Coming back and serving

by Jeremiah Sherrill – December 2022 Graduate

Today marks our first full week at ARI (Asian Rural Institute), but it feels like we’ve been here much longer. We’ve already become integrated into daily life here by doing various chores, farm work, meal preparations, and of course the documentary we are here to do. On a more personal note, as someone who grew up in Japan as a missionary kid it’s been to be back and showing my friends and professor where I grew up. My parents Mike and Teresa worked as missionaries for 25 years in Japan with Mennonite Mission Network, so Japan is a second home for me and part of my very core.

As a whole group we’ve dived deep into not only Japanese culture (and delicious food), but also all of the dozens of cultures from around the world represented at ARI. It’s been a treat talking with the participants and staff and gaining their insights and their passion for sustainable farming. One such occasion was sitting in on a class where we were taught about Bokashi fertilizer, which is made here at ARI with wholly organic ingredients. We interviewed our teacher Mr. Osamu who described Bokashi as ‘living fertilizer’, being inspired by the two kanji that make up the Japanese translation of ‘organic’ which roughly translates to ‘exist’ and ‘life’. Which to me paints a beautiful picture of the kind of sustainability ARI is trying to achieve.

Relating to striving for sustainability, we also interviewed a volunteer who had been in Japan since 2013, Jack Lichten. From his own observations he commended ARI for it’s genuine efforts for sustainability, part of which being that ARI is 95% self-sufficient for feeding themselves, and often produce a surplus that they sell to the local community. Jack also commented that ARI does a good job of making sure people get along, even when conflict does arise due to cultural differences and language barriers. This was echoed when we interviewed Pastor Ban, a Korean pastor who worked in Japan and with ARI for many years.

It’s not all work at ARI though, last night there was a ping pong tournament where GC students swept the competition. All in all it’s been an amazing experience so far, and we can’t wait to see what happens next.

 

• Interviewed Osamu and did Bokashi class
• Interviewed Pastor Ban
• Interviewed Jack Lichten
• Ping pong tournament