IS THIS HELL?

Just before my trip to the UK, I went with Simon, one of our missionaries, to the rubbish dump in Alotenango close bye to our house.    I will never forget the scenes that met me!  Shocked is not the word to use.   I knew that families lived on this dump, I knew that they scavenged for food and for anything that they could sell to make a few cents, but to actually see it happening brought me to tears.

Fires were burning, smoke was everywhere and the smell was unbearable.   It looked like a scene out of hell.  I saw a giant rat, I saw dogs and buzzards fighting for a piece of a dead animal; but that was nothing to what I saw next!   Before me were three young girls, one bare foot, turning up the rubbish with bare hands, hoping to find something to eat or to sell.  They were placing empty plastic bottles into a sack along with any other plastics.  Broken glass and sharp metal were everywhere along with the diseased flesh of dead animals and rotten food. 

Mercedes, Carmen and Claudia are three sisters, not actually living on the dump, but sent by their mother to spend the day looking for anything valuable.   They might make a couple of dollars a week, but not much more, and of course, they cannot afford to go to school and receive an education.  It is rumored that Claudia has turned to prostitution and she is only eleven years old!

On arriving back at my house it took 3 showers to get rid of the smell hanging on my body and all my clothes had to be washed.   I felt so helpless and wondered what the Lord would want me to do to help these unfortunate children.   How can one share the Good News of Christ to them who have no hope?  A few days later I was sharing with a Guatemalan pastor friend who lives in the same town, and he has promised to help me find some solution for this family.  I ask for your prayers for Mercedes, Carmen and Claudia.

TRIP TO EUROPE

Both Christa and I were unfortunately away at the same time in February.   Christa’s mother was not well and so Christa returned to take care of her for 3weeks.  I (Jeff) had a trip to Inverness in Scotland to share at a church that supports us.  It was a wonderful time, then a quick trip to England to visit my 2 sons and their families, and it was wonderful to meet my grandchildren for the first time ever.  As missionaries there is a price to pay being so far from home.  We ask for your prayers for Christa’s mother and also my father who is now 97 years old.

THE CHURCH

We continue to grow and each time we have a church meeting there is standing room only!  We urgently need 150 new chairs which cost $10 each = $1,500.   The church itself only recently managed to buy 100, but that was too few!  A great problem to have, but we need to get our people seated!   If you would like to help, please send donations marked “chairs” to the address below.  Thank you in anticipation.

God bless you all

Jeff & Christa Mills
Globe Europe Missionaries

Donations can now be made online by Credit/Debit Card or PayPal by clicking on: www.globeeurope.org.uk

Categories: Newsletters
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