire in my belly to keep me fighting for him long after we've parted ways. Helping him becomes effortless. As the often covered song says, "He's not heavy. He's my brother."
Kelvin
Twelve year-old Kelvin shook my hand and stood patiently as I prepared my equipment for his interview. "We're going to ask you a some questions about your life and your experience at Potters House," I told Kelvin from behind an eyepiece. With a look of cool confidence, Kelvin looked back at the camera and with a slight smile said "Esta bien". It's all good.
He's a little small for his age but you wouldn't notice. Most of his peers are small for their age too--a result of early-childhood malnourishment. Observing him among his classmates, you begin to notice that he's a leader--relaxed and assured whilst everyone clamors to talk to him.
He's a little small for his age but you wouldn't notice. Most of his peers are small for their age too--a result of early-childhood malnourishment. Observing him among his classmates, you begin to notice that he's a leader--relaxed and assured whilst everyone clamors to talk to him.
I was glad he was comfortable because I surely wasn't. The idea to interview him had been rushed. I found myself lugging equipment around, scouting for a decent location to interview him, while prepping him for his questions, and fumbling through tangled sound equipment, because wires always get tangled. Kelvin noticed my rush and gave another one of his cool smiles, breaking it only to give a somehow cool looking chin nod to a friend passing by. "I'm interviewing the quintessential cool kid," I thought.
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| Kelvin |
Evelyn, the communications director at Potters House and my main collaborator for the month, had found Kelvin after a short search for a Potters House student who would be comfortable in front of the camera and whose story we could follows for a Potters House video. And when I first met him I complained to myself, "This is the wrong kid."
His video interview went as expected. Kelvin declared gratitude to the Potters house for helping him grow and was eloquent in his responses. Cookie cutter responses, with little substance. They were the type of responses that are easy to forget. If you were to ask me at this moment what he said during the interview, I wouldn't be able to tell you. My mind wanted to assume he was just a cocky popular kid enjoying the spotlight of the camera. His story wasn't worth pursuing.
Another Evangelistic Service
A few days later, I found myself standing in the periphery of PHA's main auditorium, where an evangelistic service was being held for the children, just before they left for the Easter vacation. I filmed as several kids and teenagers walked to the front of the room in public declaration of faith in Christ. Many of them were crying as the overwhelming emotion of newfound faith overcame them.
My camera slowly panned back and forth over the crowd until something caught me eyes and didn't let go. I stared, fixated, through the lens although in that moment I forgot I was even looking through a camera. I watched as Kelvin embraced a friend of his who had just opened his heart to Christ. The friend was falling into Kelvin's arms, overcome by the decision he had made. With one arm on the back and one on the head, holding as if to never let go, Kelvin prayed with his friend.
I had assumed a lot about who Kelvin was because of his demeanor. Fortunately for us, God doesn't judge like I do. The quintessential cool kid wasn't cool because he was trying to be cool. He was cool because he had found rest in God's arms. That afternoon, Kelvin's friend felt the warmth of Christ's embrace through Kelvin, God's servant. His entire weight seemed to be on Kelvin.
Can I Lie Here?
The Real Kelvin
As the service continued, Kelvin moved around, finding other new believers to wrap in his small arms. His simple and Christ-like act of love continued to move me. Over time I've learned more about his story. He has lived his entire life close to the dump. Every week he attends school at PHA, where he also is enrolled to receive proper nutrition and counseling. When he first arrived at Potters House, he was dealing with intense anger and control issues and his awareness of his family's poverty contributed to his low self-esteem. He also felt shame and insecurity for his unemployed alcoholic father. Uneducated and broken, he arrived at Potters House.
It's been decided that Kelvin is going to be the focal character of the main video I'm doing for Potters House (9 total videos). We're going to go to his house, meet his family, and get a closer look at the life he lives. I visited his house briefly this past week--he doesn't live with much. Before he noticed me approaching down the street, I witnessed him protecting a little girl as she tried to pass through a rough and tumble soccer game being played by bigger kids. He was one of the players--but he stopped to help her out. Kelvin has stood out as someone who has been completely transformed by Christ…and is now demonstrating Christ to others.
His video interview went as expected. Kelvin declared gratitude to the Potters house for helping him grow and was eloquent in his responses. Cookie cutter responses, with little substance. They were the type of responses that are easy to forget. If you were to ask me at this moment what he said during the interview, I wouldn't be able to tell you. My mind wanted to assume he was just a cocky popular kid enjoying the spotlight of the camera. His story wasn't worth pursuing.
Another Evangelistic Service
A few days later, I found myself standing in the periphery of PHA's main auditorium, where an evangelistic service was being held for the children, just before they left for the Easter vacation. I filmed as several kids and teenagers walked to the front of the room in public declaration of faith in Christ. Many of them were crying as the overwhelming emotion of newfound faith overcame them.
My camera slowly panned back and forth over the crowd until something caught me eyes and didn't let go. I stared, fixated, through the lens although in that moment I forgot I was even looking through a camera. I watched as Kelvin embraced a friend of his who had just opened his heart to Christ. The friend was falling into Kelvin's arms, overcome by the decision he had made. With one arm on the back and one on the head, holding as if to never let go, Kelvin prayed with his friend.
I had assumed a lot about who Kelvin was because of his demeanor. Fortunately for us, God doesn't judge like I do. The quintessential cool kid wasn't cool because he was trying to be cool. He was cool because he had found rest in God's arms. That afternoon, Kelvin's friend felt the warmth of Christ's embrace through Kelvin, God's servant. His entire weight seemed to be on Kelvin.
Can I Lie Here?
David Crowder Band has a lesser known song called "Can I Lie Here in Your Arms." That short phrase is repeated over and over, capturing what the words alone can't express: That lying in Gods arms is endless and perfect. And it really is perfect--because He is everlasting. Now and for all eternity we will be able to lie in His arms--resting every heavy part of our souls on his strong arms. So much better than a jacuzzi.
The Real Kelvin
As the service continued, Kelvin moved around, finding other new believers to wrap in his small arms. His simple and Christ-like act of love continued to move me. Over time I've learned more about his story. He has lived his entire life close to the dump. Every week he attends school at PHA, where he also is enrolled to receive proper nutrition and counseling. When he first arrived at Potters House, he was dealing with intense anger and control issues and his awareness of his family's poverty contributed to his low self-esteem. He also felt shame and insecurity for his unemployed alcoholic father. Uneducated and broken, he arrived at Potters House.
It's been decided that Kelvin is going to be the focal character of the main video I'm doing for Potters House (9 total videos). We're going to go to his house, meet his family, and get a closer look at the life he lives. I visited his house briefly this past week--he doesn't live with much. Before he noticed me approaching down the street, I witnessed him protecting a little girl as she tried to pass through a rough and tumble soccer game being played by bigger kids. He was one of the players--but he stopped to help her out. Kelvin has stood out as someone who has been completely transformed by Christ…and is now demonstrating Christ to others.
Tomorrow, the people of the dump will continue to rummage through garbage, looking for any small treasure. If only they knew they were treasures themselves--but far more precious than anything on this Earth. Treasures, like Kelvin, whose spiritual beauty was not immediately apparent to me. And if only they found the treasure that is Jesus Christ. I love the words from Flyleaf's triumphant song "Treasure," which sings, "Refined, I'll become the most dazzling precious treasure, I'll be treasured over all the Earth...Just look at what He's done, how He's laying down His life. Take this life, Oh Most Dazzling Precious Treasure." These treasures need to know how dazzling precious they are.
Click on the video above to watch a random assortment of clips from my first week of filming, featuring "Kings and Queens" by Audio Adrenaline. My apologies, they were hastily thrown together. :)
