In September, 2018, ARI life is as we remembered it from 2013 – welcoming
smiles, camaraderie, hard work, learning by doing, and everything that comes
with a community sharing a common life together. The special blessing of
returning is renewing friendships and also meeting a whole new class of
participants and volunteers. We are grateful to Global Ministries, an ARI partner for their
support.
The class of 2018 comes from all over Asia and Africa,
even the baby country of East Timore, only 12 years old. These men and women
participants from different faith traditions are already rural leaders in their
countries. They are here to learn servant leadership skills, community
development and to care for the environment by growing vegetables organically
rather than with chemicals.
Foodlife is a concept centering on the idea that food
means life to us, so all participate in some way with the production of food
for an hour twice a day. We were quarantined from the animals to protect them
from any foreign viruses for the first week after we arrived, as is everyone.
Pigs, chickens, goats and fish are essential to ARI, where 90 % of our food
comes from the farm. So Bob began morning and evening Foodlife in the Field
section, harvesting and weeding.
The second week Bob began working in the Pig section.
The huge mother sow had been lying down for weeks in a narrow pen while her
piglets nursed. She could not stand to eat, so Bob and others had to feed her
by hand. This week, while being watered down with a hose, she began to shake
and with a big heave, she stood up. Everyone cheered!
Joyce’s Foodlife work is meal preparation, called
FEAST, an acronym for Food Education and Sustainable Table. Cooking for 60-70 people
involves lots of peeling, chopping, sautéing, and 5
-7 kg of rice at every meal. She helps the team of participants prep their
dishes – main course, rice, soup, and side dish for each meal. Leadership is
also learned in the kitchen as the participants take turns assigning tasks and
assuming responsibility for each meal.
Cultural dishes are adapted to whatever vegetables are harvested –
sometimes a Japanese taste, Indonesian taste or Kenyan taste. We are not eating
sushi and sukiyaki! But sometimes miso soup and tempura.
A week after we arrived, the Honorary Director of ARI,
the Rev. Dr. Toshihiro Takami, passed away at the age of 91. ARI was Takami
sensei’s dream.  |
| Rev. Dr. Toshihiro Takami |
He planted the seed in 1973– the only place in the world where rural leaders could be trained. He was a humble man, inspired by God to become a servant leader for vulnerable people who depend on the land for survival. At ARI we become more conscious that even those of us who do not grow most of our own food, also depend on the land for survival.
