I’ve just arrived back to the land of technology after a week and half living in the mountains in the village of Parbung! The village consists of about 5,000 people living in huts who farm for their living—they were harvesting ginger the week we were there. Two families were kind enough to allow our two teams to live in their homes—single room houses built on stilts into the side of the mountain.
During the week, we worked in a Christian school. I know how much we take education for granted in the US, but for these kids, it is crucial. The chance to learn English is their only hope for a greater life, one in which they might be able to bring greater development to the village. This week made me see how incredibly lucky I was to have grown up in a home where English is spoken. At one point in the week, we were told that for many of the villagers, this was their very first time seeing white people, as they hadn’t yet hosted Americans for more than an afternoon. So it was a huge opportunity for the students to be able to meet us, hear our accents and pronunciation, and ask all their questions.
Throughout the week, we had different chances to interact with students. The day we arrived we put together a program in which we introduced ourselves, taught the children plenty of songs, and performed several skits (the “David and Goliath” skit in which I climbed on my buddy Alec’s shoulders to be Goliath was a hit). Later in the week, we taught in classrooms about our homes and helped the students write letters to their donors, who’re sponsoring them to study. This was fun, as I was able to tell my students about those of you who’ve supported me so that I’d be able to even come and visit their village!
Later in the week, we had a one day sports camp. We played their favorites—soccer (futbol) and volleyball—and taught them some of our own, like ultimate Frisbee. This was a fun day of laughter, singing, and running.
Toward the end of the week, Parbung hosted their first annual Ginger Festival! This was a big deal, because the Chief Minister of the state of Manipur flew out and visited the village via helicopter, landing right in our school’s soccer field. There were performances and food, and we got to lead different groups of kids from our school.
As a whole, I was just blown away by the generosity of these people. They have less than anyone I’ve ever met, but their hearts were so full of love and thankfulness to us for being there. They welcomed us into their homes and took such good care of us, and really showed me what it is to treat others, even those you’ve never met, as brothers and sisters. Pray for Parbung and the church there—these people have an eternal perspective to their lives and a beautiful, full love for Christ.
Grace and Peace!
~Joel
