My Eyes are Opened

Yesterday, we arrived in Guarari.  Our plan was to drop our luggage off at the church and go to the village of La Cuenca.  We were all excited, but nervous at the same time, because we had been made aware of the condition that La Cuenca was in.  No words could have prepared us for what we were to see.  When we first arrived, the stench was overwhelming.  In the heart of their village, they have a river of raw sewage, with bridges that cross over it to connect different houses.  We all dropped our backpacks off, which had to be locked up in special cubbies to protect them from theft, and we made our way to one of the resident's houses.  Her name was Anna, and she had 10 kids.  She was 41, and her kids ranged from 5 months to 16 years old.  She graciously let us in and allowed us to tour her home, which couldn't be bigger than the bathrooms at Shannon Forest.  She explained how her oldest son is off working at a vegetable farm trying to bring in income for the family.  Whenever she has free time, she studies.  Her current grade level is equivalent to the 6th grade, along with her oldest son.  At night time, she and her son study together, which is special bonding time for them.  Getting a tour of her house really struck the group.  It really opened our eyes to our numerous blessings that God has given us, and that we owe it all to him.

Andrew Duwe

Coming down from Anna's house