Reflections from Fall 2010 Trip

Liberty, Kentucky - By Claire Husting (2014)

Lanky wheat bows to the wind,

Cows with marble eyes sit munching on grass,

Trite shops burst with homemade candies.

Dirt coats trucks the way

Icing covers a cake. 

Wet, crinkled clothes dangle limply from a clothes line, swaying

Softly

In the wind.

Within the quaint churches, attendants raise their hands to the sky

And cry

‘Amen!  Praise the Lord!’  In the middle of a homily.

 Vibrant green sprouts poke out of the

Rich, chocolate, cultivated soil.

A little fluff ball of a kitten curls up in the lap of fondling, cooing girls.

Hands are tough-like-leather, worn from the toils of that day.

When the sun sets,

The magnificent beast dips below layers of fading hill tops.

Then,

At night,

Stars are sprinkled across the sky like freckles scattered across a face.

The end to a flaw-filled, yet perfect, day.

This is a place of bonnets, suspenders,

aprons, and long wool socks.

The line between “friend” and “family” is blurred.

Clopping horse-drawn carriages are as common

As polluting cars.

An absence of wifi is filled with the presence of

sanity.

Contentment takes the place of ipods.  Wealth is measured by

Time spent with family and friends.

Down here, hearts are warmer than the Amazon, and time is venial.

Down here, life is

Simple

Patient

Kind

Brilliant.

Caroline Walsh (2013)

In Liberty, we went star gazing. That night, the stars were definitely a sight worth seeing. There were millions of them---all spread out before us. One question we could not keep from asking, however, was why there weren’t that many stars in Cincinnati. Well, technically, there are that many stars in Cincinnati. We just can’t see that many. Why? Well, the lights from the city block them out. I could not believe how great the truth was in that. Even though I am blessed to live in the city of Cincinnati, the city itself brings so many unnecessary distractions to my life that keep me from seeing the true purpose of it all. After visiting Liberty, I feel so blessed that God gave me the opportunity to learn how simple life could truly be.

While in Liberty, it was pretty warm for the end of October. Mr. Forman would say that the reason Liberty is so warm is because we’re so much closer to the equator than Cincinnati. Well, for me, life in Liberty is so much more enjoyable because we’re so much closer to God. In Liberty, you’re free from those everyday stressors and distractions, leaving you less things to worry about and more things to thank God for. While working in the fields at the Langes’ and the Risers’, I was able to really just realize how much God had blessed me. He had definitely blessed me with the opportunity to serve and meet such wonderful people. Without all of the distractions of city life, I was able to be so much more in focus of what’s really important in life and just live each day to its full potential.

In Liberty, I was able to see life without all of the “city lights” getting in the way. I loved being able to just live life simply and happily----the way I think God wants us all to live. Hebrews 2:1 says, “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Therefore, I want to continue to remind myself of the lessons I learned down in the small town of Liberty. I never want to forget what I learned about living life the way God wants it to be lived. I am so thankful that God did give me the chance to meet the people I met and experience the things I experienced down in Liberty because I now have a greater understanding of Him and His purpose.

Laura Jansing (2013)

Liberty was an absolutely wonderful experience it helped my find myself, bond with class mates, meet new people, gain new life experiences, and it gave me a chance to slow down and see what is important to me right here and now. The people in Liberty are unlike any other people that I have ever met in my life and I mean that in the kindest way. They have such a strong sense of community and family and hard work. While I was down there I loved every minute of it and because of their hospitality and way of life I was truly effected in a positive way. I loved the simplicity and the fresh air it was such a blessing to go.

We got our phones taken away and that too was a hidden blessing although I did weep a little bit about having no communication for a while, it was great to be on the same page with every one and talk and get to know some of the people that you may have never talked to before then.

One of the greatest moments of the entire trip for me going to Sandy’s house and sitting in the back yard and looking at the stars. The moment was indescribable. The people that went had a great conversation on what we were learning and how the experience had effected us so far. Looking at the stars made me realize how small I am in the world. I reminded me how wonderful God is. We saw a shooting star and at that very second in time I could feel Sandy’s presences all around me with God. And although I have never met either of them it was one of the happiest feelings that I had ever felt in my life. I felt pure joy and it made me think if we could all be so loving towards one another, how great would the world be. When it was time to leave the stars and go back I felt a mixed emotion of sadness and happiness. Even though there is pain and suffering in the world and it seems almost too easy to blame God and turn a way from him, being at Sandy’s looking at the beautiful site before my eyes I knew how much God loves me and why I came on the trip.

From that moment on I was then determined to make the most of my time in Liberty. Liberty saved my life and came just at the right time by helping slow my life and put my priorities in order. Recently I had notice myself changing and acting like those around me, not being true to myself. I am a firm believer in the statement, life is not about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself. Liberty will has helped me to create who I am and be the person that I want to be. I can’t thank the people there enough for being so kind and welcoming. They are such a great example as to the kind of person I grow to be.

Carly Ems (2013)

This trip to Liberty Kentucky was my 3^rd trip! So I’m getting kind of used to writing these things, but I’ve figured out I write about a different thing every time.  I really enjoyed it, maybe even more then last years because I knew the people that went better as well as the people who live there.

On the first day I went to Pete’s, I really enjoyed working with him and the other 3 girls that were there. When Pete took us to eat while he was waiting for his food he picked up this napkin and took a pen out of his pocket and just started drawing this amazing picture that I would never be able to draw, he wrote “have a nice day” and left it there for the waitress. I thought it was really cool, because no matter if they were having a bad day or even a good day it would make their day so much better. Being at Pete’s taught me that I should look at life in a better way and think more positive about things. On the second day I was at the Lange’s we dug a bunch of trenches, raked them, spread chicken manure, and……….planted garlic. We got it done pretty fast because we all worked together. This is one thing that I have learned from going to liberty, that when you work together and not really even think that the work your doing may be really hard, you actually get it done fast.

But I think the day I enjoyed the most was Sunday, when we all just chilled. Church, the down time, the hayride, and the cookout. Everyone was constantly talking to each other and having fun. The cook out was something new, and cool I really enjoyed how we were all just hanging out with each other and the other people that were there. That’s another thing that I love about liberty is just talking to people and enjoying what you’re doing every second.

Liberty has become like a really close friends house to me, I always feel welcomed when I go there and hope to continue feeling that way on the many more trips I hope to go on.

Carolyn Schwarz (2013)

I originally decided to go to the Liberty trip because a lot of my friends were going and I wanted to spend some time helping people out. I always heard Mr. Forman taking about Liberty on the announcements and what a great opportunity it was. I wanted to know what Liberty was like and why everyone that had gone on the trip loved it so much. I wasn’t really sure what would be happening on the trip, all I knew was that it was really fun and that you did a lot of hard work, but the work was worth it. I couldn’t wait to go on the Liberty trip and figure what this trip was all about. Looking back on Liberty I realized what an awesome experience it was and I’m so glad that I decided to go.

The people in Liberty were so welcoming and even thought I had never even been there it was like I was one of their long time friends. The people live in a totally different atmosphere than we do in Cincinnati and offer a lot more hospitality and are open and welcoming to everyone. The people also taught me a lot about life and I realized that they live how life probably should be lived. The kids are very obedient to their parents and never complain or tell their parents no. The kids work very hard and help their parents with everything that has to be done. There is a huge sense of community within these people and they do everything that they can to help others, even if they are complete strangers. The all interact with each other as they are a family and will do anything in their power to help someone in need.

Michelle Niesen (2014)

When I first learned about the liberty trips from Mr. Forman, which was almost the first day of school, I knew that was something I would really like to do.  I was so excited to go, but I didn’t know anyone that was going. I was one of three freshmen who went on the trip. The weeks before the trip, I met some people who were going and became friends with them. When it was finally time to leave, I was totally stressed out and needed to get away. I was so worried about having to do projects and homework. I didn’t really realize what a difference your life can be when you slow down the pace. 

The difference came to me when we were getting ready to leave. Everyone took their time packing the cars and making sure everything was in place before we left. When we finally did leave we were on the road and stopped a couple of times. Then we finally got there! It was dark, so I really couldn’t tell what exactly I had gotten myself into. We unpacked the car, talked, and then went to bed. The next morning was the first day that we worked. We got up and took our time eating, getting dressed, and ready for the day. The first place that we went to was the Langes. There we learned a little about Abdul and his story. We even saw Jerome cry. After that we split up and went to different places. I stayed at the Langes and helped work on their farm. The first job that we were put up to was pulling weeds. Most of the weeds that we pulled were taller than us. We all had fun and really worked as a team. I learned from Aaron that there is a plant that looks like a blue berry but it’s poisonous and is related to tomatoes and tobacco, so if you really wanted to you could smoke it. When it was time to eat lunch, we were almost done pulling the weeds. We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples, granola bars, and pretzels. We were all sitting inside when we heard a loud thump. Mr. Forman comes in with a grin on his face like he did something bad. It turned out that he threw Aaron’s shoes on top of the house. We all talked for awhile and then headed back outside to continue working.

We finished up with the weeds, and then we went to work on the tomato plants.  We had to de-string all of the tomato plants, and then pull the actual plant out of the ground. It sounds funny, but we had lots of fun and even had a tomato fight. Then Paula pulled Megan and me to the side to pick peppers with her. We picked a ton of peppers. I even found a purple one. Paula is very nice, and we got to learn more about her and her lifesyle. When we were finished with that task we went to help everyone with the garlic plants. About that time, everyone was tired. We finished getting the garlic ready to plant and went back to the home. We took showers and got ready to go to The Bread of Life Café. The Bread of Life Café has amazing food, and we all got to hear Tana sing. By the time we got back we were all tired. We did a little activity and went to bed. We made it through day one!

The next morning we all got up and got dressed. This time we went to different places. I got to go to the garage sale that we were holding for Abdul. It was such an honor, because I got to meet a lot of people. The biggest thing that I can take from that day is the sense of community. They were all so giving, and they all wanted to help out. The children were also very well-behaved. We got horse-churned ice cream and hot dogs. I had a fantastic time. That time of the day came where we had to get back to the home to get ready for the concert that we were holding for Abdul. At the concert, I also saw what it met to be a community. They were all so happy to be helping. After the concert, we had a bonfire. While we were at the bonfire, Mr. Senate took a few of us to go stargazing. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The stars were so bright, and you could just feel God’s presence. We saw a ton of shooting stars, but too quickly we had to go inside to go to bed. 

The next day was Sunday. Sunday there is a day of rest. We went to two church services and then had the rest of the day to ourselves. We had time to do homework, take walks, or whatever you wanted to do. I went down to the Angel House. At the Angel House they take in babies whose mothers are in prison. Those little babies were so cute. I met a little girl named Abby who had been there her whole life. She was so happy, and I really saw what a difference someone can make in some else’s life. After that we all went on a hay ride. We got to see all the farms, and the beautiful land. It was so pretty there. After our hay ride we went to a party. Almost everyone in their community was there. We all played volleyball and tetherball. We had a delicious meal and learned more about each other. I was so sad that it was our last day there. It was Halloween, so when we got back to the home we had a little Halloween party.

When I woke up the next morning I was sad and happy. I was sad to be leaving this wonderful place, but happy to see my family. We all got packed up and cleaned. I had to clean the bathrooms. Even though cleaning isn’t fun, we all had fun anyway. Mr. Forman was in charge of loading up the cars (he shouldn’t have been!) It was time to go. We went and said our goodbyes, and took pictures. Then we were on the road again. We lost three things on the way back, and had to stop in the middle of the road to get them.  I think the best thing that I have taken from this trip to my home is living life to the fullest. I now take the time to slow down. When we take the time to slow the pace of our life down, we seem to be happier. I have met a lot of great people. I will always remember my trip to liberty. I can’t wait till the next one!                                                             

Alli Black (2013)

I was a little nervous about going to Liberty at first. Rachael Fogarty and Ellie Sennett had both told me about how much fun it was and how much I would like it, but I was anxious about staying in a place so different than what I was used to and didn't know if I would feel comfortable in this new situation. I am so thankful I was able to overcome that though, because the trip was amazing. The Liberty community was so welcoming and thankful for our help. The people were all so kind and just truly special in every way. I was amazed by the way they were able to come together as a group to help each other out and they never once lost faith that no matter what, God would help them through it in some way. Day to day life was so much simpler for them as well. I feel as if when you're a teenager in high school it's easy for you to get caught up in the stress of school work and making sure you have money to hang out with friends and everything else that comes with being a teenager in today's world. We all fall so easily into the pattern of worrying so much about our own lives that we completely forget about those around us. That doesn't happen in Liberty. It wasn't just the people of the Liberty community either. The fellow MND students that I was able to spend time with on the trip were all so friendly and helpful. It was never hard to ask someone a question or joke around with someone, even if you had never spoken before in your entire life. The trip seemed to have a way of bringing people together and helping you slow life down, for a weekend at least. I am so glad that I was convinced to go on this Fall trip and I can't wait for the next one to come around.

Sydney Kindle (2013)

This past fall trip to Liberty was my first, and I had no idea what to expect. The first day my group went to the Risers' to pull up the pepper stakes, I'm not going to lie I wasn't thrilled to do it. But after awhile everyone started to get into a good pattern and all the kids were willing to do whatever they were told. When we had just finished our last row and thought we were done, we were told we were going to do another row. I was not so happy but everyone pulled together and got it done quicker then all of the rest of the rows. The kids were so incredibly nice and well behaved and they all were so glad to see us and get to hang out with us. By the end of the day my back was killing my hands throbbing, but I was really happy I got to go there to help and spend time with them.

Saturday was when I met Effie. I learned that she has got the biggest heart, she's funny and she knows her movies. There was a group of us standing there talking to her and she was quoting all of her favorite movies and was laughing so hard when she remembered a funny part. George was also very fun to hang out with because he always had a smile. He was so happy when he got to go on the hay ride with us.

I thought it was really cool how everyone came together and helped Abdul. I'm glad we could be there and help raise money for him and his family. I would love to be apart of any other fundraisings we do for him. He is such a kind man and I hope he can be with his family soon.

I had a lot of fun and learned a lot form this trip. I hope I get the chance to go on a future trip!

Ellie Sennett (2013)

Coming back to Liberty this fall was another great experience. This trip I got to know people I didn’t really get to speak with last time and reconnect with some of the people I met last year.  

Coming to Liberty typically does two things for me: makes me grateful for many of the things I have, and teaches me to not overuse a lot of those things. Being in Liberty, you realize you CAN survive without your cell phone attached to your hip and the world actually doesn’t end if you don’t check your Facebook for a few days. I found myself challenging myself each day, like “Okay, don’t turn on your phone at all today.”

But my favorite part about Liberty is the people. Last year before coming I was really nervous because I thought I would have absolutely nothing to relate to these people with. I’m definitely a city girl, and was worried no one would get my sense of humor or understand me. But coming down, I always am reminded of how even though these people live very different life styles and have different beliefs than I do, we’re all actually pretty similar.  Especially with the Mennonites, I was really surprised to actually get a glimpse of their personalities. For some reason I always picture Mennonites only talking about the Bible and stuff like that, but they actually joke around with you! It may seem silly, but that’s probably the one thing that gets me every time I come down.

It’s nice to see that despite all of our differences we are actually pretty similar. I always see myself as an open-minded person, and would kind of judge “country-folk” as the close-minded people. But what I love about coming down to Liberty is you see that these people are so loving, and most are in fact very open-minded.