The Landfill Harmonic Orchestra

In times when we are troubled with poverty and waste pollution, here is a story of hope about a garbage collector, named Nicolas, living near the city of Asuncion, Paraguay, who got together with a local musician, Favio, to make instruments for the children of the slum. There was no money for real instruments so together they started to make instruments from trash – violins and cellos from oil drums, flutes from water pipes and spoons, guitars from packing crates.  A music school was started and it has become the world's most unlikely orchestra.

Maybe this story has a special pull on me because it takes place in the birth country of my H.  Maybe it is because I have been reminded again of how we are made in the image of God and able to express it by creating order and beauty. I'm amazed at how even people surrounded by garbage can be inspired to make something beautiful out of their situation and how, in this case, it took only two men to get together and use what they had at their disposal to make a difference.