Wednesday February 16, 2011
2011 A-Dollar-A-Day-Challenge
I woke up this morning remembering the challenge I gave to the girls at the orphanage from the night before… Say a prayer before your feet hit the floor. To be perfectly honest I could have gone 3 more days before having the slightest desire for my feet to hit the floor. My feet were so sore I didn’t even want to wiggle my toes. I thought to myself, “maybe we should start this assessment from the top.” As I attempted to wiggle my fingers instead, I actually thought I had become an 80-year-old woman overnight. My joints in my fingers felt numb and tight. It didn’t get any better as I accessed the pain in my neck, shoulders, back, and legs. This Kenyan livin was kickin my tail. Never mind my nasty breath, slimy teeth, dirty feet, and stinky armpits. I was a mess. I considered walking to the corner shop to see if they sold toothbrushes, or deodorant, but even if they did, I didn’t have enough money to purchase them. My daily allowance today needed to go for 10 ksh worth of kerosene because we ran out of light last night. If I really wanted a toothbrush, I would have to save for at least 3 weeks. One week to save enough money to get to town, one week to buy the toothbrush, and another week to have enough to get back from town. I’m not sure it’s worth it. Instead, I will just use my pen lid to pick my teeth and some thread from sewing buttonholes as my floss. I’ve definitely learned to be resourceful. So my feet did finally hit the floor and I found the strength deep inside to ask the Lord to guide me throughout the day. (This is often a prayer of the kids living at Tumaini) The morning routine has become bathroom, then tea, and then washing clothes… so I proceeded. After tea (with sugar… awesome and worthwhile purchase) we realized we did not have enough water for washing so we headed to the spring. It didn’t seem quite as bad today even though my muscles were aching. I think I was so excited to take a bath after washing clothes that it motivated me to move quickly. The bath was nice although the place for bathing smelled like sewage, and the water was as cold as ice. After bathing, we took a break for some journaling and then off again to the lunch reading program with the kids. I must say the lack of nutrients is starting to take its toll. My body feels lethargic and my mind cloudy. It’s becoming more difficult to process the thoughts associated with poverty because it is taking every ounce of my energy just to survive it. I’m beyond hungry… just numb and tired. As soon as I do eat, my stomach growls for more. The high concentration of starchy carbs leaves my stomach heavy but my palette unsatisfied. It’s like finishing a dinner and being full yet having a craving for something more. Now imagine tasting this and that until something hits the spot. It may take several try’s to find the right food, you are already full but that right food is SO satisfying. Now imagine that craving and not having a single option to satisfy it. That’s the reality for those living on $1 a day. There’s no such thing as options, it’s all about survival. Today we’ve had to be very careful. We are weak and I’ve been dizzy many times today. It’s hard to finish thoughts and some thoughts keep repeating themselves. After lunch we walked a short distance to buy our kerosene and now I find myself trying to catch you up to speed along this path I walk… I may not have the words right now but let me assure you, it’s a DIFFICULT journey.
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