Morning 1 - Video

Here is what we had to say on the first morning of the Challenge in 2011...

Amanda's End of Day 1 Journal - 2011

Monday February 14, 2011

2011 A-Dollar-A-Day-Challenge

I woke up this morning around 6:30 ish and immediately my mind began to churn with thoughts about the coming day.  Any other day I would have reached for my phone to check the time, then probably rolled over to catch another hour of sleep.  But today there wasn’t a phone to grab.  I sat up and removed my mosquito net from around my bed and swung my legs around to touch my bare feet to the floor.  No flip-flops today.  I sat there for a moment, unsure of how to proceed.  I am such a routine girl; even here in Africa I go through the motions of morning grooming. You never really think of looking at yourself in a mirror as a luxury.  There was no deodorant to apply, no body spray, no tweezers, no lotion, no Q-tip, and no toothbrush.  I said to myself, “Okay, check… what next?” I guess I will put my clothes on and be on my way.  That wasn’t a hard process either with only one outfit to choose from.  It was time for the dreaded outdoor toilet… the one where I always seem to pee on my feet.  You would think being a country girl and all would help with this, but not so much. Returning from the toilet to the “western room” for the final time brought me into my present reality.  As I picked up my Nakumatt bag with all my belongings and closed the door behind me, I was determined to embrace this lifestyle.  I could already hear my tummy telling me that it preferred the PB & J sandwich. Instead I reached for all that was available… a tin cup of tea with milk… no sugar.  I drank slowly today, not because it was too hot, but because I knew it would have to last till lunch.  After morning tea we collected out 20-liter cans and headed barefoot to the spring.  I recall the pain on the bottoms of my tender feet as we walked the short 10-minute walk to the water.  When we arrived many others gathered to do their daily washing and fetching.  We fetched our 20 liters each and hiked back up to the dirt road from the spring below.  Many curious bystanders looked on as these 2 wazungu (white people) attempted to strap water to their backs. Let’s just say it was an epic failure.  Lacey opted to try carrying the water on her head, as did I.  Her arms were not quite long enough to hold it on her head so she had to switch to carrying it on her back again.  I was able to go the distance and even greet people along the way, but it was tough.  My neck and arms were exhausted but I must say that my feet were not so tender on the way home.  It’s amazing how quickly you mind shifts from one pain to another.  I couldn’t help but compare this revelation to the vicious cycle of poverty, where a greater pain relieves the lesser pain, until the pain becomes completely unbearable.  Then you just become numb, helpless, and hopeless.  So so sad.

As we were struggling to carry the water we really drew an audience of children and adults alike wondering what in the world these 2 white girls were doing trying to carry 20 liters of water a mile barefoot.  It actually made me sick when a kid looked at me and asked me to give him something because of the color of my skin. Here I am trying to understand the painful depths of poverty and now he wants a sweet that I don’t have.  Not that I ever gave sweets before, but now I couldn’t if I wanted to.  We finally made it back to Tumaini already exhausted and weak.  The greetings we received from the teachers encouraged me to keep going and they kept asking if we needed assistance.  We took the next few minutes to wash our clothes with our bar of soap and then journaled a bit before it was time to report to the school for the reading program.  My stomach was growling at me most of the morning, but we put off lunch until 2:30 pm. I was excited to have the ugali but quickly realized it wouldn’t make much of a difference.  It was nice to chew, but the foreknowledge that it would be a full 24 hours until I was given the opportunity to chew again was overwhelming.  It’s so hard to decide if you want to eat it fast or slow.  Fast is probably more filling but slow you get to “enjoy” it a bit more. After our late lunch we helped sort books and then went for a walk.  It felt like walking on sand paper.  With every step I was dreading the next hoping that my feet would eventually become numb to the pain… they didn’t.  When we arrived back at Tumaini around 4pm  (I know this because that’s the time the kids are dismissed from school and we had met some along the road) my feet were on fire and I couldn’t stand one more idol moment to think about my hunger.  My hands needed something to do.  I went to the orphanage and sewed buttonholes onto the uniforms.  For a moment I had forgotten about my humble circumstance.  I was busy and I liked it.  It made me think about all those people who walk around town trying to sell random things.  I’m sure they never aspired to sell junk on the side of the road.  My guess is that they are not even that interested in selling much at all.  I think it’s more likely that they just need something to do to forget about the hunger or the pain.  I’ve heard it said a million times by that guy just outside my matatu (taxi) window, “please I’m hungry… buy from me these things.”  Now I’m not so naive to think that all 100 guys that pitch me this line on any given day in the city are legit or that they don’t drink their earnings away on illegal homemade brew, but to some this is a true statement… they have no idea when they will have enough money for their next meal, so walking around town gives them something to do to ease the hunger and maybe just maybe earn them enough change for their next meal… now I am humbled.

Lacey's End of Day 1 Journal - 2011

February 14, 2011 - TMSC, Kenya

As I woke up on this Valentine’s Day morning, love was the last thing on my mind. We spent the night in the guest house and woke up with all of our things of comfort around us. I woke up with mixed emotions about the start of this challenge. We got up around 7:30 *not too sure of this as we have no way of telling time :/ * It's a strange feeling having a normal routine and not being allowed to follow it. Usually, I would wake up, check the time, and then fall back asleep for a little while longer. Not here. Our world has changed.

Before I even got out of bed I was hungry. That’s not exactly how I wanted to start the challenge - but it was a reality. We did our first video interview of how we felt as we were starting day 1 and the real reality set in...there is no turning back now. We came and greeted everyone before having our 2 cups of tea for breakfast. Oh, and we had our first outside potty experience of the challenge. We have decided that the only time that we’re allowed to wear shoes is when we use the bathroom. We’re only doing hat for sanitary purposes. It hit me hard that many people have to do this in their bare feet! The floors in these ‘stalls’ are covered in urine and who knows what else. This stall is also where we will be bathing. I almost dread the thought of being clean because it will mean that I will have to be in there for even just a few minutes. The smell is so awful in there. The ammonia fumes can burn your eyes and it often makes it hard to breathe.  I can’t imagine even feeling clean after a bath in there. But welcome to reality…

Fetching Water- After we drank our tea it was time to go and fetch water. We have to walk about a half a mile, round trip, to get water from a protected spring. We’re really lucky to have it so close as others have to walk very far or just drink from local, unclean streams. This was our first trip to the spring barefoot. You have to climb down a steep hill in order to reach the P.S. We got our water (in a 20 liter jug, each) and climbed back to the top to figure out how to carry it back. We each brought a lasso (a piece of fabric) with us to tie the jug on our backs. Amanda helped me get mine on my back but it was really hard bc there is a hole in the top of it…needless to say I got really wet! Amanda is a champ and just put it on her head bc we couldn’t get it on her back!  After about 20 feet, my water was splashing all down my back. I decided that it wasn’t a good way to carry it bc I was wasting way too much water. Amanda put it on my head for me bc I wasn’t strong enough to lift 20 liters of water that high. This also failed bc my arms weren’t long enough to hold the top of the heavy jug! I was pretty upset by it all and decided just to carry it :/ it was the longest ¼ mile ever! When we finally got home I just broke down. It was such a humbling experience that it brought me to tears. I was so humbled by the fact that I couldn’t do something that these people do multiple times per day. It definitely looks a lot easier than it really is! I have a much greater respect for these women and children after today!

Laundry- After fetching water we decided that we needed to do some laundry. I needed to wash my lasso bc it’s serving as my water jug carrier and my towel. We quickly realized that washing your clothes is difficult when you don’t have any detergent! We ended up using our bar of soap that we also use for bathing…hopefully we won’t run out!

Lunch- Praise the Lord for ugali (corn flour + water)!! I went into lunch more excited for ugali than I ever have been before. *Ugali is almost like grits w/out enough water* Although I knew that we wouldn’t get much, I knew that it was something. We discussed what would be best- eat slow or eat quick?  We wanted to make every bite count, so we opted for eating slow. It’s a really hard concept to grasp knowing that I won’t eat anything solid for another 23+ hours. So I ate that ugali as slow as I could to try to make it last as long as possible.  All that I could do was pray that it would be the least bit satisfying. We pretended that our last bites were our favorite kinds of food…it helped a little :/ I can’t imagine how people go so long w/out eating. I guess I’ll know a tiny bit of that when the week is over. I pray that God will give me the strength and motivation that I will need to get through this challenge!

Post Lunch Activities- After lunch we washed some books…sounds crazy, I know, but somehow kerosene was spilled onto some of the book that we use for our lunch reading program. We washed them off and then laid them in the sun to dry. I would have never even thought about appreciating a bookshelf as much as I do now. God is really showing me that I need to be more thankful for the ‘little’ things that I have been so blessed with. I pray that I will never forget how blessed I am and who it all comes from.

Amanda and I decided to go for a walk to sort of debrief our day so far. We still have no shoes and had to walk down a dirt road that was covered with tiny pebbles. Our feet were praying for the end! We went a different way than we usually walk and found that it was much worse! We talked about our feelings of day 1 and just took a break to clear our minds. It is so hard not to think about my stomach growling, but being active helps a lot. When we got back we had nothing to do but we didn’t want to just sit around. Violet (the social worker/house mom for the kids) told us that we could earn our keep by helping to sew buttonholes onto the kid's school uniforms. This kept our hands busy as well as keeping our minds off of our stomachs.

Dinner Time- After a full day of activities, it was time for ‘dinner.’ The only thing on the menu for us was 2 cups of tea, w/out sugar. We felt ok, but it would have been really nice to chew something! I didn’t realize how much satisfaction came with the simple act of chewing. We brought our tea to our room and began to enjoy our first meal in our new home.  We drank tea by the light of our small lamp…it was actually quite nice :) We also did our first home video diary. Pretty cool stuff came out of our thoughts on the day. We went over to the orphanage as usual and did a small devo w/ the girls. They are such a blessing to me! All in all it was a good first day of our ‘A-Dollar-A-Day’ Challenge. We’ll see what happens in the days to come!

Thoughts- So many things in only one short day have humbled me. I knew that this challenge would be hard but I had no idea of the real things that I would learn. I have always thought of myself as a strong person, but I now have seen that my definition of strong is a western one. We have no idea what it means to be strong. These people are stronger than I would have ever imagined. You think that their lives are so simple- and maybe they are, but they are hard. Their lives are hard. Going into this week I thought that I could carry 20 liters of water on my head, but I can’t. I thought that walking barefoot would be a piece of cake, but it’s not. I thought that I would learn a few things but go on living the same, but I won’t.

Day 1 Complete

End of Day 1 Videos

So as we start to close out Day 1 of our 2012 Challenge, we want to thank you for your continued prayers. As the day has gone on we have been reminded of the first day from last year. During the Challenge we will consume less than 500 calories per day. It's quite a drastic change from 'normal' life and it's pretty hard on our bodies. The pure lack of energy is remarkable...and it's all because of a lack of nutrition. As we say goodbye to Day 1 we ask that you would pray for the millions of people around the world to whom this is a reality - every day. They have no choice - but we do. We have the resources to be able to make an impact...even if only on 1 person. We all have the power to change a life. Tonight we ask you to be a part of the change. We know that not everyone can/will/or wants to go to Africa...but we know that everyone CAN help. We ask that you would consider partnering with us financially so that we can do the work to HELP these people. Go to our 'Get Involved - GIVE' page and help us make a difference. Every penny helps...

Here are our thoughts after our first full day of the 2011 Challenge...be sure to watch both videos!

Thank you for being a part of our journey and taking the time to invest in us!

Lacey's PRE Challenge Journal Entry - 2011

Here is Lacey's journal entry on the eve of the inaugural

 'A Dollar A Day Challenge' in 2011...

February 13, 2011

So it is the night before our ‘A-Dollar-A-Day’ Challenge begins. I have such mixed emotions as I sit here and contemplate the events of the upcoming week. I know that it is going to really be a challenge and I know that there is a lot that I am no where near ready for. As I sit here, this very moment, I am hungry…but I’m not really hungry. I have no idea what it really means to feel hunger. I believe that over the next, God is going to show us big things. I believe that He is going to show us what it means to truly rely on Him, for EVERY need.

All of this started a few weeks ago as Amanda and I were sitting on the rock outside of TMSC. I had let her borrow the book ‘Radical’ by David Platt earlier that week. Boy did it turn into something radical! She came up with the idea to actually try to live as the ‘least of these.’ We brainstormed some ideas and came up with our ‘A-Dollar-A-Day’ Challenge.  We have decided to live for 1 week on 80 Kenyan Shillings per day. That is the equivalent to 1 USD per day.

            We have all heard the staggering statistics about the millions of people who live on LESS than $1 per day but it never really changes anything. We go on as if ‘those people’ don’t even exist at all. Well, I now know that they do- their names are Gladys, Alfred, Mary, Martin and so many more. Sometimes if there is no name attached to it, it doesn’t seem to matter as much. Because of these people I will never be the same.

            Throughout my time here in Kenya, I have been convicted to live a much simpler lifestyle once I get home. I’m not saying that I’m going to take a vow of poverty, but I am definitely going to be more aware and responsible about where my money is going. Over the next week I will learn just how valuable each and every dollar really is.

            This journal will hold all of my thoughts, feelings, revelations and observations over the next week. It will also hold any thoughts about this challenge in the future. I pray that by living for one week among the ‘least of these’ that I will learn how to better serve them. I want to live according to the letters written in RED.

Amanda's PRE Challenge Journal Entry - 2011

Here is Amanda's journal entry on the eve of the inaugural 

'A Dollar A Day Challenge' in 2011...

Sunday  February 13, 2011

The Challenge

I sit here on the eve of a day that might likely change my life forever.  A few weeks ago I was sitting on the rock at Tumaini reading a book about the millions in the world living in absolute poverty.  I looked just beyond the pages and across the rugged dirt road into the yard of our neighbors.  They live in grass-thatched homes, a grandmother, aged and weathered by years of harsh living, takes care of her many grandchildren.  They were left behind in the wake of the AIDS crisis.  I saw sweet Songa running and playing in the yard, knowing his fate had already been decided by the mistakes of his parents.  I realized in an instant the reality I was living in as my eyes shifted their focus back to the pages before me.  I then began to think about all the comforts I still have within the walls of the Tumaini compound, even thought I live and serve among those in the third world.  Conviction overtook my soul and I knew that I could no longer watch poverty from across the street.  In some crazy way I needed to know what it felt like, smelled like… I needed to taste hunger.  So as the sun set behind the scene of poverty that night, God proposed a challenge to me.  Live a week on $1 a day.  I will show you hunger, I will show you pain.  I will show you what it means to want, and to your surprise I will show you what it means to have plenty.  Tomorrow begins a labor of love for my African neighbors and all those living in poverty around the world.  How fitting that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.  I’ve always wondered why we needed to set aside a day to celebrate those we love… shouldn’t we celebrate the love we have for each other every day?  This Valentine’s Day I am choosing to show my love to the world by becoming like the least of these.  It’s my prayer that this act of love will not just be a day of remembrance, but instead create awareness that one day might change the world.  This journal will document the thoughts and feelings of poverty.  As I pen these words in RED, may I be reminded of Christ’s love and servanthood… In Red Letters!

Original 'A Dollar A Day' Video - 2011

Here is a look back at our original 'A Dollar A Day Challenge' video. 

We hope you'll be blessed by it! 

What are you willing to sacrifice on behalf of the 'least of these'?  

Visit our 'Get Involved - GIVE!' page to see how you can get started!

A Look Back In Time...

For those of you that don't know anything about our 'A Dollar A Day Challenge' or you simply need a refresher- Here's a look back at what Amanda and I posted on our Facebook pages last February, 2011, while we were living in Kenya...

'I know that for some of you this post is quite random, but please check it out! We want to get the word out about what we're doing so that we can challenge people to help in the fight against extreme poverty in our world. Thanks for taking the time to read it. We hope you'll follow our journey and maybe even repost it so that others can get involved. We want to challenge our sphere of influence so that maybe you can challenge yours...

We look around everyday at Tumaini and see what seems to be an abundance of resources.  Fields of sugarcane, greens, and maize; water flowing from local streams. As American’s living at Tumaini Miles of Smiles Centre we never have to worry about where our food or water comes from.  When the well runs dry we just get in the car and head to the local grocery for some bottled water and our house helps (maids) prepare lunch and dinner for us daily.  Although we are infinitely thankful for our accommodations while in Kenya we desire to experience first hand what it’s like to live outside of the walls of our compound.  What is it really like to live in poverty? We’ve all heard the staggering statistics about the millions of people in the world living on less than a dollar a day.  We want to know what that really looks like, so that’s where our “A-Dollar-A-Day” Challenge comes in. 

Disclaimer...

Many of you may think highly of us already for giving up our cushy lifestyles in America. DON’T!!! Many of you may be saying better her than me, or I admire your willingness to give up so much to go. We’ve heard all of these things before, and don’t get us wrong, they are encouraging words. Yes we did quit our jobs and leave our homes and families behind, but the truth is we still have access to so much more than the people surrounding us.   That being said, we would also like to note that not everyone in our area lives on a dollar a day.  Some families are business owners, teachers, drivers, doctors, and lawyers. They are doing quite well for themselves even according to American standards.  Many others are middle class families who work hard to make ends meet.  They look much different than our middle class families, as they may only have 3 or 4 changes of clothes, no running water, and a bicycle instead of a car.  Nonetheless, these people are NOT living in poverty by Kenyan standards.  Another misconception is that a dollar goes much further in a third world country. Yes this may be true for some items such as avocados that go for about a nickel, but in most cases items are much more expensive.  An example of this is gasoline that goes for about six dollars per gallon. As you can see a dollar won’t get you very far.

Okay so back to the challenge.  In honor of our love for the nations, beginning the morning of February 14th and ending the evening of February 20th we have committed to live on 80 Kenyan shillings per day.  This is the equivalent of 1 US dollar.  We want to fully embrace the lifestyle of those who actually live on a dollar a day.  This means we will not be allowed any of the luxuries that currently surround us. This includes toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothbrush, or toothpaste.  It also includes electronic devices such as cell phones, computers, ipods, etc.  We will only have the clothes on our back, 1 other change of clothes, and we will be barefoot for the entire week. Finally, no flashlights or electricity, only oil filled lamps and candles.  Extreme you may say???? Tell that to the millions to whom this is a reality. 

We will be using our money to seek shelter, buy food, and of course tithe.  Check out our budget for details:

Amanda and Lacey’s A-Dollar-A-Day Challenge Budget:

Tithe

8 ksh- Daily Cost Per Person

(Ten percent of our income and this is the most important to us.)

1 Room Mud House

17 ksh- Daily Cost Per Person

 (Average cost 500 ksh/month) for this type of accommodation

1 Bar of Soap

4 ksh- Daily Cost Per Person

(One full bar = 48ksh we will cut in half for sanitary purposes)

1 Roll of Toilet Paper

2 ksh- Daily Cost Per Person

(This is not a necessity to others but it is to us… again for sanitary purposes)

Food

49 ksh- Daily Cost Per Person

(This amount will have to sustain us daily)

** Special Note:  We will be walking to the well or spring daily to fetch our water for drinking, bathing, and laundry, however we will be drinking bottled water during this time to prevent serious illness. 

We would love to share our journey with you and you better believe that we are going to need some serious prayer support. After our challenge we will be posting our journal entries as well as a video blog that will allow you to see both the physical and emotional struggles and obstacles associated with extreme poverty.   We are filled with mixed emotions as we enter this challenge and pray that it will enlighten us and challenge others to get involved in the fight against poverty in a tangible way… More details to come :) '

-Amanda and Lacey

Pics from the 2011 Challenge

Here are some pics that we took last year that give you a little look into our Challenge...

Check the hair, too - AMAZING :)

 Our only light source...recycled tin filled with kerosene and a rope wick...

 2 pairs of clothes, flip flops (for the bathroom - sanitary purposes...most don't have these), 1 bar of soap (for bathing and clothes washing), 1 basin (washing clothes and bathing), 1 lasso (piece of fabric for many purposes), 1 plastic bag (to hold our stuff), 1 journal + pen...and that's a lot compared to what most people have...

 This is what we're eating for this year's Challenge as well...2 cups of tea for breakfast, a handful of ugali (cornmean + water) for lunch, and 2 cups of tea for dinner...

The Challenge - 2012 Edition

Well, it's been almost a year since our inaugural 'A Dollar A Day Challenge' began...We had planned on getting our journal entries and videos up last year but it clearly didn't happen that way. God's timing is perfect, though. Last year we began the challenge on Valentine's Day and continued on for a week. This year we're starting on the Sunday before Valentine's Day and continuing through to the next Sunday. Though we won't be living in Kenya, we will face new challenges and obstacles as we navigate this Challenge in the 1st world. This year we're going to be fasting. Just like before, we'll only be consuming 2 cups of tea in the morning, a handful of ugali (cornmeal mush) for lunch, and 2 cups of tea in the evening. This year we're using the challenge as a fundraising opportunity for our future work in Kenya. Please visit the 'Get Involved - GIVE!' page on our homepage to see how you can help. We appreciate you all and ask that you continue to pray for us throughout this coming week. We're excited to see what challenges await and what God will teach us as we take on the 'A Dollar A Day Challenge' once again...