Living in the Barrio

Living among the poorest of the poor is like nothing I have ever experienced before. Growing up in Canada I would often see television programs on Sunday afternoons- World Vision or Compassion- depicting poverty in different areas of the world. I think in many ways what has shocked me is how contrary reality is when compared to the glimpses I have seen in the past.

I had expected to see a cold, fend-for yourself sort of environment. To the contrary, I have never seen such a warm, selfless environment. Simply put: the barrio of Maria Auxiliadora is a strong community. There is a keen sense here that we exist to help one another. For having so little these people share so much. They are always ready to spread food among not only themselves but whoever is nearby. The father in my house- Antonio- will actually go so far as to insist that guests have a little food or something to drink when they’re over. It has been heart-warming to see the generosity and willingness in people’s hearts to sacrifice a little food or time if they might put a smile on someone’s face.

Above: Antonio - My House Father

I had expected to see an anti-social or depressed environment (this is a common conception of the homeless in Canada) but again I was awestruck. The people here are so social that you can spend a whole afternoon just hanging out and talking. No need to ask: so, what do you want to do? It is simply enough that you are enjoying one another’s company and discussing life. In the streets of my city you can go weeks without being greeted warmly, but here I can’t even walk forty feet over to the store without people calling my name and asking me how I am doing.Moreover, seeing the level of satisfaction here has been a powerful testament to the truth that such feelings are less situational and more a matter of the heart. Hearing a man who will probably never escape poverty say: ‘life is good’, nearly brought tears to my eyes. How profound it has been to observe such pleasure in the simplicity of life and reliance of God.

Above: My D.R. Family

I had expected to see some level of incompetence or uneducated-ness. What hit me harder was my own level of incompetence compared to how much practical knowledge these people have. Observing them has been enlightening; they’ve developed amazing strategies for performing strenuous tasks. They know how to rest too. After a day of construction- unaided by power tools- they will sit back on the porch and sip coffee or play dominoes.

Above: Hard at work

Now, I’m not going to pretend that the situation here is amazing. The poverty and injustice become increasingly evident with each passing day. Women get mistreated and children disregarded. The wages don’t match up with rising food costs, and families are often forced to skimp on groceries. If a person mentions that they are from Maria Auxiliadora, they will not get hired elsewhere. Many teen boys are into drugs and few girls escape sexual abuse. Police corruption is very common- one friend told me police will beat or kill a delinquent for fun.

Things like this make me feel helpless. But the words of one friend put things into perspective: “God is sovereign. He is in control; we must trust in his wisdom. At the end of the day, you can surrender everything into his hands.”

I think this sums up what I have been amazed by.
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.”
Luke 6:20

Above: Children from Maria Auxiliadora

This entry was posted on Friday, August 3rd, 2007 at 12:00 am and is filed under Missionary's View, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.