Going to Japan with the Governor

Serving as long-term mission volunteers at ARI. Friendship. Farming. Inspiration.

Category: ARI

  • Morning Gathering

    ARI is a spiritual community. Each weekday after breakfast the entire ARI community goes to Oikos Chapel for Morning Gathering. It is a special time, and many people will tell you it is their favorite part of the day.

    Oikos Chapel was up-cycled from a 100-year-old farm house.

    At each Morning Gathering a member of the ARI community (participants, staff, volunteers) makes a presentation (about 30 minutes) of their choosing. The stated purpose of Morning Gathering, from the ARI Training Handbook, is “a time for each of us to lead the nurturing of our spiritual lives. … It should be a sharing of your life experiences, a testimony to the work of God or the effects others have had on your life.” Almost every presentation includes prayer and often there is one or more hymns or spiritual songs.

    One of the richest parts of our ARI experience has been hearing the Morning Gathering stories of others in our community. There are people here from over 20 countries, mostly from Southeast Asia and Africa. Most of the participants are from rural areas in developing countries. They lead lives and have had experiences that we could not begin to imagine. Their stories can be touching, funny, tragic, uplifting, heartbreaking, raw, joyful, and often very vulnerable. We truly are blessed to be able to share as a community this chapter of our lives together.

    Scott before his presentation in Oikos Chapel. Morning Gathering itself is a phone-free zone.

    Last week Scott gave his Morning Gathering presentation and this week Chrys gave hers. Scott’s presentation was built around the question “Why am I here at ARI?” – a question he gets asked often here – and no doubt many of you have wondered the same thing. Chrys’ presentation was centered on Rules to Live By. She has just hit a milestone birthday, and she shared seven rules for living she has developed during her life’s journey.

    We are among the oldest people in the community. Most, if not all, of the participants are young enough to be our children, and many of the other volunteers could be our grandchildren. Our Morning Gathering presentations allowed us to share our perspectives on God and life from the place of “retirement.”

  • Kanpai!

    The drinking age in Japan is 20. There are beer vending machines on the street.

    Just the thing on a warm and humid Sunday afternoon. In our room, of course.

    But ARI is a religiously and culturally diverse community. No alcohol is permitted in public spaces. We enjoy responsibility and privately.

  • Niagara

    ARI is the type of institution that attracts returnees. Many of the non-Japanese staff started as volunteers or participants, and past volunteers often return for short visits.

    Recently we had two former volunteers, siblings, return for a few days. And as is the custom, they brought gifts. They are German so they brought Haribo snacks and a jar of Nutella.

    Nutella on pancakes. 😋

    They also brought a German board game. Board games are popular after dinner.

    Every night is game night at ARI. This one is called Blokus, and it is really fun.
    The game collection at ARI.

    The one they brought from Germany is called Niagara. As you can see it has a North America frontier adventure vibe.

    But in Germany the name is pronounced nee-ah-GAH-ra. It is actually how you might pronounce the word if it was Japanese.

  • “As a volunteer you are not expected to kill anything.”

    We have arrived at ARI and settled into our room in the guest house (pictured).

    Our home for the next 2-1/2 months.

    The participants (students) and other volunteers stay in men’s and women’s dormitories, but as a married couple on a long term volunteer placement we got the upgrade, including air conditioning, which is a real bonus as it has been unusually hot here.

    And about the title of this post. We got a tour of the campus this afternoon. We raise pigs and goats and chickens, among other things. When the time comes the pigs and goats are sent off site for “processing”. But the chickens are done in house, so to speak. As we were shown the chicken-killing room our guide explained that each participant is required to take shifts killing chickens (unless they have a religious or cultural prohibition). But as volunteers we are not required to kill any chickens. Chrys immediately accepted the exemption, but Scott might try his hand at it. We shall see when the time comes.

    The title quote came from that discussion.

  • Where are we? About the Asian Rural Institute.

    We are serving as mission volunteers working at the Asian Rural Institute (ARI). We will be at ARI from September 1 to November 15.

    ARI is a place of communal learning in Japan. ARI’s campus is a self-sufficient 15-acre organic farm near Nasushiobara (about 100 miles north of Tokyo), where the community grows over 90 varieties of crops and vegetables and raises livestock. As a church-related institution, ARI is Christian in inspiration and interfaith in practice.

    ARI’s class of 2025

    Founded in 1973, ARI provides leadership training for grassroots community leaders through the annual Rural Leaders Training Program. Every year, ARI invites about 25 young leaders from organizations in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific to its campus. The class of 2025, representing 17 countries, is pictured. ARI has had 1,445 graduates from 63 countries.

    The 9-month training is built on three pillars: Servant Leadership, Sustainable Agriculture (Foodlife), and Community of Learning. After their training at ARI, the leaders return home to their rural communities to implement what they have learned about leadership, community building, and sustainable agriculture.

    ARI’s rural leaders training model.

    You can learn more about ARI at its website: ARI.