Asian Rural Institute Orientation

by Bob and Joyce Ray, Global Ministries Short-term Volunteers

We have been at ARI almost two weeks now. The buildings are new, sturdy and lovely to look at due to tremendous global support after the Great Tohoku Earthquake of 2011. The same ARI spirit of acceptance and love remains! Our re-introduction has been more relaxed because the participants and three staff members are away on a Western Japan Rural Study Tour. They are visiting organic farmers to learn additional farming techniques, so only remaining staff and volunteers have been running the farm. The participants are arriving Sunday night, and we are planning a welcome home party for them. We are eager to meet these dedicated people from South Asian, South East Asian and African countries!

 

There is so much work for a few people while the participants are away – feeding chickens, pigs and fish and cleaning their areas, harvesting vegetables (think cucumbers!), preparing meals, preparing materials for ARI’s upcoming 40^th anniversary and screening materials for the 2014 applicants. We have been blessed with Japanese young people from universities and student fellowships coming to volunteer for a week. One group invited us to a barbecue where we sang together and watched a fire dance! Now there are long term young volunteers from Germany, America, Malaysia, Korea and Japan. We’re in the name learning process, but working and planning together and listening to individual Morning Gathering presentations helps us become familiar quickly.

Due to regulations, we are not allowed to work in livestock areas until we have been in the country for two weeks. It’s been breakfast and supper kitchen duty for us. With from 16- 30 people to prepare meals for, the kitchen is a more relaxed place than it will be when 60-80 is the norm. The third week in September, we are expecting to be cooking for 150! Each meal we serve rice, soup, main course and a side dish or more. The produce, eggs and pork all come from our farm. At ARI we constantly think about our connection to the land and the food it produces for our bodies to use. We eat only what is in season, but it is all delicious, and the cooks are so creative. One day we had soybean falafel with fantastic cucumber yogurt sauce! Another night we enjoyed a traditional Malay cake with a rice base and a yogurt blueberry top layer. Tonight we are having a pork and fish barbecue, so I prepared good old American potato salad. I learned how to make mayonnaise for the first time!

 

During the weekdays, we both help in the office. Joyce is learning the process for managing the incoming travel documents of graduates returning for the 40^th anniversary in just two weeks. Profiles have to be written about their activities since graduation. Bob and Joyce are creating booklets with pages on each 2014 applicant. Staff will start the screening process this week.

 

The new couple’s room in the just completed men’s dorm is beautiful. It was lovingly prepared for us by JeenHae, complete with flowers and a tea set. There is a private shower and toilet area for our own use. Our balcony has the required clothes pole so laundry can hang even if it rains. If you want to volunteer, you’ll have a great space to call your own!

And today we had a 9 sec shake of the building due to a 6.5 earthquake off Tokyo.