Becoming what I preach

"How did I get this strong sense of value for sustainability and local work?" I asked my husband recently. We've been purposefully redirecting our life in various ways toward locally-sourced products and becoming more self-sufficient. I certainly wasn't raised that way. In a conversation a few months ago my mother didn't understand why I didn't want to just go to Walmart or Amazon to quickly get what I needed, instead of spending time considering where my options came from and the whole supply chain that produces them.

"Your mission work," he replied.

He's right. Serving with SIM made me more aware of the exploitation that goes on all over the world and want to do better. But even more profoundly was the fact that TEN3 has had to emphasize everywhere we work with people who want to start an education center, "You have to make it locally sustainable. We don't have money to give you. We can get you some used equipment to get you started, but no more than that. And your center will be better for it. It will be yours to direct how you want, how you feel God leading without being privy to a benefactor's priorities. You will understand how to use the hardware and software so much better when you learn to use free stuff and have to put it all together yourself." Part of our ministry's vision overview explains how dependence on foreign money broke first the Christian base of education in Africa, and then broke the whole educational system.

So it only makes sense that from years of teaching that local sustainability is the best thing financially, environmentally, spiritually, and what will foster quality and longevity, it makes sense for that to be how I want to live my life too. It also certainly helps that my husband argues for it biblically. Not to say that isn't hard. I once came to my husband nearly crying and saying, "You buy the guest bedroom sheets. I can't do it! It's just too exhausting to try to find something affordable, ethically sourced, sold through a small business ... " My lesson from that was that some of the changes have to happen in small steps.

A big step, though, will be buying a house. We've been renting since we got married, but now are ready for our own place, and are praying for the right affordable house and land where we can make a comfortable, productive home. It's a bit of a challenge since this is a seller's market right now--it seems that the houses that aren't taken quickly, there is a reason for it! But, for all the ways I've questioned whether God has for us many successes and good things we hope for, I can be confident that God does have a place for us to live, and will make it clear where that is.