SUGARCREEK, Ohio (Mennonite Mission Network) – This Lenten season, the Service Adventure Albuquerque unit is going back to basics. Emptying themselves to be filled by Jesus.
In their weekly learning component, participants in the Albuquerque Service Adventure unit were challenged to make one small change to live simply, and make that a life-long difference. The challenge came from Chuck Hosking, a member of Albuquerque Mennonite Church, who chooses to live without heat, electronics, and very little running water. He lives on less than $9 a day.
“[These small changes] might not change the world, but it changes your perspective of the world, which is the first step in changing the world," said Hannah Hunsberger, a participant from Mifflintown, Pennsylvania.
In response to Hosking’s model, the all-female Albuquerque unit accepted one simple living challenge for every week of Lent, six in total.
Week one: Lights out after 8 p.m. “The idea was that we’d get a lot done before 8, and then after 8 would just be relaxing and calm. That was not the case,” said Sharayah Williams, the Albuquerque Service Adventure leader.
“Being in the dark was usually annoying, occasionally scary,” said Hunsberger. “Most of all it brought some serious awareness. Awareness of how privileged I am, of how many things I can find to occupy my time, and how much having light really does affect my life.”
Week two: Use less water. The Service Adventure participants shortened their showers, and dirty water that was used to wash hands or dishes was caught in a large tub and used to water the dry, desert landscape. An empty half-gallon milk carton could also be placed into each toilet tank. The displaced water causes the toilet to use less water to flush.
Week three: Speak simply. For this challenge, each participant set their own parameters of what it meant for them to speak simply. For some, this included no lying or half-truths, no exaggerating, no sarcasm, and using a tone of kindness instead of being rude to others.
"There were times when it felt difficult … but we made our focus on being honest with each other. We don’t want to hurt each other, but we all want to hear the truth," said Rachel Karis, a participant from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Week four: Eat simply. World staples, like rice, beans, lentils and corn, formed the base for each meal, and no more than five ingredients were used. “We also worked to be more conscious of how we eat,” said Williams. “Spending as much time enjoying the food as eating it.”
Week five: Walk, bike or bus. This challenge was easier for two of the four participants whose service placements are near a bus route or a bike-able road. But Williams and Marielene Klumpp, a participant from Gaimersheim, Germany, were hard pressed to find public transportation to and from their service placements.
“This really opened my eyes to the people of our neighborhood who must make travel decisions based on the bus schedule,” said Williams. “I know there are many whose whole schedule becomes filled with the walk to and from the bus stop, time waiting for the bus to arrive, adding hours to what, for us, is a simple trip to the grocery store or doctor’s office.”
Week six: No screen time. All I-pods, computers, laptops, cell phones, and TVs will be shut off, except for what was truly necessary at work or if there was an emergency and a cell phone was needed. “It was a shocker when they realized that no screens meant they couldn’t press play on the cell phone music player!” Williams said.
While the sixth challenge is yet to be completed, participants are already anticipating and planning what they will do to fill their time. The girls in the unit house are looking forward to journaling, making art, practicing guitar, and hiking. Although they admitted that the kitchen will also need cleaned.
Reflecting on the challenges, Hunsberger was struck by how humans adapt so easily. “Our ability to adapt to our surroundings and to the challenges that come is an amazing gift. How many of our adaptions have made us grow apart from God’s original purpose?”
The six-week challenge “is getting us to think about what we usually fill our time with and what we want to fill it up with instead,” said Williams. During their weekly Bible studies, the Service Adventure unit focused on the Lenten devotionals offered by Albuquerque Mennonite Church.
Combining the devotionals with the simple living challenges, Hunsberger was reminded that "God’s not just in the big things; he’s in the simple, small things, too … our day-to-day lives, how we’re living, which is so easy to lose track of."
The Albuquerque Service Adventure unit isn’t the only service unit to participate in a Lenten challenge. Units in Albany, Oregon; Anchorage, Alaska; and Johnstown, Pennsylvania are committed to fast for a period of time in order to see God more clearly through Bible studies, community, and church members.
