This morning I sat in the 10X20 foot, one-room home of Lucilia in the municipality of Apopa in the city of San Salvador, El Salvador. Lucilia is 40 years old, but could easily pass for 50 as the sun and stress of life has aged her face far too quickly. She lives in her small home with two daughters, 15 and 3. And although she never told us, the chickens and the scale in the home made it clear that she sells eggs to make her living and support her family.
In-between tears, Lucilia shared with me the heart-wrenching story of her 15-year old daughter, Rachelle. For the past 2 years, Rachelle has lived with a terminal disease that attacks her bones. It has left her body deformed and virtually useless. As a result of this terrible disease, in the near future, this beautiful teenager will lose her life far too early than she should. But today, the disease causes Rachelle pain that is both excruciating and unrelenting. Unfortunately, as her mother explained, there is simply not enough money to pay for the pain medication that would alleviate her pain during this final phase of her life. And if you looked close enough, you could almost see the daughter’s pain on the weathered face of her mother too. Like any mother, she desperately longed to bear the burden for her.
During our conversation, a scene began to unfold on the floor of the dark and dirty home that has forever been etched in my mind. Lucilia’s three-year old daughter briefly left the room and returned with one small bag of used crayons and one coloring book. As the father of a young daughter, I was deeply intrigued. The young girl sat down on the tile floor, pulled two crayons from the bag, and opened her coloring book to the first page… it was already colored. She flipped to the next page… it was also colored. So was the next… and the next… and the next… and the next… and the next…. all colored. My heart again broke for this family – the third time during our short conversation. Oh, how I desperately longed to run to my daughter’s closet and grab just one of her coloring books to give to this incredibly precious little girl. Oh, I longed to see her smile and have a page to color.
The impact of poverty evidenced this morning was among the greatest I have ever witnessed.
While this scene unfolded and the gravity of Rachelle’s situation sunk deep into my soul, my mind raced to a familiar story of the ancient Israelites. The story is told that as the Israelites left Egypt in search of their new home, they found themselves hungry and without food in the Middle-Eastern desert. As the story continues, God provides bread from heaven each morning with only one instruction: Each member of the wandering nation was too “gather only as much as was needed for their family.” And when they did, no one gathered too much and no one gathered too little. But there was equality.
It became very clear to me this morning that this world desperately longs for equality. We need more people who gather “only what is needed.” Because maybe then, others could “gather what is needed.” Nobody will gather too much… and nobody will gather too little.
Now, I am not naïve enough to think that the cycle of poverty around the world will be broken by simply choosing to gather less and give more… there are far greater factors at play here. But when you sit in the home of a dying 15-year old girl and her mother who can’t afford the pain medication available across the street, you feel called to action. You long for the day when people will gather only what is needed. You begin to plead for the privilege of sharing with others. And you begin to realize that Lucilia’s story is far too closely tied to ours.
Catherine says
Is there a way we can help this family?
Nina says
Joshua, I second this. Are you still there? Could we perhaps send you some money via your paypal.
joshua becker says
Thanks for the offer Catherine. I am still in El Salvador until Wednesday. I’ll see if there is anything set-up to receive that offer.
Catherine says
Still interested if you have any leads.
AJ says
Yes, I would also like to send some money via paypal and/or some coloring books/crayons. Please advise if you can on a good way to do this.
Thanks.
Michelle says
I would love to send coloring books and money for pain meds. Please keep us informed.
Tracy says
I’m in, too.
I once spent a few weeks in Zimbabwe, and what I saw there was humbling. The men would work long, hard days in the sun for $1 a day. I saw huts made from circles of branches stuck in the dirt, with a thatched roof. When I left, I was going to throw away some old clothes that I’d spilled paint on, and was told that someone would be glad to have them. It was all quite a life-changing experience.
Anita says
However, in another passage of scripture we find the story of the workers who went out to work for the foreman at different times of the day yet all received the same wage at the end of the day. It doesn’t appear that Jesus’ concern was equality.
God’s provision for me does not depend on another splitting his wealth with me but in His provision which can come in ways that are far above me and my understanding. If I’m counting on man or I set myself up to be that man then I make an idol of man.
If God prompts our hearts to give of what we have, then we give – and quietly.
Minimalist Mommi says
When I was in high school, I participated in building a “house” for a family in Mexico. By house, I mean maybe 150 sq. ft. with four sturdy walls and a roof. No electricity or running water. But it was still much more than they had. It’s amazing how our family is considered poor by US standards, but even the poorest here are able to have much more than the poor in most other countries. I truly hope more people can see these circumstances for themselves-in person- in order to actually start enacting change.
Happytizinglife says
Very moving story. And very frustrating too. When you are involved with a person facing such deep pain you feel helpless sometimes, I cannot stop myself from thinking I will hepl this person but what about the others in the same situation. Don’t you sometimes wish you can alleviate the misery of every person in this world.
todd says
This is a truly heart-breaking story. I propose, however, that it is people pursuing their own self-interest that has led to the incredible economic growth and technological advances that today allow us to help the less fortunate. If everybody suddenly took only what they needed, it doesn’t follow that those without would suddenly be better off. We’ve tried this “take only what you need” approach before; it’s called the Middle Ages.
Karen T. says
Sorry, Todd. I don’t understand your comment. During the Middle Ages, the rich and privileged took what they wanted and remained wealthy and powerful, the growing middle class struggled to get their share of the pie, and the poor (the vast majority) remained poor, with no hope or opportunity of changing their status. How is that “everybody suddenly [taking] only what they [need]? It sounds very much like modern society to me.
Joshua, thank you for sharing this story. “Give us this day our daily bread” doesn’t mean “Lord, show me your favor by giving me everything I want and more,” and I need to remember that every day.
todd says
Yes, Karen, it may be a bad example. The point I wanted to make is that it has been the excesses–improvements in technology and efficiency leading to the accumulation of surpluses so people could move beyond subsistence living–that have led to our current, unevenly distributed wealth that allows us to share with others. I brought up the Middle Ages simply because it was a time of local, inefficient economies that so many self-sufficiency fetishists seem to worship. Buying local can mean you either pay too much for things or you don’t even have the opportunity to buy the things you want or need in the first place. It’s great that we have options to choose now, but it certainly isn’t romantic to be forced into a “buy local” system.
Similarly, the “take only what you need” mantra, if it had been practiced throughout history, would have kept us in a Middle Ages-like state. Without incentives to get more stuff and make life easier, there is no incentive for innovation; we would not have seen the incredible historic economic transformations that led to improved living conditions and life expectancy for so many people.
I try to live with less as a matter of choice; however, I don’t think that if everybody made the same choice it would mean a perfect and harmonious redistribution of wealth resulting in everybody having exactly what they need to be happy and healthy. So, the very things that most minimalists despise are the very things that allow them to be generous.
Karen T. says
Thanks for the clarification, Todd. You make some very valid points.
Gene says
Your story brings to mind a letter from C.S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves. In that 1917 letter, C.S. Lewis wrote, “Nobody who gets enough food and clothing in a world where most are hungry and cold has any business to talk about ‘misery.'” Consider for a few moments the positive impact that would result if everyone on the face of this planet applied just a single month’s Internet bill to the poor, homeless and hungry who we too often try to pretend just aren’t there.
Tony Roos says
That’ll preach. May the hearts of the leaders of the countries of the world break for what breaks the Lord’s heart.
Freddy Panes says
there is so much in this world that is just wasted instead of being channeled to help others. In Africa governments purposely prevent the delivery of these much needed medication to punish those that are not aligned with them. Food, medicines and water has become political tools and the free world stands not doing enough to address this. Even here in the U.S. poverty has deeply sunk into the lives of moist Americans and the clowns and stooges on Capitol Hill spend their days debating, talking and loving paper on their desks.
Joshua & Ryan | The Minimalists says
A touching story, Joshua. It becomes more evident daily that our desire to consume more than we need is a particular kind of mental illness our culture has developed and continues to propagate through the media and advertisements and entertainment. I hope people like you and us can continue to help others understand the need for small changes in our lives.
Take care,
Joshua Millburn
Debbie says
Stories like this just break my heart and make me realise how selfish Western society is. I am also reminded in Luke 12:48 that to whom much has been given, much is expected. And, in my mind, that is us! The majority of Westerners have so much more than we could ever need. I know that there are so many issues involved in breaking the cycle of poverty, but if we could all use our excess for good – what a difference we would make.