It’s a Wonderful World

One of the blessings of my role here at International Samaritan is to visit with our teams and scholars in all eight communities at least once each year.  In these Weekend Reflections, we try to share with you what life is like in these communities and a sense of the impact you are making because the people at the heart of our mission are truly some of the most exceptional people you will ever meet. No matter which community you visit, you will meet selfless, loving leaders; earnest, hard-working scholars; and funny, tough-as-nails mothers and grandmothers who are holding their families and communities together.

There are horrible similarities in all eight communities: the stench from the dumpsite, the acidic air pollution from smoldering smoke, the dangers of sexual predators, the near-utter absence of healthy husbands and fathers, the gangs that control the distribution channels for recycled goods, and the couldn’t-care-less attitude from citizens of the larger city around them, just to name a few.

There are beautiful similarities too: the depth of gratitude and determination of our scholars, a shared love for the sport of soccer, the joy of tasting home-cooked meals together, and the belief from five of the nations in which we work that they make the best coffee and have the fastest runners in the world.

There are also notable differences among them. I’ve noticed in Guatemala that many of our young men are convinced that being a great man means being the most humble man. In Jamaica, it seems that many of our scholars are determined to always present a strong appearance to the world that everything is going great. Our mothers in Uganda are literally dancing their way out of working in dumpsites while dozens of mothers in Kenya are saving money in small groups to invest in the dreams of each other–like buying piglets and chickens to make money instead of working in the dump.

It truly is a beautiful tapestry of humanity. We have so many unique differences, but what are our similarities to our scholars and team members around the world?

I discovered this answer on a recent trip to visit with our scholars in Villa Guadalupe. Walking into our team’s office early Tuesday morning, I was startled to find a dozen high school scholars waiting for me with a song. They are about 40 years younger than me, speak a different language, and live in a much different country than my own. But as we sang that song together, those differences were washed away by the Gospel that unites us. We stood and sang as one body together, united by Christ’s love for us and our love for Him.

As the world pauses to celebrate the birth of Christ next week, I want to encourage you to reflect on how much His life, death, and resurrection continue to unite people of goodwill across nations and races around the world. 

Thank you for sharing Christ’s love through your support of this ministry. You are helping our scholars to grow and to go change the world. May God bless you and your family with joy this Christmas season!

International Samaritan is a Christ-centered organization built on Catholic Social Teaching. Our mission is to walk hand-in-hand with people who live and work in the garbage dumps of developing nations to help them break out of poverty.

We provide holistic scholarships for students from kindergarten through college, and we’re currently supporting nearly 1,000 scholars in Central America, the Caribbean, and East Africa.

Would your church or school group like to partner and travel with us? Learn about our Learn, Serve, Grow program.

Empower our scholars to change their lives. Become a monthly supporter.

Mike Tenbusch, President

Mike joined International Samaritan in 2018 after two decades of leading social change in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. He’s a University of Michigan Law grad and author of The Jonathan Effect: Helping Kids and Schools Win the Battle Against Poverty. He and his wife, Maritza, have three children who keep them young.