30 Day Challenge
So, I have said many times the toll Uganda has taken on my heart. I have also mentioned my unexplained desire to devote my life to changing the massive epidemic of AIDS/HIV, malnutrition, lack of education. Like I have said before due to the astronomical amount of mothers and fathers dying due the the spread of the AIDS virus, the number of orphans is continually on the rise.
Most people who live in rural Uganda live on an average of $2 a day. I want to experience this. How can I truly empathize with such a situation if I have never experienced what it is like? I have heard of other people doing something similar to my upcoming commitment to living on just $1 a day, as the people in Sierra Leon must do.
I want to understand the struggle. I want to feel the pain, actually feel what it is like. Most people will trust and open up to a person who has dealt with similar situations, they can build a foundation of trust in each other by bonding over the circumstances they both endured.
By no means have I lived a privileged life, it has been anything but privileged. For a period of about six months or so give or take, I lived in the backyard of my paternal grandparents house in a tent that was shared by myself, my younger brother, and my father.
We ate a ton of powdered eggs and fried potatoes because it would go farther and was cheap to supply. It didn't taste that great, but we were fed. That is a luxury most rural Ugandans just don't have.
The people of Uganda don't even have that as a comfort, they are forced by their economic situation to sit by and watch as their children cry in pains of hunger, slowly deteriorating in health while they have nothing to give them for nourishment. Mothers glean from garbage cans searching for something edible to put on the table for her precious starving babies.
How can I say I understand their pain, when I have never endured a pain like that? That is why I am challenging myself to 30 days of surviving on $1 dollar a day. I want to gain a better understanding of how it feels to live on such incredibly minimal means.
Having children at home with me, this will be a struggle, as I will still be cooking and feeding them regular meals. Temptations will arise on a daily basis. My food however will consist of whatever I can get to sustain me for the day within the limits of one dollar. I will spend only one dollar a day, getting my food on a daily basis. I will only drink water, as the Ugandans would not have the luxury of soda would they?
I do understand and fully empathize with bad water situations, as the place where I live we are not permitted to drink the water since after testing it was found to contain dangerous amounts of arsenic. So, we already must get water from another source, which happens to be a friends house. Thanks Bill!
I will continuously post on my blog about how the change in eating habits affect me, and report what those changes effect in my day to day life. I will post as well my food journal to share what a person who lives off of one dollar a day is able to eat, If they are able to eat at all. I will also create a video journal on Youtube and post the links on here
I am hoping for this to be a good learning experience for myself. Give myself opportunity to lean on God as well, and make him my daily portion. See what he wants me to learn from this. See where he takes me as I find out what it is like to live without ample means for food. I hope to understand more fully the ways that malnutrition effects these families in Uganda. The pain they endure. My commitment starts today, I hope you come back and share this journey with me.
Day One:
I am only four hours into this, and I am regretting the thought of the challenge. I have already gone through all my typical behaviors when I attempt to give something up, whether it has been food, clothes, cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. I always end up sitting there with my my spinning for a good reason to back out. A good way to excuse myself from the commitment. I was telling myself this is dumb. Who cares if I eat on a dollar a day for a month or not. Nobody will care if I back out or just never mention it on my blog again or not.
God cares. I quickly realized this is more than the food.
These are all excuses, rationalizations, minimization, you name it, I claim it here. This is about more than me, this is about faith. Can I really have the faith I claim to have gained in our Savior Jesus Christ? Do I really trust him? Will I be willing to open my eyes and my heart to what he is trying to share with me.
The Lord is calling me to this for some reason I am not sure of, I want to train myself to trust in him alone for all my needs big or small. The good Lord has shown me so much Grace, so much love since I have opened my heart to him.
I know that with him I can make it through today without sneaking any of the dinner I must prepare for my family. (Which looks amazingly delicious tonight) I choose not to see how yummy and tempting it looks. I choose against the serpent calling me away from my commitment. I will be unlike Eve and turn down my wonderful looking fruit.
I want to learn to let the Lord sustain me, so I humbly appeal to him please hear my prayer tonight.
Father God,
Thank you Father for all you do in my life every single day. With you the skies are bluer, the grass is greener, I see everything Father through just such different eyes. I love every minute I get to spend with you, just feeling so sheltered and empowered by your love.
Father, it is you that gives me the courage to write this blog. I am so weak Father. I am still stumbling my way through my walk with you. I am still gaining the confidence to let it all go Father. I know you are calling me to do it. You know that I am holding back, you know me down to my very soul.
Cover me in the knowledge to let go of my weaknesses and relax in your strength. Help me father to fully be confident in you and your grace.
Help me to see Father what you want to show me in this challenge, and keep me honest, and devoted to your word. Thank you Father for being there for me always, even when I don't come to you, you are always there waiting.
Amen
Food:
I bought just under a pound of oatmeal today for exactly one dollar. That will get me through for a few
meals! Looking good here so far :)
Starting Weight 154 lbs.
Day Two:
I have only been into this for 24 hours, and honestly it is a lot harder than I had thought. The oatmeal was terrible, no sugar, butter or milk. Hadn't anticipated that. God is with me through this he is my sustenance, he is my portion, he will help me endure.
Day Three:
Honestly just a bad personal day today. Struggles between the world and my faith are hard to cope with right now. So, with that said haven't much felt the need for food today, or given it much thought. I just need to focus on him who loves me and strengthens me.
Day Four:
Today I realize that in America this is not a challenge that will really compare to the lives lived in these developing third world countries. I have at my disposal many options for a dollar a day. They may not be healthy, or tasty all the time but I could get the nutrition sufficient for survival easily on a dollar a day in my particular living situation. I am at a loss as to how to make it a comparable environment at this time as well. In third world situations there is no supermarket on the corner selling corndogs, burritos, jojos. All those handy under a dollar fillers we tend to get when we are in a rush.
So, at this time I don't think I will continue this post until I can figure out a proper way to simulate the situations. I will continue to honor and bring recognition to the orphans of Uganda, from all over the world for that matter, in a better way that is of service to them.
Peace and Blessings
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn
Romans 12:15 (NIV)
Most people who live in rural Uganda live on an average of $2 a day. I want to experience this. How can I truly empathize with such a situation if I have never experienced what it is like? I have heard of other people doing something similar to my upcoming commitment to living on just $1 a day, as the people in Sierra Leon must do.
I want to understand the struggle. I want to feel the pain, actually feel what it is like. Most people will trust and open up to a person who has dealt with similar situations, they can build a foundation of trust in each other by bonding over the circumstances they both endured.
By no means have I lived a privileged life, it has been anything but privileged. For a period of about six months or so give or take, I lived in the backyard of my paternal grandparents house in a tent that was shared by myself, my younger brother, and my father.
We ate a ton of powdered eggs and fried potatoes because it would go farther and was cheap to supply. It didn't taste that great, but we were fed. That is a luxury most rural Ugandans just don't have.
The people of Uganda don't even have that as a comfort, they are forced by their economic situation to sit by and watch as their children cry in pains of hunger, slowly deteriorating in health while they have nothing to give them for nourishment. Mothers glean from garbage cans searching for something edible to put on the table for her precious starving babies.
How can I say I understand their pain, when I have never endured a pain like that? That is why I am challenging myself to 30 days of surviving on $1 dollar a day. I want to gain a better understanding of how it feels to live on such incredibly minimal means.
Having children at home with me, this will be a struggle, as I will still be cooking and feeding them regular meals. Temptations will arise on a daily basis. My food however will consist of whatever I can get to sustain me for the day within the limits of one dollar. I will spend only one dollar a day, getting my food on a daily basis. I will only drink water, as the Ugandans would not have the luxury of soda would they?
I do understand and fully empathize with bad water situations, as the place where I live we are not permitted to drink the water since after testing it was found to contain dangerous amounts of arsenic. So, we already must get water from another source, which happens to be a friends house. Thanks Bill!
I will continuously post on my blog about how the change in eating habits affect me, and report what those changes effect in my day to day life. I will post as well my food journal to share what a person who lives off of one dollar a day is able to eat, If they are able to eat at all. I will also create a video journal on Youtube and post the links on here
I am hoping for this to be a good learning experience for myself. Give myself opportunity to lean on God as well, and make him my daily portion. See what he wants me to learn from this. See where he takes me as I find out what it is like to live without ample means for food. I hope to understand more fully the ways that malnutrition effects these families in Uganda. The pain they endure. My commitment starts today, I hope you come back and share this journey with me.
Day One:
I am only four hours into this, and I am regretting the thought of the challenge. I have already gone through all my typical behaviors when I attempt to give something up, whether it has been food, clothes, cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. I always end up sitting there with my my spinning for a good reason to back out. A good way to excuse myself from the commitment. I was telling myself this is dumb. Who cares if I eat on a dollar a day for a month or not. Nobody will care if I back out or just never mention it on my blog again or not.
God cares. I quickly realized this is more than the food.
These are all excuses, rationalizations, minimization, you name it, I claim it here. This is about more than me, this is about faith. Can I really have the faith I claim to have gained in our Savior Jesus Christ? Do I really trust him? Will I be willing to open my eyes and my heart to what he is trying to share with me.
The Lord is calling me to this for some reason I am not sure of, I want to train myself to trust in him alone for all my needs big or small. The good Lord has shown me so much Grace, so much love since I have opened my heart to him.
I know that with him I can make it through today without sneaking any of the dinner I must prepare for my family. (Which looks amazingly delicious tonight) I choose not to see how yummy and tempting it looks. I choose against the serpent calling me away from my commitment. I will be unlike Eve and turn down my wonderful looking fruit.
I want to learn to let the Lord sustain me, so I humbly appeal to him please hear my prayer tonight.
Father God,
Thank you Father for all you do in my life every single day. With you the skies are bluer, the grass is greener, I see everything Father through just such different eyes. I love every minute I get to spend with you, just feeling so sheltered and empowered by your love.
Father, it is you that gives me the courage to write this blog. I am so weak Father. I am still stumbling my way through my walk with you. I am still gaining the confidence to let it all go Father. I know you are calling me to do it. You know that I am holding back, you know me down to my very soul.
Cover me in the knowledge to let go of my weaknesses and relax in your strength. Help me father to fully be confident in you and your grace.
Help me to see Father what you want to show me in this challenge, and keep me honest, and devoted to your word. Thank you Father for being there for me always, even when I don't come to you, you are always there waiting.
Amen
Food:
I bought just under a pound of oatmeal today for exactly one dollar. That will get me through for a few
meals! Looking good here so far :)
Starting Weight 154 lbs.
Day Two:
I have only been into this for 24 hours, and honestly it is a lot harder than I had thought. The oatmeal was terrible, no sugar, butter or milk. Hadn't anticipated that. God is with me through this he is my sustenance, he is my portion, he will help me endure.
Day Three:
Honestly just a bad personal day today. Struggles between the world and my faith are hard to cope with right now. So, with that said haven't much felt the need for food today, or given it much thought. I just need to focus on him who loves me and strengthens me.
Day Four:
Today I realize that in America this is not a challenge that will really compare to the lives lived in these developing third world countries. I have at my disposal many options for a dollar a day. They may not be healthy, or tasty all the time but I could get the nutrition sufficient for survival easily on a dollar a day in my particular living situation. I am at a loss as to how to make it a comparable environment at this time as well. In third world situations there is no supermarket on the corner selling corndogs, burritos, jojos. All those handy under a dollar fillers we tend to get when we are in a rush.
So, at this time I don't think I will continue this post until I can figure out a proper way to simulate the situations. I will continue to honor and bring recognition to the orphans of Uganda, from all over the world for that matter, in a better way that is of service to them.
Peace and Blessings
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn
Romans 12:15 (NIV)
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