Lucky #7

As you get older, the days may go slow, but the years go fast. The 2019-2020 school year is one for the books and will certainly be a year to remember. There were some highs, there were some lows, but we pulled through and still have the ability to look toward the future "in hopes of better days through better ways."

2019 Del Val Alumni Outstanding Achievement in
Secondary Education Award Winner. Great end to an
insane week at school! #GoAggies

The fall semester started out fairly normal. Great officer retreat in Western PA, selling milkshakes at CV Football games, and freezing to death at Hayman Farm's Fall Fest. Some unique highlights of the fall included a self-inflicted "Hell Week." AgVenture Day Thursday, PAAE Meeting in Williamsport on Thursday night, Agricultural Education Showcase on Friday, and a trip to
Del Val's Homecoming on Saturday morning and a wedding back in Mechanicsburg Saturday night. Thank god I didn't have to teach on Monday (thank you Christopher Columbus). A trip to National FFA Convention rounded out October, which led to a normal end of the semester with a fruit sale, Winter CDEs, and Christmas Week celebrations.

Pennsylvania Agricultural Education Delegation at
3-Circle Summit
February 2020
Indianapolis, Indiana

 I will also mention that this year, I stepped into the role of President for the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators. In March 2019, I was serving my second term as South-Central Region Vice-President when the current President-Elect stepped away. I agreed to serve a shortened term as President-Elect, then step into the role of President in July. To say I was terrified was an understatement. However, through this year of service, I pushed myself to serve my fellow Agricultural Educators to the best of my ability and set a positive example for others. I attended 4  regional meetings across the state, attended meetings of the PA FFA Board, PA FFA Foundation, and PA Farm Show Scholarship Foundation, learned way too much about proxy taxes and dealing with the IRS to correct tax returns, touched the Pacific Ocean in Anaheim, California for NAAE Convention, organized meeting packets, attended the 3-Circle Summit in Indianapolis, forged connections with the Commission for Agricultural Education Excellence, helped to plan a conference, and recognized retiring agricultural educators with an inaugral retiree spotlight. In all, I never could have imagined what I would have completed this past year as PAAE President, but I am thankful for the opportunities I've been provided as they have strengthened my understanding of Agricultural Education, school code, legislative procedures, and the need for leaders to communicate effectively. I've learned from some of the best, but it has been a whirlwind of a year! I'm excited to serve in the past-President's role and wrap up some loose ends before I transition off the board in 2021.

And then the calendar flipped to 2020! How cool, this is the best year ever--complete with the "seeing clearly" and "I'm Barbara Walters" jokes! January and February rolled by pretty normal. I started training my usual teams for State Convention--finally got a #DairyFoods team together and even ordered our own personal milk bottles! We were wrapping up a healthy bunch of Proficiency Applications and American FFA Degrees in March and the world came to a screeching halt. And so began the COVID-19 era (see prior blog post). Craziness to say the least, and I don't think anyone thought it would "happen here." This was a foreign virus that was a problem somewhere else. Well, thanks to global interconnectedness, what happens around the world impacts us here.

2019-2020 CV FFA Leadership Team

Pennsylvania schools closed on Friday, March 13th for what we thought would be 2 week closures. At this point, I new that our trip to Costa Rica would not be happening because our spring break would be taken away. Fair enough, we could postpone until the end of the school year. Well, we never went back to school. After 3 weeks of "optional enrichment," Cumberland Valley began virtual instruction and it was intense for me. Basically revising a curriculum and trying our best to make it interactive. However, I think the kids were overwhelmed with having to complete everything online and via Schoology (our LMS). Some were accustomed to using Schoology for the occassional submission of assignments or quiz, but as much of a learning curve for teachers, it was a reality check for students. We got through it, but I definitely hope everyone's faith in public education and face-to-face instruction has been renewed through this madness. Nothing can replace a teacher working with students face-to-face.

Although we missed the usual FFA events, competitions, and celebrations, a lot of individuals pulled together to recognize the outgoing FFA Officers and the Class of 2020. The CV Agricultural Science & FFA Seniors were an awesome group--16 Keystone Degree recipients added to the wall, 14 of which have taken an Ag class since Freshmen year. The outgoing FFA Leadership Team was a great group as well. Even though their year got cut short, they accomplished many feats this past year and kept the chapter moving forward. I also received notification that I was selected as a National FFA Teacher Ambassador for the coming year, which will be a new opportunity to continue giving back to FFA advisors across the state and nation.

This may not have been "Lucky #7," but it has been a unique year to say the least. I couldn't bring myself to create a virtual FFA Banquet, so we are holding out for a small celebration in late July to pass out awards and graduation swag. The best way I found closure was creating my "Adopt a Senior" video that was sent to seniors on May 30, 2020 (what would have been their graduation day). Of all the videos I made during #Coronacation2020, this was the most meaningful.






Until next year, here's to making hay while the sun shines, remodeling my house, and hoping to get back to some type of schedule in September 2020.

Cheers!

~Darla

Our New Normal in 2020

I'd been waiting for the year 2020 to use all the corny jokes associated with perfect vision, seeing clearly, and of course watching the memes to finally hear Barbara Walters say "...and this is 2020." Little did we know, 2020 would not go how any of us predicted. As a teacher, I can say I've gone through a crazy situation or two over the past 7 years, but nothing could prepare us for the #Coronacation that has brought life to a screeching halt.

Today, Governor Wolf announced that schools will not resume for the rest of the year. The last time I taught in my classroom at Cumberland Valley High School was Friday, March 13th.

Let's recap that week just for the history books: Sunday, March 8th--Daylight Saving Time (lost an hour of sleep), Thursday, March 12th--full moon (the school environment is a bit crazier), and Friday, March 13th (school closure announced until April 6th). As teachers, we were given 3 hours on Monday, March 16th to visit our classrooms and gather materials to finish out the 3rd Marking Period. However, I knew that this could potentially be the last time in my classroom until the summer. I grabbed textbooks and important departmental paperwork to take home, cleaned my desk like I normally do for the summer, and did a once-over of materials in the refrigerator and mechanics shop. It was eerie being in the school on Monday without bells ringing, students asking questions or being tied to a schedule. My focus was to use the 3 hours available to summer-proof the Ag Department...in March.

For the past 3 weeks, we have been providing "Optional Enrichment" to students while finalizing grades for the 3rd Marking Period. We are concluding our "Reorientation Week" for online learning and will be moving fully to online learning beginning on Monday, April 13th--a month since school closures were announced.

Not going to lie, I enjoyed the first Monday off. I didn't have to drive to school at 5:30 am, and I could work on grading all day to finish posting grades online. However, the rest of that week got weird. No sense of a schedule, days flying by without any after school FFA activities, and actually being home to feed my animals "at the end of the day." Although I think as teachers we are always thankful for a small break in the action, this is certainly not what we had in mind.

Last Friday, April 3, I was getting ready for a funeral (story for another day) and straightening my hair. Probably for many reasons, I finally cracked and started crying. One of the thoughts that was running through my head as tears were flowing was that I wasn't going to be driving to school when I finished getting ready. I instantly envisioned myself in my classroom two weeks prior scrambling to pull together resources I would potentially need for the next 3 months. It finally hit me that I love being in my classroom, shop, and lab and would do pretty much anything to be back there in an instant.  Heck, I even debated driving past the school just to see it and have the sense of comfort and belonging that I've become used to. I never thought I woud have such an affinity for a place (other than my family's farm), but as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I honestly don't know how I will react the first time we are permitted back into the school to retrieve personal items before the summer.

As I pulled myself together, I instantly shifted my thinking to the students we now know we won't see until after social distancing policies are lifted. How many students felt that school was their only safe place to see friends, talk to adults that care about them, and get a meal? I know these phrases have been spoken continuously by educational leaders, but now it really hit home that some students aren't in a good place due to school closures and we as educators will not get to create a complete sense of closure with them for this school year.

I will never look at the end of the school year through the same lense again. I did establish some end-of-year traditions early in my teaching career to bring this closure, celebrate the graduating seniors, and wish everyone a successful summer. I always created a slideshow of class pictures I've taken throughout the year and a special senior slideshow of pictures from the past 4 years. My favorite end of year tradition is having students write down their favorite memory on a piece of paper that is kept in my memory box and categorized by year. The senior "rite of passage" is getting the chance to read all of the memories compiled since their freshman year in Ag classes. One of my priorities will now be keeping these traditions in place so this year's Seniors get a chance to see how far they have come since August 2016. Luckily through FFA, we will get together at some point in the summer to have an awards ceremony to recognize our award winners and celebrate the Class of 2020 as much as we can.

My other thoughts now center on how we (as a society) will change after this social distancing phase ends. Will we value education more? How will we perceive family gatherings? What are all the small things we will begin to appreciate more? Will we have a more balanced approach to work/life? Will people change jobs due to a newfound passion/skill set?

Personally, I have enjoyed being able to feed the animals on my farm every morning and night (something I haven't done since my senior year in high school), eating lunch with my parents, playing cards in the evening with my Grandma, and getting to see my sister during the week. Additionally, I'm finally getting the time to start landscaping and working on the interior demolition on my house. I'm not quite sure when it would have gotten completed had the world not shut down, but it's given me lots of time to have a more balanced life.

I will be happy to transition out of my basement office when this is all over. I'm not sure where the first place I will go when the stay-at-home orders are lifted...but I bet my classroom will be one of them.

Why Do We Travel? Final #AgEd2Malaysia Thoughts

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

I found this quote in October 2017 when I was creating my application video for #AgEd2Malaysia. This phrase struck a cord with me because each time I reveal to my family that I'm going away for a trip, they always ask "why." This 27-day journey in Malaysia was the longest period of time I've been away from Central Pennsylvania. Fully immersed in a culture drastically different than my own, this trip has helped me answer "why do you go away?"

11.    Travel to Learn. I was eager to participate in #AgEd2Malaysia to learn about the Malaysian Education system, the Islam religion, and how agriculture impacted the development of Malaysia post-independence. I had done some preliminary preparation with our #AgEd2Malaysia team, but no preparation could compare to the in-country learning opportunities. The most meaningful learning experience for me happened when we were visiting a Sikh temple on Harmony street in Johor Bahru. A youth leader from the temple dropped what he was doing and welcomed us inside. He never asked what religion we were—he treated us an equal. After this humbling experience, I spent a lot of time thinking about how much I don’t know about world religions (I had never heard of Sikhism) and what would I have done if a group of Muslims/Hindus/Sikhs showed up at my church and asked for a tour. Before this experience, I probably would have said no out of fear of these unknown religions. I gained many valuable insights into Malaysian culture by experiencing it firsthand.

22.    Travel to Escape. My life in the United States is driven by schedules, deadline, and constantly working to stay ahead of the next curveball that may be thrown. This trip reminded me about the importance of truly understanding people, developing genuine friendships, and taking a break from a predictable routine. The point in the trip where I realized there is more to life than working was on our island-hopping adventure in Sabah. Snorkeling in clear-blue water, I was mesmerized and could have continued looking at tropical fish and coral reefs for hours. Sometimes traveling is a chance to enjoy time away from our daily routine and enjoy time in a new country.    

33.    Travel to Discover. Discovery was a very important facet of this trip. I discovered the value that Malaysian culture places on hospitality. From the day we were greeted at the airport, to the numerous meals prepared, and the elaborate welcome to secondary schools, we were always treated as guests of honor. I also discovered the value placed on family after staying with a Malaysian family in FELDA. In this home, 3 generations lived under the same roof and worked together to cook meals, care for children, and complete daily chores. Finally, I discovered my ability to overcome language barriers and communicate with my host family at FELDA. With an initial fear about the language barrier, I finally discovered common interests we both shared, which allowed the final days of my home-stay to go smoothly.

44.    Travel to Meet New Friends. We were very fortunate to have spent 27 days with 10 students and a variety of lecturers from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. From the second this group met us at the airport, I knew this group of individuals would leave an unforgettable impact on me. They greeted us with open arms, graciously showed us around 4 states in Malaysia with class, hospitality, and a positive outlook for future collaboration. I will never forget this group and hope I can somehow repay the hospitality they have shown us.

55.    Travel to Experience a World Different Than Our Own. Traveling 9,000 miles across the globe opened my eyes to how different cultures solve the same problems that we all experience. Just because another culture does something different does not mean it is wrong. This was a very important sentiment that was repeated by several members of our group throughout the trip. I also experienced religions other than my own, which was perhaps one of the most impactful opportunities of my life that I plan to share with members of my church upon returning.

Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. When I arrive home in rural Central Pennsylvania, I will never take any tradition, cultural norm, or religion for granted and seek to understand the people behind these valued pieces of daily life. The challenges of adjusting back to a daily routine/schedules/deadlines will be intriguing to me and I look forward to my new perception about the United States after being away for 30 days.

Teaching to Inspire--Our Final Malaysian Teaching Experience

During our group reflection on Monday evening, Shelby, Thomas, and Nisa asked us the question, “Why do we teach?” Members of our group quickly responded with the following phrases:

• ·       “Pass on knowledge to students”
• ·       “Give every student the chance to succeed”
• ·       “Inspire students to find their passion”

This question resonated with the group as we had just finished our last teaching episode at Dato Lela Maharaja Vocational College. Our 3 teaching experiences scaffolded from teaching Form 2 students (14 years old), then hosting an Agriculture Day for 60 secondary students, to finally teaching students (16-19 years old) at a Vocational Agricultural College.  At Dato Lela Maharaja, students are part of a specific agricultural program (Agronomy, Poultry Agro-Industry, Ruminant Agro-Industry, Agro-Mechanization, Aquaculture, Ornamental Horticulture, Architectural Landscape, or Agriculture Food Processing).  Our 6 teaching teams each chose a content area and were tasked with preparing a 90-minute lesson for a group of students. During our planning, we needed to consider that students may have advanced content knowledge, have strong English communication skills, or may have covered the topic of our lesson previously in their studies. Nonetheless, our teaching teams collaborated and utilized teaching strategies centered around student engagement, inquiry, and project-based learning.

Drawing upon past teaching experience, two teachers decided to utilize an activity they implement in their secondary Agricultural Science programs in the United States. Melissa Grant, Indiana AgriScience Teacher, and Darla Romberger, Pennsylvania AgriScience Teacher, are both Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE)-certified in the Agricultural Science—Animal course. Melissa’s group consisting of Manny Catala (@MCatala35), Azira, and Ain provided instruction to the Poultry Agro-Industry group while Darla’s group of Mikaella Koster (@MikaellaKoster) and Fatin instructed the Ruminant Agro-Industry class. Knowing that both lessons needed to be challenging, engaging, and somewhat flexible, the CASE-certified teachers decided to utilize inquiry-based lessons from the CASE curriculum and implement them in a Malaysian classroom.

The poultry instructional team led a class of Form 4 students (ages 15-16) and focused their lesson on internal anatomy and physiology of poultry animals. After briefly introducing the function and appearance of internal organs, students created digestion murals of a broiler chicken (Project. 5.1.4.) utilizing assorted craft supplies. Before creating the mural, students needed to justify how each craft item accurately represented each organ. Melissa noted, “It was awesome to see students in a different country enjoying the same activity that my students do in Indiana.” The students loved being out of their seats collaborating and creating a poster that they could display to other students in the Poultry program.

The ruminant instructional team led a class of 19-year-old students (that would graduate with a Vocational College diploma at the end of the year) and concentrated on the topic of biosecurity and the effectiveness of various biosecurity practices.  After a brief introduction about the various control points in a biosecurity plan, students replicated various scenarios on a farm to evaluate the effectiveness of biosecurity practices (Activity 3.3.2. Biosecurity: Managing Risk). The class had already discussed the concept of biosecurity, but our group was confident in the problem-based activity we had planned. The instructional team explained the purpose of a nutrient agar petri dish and gave instruction how to label, swab, and seal a petri dish with parafilm—all new concepts for this group of students. Students then predicted which biosecurity scenario would result in the least bacterial growth and therefore be the most effective practice to reduce the spread of disease. “It was rewarding to see project-based learning and inquiry strategies come to life in a Malaysian classroom and hope that I inspired these students to ask questions and become more engaged in Animal Science content,” Darla reflected.

After teaching in Malaysia and the United States, I’ve realized that teachers across the globe teach for the same reasons—to inspire, motivate, and share knowledge with students, regardless of what country we teach in. When tasked with teaching a class of Malaysian students, I instantly thought of all the barriers we would have while teaching (language, content, etc). However, I quickly remembered why I enjoy teaching—sharing my passion about animal agriculture with future generations of students and turned my focus on this thought while planning and teaching our lesson. This motivation will continue as we enter our classrooms next fall and continue to motivate, inspire, and share knowledge about global agriculture and our second home—Malaysia.

Discovering the Dairy Industry in Malaysian Borneo

Since we arrived in Malaysia 18 days ago, I had not seen a single dairy operation in the state of Johor, which is the southern-most point of peninsular Malaysia (and Asia).

We have recently traveled to the state of Sabah, which is on the island of Borneo and has a climate more suitable for dairy production. The operation we visited is situated at the base of Mount Kinabalu, the highest point in Sabah. Nestled upon nearly 400 acres in the rural town of Kundasang at nearly 6,000 feet above sea level, the farm remains comfortable at a temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit  year-round.

9,000 miles away away from home on the opposite side of the world, dairy enthusiasts from the
#AgEd2Malaysia team enjoyed a visit to DESA Dairy, an operation home to 600 head of Holstein-Friesian cows, heifers, and calves. In addition to
processing their own milk from 200 lactating cows into gelato, ice cream, cheese, and bottling
their own milk, DESA Dairy also expanded its business plan to build an impressive agri-tourism
facility. Upon arrival to the dairy, we found many families enjoying the DESA café, purchasing
cheese, and exploring the dairy facility via a self-guided tour.

Upon arrival to DESA dairy, adjectives such as “innovative, progressive, and model operation”
came to mind as we met our tour guide overlooking the parlor. Our guide (who had a B.S. degree
in Tourism & Management) was quickly bombarded with questions such as average milk
production, reproduction techniques, milking frequency and nutrition. Here are some quick facts:

• Biosecurity practices are implemented and enforced. Our vans drove through a tire wash

and we stepped in a foot bath prior to accessing the barns

• DESA Dairy is a closed-herd as the operation has only purchased cattle twice (from

Australia and New Zealand)

• 3x per day milking (never received a definite Rolling Herd Average (RHA), but the tour

guide mentioned that these Holsteins can easily produce 25 liters/day, a progressive 94 lb/day)

• Operation uses a double 20 Delaval parallel parlor
• Artificial insemination is utilized with only the top-ranked bulls (our tour guide didn’t

know breeding priorities, but we can assume milk production)

The freestall barn was identical to a modern dairy barn in the United States, complete with a
rotating cow brush. All cows were equipped with activity monitors around their neck, indicating
that DESA values technology and information to help make informed breeding, milking, and
health decisions from the data provided by the activity monitors. Automatic scrapers removed
manure to a nearby lagoon while cows enjoyed clean cow mattresses covered in sawdust, an
acceptable practice in the United States.

Cows received a feed that appeared like a TMR (total mixed ration) and via
observations/information from the tour guide, we could conclude that cows received a mixture
of dried day (imported from New Zealand in super-compact bales), corn, bean sprouts, a high
moisture green-chop hay, and protein pellets.

DESA Dairy farm has maintained premium quality milk by implementing good farming practices,
advanced technology, machine hygiene and maintenances, and dairy monitoring of milk quality.
This dairy operation has established food safety assurance management throughout the
processing line, which has allowed the company to sell dairy products. DESA Dairy sells nine
dairy products consisting of fresh milk, flavored milk, goat’s milk, natural yogurt, fruit yogurt,
yogurt gelato, mozzarella cheese, Camembert cheese, and DESA Farm cheese.

And the question you’ve been asking yourself...what about the milk prices? This is a question that
can’t be answered simply from the tour information (again, we had above-average knowledge
compared to the normal tourist groups). The tour guide did tell us that DESA dairy sells 1 liter
of milk for 5.7 Malaysian Ringgits ($1.43 per liter, which equates to $5.38 per gallon). However,
DESA is unique because they process all of their milk and don’t sell to the market. In an attempt
to locate statistics specific to the number of dairy cattle, milk prices, etc. in Agriculture in the
Malaysian Region, statistics reference “livestock rearing” with the major species being chicken
and broiler production. Cattle for milk production are not mentioned on any data tables,
indicating that dairy production is not a major economic driver in Malaysia like it is in
Pennsylvania.

The value and commitment DESA food products has established their name in many household
throughout Sabah, Malaysia. Their products of consumption are safe and halal status. Their
commitment to a halal status is a preferred supply of choice among people buying their products.
The reason being is because 65% of their customers are Islamic. This may bring up the question,
“Who or what makes the makes the meat Halal?” There are three certified Halal checkers on duty
throughout the process. This is to make sure slaughtering is done according to the Islamic am.  
One could find Halal checkers before slaughtering and two checkers after slaughtering.

The organization of DESA Dairy was also admirable and very similar to large dairy operations.
The tour guide continuously made reference to different “departments” that existed within the
business structure. A total of 150 employees are engaged in the operation from the following
departments: Finance, Farm Crew, Marketing, Maintenance, Processing, and Transportation.
Although this number may seem high for the total number of animals on the operation, we know
that 9 cows support 1 job in the dairy industry in Pennsylvania, so a similar sentiment is observed
at DESA Dairy as well.

Wednesday, July 18^th marked the start of our home-stay at the FELDA community in Ayer Hitam, about an hour north of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Read more about the Federal Land Development Authority and why it was established in 1956. While becoming a part of the FELDA community, American students/teachers were paired with a student from UTM and placed with a family who expressed interested in hosting. I was paired with Yazlin and together we were placed with Mr. Abd Rahman Bin Md Basri (Rahman), his wife Maruyah Binti Mohd Irsat (Mar), and their family. 

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the leader of the community and the liaison for our trip, Zol. After being introduced to our host parents, our group of US students/teachers and Malaysian students gathered our bags and travelled to our new home for the next 4 days. On the short drive to our home, Yazlin started conversation with our host in Malay. Usually I am very conversational, but suddenly I realized that the next 4 days would challenge me as I would need to depend upon Yazlin’s translations to communicate with my host parents (which I became more and more thankful for as the night went on).  

Mar's oldest son, his wife, myself, Mar, and Yazlin

Our first night consisted of refreshments at 5:00 pm (i.e. a small meal between larger meals), then preparing to visit Rahman and Mar’s oldest son at his home in Ayer Hitam, a short 10 minutes away at 9:00 pm. I quickly learned that evening activities (including the night meal) start much later than in the United States.  Other members of our #AgEd2Malaysia team enjoyed visiting their neighbors, going out to eat with their host families, or watching the popular catfishing tournament. I experienced a variety of emotions while enjoying our meal that night—happiness, awkward silence, confusion, and anxiety. Slightly nervous about the social dynamics during the rest of my homestay, I quickly agreed to go shopping for make-up (at 10:00 pm) with Rahman’s daughters. This experience really helped to break the silence as we shared our interests in shopping.

The next morning consisted of nasi lamak (coconut rice) served with a fried egg and a friendly conversation over the photo album I brought from home. I am so glad I got the idea to bring photographs while reading I Will Always Write Back. The pen pals in this book always enjoyed viewing photos of each other’s family, so I thought this was a great idea to share photos with my host family. I left the house for our scheduled group tours with a renewed confidence that I had found a way to have conversation with my host family.

As we continued to share more meals and participate in the evening activities scheduled by the FELDA community liaison, I felt more accepted and we continued to swap stories about our families and interests. I felt like a part of the family when Mar loaned me her traditional Malaysian clothing to wear for a party that evening and Yazlin helped me pin my hijab in place. Rahman must have been proud as he insisted that we take a family photo before leaving for the party. 

Becoming a part of the FELDA community for a short 4 days has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences in my travel experiences. Perceived obstacles such as cultural norms, a language barrier, and multi-generational homes quickly faded as I was greeted with genuine hospitality and a family willing to teach me about their culture while I shared about my culture. This experience has allowed me to realize that most important facet of life is the people we encounter and the relationships we have the chance to cultivate with them. I will never forget the Basri family and hope that somehow I can repay the hospitality they’ve shown me in the future.

Humbled by Hospitality at the Sikh Temple

When we left today to tour the city of Johor Bahru, I had no idea how humbling of a day it would turn out to be. What was planned as a simple cultural tour of the city turned out to be a very thought-provoking day for our group, especially me.

We toured a section of the city known as the Harmony District, a part of the bustling city that boasted a Chinese Temple, Hindu Temple, and Sikh Temple in very close proximity. I was not expecting to be welcomed into these holy places, but quite the opposite happened. We were met with welcoming hosts who were willing to passionately explain their religion and beliefs to a group of Americans from nearly 9,000 miles away.

The most meaningful experience of my trip thus far happened in a Sikh temple. Until about 8 hours ago, I had never heard of the Sikh religion, but it is the 5th largest religion in the world. It is considered a very young religion with its roots traced to the 1400s. Setting some context, we were on a walking tour with a guide and she was planning to just show us the temple herself (which is permitted). However, there was an engagement prayer taking place when we arrived, so we were turned away since we were a large group. This gentleman saw our group and said if we would wait 30 minutes, he would be happy to help. We visited a nearby Hindu Temple (which contained some beautiful idols, paintings, and traditions).

The gentleman pictured in our photos was a Youth Leader at the Sikh temple (more about Sikhism) and provided us with genuine hospitality and welcoming comments. We had to have our heads covered (males and females) to enter the temple, so we pulled out our scarves and the Malaysian students helped us cover our heads. The engagement prayer was coming to a close, so we sat outside the prayer room, but watched through glass windows. At the conclusion ceremony, the priests came out to our group and provided us with the sweet paste they handed out during the ceremony, which was not expected. (Still need to do more research about the significance of this paste and why it is given). He then invited us into the prayer room (after we washed our feet and hands) and explained more about the altar and holy book that they worship.

After viewing the prayer room, he welcomed us downstairs to the fellowship hall to enjoy a meal. The Sikh Temples are open places where individuals of all genders, occupations, and monetary status are welcome. Anyone is welcome to stay in the temple during times of hardship and food is always available, no questions asked. Volunteers just show up to help prepare food and wash dishes (they don't make a schedule--they depend upon service and people doing the right thing and taking their turn). We did not feel comfortable eating a meal since we had intruded enough on this gentleman's time, so we enjoyed some tea (and apparently took the wrong kind of tea).

I was just blown away by this experience as I had time to reflect on the bus ride home. What would we (as Americans) have done if a group of 25 Muslims/Hindus/Sikhs in head coverings showed up to our church and asked for a tour to see how we worship? I can tell you that I would have certainly thought twice and tried to explain how I didn't have time or make an excuse that they weren't permitted to see our church. And, if I did give them a tour, what would I have said about Lutheranism? Would I have been able to talk an hour about the history of our religion and share with complete confidence about our core beliefs? I remember learning about the tenants of Lutheranism during our confirmation classes, but how much could I articulate to a group of strangers?

I doubt I will ever forget today because today I realized a powerful thing. Our Malaysian friends wear clothing very different from us and to some Americans, they view this type of clothing as that of terrorists. However, today I realized that I no longer see my friends wearing a hijab, but rather as a person with a name, face, and personality. It brings tears to my eyes at how welcoming these people are to us and how much we misunderstand their religion and what it stands for. The basic tenant of Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism is compassion and understanding of others--but NOT HATE.

The story of the Good Samaritan instantly came to my mind today and I will carry the moral of this story with me often. "Go and do the same as the good Samaritan."