A Summer of Transformation

             
              I just graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity. As part of my field education internship, I had the rare and beautiful opportunity during the summer of 2015 to become integrated into the community at the Academy of Integrated Christian Studies in Mizoram, India, as an English teacher and practical ministry intern. I first pursued this opportunity at AICS because I expected it might give me a glimpse of what it would be like to teach at a seminary, which is what I hope to do for my future career and ministry. I believed that living among students and faculty in a cultural context so different from my own would deepen my understanding of Christian life and theological education for service in the worldwide family of God. Little did I know, I would gain all of that for which I had hoped, in addition to gifts I never could have expected to receive. As I told my field education adviser at Princeton Seminary upon my return, I feel like a very different person now, than I did before I began my summer internship in Mizoram.

Sunset view from the AICS campus
Responsibilities as an Intern

             My responsibilities at AICS were enough to keep me busy, but not overwhelming. The principal did an excellent job of ensuring that I was not assigned more than I could handle. Each week, I taught two classes for the first-year students, one class for the missionaries, and five classes for the children at the AICS Junior School. Before this time, I had not had much experience teaching, and during this internship, I had the chance to develop lessons for very different groups of students, each with their own set of needs and expectations. I appreciate the patience of my students at every level, as I tried out different approaches to see what would best fit their individual situations. Each class was a joy to me, and I know I must have learned much more from my students than they learned from me.

Students from my first-year class

            In addition to my academic responsibilities, I was blessed with the opportunity to serve in a number of ministry roles, including preaching—both in chapel and in a local church, through an interpreter—and teaching Sunday school classes. Preparing messages for these different audiences was quite a formative experience for me, and I am so thankful for the trust that this community placed in me by allowing me to speak before all of these groups. 

Preaching during a chapel service
Musical Worship 

            While all of these responsibilities played a role in shaping me for the type of career to which I believe God is leading me, the more informal aspects of community life and ministry were equally influential in this regard. First of all, I feel strongly that a seminary ought to be a worshipping environment that fosters a rich devotional life, both on an individual level and among members of the community. AICS is exemplary in encouraging students and faculty to engage in deep relationships with God and with one another, in large part through the heavy emphasis the college places on worship. I loved and looked forward to chapel each morning, the community-wide worship services on Sunday afternoons, and the Singspiration services every Sunday night. I have never been a good singer, but it was impossible for me to leave AICS unaffected by the prominence of musical worship among you. My own devotional life has been permanently transformed by my time with you all, as I now find myself more consistent in my own worship and more inclined to praise God spontaneously through song. This is a precious gift I did not expect, and it has equipped me with a firmer foundation as a future seminary professor, as well as with a deeper level of intimacy with God.

"Chanting"—that is, lining out the words to hymns during my last hymn sing

Relationship Building

            I was overwhelmed by the amount of space I was given as a guest at AICS—to have my own room, bathroom, and kitchen area was quite a luxury. I was not accustomed to having nearly so much space at my own seminary, and I enjoyed having the chance to entertain students and faculty in my own kitchen. Some of my favorite moments at AICS involved inviting guests over for tea or snacks, holding office hours to discuss academic issues or personal concerns, and meeting friends for prayer at my table. It was so special to have the opportunity to try out the kind of life I would like to live if I am to become a real seminary professor.

Third-year students sharing a meal in my kitchen

Connecting with God through Natural Beauty

            As I reflect back on my time in Mizoram, I am reminded of the many things I miss about AICS, one of which is the breathtaking scenery surrounding the campus. I still remember waking up in the mornings, before chapel, going out to my balcony to have tea, and just admiring the natural beauty of the hill country. The intermingling of the sky, clouds, and rainforest-covered hills brought to mind for me the current presence of God, as well as the coming union of heaven and earth. It inspired me to worship, every time.

The view from my balcony

 The Biggest Challenge

            One of the most difficult experiences during my internship had to do with the process of attempting to pay my room and board. Although I had been encouraged to bring cash, I was afraid to travel all the way across the world with such a substantial amount of money on my person. Thinking I knew better, I decided to purchase traveler’s cheques and give them to my supervisor upon my arrival. Little did I know, the banks in the area were not familiar with traveler’s cheques, and for many weeks, the money did not go through as planned. This was a frustrating, humiliating experience for me, as the last thing I wanted was to deprive my gracious hosts of the payment they were due.

            I lost track of how many hours, day and night, I spent dealing with American Express, trying to figure out what went wrong with the travelers cheques for my room and board payment. What I do remember is that, in the midst of my internal agony over this situation, God was present and blessed me with an interesting insight into Mizo values.
            Three weeks from the end of my internship, supervisor and I both agreed that it would be best to cancel the cheques and see what could be done through American Express. Before having me call the company, however, my supervisor insisted that we visit the bank— a 45-minute to one-hour drive into the city— in person, to set this proposal before the bankers who had been working on my situation. He seemed rather surprised that I had not thought of this myself. In Mizoram, it is of the utmost importance to consider what would be best for the entire community when making any decision. To cancel the travelers cheques without first speaking with the bankers and obtaining their consent would be hurtful to them and destructive to community life.

Photo taken from the car, on the way into Aizawl City

            Coming from a Western background, it would have been my natural inclination to cancel the cheques without asking for the permission of the bankers. However, since I was a visitor in another culture, I knew in my heart that it would be better to honor the cultural values by going through with this step, in order to show respect for all involved.

            After I agreed to speak with the bankers, my supervisor took me to the bank. While there, I laid out my proposal before the bankers who had been working on my case, and they were both quite amenable to the idea of my canceling the cheques.

            We left with the problem partially resolved; American Express had agreed to refund about half the money, and they told us that the other half was on the way to my supervisor’s account. I was doubtful on this, as the money had supposedly been on the way for an entire month(!) with nothing to show for it. As we left the bank, I was relieved about the refund but still anxious about the money that had yet to arrive.
            My supervisor, on the other hand, was in high spirits. He told me that he had found our visit quite successful, and that this problem was not as bad as many others, especially since all of the relationships had been preserved— no one had shouted at anyone else, and all the personnel we encountered had earnestly tried to help us. The money did eventually come, praise be to God! The arduous process leading up to this point reminded me of what a privilege it was to see how a society can operate under such a different set of values, placing relationships over money and the feelings of others over personal convenience. 

A Grateful Heart

            When I look back at my time in Mizoram, I praise God for gifting me with such a rich experience. My perspective sometimes collided with that of my brothers and sisters in this very different context, which led me to rethink my own values, priorities, and decision-making processes. It was a time of iron sharpening iron, and of my mind being renewed through the Holy Spirit, present in the community at AICS. I am ever grateful for the ways God taught me, transformed me, and extravagantly blessed me through the people and culture of Mizoram.

Outfitted with a traditional skirt (puan) from my students and a "pastor's bag" from my supervisor's family