Hope in Hell

When I woke up this morning for another day visiting homes in the slum my prayer was that I would be able to better see the situations and issues that surround me and the people I am working for each day.

It didn't take long for my eyes to be opened in a new way once I got into the slum.

I saw a glimpse of hell today

When we ventured into new part of the slum that I had not been to before nobody warned me that it was a rough area, they just warned me I would be walking a lot. And we did walk a lot, we walked a good 45 minutes through the slum to get to the ‘neighborhood’ where the 4-7th grade kids lived. The walking, and climbing up hills was not a problem for me, parts of it in fact were quite beautiful. But the neighborhood where I ended up and the people in it struck me to the core.

We were at the top of a hill looking down at where we were going and the kids pointed out men brewing illegal alcohol- for less than 5 cents you can buy a liter of this alcohol and be in a complete coma if you drink less than half of it. Up on the hill that scene itself didn't strike me, I was still removed from it, and in fact found it a bit intriguing. But as soon as we walked down the hill and started getting closer to the neighborhood a black cloud covered us to where there was no sunlight to see and I knew I was getting close to Hell. Once we crossed the bridge and actually entered the village I knew I was in a bad place. It was the only time I have been uncomfortable yet (but don't worry, I’m with great men guiding me!) As we walked down the strip there was not a single woman or child to be seen. I think that speaks volumes to the atmosphere, considering in all the other places I have been I barely see men, only women and children. The strip was lined with bars (constructed of tin huts) with music blaring outside and men calling at everyone who passed to enter inside. There were men passed out cold- looking dead to my eye, covered in coats and jackets- probably since the night before, lining the street making a path for us to walk. I helplessly walked past them all, seriously considering which ones were alive and which were dead. The men that were conscious were either luring others into the bars or fighting outside of the bars. There was the typical sewage and waste piling up on the path to walk on, but in mass quantity. I could feel the smell of the waste seeping into my every pore and following me with each step. There no place I could direct my eyes without seeing terror of some sort, so I walked on faster and faster trying to escape the hell these men had created.

I naively thought that once we got through the hell strip and to the students home we would be a safe zone. Unfortunately I found the alcohol followed us into each home. Whether it be the uncle, father or neighbor, each home had a man reeking of the alcohol and physically impaired by it in some way. It made me incredibly sad for the children knowing that they see that sight everyday in the streets, and then return home to as well. These children walk 45 minutes through the slum, passing a dozen different schools they could attend, but they don’t have enough money to pay the school fees at those schools. I can only imagine how different their lives would be if they didn’t live under the dark cloud and their lives were not completely ruled by the addictions in their families.

A slum is not a good place to live, but most any other place in this slum would be better suited for these children than where they are now. I am thankful they are in fact coming so far to attend a free school and it makes me see that my job has huge potential to help children escape their current situations. If these children do not receive sponsors to pay for their school fees they will very well drop out of school and fall into the trap that is right in front of them, it would be incredibly easy. But thank God, right now they see education as their escape and they are happy to travel to school.

Today was startling and eye opening for me, I am sorry to give such a dark experience. But there is hope. I went into Hell today but I also came out of it. And when I came out of it I was greeted by joyful and excited children and I went home to an orphanage with children that daily tell me how wonderful it is to live there. They show me it is possible to grow up in a slum and not succumb to the terror facing them each day. I have hope that if these children can stay in school they will not live in hell forever, and they will be a part of the change they want to see in their lives. Please continue to pray for them, they are faced with more difficulties than most of us can imagine, but with your prayers they will overcome them. We have to remain hopeful.
All my love to you