The Least of These
- Missy Kamps
- Jul 10, 2008
The Least of These
"Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God" 6:8).
Micah 6:8
A few weeks ago I spoke to you about the poor of Honduras, a small country in Central America. I gave a challenge to pray for the people living in those difficult conditions and the people that are there working with them to make their lives better.
It has been challenging for me, as a North American, to understand the plight of the poor and our responsibility to them in Christ. I pray that the details in this article will guide your prayers, your decisions about money, and ultimately how we glorify God.
Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. Widespread poverty and a poor economy, compounded with various natural disasters and government corruption makes life very difficult for the poor. The Micah Project is a ministry that works with street boys in the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Many of these boys are addicted to glue, the cheapest drug available. The people at Micah find these boys, take them in and get them off the glue, educate them, and prepare them for ministry of their own. Two former street kids are now attending university in the U.S! Their plan is to come back and continue the work that has helped them so much. One way in which the Micah Project prepares the boys for ministry is by going weekly to the city dump to both feed the people there and to tutor the children of the people that work in the dump.
The city dump of many cities in the third world is the refuge of the poorest of the poor. The city dump in Tegucigalpa is no different. The people scrape by, trying to find food and anything of value in the rotting trash. Their children are often with them, working alongside their parents, their only aspirations being to someday drive a trash truck or be first in line when the trash gets dumped off. A separate ministry from the Micah Project decided to build a school for these children, raising their vision, giving them hope in Christ, and keeping them from the dangers of the dump. The Micah boys help in this ministry. Developing a servant's heart with deep gratitude for what they have.
It only takes a few dollars to change someone's life in an underdeveloped country, and there are many ministries that do great work in these countries. A few ministries we were able to know of and help with was providing housing for the elderly. Many older people live on the streets as well and with out family, they have little to no hope. There is also many organizations working to rebuild houses for a number of families around the area but as you can imagine, that is a difficult and complex job deciding who gets a house and if they will be targeted for getting it. If you wish to give to the Micah project, please go to www.micahcentral.org , and most of all.... pray . On that day when Jesus says to us, "What have you done for the least of these?" I want to at least say I prayed. Use your imagination as you pray, thinking of a day in the life of someone in the Micah Project, or others that aren't in the house yet. Pray also for the people in the community around the dump, that God would help them in their needs. God is glorified when we pray and when we give; when we become a channel for his grace to flow to others in love.