I was living in a little village called El Cacao, near to the Caribbean Sea. It was a gloriously hot 35+ every day (ok, to be honest I was sweaty 99% of the time) and I was loving it. I had the chance to teach English at a local school and just spend time loving kids who might otherwise not be unconditionally loved. It was absolutely shocking to experience that level of poverty. There was one day where our group was walking around handing out worm medication for the kids and praying for every family we met. The farther we walked the deeper we got into the jungle. I was blown away by the conditions people lived in. Not just one or two people, but extended families of eight, nine, ten people crammed into a shack.
In my daily life I have so many first world problems, like not having enough money. I complain when it rains and complain when it's "too hot". I complain about studying, when I am so blessed to be able to study. God used this trip to help me re-evaluate my outlook on life. I think one of my greatest desires is to stop viewing my life from a limited North American worldview. I live with access to clean water, an abundance of food and the freedom to pursue education without the added pressure of supporting my whole family so we don't starve to death. In the village I saw poverty and immediately felt hopelessness and sadness. God sees El Cacao and He has a hope and a future for it. I see a lack of basic physical needs being met, and God sees people whose purpose has little to do with food and shelter and more to do with their identity in Christ. That is a beautiful thing.
Mathew 19: 26
But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible"
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