Meager March

Tomorrow begins Meager March for some of us. You might remember me blogging about Jovial January, well this is another idea brought to you by our great Shiyan friends. (There was a Festive February but I didn't participate in that one.) Check out Angelyn's blog for more info, but the basic gist is this: Angelyn came across an article that said the amount a person could live on in China is 169 RMB (about $23) per month. So if a person only makes 100 RMB the government would supply the remaining 69 RMB they need to live on. That a person could, or be expected to, live on this amount of money was shocking to many of us! So in an effort to be mindful of the least of these, and to reduce and simplify waste in our own lives, we're embracing Meager March. Some people are sticking strictly to the 169 RMB budget, while others are making modifications and goals to reduce spending and increase giving in other ways. Because we have apartments with electricity, water, gas, etc all paid for, it's a little difficult to figure out how to work with the 169 RMB budget. We have free internet, free TV. Also we're here with relationship-building Work in mind and don't want to neglect that in any way.

So here is what Meager March will look like for me:
-I will reduce my personal Internet time to 15 min a day. I know I waste an exorbitant amount of time on the computer, but some types of communication are necessary for teaching. And our families wouldn't like it too much if we cut things out all together. I have a feeling this will leave me open to an abundance of time...
But if I were living in poverty, I think Internet would be the last thing on my mind.
-I will buy my vegetables and fruits from a local person in the markets instead of buying from a big supermarket like I usually do (prepackaged and priced). This way I know that money is going to a person that needs it, and even though I'll be overcharged because I'm a foreigner I think it will still be cheaper than buying in a large store.
-I will only take the bus or walk for the month of March. It only costs 1 RMB (2 RMB round trip) to go into town by bus compared to 8 RMB for a taxi. This will take more time since we'll have to walk more places, but time shouldn't be a problem (see #1).
-I will be more mindful of conserving resources, for example, making sure lights are out, turning off my computer when I'm not using it, and only using heat when I really need it. Thankfully it's getting warmer. Also conserving water by taking shorter showers (as it gets warmer, turning off shower until you have to rinse) and washing clothes only when they're really dirty.
-I will spend time in prayer alone, or with others, each day remembering the least of these and ways that I can give of my time and resources to show His love.

We're looking for a praying about ways we can use the money we save in a productive way here. So pray for those opportunities for us too. Also, check out Daniel and Amanda's blog. They were interviewed on Oprah recently where they had the opportunity to talk about dumpster diving and other ways they're trying to follow Christ in living with less and giving to others.

I'm so thankful to have friends from all over challenging each other to live as He called us to. What is Meager March for you?