Here’s what Tearfund have to say about it:

The Carbon Fast provides  daily actions and prayers for Lent to help you and your church protect poor people from the changing climate and care for God’s good creation.

This year we’re excited that the Carbon Fast has gone global, with churches in Australia, the Netherlands, Brazil, the United States and many more joining in!

Look out for the weekly actions and reflections, each based on a different theme, to get a flavour of how the Carbon Fast is happening around the world and to help you along too.

Our day-to-day lives may not be impacted severely by the changing climate – yet.

But what about people who struggle to feed their families or find a home that won’t get washed away, or who can’t work because the fields have been destroyed by droughts and storms?

And here in the UK, as many people struggle with heating bills we can see how even predictable weather can push us to the edge.

It’s our job to bring hope.

What cost do our energy-intensive lifestyles have…on us…on poor communities…on God’s creation?

Join us in the Carbon Fast this Lent to respond to this challenge, remembering how God has called us to respect and look after his good creation and to protect poor people who we know are suffering the most.

For more details about this campaign, and other Tearfund campaigns, follow this link: http://www.tearfund.org/en/get_involved/campaign/

Will you join me?

Peace Out!

This challenge has been a CHALLENGE!!! I shall never eat rice in the same way (next time it will be with an Indian I will think of others differently and I hope and pray I will think of my own diet differently. Chris and I have learnt a lot of lessons since starting our business about what we ‘have’. We are so blessed to have a supportive family who have bailed us out when we literally couldn’t afford to eat. Who does that for others that don’t have that support? Or who’s family want to give them everything but can’t? One lot who are part of this are Tearfund. The whole starting point of this challenge began with them and their hard work. They are trying to get people to see for themselves what poverty does to people. What they have to face. Dave and I haven’t even scratched the surface. I encourage you, who feel compelled, to try this challenge. It has changed me and I truly hope it changes you.

When I press the send button on this blog the challenge is off for me on medical advise and I shall celebrate with a muffin! For we are lucky to have them and I would love to give one to everyone else who feels as hungry as me tonight.

Thank you for your support.

Here’s Dave’s last day (by the way I was honest too just we had different things to say)

Day 5, the end is in sight!

Well, it’s nearly over.
Rice and butter beans are cooking on the hob, my last “meal” of the challenge.
Had porridge and rice/red kidney beans today, boring

So what have I learned this week:-
Obviously when I’m hungry, I go into self-preservation mode and can’t think about anyone else!
Eating for enjoyment is much more fun than eating to survive.
I could easily eat half of what I normally eat and be perfectly (more?) healthy.
Hot water doesn’t taste like coffee.

All in all, it’s not had the effect on me that I, or Tearfund, had hoped for but I’ve tried to be honest and not put a spin on it just for print.
Many others will be going through the challenge at the end of the month and I’m sure that we will see a whole spectrum of experiences. I look forward to reading about them, maybe then I’ll be able to look back on this week and empathise with them and the millions of people who live like this every day.
Until then though…………..bring on the cake!!

Dave

I have had a lot of interesting conversations today and I have thought a lot about how we use food to abuse our bodies. Anorexia, bulimia, addition, comfort eating, starvation and the list goes on. Our access to food seems to control us in a way that we end up using food to ‘feed’ our own problems. That may be too much or too little but I have found it interesting that while others starve with no other choice we have an opt in opt out approach to our diets.

So far on this journey I have been pretty consumed by what others think but today I really took time to reflect on how I felt about it. It has been something that (weirdly) I have really enjoyed. It has opened my eyes up to poverty and to far more issues than just  ‘rice and beans’. It hasn’t been about just depriving my food intake but has made me open my eyes to more than that.

I hope for some of you the work of Tearfund has had an impact on you and what they do. My most favourite thing about them is that they equip people to change their own lives not just to give a ‘quick fix’ in times of desperation. I encourage you to read more about them and learn more about what they do and how you could support them at www.tearfund.org.

Here’s Dave’s day:

This afternoon I ended up in Asda for a few thing for work. I was awed by the choice. Just for rice there is a whole aisle! I have never noticed that before. (see facebook photo) I began to notice more:
A child screaming wanting what it wasn’t allowed. A lady looking at several bags of potatoes before making a choice. Another lady picks up a pineapple and goes back for one more. Buy one get one free. Three for Two. A crowd round the reduced section. Even as I get served I asked the guy how his day had been “crazy” he said ” Why I got myself 3 jobs I will never know.” I looked at him and responded “You are lucky then. Some people have none” (Poor man)
What was supposed to be a quick trip to the shops messed with my head.

This 5 days was just meant to be something to do to support Tearfund. It is already, for me, becoming way more than that. By this point you are probably desperate to know more about Tearfund and how you can support them right? Well please go to their website at http://www.tearfund.org/ and ‘See for Yourself’ what they do.

Hungry? Oh yes. I am so thankful for Dave doing this too otherwise I may have not managed But we are two days down. My plan for this evening is to go to sleep as soon as possible to pass the time until breakfast! I will leave you with Dave’s comments….

Day 2 and the novelty’s wearing off quickly!

Spent last evening / night / this morning with a thumping headache. Whether it’s hunger or spreading from the toothache I’ve got I couldn’t be sure but it hurt all the same!

Being basically very lazy, I thought I’d just go to work this morning and sort something out (we have a big canteen).
Breakfast – 1 scoop of porridge into a take-away tub that would hold probably 4 scoops, yummy!
Lunch – had a good scout around but couldn’t find anything that I could call suitably bland and uninteresting, that’ll teach me to be lazy!
Dinner – 60g brown rice (too lazy to soak any beans last night)

Lesson learned today…. be better prepared tomorrow or at least get more porridge and save half for lunchtime! I’ve already got some portions of beans soaking ready for tomorrow, might cook them tonight and take to work in a very small Tupperware container.

Things I’ve noticed today -
Everyone around me seems to be constantly gorging themselves on fruit, crisps, chocolate and cake!
It doesn’t matter how hard I think, I can’t make hot water taste like coffee!
It’s very difficult to think about anything but food when your hungry.
I’m glad I’ve got an office job and I’m not expected to put in a day’s hard manual graft on those portions.
Disappointingly, I’ve not spent much time thinking about starving people around the globe, I’ve been too busy thinking about the starving office worker in Dyce!

Never mind, this time tomorrow we’ll be more than half-way through!

So far the biggest thing for me has been other people’s reactions to this challenge.  I spoke a little in church this morning about it (In a very tongue tied, probably un-informative way!) and some comments afterwards really surprised me. For me this is all about sacrifice. Today I have already thought about those who live this way, prayed for them and prayed for the work of tearfund more than I probably ever have in one day. For me this is a big deal. I want to be the type of person who is compassionate and who is generous and who is thoughtful and caring. I realise I won’t achieve all of this in 5 days of a challenge but if I even come closer that is good enough for me.

I have realised a lot about myself just in today, how much I nibble on things for no other reason than just because. How much I LOVE fruit and seem to ‘need’ it as part of my day. That with the power of the brain you can make a hot cup of water taste like tea!! I am sure this week will hold a lot more lessons for me, less shallow than these.

So I will leave you now with Dave’s take on the day and will speak to you all tomorrow!

Linda

We’ve started then!
Day one and I’ve survived so far.
First some good news – I went to Asda today and stocked up on rice and beans – brown rice, red kidney beans, butter beans and black-eyed beans – total price for my week’s food £4.75…..result!

So what have I had to eat today?
Breakfast 30g porridge, made with water, no salt.
Lunch 60g brown rice.
Dinner 30g brown rice, 30g butter beans
The back of the rice packet suggests 75g as a single serving accompaniment to a main course so to have 60g as the only food on a plate made it look just a little lost!

Already missing not having any coffee, Diet Coke or chewing gum

Am I hungry? of course I am, but that’s the whole point though. I’m not on a diet, I’m trying to experience what it’s like to have just enough food to keep you going. I do recognise that at any time I can raid the cupboard / fridge / freezer or phone up and get a takeaway delivered, millions of people don’t have that option open to them.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
Dave

Starting tomorrow myself and our friend Dave will begin the Tearfund rice and beans challenge.  The basics of this is to bring more awareness to ourselves about those who are going through severe poverty. To relate to them about how they eat, how they possibly feel when hungry, to of course pray for them and to donate any money we would of spent on groceries to the charity of Tearfund.

Chris was hoping to do this challenge also but due to a throat infection he is unable to take part at this stage but will hopefully we doing it in the near future.

I have to say as the day draws closer I am apprehensive about beginning this challenge.  I have treated tonight as if it was my last supper! This probably defeats the point on lots of levels but I am hoping to give this a go and see if I can do it.  I make no promises however. If it turns out I am a mere weakling and need my food too much then shame on me but I guess we will find out…..

Dave will be contributing to these blogs also. I encourage you to follow the blog posts, to pray for us (!) and to try and support us if you either see or hear from us over this next week.

Here’s to the challenge!

Holy Trinity Cathedral - as most Cathedrals are, is an impressive building. We never went inside (or up the tower as I like to do). But it does give an impressive welcome to the compound as you enter the gate and look up the avenue towards it.

The Bishops Residence - another beautiful building. A warm welcome inside too. There are diocesan offices in the house as well as the Bishop and family. It transpired that I already knew the Bishops daughter and son-in-law from the conference in Nepal last year!

Rev Fiona Gardner, Bishop Saddiq Daniel, Sandy Sneddon and Chris Hoskins

Suniya and Serena-Zoe James - Suniya is one of the friends I made at the SACYN conference in MAY 2010, she also attended the Church of Scotland National Youth Assembly last September.

Bishop Danie took us on a tour of the compound - showing us the various buildings and resources in the compound

IBTIDA means “New Start” and the project works with people who have abused and become addicted to drugs attempts to give the clients just that – a new start in their lives.

Through a process of cold turkey, prayer and counselling, support over a period of several months, 40%-45% of the people who come to IBTIDA stay clean or reduce their dependency to less harmful substances.

Just across the wall from the Bishops Residence lies Trinity Girls School. The Principal, Mrs Irene Pearl, took great pride in telling us about the school and showing us around.

The girls in the school were delighted to see Fiona. In no time at all she was surrounded by a massive throng of pupils, all wanting to say hello and shake her hand.

As with everywhere else in Pakistan, the kids were wonderfully curious!

Instead of playground footie, they were playing playground cricket here! A chair instead of wickets!

We visited the Seminary in the Holy Trinity Compound, it has limited resources and a small staff, but its dedicated

Peace Out!

Leaving before the sun had risen fully, the road was dusty and full of early traveller's. It was during this drive that it occurred to me how beautiful, yet broken, the nation of Pakistan is.

Not that long ago, the flood waters that lie either side of this road covered the road.

When we arrived at the village where the Church of Scotland helps to sponsor a Basic Health Unit (BHU) we were greeted by the men of the village. These men were keen to impress upon us how little help and aid they had received. They were also keen to impress upon us how much the BHU had helped the community.

After meeting with the men of the village, we met with the women and children. They expressed the same concerns and gratitude as the men. They were a beautifully colourful group.

The children of the village we delightfully curious. Especially with regards to our cameras and flashes.

Despite the beauty of the people and their clothes, the sadness, the desperation, the brokenness was evident in their eyes.

After visiting the village of Bchaya Jogo, we returned to Thatta where we visited a Construction Training Program run by Church World Service (CWS) for young men from the area.

The training program runs for young men from the area who have no alternate employment and whose families have been affected by recent flooding in the area.

At the project, the men are taught plumbing, electrical, woodwork, building and metalwork.

The skills the men learn here will qualify them for paid employment, as well as given them the skills to repair and strengthen their homes in Sindh.

Peace Out

“When clouds veil sun
And disaster comes
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
When waters rise
And hope takes flight
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul

Ever faithful
Ever true
You I know
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go

When clouds brought rain
And disaster came
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
When waters rose
And hope had flown
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul

Oh, my soul
Overflows
Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, my soul
Fills hope
Perfect love that never lets go

Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, what love, oh, what love
In joy and pain
In sun and rain
You’re the same
Oh, You never let go”

By the David Crowder Band, youtube clip embedded below:

Beauty for brokenness, hope for despair,

Lord, in your suffering world this is our prayer.

Bread for the children, justice, joy, peace,

sunrise to sunset, your kingdom increase!

God of the poor, friend of the weak,

give us compassion we pray.

melt our cold hearts, let tears fall like rain;

come, change our love from a spark to a flame.

Shelter for fragile lives, cures for their ills,

work for the craftsman, trade for their skills;

land for the dispossessed, rights for the weak,

voices to plead the cause of those who can’t speak.

Refuge from cruel wars, havens from fear,

cities for sanctuary, freedoms to share.

Peace to the killing fields, scorched earth to green,

Christ for the bitterness, his cross for the pain.

Rest for the ravaged earth, oceans and streams

plundered and poisoned — our future, our dreams.

Lord, end our madness, carelessness, greed;

make us content with the things that we need.

Lighten our darkness, breathe on this flame

until your justice burns brightly again;

until the nations learn of your ways,

seek your salvation and bring you their praise.

(God of the poor, friend of the weak: Graham Kendrick)