News from the Dice's
On Saturday we drove up the mountain in a pick-up truck to visit Salamanca. We crawled at about 5 miles an hour over boulders and through crators. The view of the valley and the city of Santiago was breathtaking. After about a half hour of teeth rattling we arrived at Nina's parent's house (90 year old Fran and his wife who had a stroke about a year ago and is paralyzed on her left side). I can't believe how fit both physically and mentally Fran is at his age.
He proudly showed us his land with all the fruit trees. He grows eveything from lemons to oranges to a vegetable called tayota to cocoa and coffee. Roosters,chickens, pigs and dogs surround the house. The house has no running water. A young girl goes down the hill to the river to fetch water from a river in a 5 gallon can that she carries back on her head while carrying gallons of water in each hand. We barely made it up the hill carrying our backpacks!
The community is one of the poorest that I have seen. This is where we will be building the house for a single mother named Marisol and her 12 year old daughter and 10 year old son. When Mariotold them that St. Peter's was building them a home, they were overcome with joy!! Please pray for them and that we may be a blessing to them. They still cook with firewood; therefore, the kitchen is outside the house. In addition, there is no running water; therefore, we don't need to build a bathroom because they use a latrine outside. No wonder we can build a house for just $3,000 because we are only building a living room and two bedrooms. This will be a palace compaired to the room that they currently live in made out of palm tree leaves.
Many of the houses here have been damaged by the hurricane that hit in December. If the Missions Team raises any additional money they can repair a leaking roof for only $1,000.
Just within the last several years trash has become an issue in this part of the country. Because they were self-sufficient and got everything from their land, there really was no trash. Now they are receiving things from family members and friends that have left to find work in the city. They have no trash disposal system. They don't even have trash cans. Please pray that we can suggest creative solutions for them. It will take years of education to address this issue. Lydia was totally blown away by the poverty and the trash. The Green Team needs to relocate here!!
The other night when there was no electricity and you literally could not see your hand in front of your face, Lydia said, "I feel like I am in hell because it is so dark." In 1 John 1:5 God's Word says, "God is light, in Him there is no darkness...But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another." Even though we are in the dark when there is no electricity - we know we are walking in the light with Christ and even at this distance are having fellowship with you because of your prayers and support!!
We thank God and praise God for you. We are also thankful beyond words for the Missions Team and for all who are supporting their trip. They will bring such light to this country.
Muchas Gracias. Con carino, La Familia Dice