The Art of Learning

Last week I found myself in Berivoi, Romania. After a week of intense travel over to Switzerland, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it was the base for IMPACT (a ministry that runs camp meetings and events to encourage young people), that they are in the process of starting a training school, that they have an epic garden, that they were working on construction projects on the property, and that it is situated in a beautiful place at the base of the mountains. I knew the basics of what they did, but I didn’t know the whys or everyone that was involved.

The first day I was there, a group of us met for morning worship and breakfast in the outdoor shaded area. It was simple. Afterwards everyone went to their tasks, getting out the tools needed for what they were building and started planning out the best way to do things. I did a lot of observing that day.

It was the affirmations given, the gentle suggestions and leading, the laughing, the contentment, the team work, the willingness to learn, the “can do it” attitude, the encouragement to aim high, etc. that made the informal school, a place of learning and growth.

Some of the guys working here had finished university. But as I watched them learn life skills and lessons, the art of learning clicked. Learning isn’t about getting a degree or passing an exam (although this certainly can measure the stages of learning). Learning in life is about being curious, observing the experts, having a go, failing as often as you need to succeed, and walking away with another tool in your belt.

On top of that, it is a whole person approach. It is helping the intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social aspects of a person develop. And sometimes the best way for that to happen is by letting life happen.

At the highschool I have been spending some time at here in Romania, Integritas, education looks like working in the greenhouse for 4hrs each day, then going to classes and also being integrated with daily worships, weekly chapels, and other mentorship.

On my last day at Berivoi, we decided to do an impromptu lunch, consisting of picking veggies from the garden, building a fire and cooking a meal on the open flames. It was such a fun process. Learning is so much more than book work. So much more than rigidly following a strict curriculum. It is being intentional about learning from the opportunities life presents. Learning is a process that can’t happen overnight, it is all part of the journey.

That being said, formal learning also has many benefits, but I don’t want to miss the smaller lessons along the way!