I had never seen graves above the ground before. Big bulky stone caskets piled high on top of one another. A narrow pathway made from trash. There on the ground, a half naked little girl, playing in between the tombs with a dead rat.
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| taken today in the exact spot I saw the little girl. |
With a dead rat.
What kind of a place was this?
Where people had to choose between living on top of graves or above the sea on dangerously structured wooded beams.
But through the years we have had the privilege to find out that this place of death, is also a place of life. Here I met some of the saddest people I have ever known and some of the most joyful people I have ever known. If I was to describe the church locate in the middle of this place in one word I would choose joyful!
Tonight was the end of an era.
It was time for this whole community to be relocated.
A few months ago we witnessed another part of the dump site community being relocate. It was not families that we directly worked with, but we knew many of them. It was heartbreaking. With little notice from the National Housing Association the families homes were tore to the ground. When we went there during one of the demolition days it was tragic. Totally chaotic. Invaded with injustice.
Yes , these people were informal settlers. They were squatting on private land, mostly because they wanted to work in the city to be able to feed their families. It was just all organized (or not organized) really badly in our opinion. What could have been a successful project turned into a nightmare for many, leaving them worse off than they were before.
But tonight in Navotas was totally different. In all the years we have come to this place we have never ever felt an atmosphere like there was tonight. I actually can't really find the words to describe it well enough, but Ron and I were walking in amongst the tombs visiting families saying
" This is so different!".
I would describe the normal atmosphere in this community as thick and heavy. Almost every overseas volunteer who has come , male or female said they have found walking around here intimidating. But not tonight.
I can only describe the feeling in the place as "light", as in not weighty. (I'm not sure this description even makes sense)
As the last "batch" of people demolished their own homes, there was such a calm, organization and rest over the place. Some were continuing life as normal as if nothing was going on. Selling at their sari sari stalls, food vendors, kids sword fighting with sticks, boys gambling, mothers filling up water containers. While others were pulling down the remains of their homes, packing their bags, gathering their belongings or sitting waiting on the relocation truck.
Almost everyone we spoke to said they felt "sad and happy".
Many families will face new problems in the new sites, trying to establish new livelihood or find a new school for their children. Yet they spoke with no sense of panic. Not one person seemed to be fretting. It was so weird.
Of course we don't know everyone's story there, but as general feeling I would say it was so peaceful. Even the residents said "It's all been very peaceful and organized. No problems"
One elderly man is impressed on my mind. He had a small blue backpack and a well creased face.
" I'm going back to my province". I wondered when the last time he had been there was? How long had this man lived among the dead?
It was like an exodus. It reminded me of the Israelites who had been in bondage as slaves so many years. They all left together, the old with the young. Some would have been born in captivity and only ever known suffering and poverty.
Later on when we gathered the last group of children awaiting relocation together in Pastor Dodongs house, we gave them each a children's bible written in Tagalog. Ron told them about Moses and the Israelites, how God went with them. He guided them to the unknown.
We asked the kids how they felt about leaving the place they had all been born into.
"sad, happy, excited, scared"
Those children tonight were full of such tangible hope and joy. It was bursting from their songs to Jesus. I am so glad that these children will no longer play with bones, or jump over dead bodies.
I am so glad for them.
When the bibles were given to each one, they all opened them and just started to read. It was so powerful. They turned the pages carefully and in their native tongue, in easy to read Tagalog, they read aloud Gods word. We had to actually stop them because they just kept reading and reading!
I am so proud of the young leaders who have loved these kids, taught them and been big brothers and sisters over the years. They all have a huge transition. This is an end to all they have know, but it's a new beginning. Some of them we may never see again. I don't' know, but I know they go with Jesus in their hearts and that is the most important thing.
Taken tonight. To the left where hundreds of houses stood on shaky bamboo stilts- a beautiful sunrise now in their place.
"And the Lord said....
Tell the children of Israel to go forward" (Exodus 13:15)
But through the years we have had the privilege to find out that this place of death, is also a place of life. Here I met some of the saddest people I have ever known and some of the most joyful people I have ever known. If I was to describe the church locate in the middle of this place in one word I would choose joyful!
Tonight was the end of an era.
It was time for this whole community to be relocated.
A few months ago we witnessed another part of the dump site community being relocate. It was not families that we directly worked with, but we knew many of them. It was heartbreaking. With little notice from the National Housing Association the families homes were tore to the ground. When we went there during one of the demolition days it was tragic. Totally chaotic. Invaded with injustice.
Yes , these people were informal settlers. They were squatting on private land, mostly because they wanted to work in the city to be able to feed their families. It was just all organized (or not organized) really badly in our opinion. What could have been a successful project turned into a nightmare for many, leaving them worse off than they were before.
But tonight in Navotas was totally different. In all the years we have come to this place we have never ever felt an atmosphere like there was tonight. I actually can't really find the words to describe it well enough, but Ron and I were walking in amongst the tombs visiting families saying
" This is so different!".
I would describe the normal atmosphere in this community as thick and heavy. Almost every overseas volunteer who has come , male or female said they have found walking around here intimidating. But not tonight.
I can only describe the feeling in the place as "light", as in not weighty. (I'm not sure this description even makes sense)
As the last "batch" of people demolished their own homes, there was such a calm, organization and rest over the place. Some were continuing life as normal as if nothing was going on. Selling at their sari sari stalls, food vendors, kids sword fighting with sticks, boys gambling, mothers filling up water containers. While others were pulling down the remains of their homes, packing their bags, gathering their belongings or sitting waiting on the relocation truck.
Almost everyone we spoke to said they felt "sad and happy".
Many families will face new problems in the new sites, trying to establish new livelihood or find a new school for their children. Yet they spoke with no sense of panic. Not one person seemed to be fretting. It was so weird.
Of course we don't know everyone's story there, but as general feeling I would say it was so peaceful. Even the residents said "It's all been very peaceful and organized. No problems"
One elderly man is impressed on my mind. He had a small blue backpack and a well creased face.
" I'm going back to my province". I wondered when the last time he had been there was? How long had this man lived among the dead?
It was like an exodus. It reminded me of the Israelites who had been in bondage as slaves so many years. They all left together, the old with the young. Some would have been born in captivity and only ever known suffering and poverty.
Later on when we gathered the last group of children awaiting relocation together in Pastor Dodongs house, we gave them each a children's bible written in Tagalog. Ron told them about Moses and the Israelites, how God went with them. He guided them to the unknown.
We asked the kids how they felt about leaving the place they had all been born into.
"sad, happy, excited, scared"
Those children tonight were full of such tangible hope and joy. It was bursting from their songs to Jesus. I am so glad that these children will no longer play with bones, or jump over dead bodies.
I am so glad for them.
When the bibles were given to each one, they all opened them and just started to read. It was so powerful. They turned the pages carefully and in their native tongue, in easy to read Tagalog, they read aloud Gods word. We had to actually stop them because they just kept reading and reading!
I am so proud of the young leaders who have loved these kids, taught them and been big brothers and sisters over the years. They all have a huge transition. This is an end to all they have know, but it's a new beginning. Some of them we may never see again. I don't' know, but I know they go with Jesus in their hearts and that is the most important thing.
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| Some of KCM Navotas young leaders. The others have already been relocated. Very special people. |
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| The children gather round the leaders who have loved and taught them over the years- and prayed. |
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| Faithful team leaders and friends in Navotas, Pastor Dodong and Ate Virgie. " And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night (Exodus 13:21) |
Taken tonight. To the left where hundreds of houses stood on shaky bamboo stilts- a beautiful sunrise now in their place.
"And the Lord said....
Tell the children of Israel to go forward" (Exodus 13:15)
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