Violence saturates Mazatlan’s garbage dump community. We knew this; we even expected it. Almost two years ago we were introduced to the harshness of this community with a display of violence so sudden and vicious that even to this day it seems surreal and fictional.
We knew that we would see an abundance of violence in the community, but more so, we knew we would witness its damaging effects in the lives of our children.
Last week an evening phone call alerted us to a sad occurrence. Two of our daycare moms had just gotten into a fight. The two women clashed in the middle of the street, turning to violence to settle their dispute.
Feelings of sadness, anger and inadequacy shoved their way into our hearts. How could they willfully hurt each other as their children sat there watching through tears and trembling? How should Roots & Wings respond? How can we use this fallout to point them towards Jesus? And are we even qualified to deal with these type of situations?
We cannot control the actions of our daycare moms. What we can do is expect more of our moms and hold them accountable. We will not accept that this is just how things are in this community. We will not approve of these women treating each other as anything less than a valuable child of God.
We don’t know what the outcome of this situation will be. We don’t know it won’t happen again tomorrow.
We do know that God placed Roots & Wings in this community. God called us to step into the gap of pain and brokenness. And while we may not have all the answers, God does. We will continue to ask Him for words and wisdom. We will continue to do everything possible to help bring restoration and forgiveness and healing to these women, their families, and this community.
Why do we believe so strongly in helping families? Because we believe they are worth it. We believe that God loves families and desires to see them strengthened and whole. We believe that through Christ, they can experience transformation and healing.
And we will rejoice as we witness how God’s infinite love forever changes the lives of the children and families who are part of Roots & Wings.
