Grace at the Garbage Dump: Making Sense of Mission in the Twenty-First Century by Jesse A. Zink

by Jesse A. Zink

Like many young people in his generation, Jesse Zink had long been eager to work overseas and make the world a better place. As a missionary working in a shantytown community in South Africa, he found all that and much more-in demanding, unexpected, and surprising ways. Grace at the Garbage Dump takes readers with Jesse through his years in South struggling with AIDS patients to get life-saving drugs, coaching women through a micro-credit program, and teaching preschool students to sing (and dance) to "Johnny B. Goode" It's a story that leads us to a deeper understanding of our world and is at once hopeful and uplifting while also being credible and serious. The headlines are dominated by disaster and despair but young people remain passionate about service to the least among us. Grace at the Garbage Dump is an invigorating call to respond to the difficulties of our time with an active and engaged faith. Whether you end up at the local soup kitchen or halfway around the world, you'll be challenged to seek God's grace in even the most adverse circumstances.

Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Grace at the Garbage Dump, I was surprised at what a compelling, interesting story "Grace" is, from this young, new author, who was ordained into the Episcopal priesthood shortly after the experience described in the book. Originally, I wasn't even sure I would read it, but it was given to my husband and I by Jesse, as a "hostess gift" and it seemed the polite thing to do. Being a missionary has never intrigued me, but Jesse brings a new voice to this field, and a personal honesty and candor along with a novel-like description of characters, that brings life to his narrative.He is anything but my preconceived notion of self-righteous religious leaders. We follow Jesse as he begins his journey, self-confident, and ready to work with AIDS patients, as he makes his way through South Africa to Itipini, a veritable shanty-town on the outskirts of Mthatha.
The grandson of missionaries, Jesse asked to go somewhere where he could use some of his medical experience from working as an EMT, and he had asked to work with children (because of experience as a camp counselor) but in sub-Saharan Africa. The location sounded great and he assumed he knew what to expect. Yet from Jesse's arrival, where he comes to the realization that the Xhosa language, with its many click sounds, as well as Itipini itself, with its inhabitants suffering from TB and HIV/AIDS health concerns, will be a great barrier for a white North American man to hurdle.
Jesse describes with clarity, different individuals who needed his help, or who died before receiving help, and yet helped him learn about himself. He writes about his lack of patience, and his change in expectations of how he would accomplish his goals. With each chapter, I found Jesse to be much more human and self-effacing than you would ever expect a missionary to be. But these very qualities, I believe, endeared him to his charges and townfolk, and humanize him to both the readers and the Xhosan people. Although he is able to help start small businesses from the microcredit model, and convince people to get help for their illnesses, give students uniforms and supplies (using his own money), entertain gangs of unruly preschoolers who wanted nothing more than to climb his tall frame, Jesse's biggest accomplishment is in what he learns about himself and his concept of "being present" (as God is in his life) and how to best minister to others.
Although it's filled with somber pictures of poverty and illness, almost unimaginable living conditions for the Xhosan tribesmen, who, after apartheid, were left with little other than written rights, Jesse also writes about playing "Johnny Be Good" and singing with his guitar as the preschoolers dance and laugh and show their exuberance. It's filled with triumph as he encourages young mothers to stay in school, or continue taking AIDS medications, or teaches them English from the BFG, along with complete embarrassment and lack of knowledge of the opposite sex, not knowing how to deal with the flirtations of the young women. I closed the book after the last page, more knowledgable about the "AIDS problem" and poverty in South Africa, about apartheid, and "God's presence", but with a much better understanding of who Jesse Zink is, how he practices his religion everyday life, and what a fine, gifted, loving person he is. He recently married a young woman who has been like a daughter to me. I have always wanted the best for her, but didn't really know who Jesse was, after only three meetings. I came away from the book, feeling that she had, indeed, married her "Prince Charming" in a clerical collar, a man who can admit when he's wrong, who is not self-righteous, and who is extremely likable, and very loving. They will be quite happy!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated Jesse's frank assessment of his own expectations and weaknesses (as well as his strengths and what he learned) as a volunteer abroad. A good reminder of what it can mean when we 1st world people try to go "fix things" for others. I'm also looking forward to reading Toxic Charity as a follow-up.