A Servant By The River--Mexico Part 5

Wednesday was the most powerful day of the entire week for me. We travelled to visit a squatter’s village called Meme’s Rio. Rio is Spanish for river. When the poorest of the poor have nowhere else to go, they build their homes along the river since this is government property and considered useless land. The government rarely kicks them off; thus they have a place to call home.

This particular village is built along side a trash dump. That is the means of support for many who live there. They scrounge through the trash to find stuff to resale or recycle to make a buck or two a day. It is a painfully poor village with little hope.

We had the honor of having lunch with the residents, handing out clothes to the ladies and toys to the kids. But the highlight of the day for me was the prayer walk. We were led by Cathy, one of the staff members. She has a real heart for the village. As we walked along, we prayed generally for protection for the kids and for the hope of Jesus to take hold. We also thanked God that due to the drought the grass was low, so it was a deterrent for people to hide in the tall grass and molest the children when they got home from school.

We also had the joy of praying specifically for several residents who came out of their homes. We prayed for jobs, for a deaf girl’s perseverance, a young girl’s foot that was sliced from the bottom to the top by glass in the river, and that demons would leave the home of a lady who has battled so much. We also prayed for a prostitute and her 2 young kids who we did not see. She works during the night and keeps the kids locked inside the home during the day while she sleeps.

I was deeply moved and profoundly impacted by the stark contrast in my daily prayers versus those we prayed on that Wednesday. I pray that my youngest son’s flight arrives safely in Phoenix, that God watches over my oldest in boot camp, and that He blesses relationships in my life. All of these prayers are valid, but I went to my knees humbly before God asking that He change me from the inside out, so I never forget the blessed life I live as opposed to the deep poverty of so many around this world.

I’m so very thankful for people like Meme who I met while there. She lives in Rio as her calling in life to care for these people. She could live in much better conditions, but chooses to live among the poor and serve them. She is a great servant of God and it was my great privilege to spend time with her.