My roommate woke me up this morning to ensure I did not oversleep because he knew how much I wanted to run in the morning; shout out to him! Despite the long travel and pending jetlag, a good group of us inspired by our professor woke up early to catch some of the first glimpses of sunlight peeking through the hills as we took a 4-mile trek to the next town of Dioni from Pikermi. We could observe and experience the crisp, cool air, winding roads, agriculture, and animals such as parrots, foxes, and neighborhood dogs.
It was an excellent way to start the day and immerse ourselves in the surrounding environment. The run set the tone for me for the first day of class because it was all about connection—connecting with the place and environment of Greece alongside people currently at the same point in our educational journey. But what an honor.
We are truly thankful for the kindness and hospitality received from the Greek Bible College. Food is a language many people can connect through. The customs, the smells, and the menu were an immersive experience filled with fresh fruit and salad with fresh dill and melon, rich, creamy yogurt, cappuccino, galaktoboureko, tea time, turkey snitchzel, and mushroom risotto. Some of these were the first time for me. When traveling, I recommend trying new things particular to the culture.
Concluding the morning, some of the college's faculty shared with us some announcements and cultural teaching about Greek norms that we Americans might need help with. The announcements were very beneficial because, sadly, I had already done about three of them. I did not even think about or realize what I was doing when I did them. Nevertheless, this speaks to the humility aspect of the multicultural perspective and remaining teachable and present, open to encountering the presence of the person and culture around you. After the announcements, we had a name circle group where we talked about the power, connection, and affection connected to calling someone by their name and understanding the story behind the name.
Eight speakers then shared their extraordinary stories, which further connected the rest of the class time. It was a fascinating experience seeing everyone from various backgrounds, visions, dreams, and goals all intersect at this specific time and place to connect with their classmates. Tears shed, vulnerability met with vulnerability, and growth established within the moments on holy ground. We ended the evening by eating delicious gelato in flavors like caramel almond, chocolate, pavlova, cheesecake, and mango. Then, right before quiet time, we played some ping-pong and card games. Overall, what a fantastic day one!
I am looking forward to connecting more with the people and culture here and the people who, moment after moment, are starting to become like family.
PS. This is not everyone
-Nyjah Maat
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