Simplicity

     Simplicity… it’s one of the pillars of the mission here at the Farm; more than that though it is the way of life. On many levels life here is very simple, in other ways we have a very long way to go. Here a few of the thoughts I had a few nights back as I jotted things down in my journal.

… So I’m sitting here on my bed that’s crammed into a room (measuring approximately 10x10) with 2 other beds bunked. My roommates and I share two 3 ft. high shelves and a night stand. The cement floor and faded yellow mortar walks would make any typical American think the life we have here is not only rustic, and simple but a huge downgrade.

      Even when I did live on my own in the states I found myself downgrading from a 1 ½ bedroom apartment w/bathroom, kitchen & living space to a basement where the “kitchen” was a bar and all appliances were plugged in. I had a “small” bedroom (nearly double the size of the one I sit in now) and a small bathroom with HOT water and even a fan that further heated the air for days when you just had to escape a Minnesota winter.

     That of course now seems ridiculous as I sit in a constant bath of humid air and can’t wait to take a cold shower. Cold being our only option, that is if we have running water at all. The back up option is the 20+ gallon bucket of stored rain water which has sat for days or weeks accumulating who knows what sorts of bacteria, bugs, and droppings of passing critters. Thankfully the one time we had to use that it had just rained so it at least seemed a little cleaner.

     I digress back to my 3^rd and final move before leaving the states. Forced out of my basement apartment I was graciously given an upstairs bedroom to rent in the house of a 93 year old man along with one of my friends. I knew then that move was preparing me for my move here. There was no internet unless I went to work or the library. Here the nearest internet (we can access) is a neighboring resort about a 10 minute walk down the beach or driving 20 minutes into town (if the rivers haven’t flooded the roads).

     This may all sound like life is really difficult, but so far it all really makes life a lot easier or at least simpler. Granted there will probably be days when all I want is to sit on a comfy couch, curl up in front of a fireplace as the snow falls outside and do nothing but mindlessly watch “Regis & Kelly” or technically “Kelly” and whoever they hired after I left the country. For now though I am embracing simplicity and enjoying the constant rumble of the Caribbean crashing ashore.

      The impetus for this stream of thought is an article I began reading the most recent “TIME” magazine (mailed to us as a birthday present for Kevin K.). The article entitled, “The Case for Optimism” by Bill Clinton state a statistic I’ve also recently read in the book “Enrique’s Journey”. That statistic states, “Half the world’s people live on less than $2 a day and a billion on less than $1 a day”. That statistic coupled with the reoccurring message in various religious texts of you cannot truly know the poor without being poor is really making me think about the great wealth we still are surrounded by as missionaries here at The Farm.

     We have 3 meals a day and often have enough for seconds. This is something I need to try pawning off more on the guys since they all tend to lose weight while here and the women tend to gain weight. Mostly this is because our diet is very heavy on starches and low on protein.

     We all have more than enough clothing even if we tire of the options. We all have beds and don’t have to share. While at times the mattresses may leave one dreaming of sleep numbers we have no right to complain. I’m told in past years that missionaries have given up their mattresses and slept on just the wooden slats. I don’t know yet that God is calling me to that, but he may be working on it.

     We even have the comfort of security which many families here don’t. We have a chain link fence with barbed wire and 24 hour security guards. We have an enormous community of support both right within the missionary house, but also the surrounding community and of course everyone back home.

     Returning to the idea that so many in this world live on $2 or less per day makes me really question how much we live on daily here per person. While it may not be a change everyone is called to I hope to at least be much more conscious of what and how I spend the “small” amount of money I am blessed with through donations.