What inspired us to do this?

A commenter on our first post asked, "What inspired us to do this?".  So, I thought that would be a good thing to explain a little bit more in detail.

The first time we did it we were challenged by a coworker of mine. He wanted to experience a glimpse of the type of hunger that over a billion people in our world do everyday.  At first we were shocked by what he was willing to do, but the more we thought about it, it seemed like a good way to figure out what it means to have just enough.

That was about 2 years ago, and we ate for $1-a-day for an entire month.  The most challenging part of it was probably the first week or so.  We were so used to eating whenever we wanted to, and that's not an option when you have so little.  (Plus, when your snack is the same thing you're having for dinner, it's not really that fun).  So, that first week or so, we felt what I call a true hunger.  As our bodies adjusted, that hunger wasn't quite as intense.  I think the most poignant part of that month was thinking about when we go out and spend $60, or more, for a "special" meal, and realizing we just spent that same amount to feed ourselves for an entire month.

That experience changed our eating/dining out habits for a while afterward.  Unfortunately, we eventually slipped back into the convenience/comfort of eating whatever we want to and whenever we want to.  Every once in a while we'd talk about doing it again, as a way to refocus ourselves.  It was just too easy to stay comfortable though.

So, when our church decided to go on this mission trip to Honduras, we thought this would be a great opportunity to do the $1 a day again.  That way we can focus on what it's like to live in a country like Honduras, where about 30% of the people live on $1 a day.  In a strange way, we're looking forward to the experience.