Eating and Meeting

I didn’t do much on Tuesday, besides walking around the campus with Jenny and unpacking my things. Wednesday, however, was more eventful. Since everyone was arriving that day, rooms had to be readied. I helped Jenny and another girl clean the rooms for the provisional pastors. These pastors have already graduated from AICS, but are receiving additional training in order to obtain their ordination.

We had tea with a handful of students and teachers in the afternoon in order to celebrate that one of the students (or maybe a teacher, I can’t remember) obtained first place (out of 500) in a state-wide writing competition. In Mizoram, people don’t really eat lunch. During lunchtime we have tea and a like snack, usually toast or something similar. I don’t mind eating a light lunch, especially because the breakfasts are very large. For breakfast, we eat flat tortilla-like bread or rice with potatoes and eggs. Sometimes they also serve side dishes like oatmeal or toast. I eat my meals with Mom and Dad, their son John, Jenny, and Rompui (I don’t know how to spell her name, but it kind of sounds like this haha). For dinner, we have rice, dal (lentils or chickpeas), greens (mustard leaves or other leaves), chicken, and another vegetable that I like, but that I don’t think has a name in English. Sometimes they have a dessert, which lately has been mango or papaya. I love mangoes, but I could take or leave the papayas.

This morning started their orientation activities. At AICS, there is chapel every morning at 7 am, which I will be attending. They sing hymns (everything is in English), have a mini-sermon, and cover any house-keeping items. This morning a few introductions were made (new faculty, new students, me, etc.) and there was an overview of the next couple of days. This afternoon I will be going to the principal’s tea with all of the students and to the orientation (where more thorough introductions will be made).

It’s a beautiful, sunny day today, but there is construction every day on campus that takes away from the sounds of nature. All I hear right now are motors instead of birds and insects. :/ It’s also not conducive to napping, especially because the construction is right next door. Oh well. On a different note, everyone keeps talking about the past Princeton students and how wonderful they were. I hope that I don’t let them down, but I’m just trying to be myself and do my best. So far it’s going well. I’m excited to start teaching next week. I haven’t started planning the lessons because I want to gauge where the students are in their English abilities. I think I’ll give them a test to see what grammar points I should cover while I’m here.

I haven’t gone off campus yet, but on Saturday we’ll be going into the city! I miss you all, but I’m learning a lot and becoming stronger and growing closer to God—so I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything!