Tabor students experience Asia
Eleven Tabor College students, accompanied by Dr. Frank Brenneman and Dr. Aleen Ratzlaff, toured Southeast Asia during the month of January.
"This course is designed to give students a three-week immersion into several Southeast Asian cultures," said Ratzlaff. "The primary goals are to increase sensitivity and understanding about worldviews, cultural patterns, and communication behaviors that influence cross-cultural interpersonal interactions."
To introduce them to the Asian culture, Brenneman and Ratzlaff led the group through several major cities: Singapore; Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Georgetown, Penang, West Malaysia; Bangkok, Thailand; and Taipei, Taiwan.
"We wanted to have opportunities to experience the cultures of several countries, in particular ones where we would encounter the major religions of Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism," said Ratzlaff. "In each of the cities, we had a tour, visited museums, industries, religious sites, and cultural sites."
Religious interaction was one of the major focuses while on the trip.
"Our activities ranged from taking a long ride in a longboat to a longhouse where we interacted with the indigenous Iban of Borneo to attending worship services with fellow believers in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Chonburi, Thailand," said Ratzlaff.
Valerie Burns, a senior from Wichita, said, "This trip made me a lot more patient with people around me and appreciative of different cultures, whether that means across the world or in the United States.
"I was also reminded of how big God really is and how he is working in Asia. With this is also the idea that most of the people aren't Christians. That's something I wasn't used to. Hearing the Islamic call to prayer was not something I expected."
The trip also connected Tabor students with alumni who are serving in Southeast Asia.
"Some of the places we visited — Kuala Lumpur, Chonburi, and Taipei — offered opportunities to connect with people we know, including Tabor College alumni Andy Owen and Chen Ying Chie," said Ratzlaff.
In addition, students were exposed to the daily life of Asian culture through experiencing alternative forms of transportation and food. They enjoyed para-sailing, an elephant trek, and a bamboo raft ride that provided them with daily experiences of the country they were visiting.
"I definitely think the trip broadens the perspective of TC students; for some it's the first time they've been 'in the minority'," said Ratzlaff. "It stretched their tolerance for ambiguity — from the food to values and preferences."
