Jovelee Maala didn’t know the Payatas Controlled Disposal Facility as the largest open dump site in the Philippines—for her, it was home.
Opening in the 1970s, the site served as a fixture in Jovelee’s hometown, Quezon City. Local families built their homes there, and thousands more traveled to the site to pick through the trash, searching for items to sell—and when she turned 18, Jovelee joined them.
![This Sunday marks the start of #Advent!🌟 We invite you to check out our free YouVersion #devotional Emmanuel: God With Us, to keep Christ’s coming at the forefront of your mind this season.
These 25 daily readings through #Christmas will encourage you and help you meditate on the greatest gift this world will ever see: God in our midst.
You can find it on the @YouVersion app or online: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/17316-emmanuel-god-with-us-an-advent-devotional [or the link in our bio.]](https://blog.hopeinternational.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)