why

i like to help people. sometimes whether or not they want help.

i also am a HUGE fan of justice. err... maybe i mean "fairness". but probably a combination of both.

it is, at the very least, mentally and emotionally -painful- for me to see people in desperate situations. i can easily place myself in their shoes and realize that my life is only different because of the circumstances i was born into. and the grace of God that allowed me to hear His voice and make some good decisions with the resources i had available.

i have never felt more helpless than i did in costa rica and nicaragua. i could see people suffering and in these... dire situations everywhere. and i didn't have a skill or a means to help them.

this is a video i took on our way out of the landfill. it was heart-wrenching to know that i could leave and that these 50 families were stuck here... most likely forever.



their job, as a community, is to sort through the landfill looking for things to sell or recycle to make money. they wear sandles. in this filth. you should have seen the infections and diseases.


even if they can get out of the community (and walk to the nearest city) to look for a job, their clothes have been dried in the stench of the landfill (which i was told was horrendous) and so they are labeled. and are never offered jobs. essentially, they are trapped.


and then you meet people like her. who deserve a good shot at life... who deserve to have their basic health needs taken care of... who deserve to know that they are worth more than someone who lives in filth.

this was their pharmacy set up in their school. they may need a pharmacy, yes... but they need to know basic things about hygiene and healthcare.




and that is why i have to go back to school.