A lasting impression

By Carole Greenwalt

As Tri-S prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary, I am delighted to have an opportunity to share some highlights from my own Tri-S experience.

What’s the value of Tri-S? For me, it complemented my liberal arts education in ways no classroom ever could. In the summer of 1969, our group set out for eight weeks in Japan. Our duties were primarily to teach conversational English. We had studied the language, met with Japanese people in the states to learn about their country’s culture and customs, and read some fascinating books. Armed with this information and one 21-inch suitcase, I felt well-prepared. However, I could never have imagined the life lessons I would learn on this journey.

One element of the Tri-S experience is immersing students into a different culture for unique learning opportunities. We were sent out alone or in pairs to spend a day or two with a Japanese family. During these “homestays,” I got a much clearer picture of Japanese life. It was an amazing opportunity. We also were allowed time to travel and sightsee. I’ll never forget how painfully aware I was of being an American as I walked through a museum in Nagasaki and saw the effects of the atomic bomb. It was humbling. These and a myriad of other experiences certainly enlarged my vision of the world and gave me a heightened appreciation of the life and people outside our borders.

Our trip also gave me a chance to grow spiritually. We visited a variety of shrines, temples, and churches, and met with first-generation Christians as well as Buddhist and Shinto priests. Many of these encounters helped me clarify my own religious beliefs, while others raised some faith questions that I’ve tackled time and again over the years.

A third benefit of my Tri-S trip was discovering new insights about people. Our fabulous host missionaries (the Kinleys, Eikamps, and Smiths), our patient group leaders (Joe and Cleda Anderson), my peers from the college, and the eager and curious Japanese students were all my “teachers” that summer.

So, I applaud Tri-S as they celebrate this milestone. I am a different person because of my adventure in the summer of 1969, and my story is just one of thousands which could be recalled by other travelers with Tri-S through the years.