In 15 months living and working at the Asian Rural Institute (ARI), the mission assigned to them by the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (Anglican Church in Japan), they waded through rice paddies, cared for various barnyard animals, learned how to make charcoal and lived in community with people from at least 15 different countries.

"We were looking for a service opportunity, something to test us personally and to stretch us in growing together," Andy explained. "We found it!"

The corps, known as YASC, is an Episcopal Church ministry involving people in one-year assignments working with a local church or church-founded institution or program, plus guided reflection and mentoring. The program intends to bring young adults into the life of the Anglican Communion and into the daily work of particular communities in ways that help them explore their call to ministry.

ARI is a working organic farm whose goal since 1973 has been to train grassroots rural leaders from Asia and Africa to facilitate self-development more effectively in their home communities.

Located two hours north of Tokyo -- and a world away from that mecca of modern technology -- ARI gathers approximately 30 students each April for nine months of intensive classes in organic farming, leadership training and community building.

Commissioned by their home church, Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis, Andy, then 29, and Meghan, 27, arrived at ARI on September 12, 2006. The community was gearing up for its largest event, the Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration, a showcase of ARI produce, cooking, baking and global music. The McConnells immediately were asked to join various celebration committees, all clamoring for attention, work and enthusiasm.

"It was a huge 'fish-out-of-water' experience -- very stressful," Meghan said. "We didn't know names and often couldn't communicate well, yet everything had to be done 'now, now, now.' At the same time, it was a lot of fun to find myself singing on stage, being in the moment and not quite sure how it all happened."

Settling in
Gradually, the McConnells settled into their main responsibilities. As a small nongovernmental organization that serves students from economically marginalized areas, ARI depends on individuals and church organizations to fund the considerable expense in getting participants to Japan and training them.

Although Meghan knew her job in ecumenical relations would involve fund raising, she said, "It's not just about getting money, but more about building relationships with people."

"We try to connect our supporters with a particular participant," she added. "We send mid and final reports of what a participant has accomplished, with photos, so that the supporting organization can grow along with the participant. I loved my job!"

Andy's task was to provide cutting-edge computer technology on a razor-thin budget, as well as teach skills to students whose knowledge of computers varied greatly. His first class included Theodora, a participant from Cameroon. She admitted that she had a lot of computers available to her back home, but she never knew what to do with them. By the time Theodora left ARI, Andy reported, "she really rocked on Windows!"

Andy also rebuilt ARI's computer lab around Ubuntu, a free software alternative to Microsoft Windows. Andy figured that Ubuntu, much like organic farming, was more sustainable for the participants' long-term needs.

"I may not have the skills to raise goats or inoculate children," Andy said, "but I can set up a computer lab."

But it wasn't all computer work. At ARI, all staff, participants, volunteers and visitors participate in daily "foodlife work," or all the tasks that result in food coming to the table, thus sustaining life.

Each early morning and later afternoon, everyone goes off to an assigned duty at the pig pen, chicken coop, milking shed, gardens, compost pile or kitchen.

Episcopal connections
Both Japan and ARI provided many connections for the McConnells as Episcopalians. Meghan's first project was to fill out an application to make ARI an Episcopal Jubilee Ministry Center, a step she said she hoped would make it easier to bring Episcopal volunteers and workers to the farm.

Each Sunday, she and Andy joined the local Anglican church in nearby Utsunomiya for worship, followed by lunch. Despite the language barrier, Andy said, they came to realize that "the things that unite us are stronger than the things that divide us."

In December, when the 2007 participants graduated from ARI and returned home to practice the skills they learned, Andy and Meghan went back to Indiana with new learning and some changed attitudes.

"A lot of what we did at ARI felt mundane -- cooking rice, getting up early to do exercises and farm work, sitting at meals together," said Meghan, "but it challenged me to put spiritual meaning into those routines and to find a greater goodness in life." She said she also appreciated the chance to do valuable work not based on money.

Andy always figured that his life's work would involve computers, but he said he doubted he would return to commercial software engineering as a career.

"This experience has opened up further opportunities in mission," he said. "I would like to do more with NGOs. For instance, there's a family shelter for the homeless in Indianapolis where so much could be done to teach computer for resumes, job applications and skill building."

More about the McConnells' sojourn in Japan is available on their website here. For those interested in ARI, click here or the Friends of ARI website here.