(click through to see all images) Serving at the landfill was interesting. The environment is beyond squalor – after all, it IS a landfill these people are living in. We dealt with a girl who had schizophrenia, had been screaming all night, hadn’t eaten or drank anything for 5 days, and was given a shot to sedate her at the local hospital (I would assume something along the lines of Thorozine). One infant had six fingers on each hand – the sixth being a little nubbin’, which we tightened off with a string to cut circulation; one girl had chicken pox, along with a mixed bag of other ailments. The smells, the flies, the living conditions, the pigs, dogs, goats, cows roaming around, the abject poverty was suffocating. And yet, there were still smiles, laughter, and hope. We played with several of the kids while their mothers and fathers waiting in line for the next medic, we gave them lollipops, anti-parasite medics, vitamins, advil, and whatever else was needed. Anyway, I’m still speechless so I hope you enjoy the images as much as I enjoyed serving the people with my family. I was there a day, knowing I was going to come back to a warm dinner, shower, desert, fellowship, a warm bed and air conditioning. They will be there tonight, tomorrow, the next day, and so on.
LAMediaMan 