As I have wandered around the world, I have found myself in many places that are not on the “normal” tourist route. In my personal opinion, this is one of the things that I value most in travel. For me personally, if I only go to the places along the way that are sterile and “safe,” I am convinced that I will not get a complete picture of the world we live in, or the potential good we could do for others.

This was true of a trip I took to Quito, Ecuador in 2002. Ecuador is an amazing place to visit (one of my all-time personal favorite places), and Quito is especially amazing. It is called the land of eternal spring because the daily weather is pretty constant, with only a 10 degree Fahrenheit difference from the nighttime low to the daily high. I was leading a team of young adults on a service trip, and one of the places that we took these young adults to was the city garbage dump, where at that time roughly 500 people were living. Some of these families, for multiple generations, had only known life in the garbage dump.

The partner we were working with had a particular strategy in mind for the visit. We were going to make small food parcels that had a piece of fruit and some beans. It was enough for maybe two small meals. We also brought water, shampoo and finger nail polish. The goal was to first give out the food parcels to kids, and then distribute what was left to adults.

I don’t know if you have ever been in a situation where you wished with all your might that you could do more for someone in need, but this was one moment in my life where that was exactly what I wished. This garbage dump was the source of food for these families, as well as the source of home building material. The trash that was deposited on this dump had already been picked through, and what was left was not suitable for anything. Yet these families sorted through it looking for what they needed to survive.

After we had given out the food, we set up stations for people to come and wash their hair, and also get their finger nails painted. What happened next is one of those memories that I will never forget. People started laughing and smiling as, one by one, they had the opportunity to wash their hair, and if they wanted, get their finger nails painted. In my mind, I could understand wanting to wash my hair, but I was fascinated as women lined up to get their nails painted. Then it hit me; even in a garbage dump, their is still room for human dignity to breathe. These women were covered with dirt and grime from a life that they were trapped in, but for one brief moment, they got to be women. They got to paint their nails. They got to feel beautiful.

Human dignity is something I have spent a lot of time in my adult life trying to be a champion for. I have seen in moment after moment of experiences like this garbage dump that beyond our labels and socioeconomic status, people are people. They want to be known and they want to be loved.

We all want so many similar things in life, and on this garbage dump in the middle of Quito, Ecuador we got to catch a glimpse of human dignity and beauty on display…

I have to be honest with you…it is in Quito that I fell in love with ceviche. I was with a buddy of mine that said I needed to experience ceviche in order to say that I had really experienced Quito. What I was introduced to was this amazing seafood soup that was served cold, and was accompanied with corn nuts, cilantro, onions and popcorn. It was so good, and my only regret was that I ordered one bowl. It was a fantastic introduction, and has won a special place in my heart.

I also want to mention that one of the partners we worked with in Quito was Compassion International (www.Compassion.com). They are a child sponsorship and development organization that works in countries all over the world to give children an opportunity to:

• Receive an opportunity to attend or stay in school

• Receive medical care

• Receive nourishing food

• Receive mentoring in a safe environment in partnership with community churches

When you commit to give to Compassion, you can know that you are making a very real difference in the life of a child. You get the opportunity to write letters to your sponsored child and hear back from them. To find out more agbout Compassion International, please visit www.Compassion.com.