Angel Villanueva wades into the dirty brown water of the Guaire River. The putrid 45-mile tributary snakes through Venezuela’s capital. Villanueva is scavenging for treasure—an earring, ring, or bits of precious metal. He will try to cash them in for food. All the while, Villanueva watches the dark clouds that surround Caracas. They could burst at any time, leaving him minutes to get out of the river—or be washed away.
Villanueva rakes his hands along the bottom of the foul-smelling waterway. He lets gravel fall through his fingers.
“Working in the Guaire isn’t easy,” he says. “When it provides, it provides. When it takes, it takes your life.”
Imagine foraging for daily necessities. How hard it would be to trust God’s “Do not worry about . . . life” or “tomorrow” words! (Matthew 6:25 NASB) Thriving in life requires faith in the God who provides all our needs. (Philippians 4:19)
Each morning, scavengers stream to the Guaire from the hillsides. Some wrap their fingertips in tape to protect from cuts and infections—never mind the long-term problems from standing in polluted water.
Guaire water is infamously filthy—a drain for rainwater from the streets and sewers, along with industrial waste. Occasionally, treasure gets trapped in the Guaire’s roiling rubbish. That is what keeps scavengers like Villanueva coming back.
For years, officials have pledged river cleanups; banks have loaned hundreds of millions of dollars. But the promised sewage treatments plants and wastewater facilities never come.
Villanueva lives with his father in one of the poorest and most dangerous districts in Caracas. He wanted to earn money but landed only a series of low-paying jobs.
Six months ago, Villanueva waded into the river, invited by a friend. He made $20 the first day. He was hooked—even though neighbors say he smells like the Guaire.
Another scavenger working the river stores his finds in a pill bottle around his neck. The bottle holds broken links of a keychain and an old coin, possibly worth something to vendors who offer cash for gold.
Villanueva doesn’t know anybody who has died from the quickly rising river. But stories abound of people washed away never to be found. He recalls the tales and keeps one eye on the weather.
Mostly, he dreams of a better job. For now, he keeps scavenging in the Guaire.
“Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.” — Matthew 6:34, NASB
