Liberty Reflections - Fall 2008
Kelsey Ryan (2010)
This
fall I went on my first trip to Liberty, Kentucky and I absolutely loved it.
Even though it was tough to detach myself from my usual busy and hectic world,
it was definitely worth it. I learned so much and got to meet some amazing
people.
When I
signed up for this Liberty trip, I didn’t really know what to expect. A lot of
my friends had gone on previous trips and recommended that I go, so I decided to
apply. I knew there would be a lot of hard work involved, but I had no idea how
rewarding it would be. Most people would probably not think that picking corn
for a few hours would be much fun, but I never found myself getting bored or
tired of the work. For once, it was really nice to just enjoy the company of
others without other distractions. It also made me feel good to know just how
much we were helping the people there.
Although
the work we did greatly benefited the people of Liberty, I feel like they helped
us even more. The people who live in Liberty truly are a community. They are
always there for each other. Everyone knows and cares for everyone. It really
made me think about the relationships that I have with people and rethink the
way that I treat others.
On this
trip, I got to meet a lot of wonderful people from my grade, and from other
grades that I hadn’t talked to before and probably never would have. I got to
reconnect with some people I hadn’t talked to in awhile as well as some new
friends. I’m glad that I got the opportunity to talk to some of these people
because I doubt I ever would have met them otherwise.
The best
part of this trip for me was how simple and relaxed everything was. Usually I’m
so busy that I don’t even have time to stop and think. I just go from one thing
to the next so fast that I can’t really enjoy the things that I’m doing. My
brain is always two steps ahead of what I’m doing. In Liberty, I really learned
how to take a step back and enjoy the little things in life that I never would
have noticed. For those four days I could just forget about everything that was
stressing me out and enjoy myself.
I truly
enjoyed every minute of this trip to Liberty, Kentucky and I hope that I can
return soon.
Katie Markgraf (2010)
This was
my second trip to Liberty, Kentucky, and I expected it to be if not the same,
then at least very similar to my trip last spring. In a way it was the same, but
my experience was totally different.
Before
leaving that Thursday morning, I mentally prepped myself, and thought a lot
about the sacrifices I knew I would be making: eating food I wasn’t used to,
doing physical work I didn’t normally do, getting less sleep than I would have
liked, sleeping on a bed that wasn’t mine….and probably sharing it with someone
else. I set out with a positive attitude, excited to go back, yet knowing that
it was going to challenge my patience with others, and with myself.
Surprisingly, this time, saying “I can do that!” was easy. Whether it was
cleaning up someone else’s mess from dinner, or taking an extremely short
shower, or spreading compost when no one else stepped up, I somehow found the
energy and strength to volunteer myself.
Even when I found myself doing a job I didn’t particularly want to do
(i.e. bending over in a really awkward position to spread heavy, sticky tar on a
concrete wall while simultaneously redecorating my jeans), I was able to press
on by thinking of the weight we’d be taking of someone else’s shoulders.
Back in
Cincinnati, after a long, hot shower, and a full night’s sleep in my own bed,
I’ve still found that attitude ingrained in my head. Even little instances when
my patience has been tried, or when I found myself put in a position where I
could be selfish and lazy, I was able to tap into that strength and self
sacrifice I’d discovered in Liberty. It’s amazing how when you have so little,
you find you actually have so much.
Rachel Hazlebeck (2011)
Many
people have asked me, “Why go to a farm for a whole weekend and work?” And I
answered them with because I love helping others. While we were down in Liberty
I had the pleasure of meeting new people and getting reacquainted with people I
met last time I was down there. Everyone is smiling and happy to meet you; no
one is judging us. I went on this trip mostly because of the people I would have
this experience with; the families down there and the MND girls.
The
Dunlap’s are a wonderful family. They have six kids, their own projects
(building their new house) and they still have time to build a new church for
the community. The Dunlap’s are an amazing family and give back to the community
so much I am so happy that I had the chance to meet them. Along the lines of a
giving community is Miss Marie. Miss Marie is an older woman who has a little
house up the road from where we stayed. I didn’t get the chance to see her this
trip but last trip I had the pleasure of sleeping at her house one of the
nights, to say the least, I have never felt so welcomed in a strangers house
before. Another family In Liberty that really sticks out to me is
Jason and Michelle Reiser.
The Risers are from Detroit,
Michigan and moved down to Liberty, Kentucky a few years ago. They gave up nice
cars and a big warm house to go into the country and raise their kids. They live
a much more simple life in Liberty and they couldn’t be happier. So far, the
Risers adopted four kids, had four kids of their own and another on the way. I
have never seen so much love and joy in one family. The last family where I
spent most of my time was Jerome, Paula and Aaron. Here we did tons of different
tasks but the most interesting part was hearing what Jerome had to say. His
stories are so interesting and usually hilarious.
My
favorite part had to be peeling apart garlic at Jerome’s farm. It made my thumbs
very sore and tired but, me and some of the other MND girls were peeling the
garlic we got to know each other so much more than just our names or random ice
breakers. We had some interesting stories to share and I am glad that I got to
spend that time with them.
In
Liberty it’s not about cell phones and TV it’s a lot more about family and
friends. The work we do there is
only for a few days and while it is sometimes very hard and dirty, the
relationships we made while doing it will last us a life time.
Carla Becker (2010)
this
trip for me is called the “break through trip” because you have people singing
and playing for the first time, and i realize that you can be happy without all
the material things. Also i have tons of stories from the way up and back. Also
being there with people i don't know until this trip came along. i became more
aware of what i can do to better myself. This trip strengthened me emotionally
and physically. on the drive up a few of my friends and i started writing quotes
that we've said that were funny and writing them down on paper. once we got
there i also realized it doesn't matter who is in your room, where you're
sleeping, or what you are doing; you can have a positive attitude if you want
to. When i went to Pete Patton's house the work i did wasn't necessarily hard,
but that was because i was with friends, and we got frequent breaks to talk.
Even though it rained on one day; it just made the next day even better. going
on this trip always makes me sad when we are packing up and driving back to
Cincinnati because every time i go i learn more and more things that change my
life for the better. on the drive back my car was at first quiet, but when we
busted out the Backstreet Boys our car was one of the loudest, but the most fun,
i think. it was fun because everyone knew the songs and we all even added our
own dance moves to make a better situation even more better. so overall, this
fall trip made me closer to my friends, make new friends, and become a better
me.
Holly Bronner (2010)
This was my second trip to Liberty Ky. It was nice to go down with a different
group of people because got to meet some upper classmen who were very fun to
work with. I really enjoyed working with this everyone who went down. I also got
to meet new people and see people I already knew in Liberty. One new person I
met was Anna Dunlap. She was very nice and friendly I hope I get to see her on
the next trip. Someone I had met through the first trip and got to see again
was Marie. I really enjoy spending time with Marie because she so sweet and she
really loves having company. One thing I learned on this trip was that no matter
what happens to you or how many mistakes you make God will still love you. I
learned this when we were at the Galilean Children's Home. Seeing the babies and
the people who had lived there most of their lives because of their illness made
me realize this. When one of the girls who lived there Amy said that God
loves you to us it made me see this because she looked like she was very happy
even though she has an illness and this showed me that no matter what
happens God will take care of you. Over all the trip was really fun and I can't
wait to go back.
Theresa Lingardo (2010)
They say
that the third time is the charm, and I would have to agree with whoever “they”
are. This past trip to Liberty was my third trip, but I had experiences this
time that cannot compare to the two previous trips. This trip was the best
because of the group that was involved. It was clear at school before we left
who were friends and who had never before seen each other.
By the end of the trip I was having trouble separating the sophomores
from the juniors and senior. These girls were amazing and made the trip better
than I could imagine.
There is
something special about Liberty that makes normal, everyday, or even boring
things fun and exciting. Like who would have thought that shucking corn could be
so much fun?? Who could have imagined that the clear starry night sky would
provoke two juniors (yeah me and you ElizabethJ)
to lie on the freezing ground and stare literally into space? Liberty is a place
where taking 3 minute showers is okay (even encouraged) and TV and cell phone
reception is not exactly missed. The name of the town Liberty tells you exactly
how you will feel; free, from the stresses of life in the city and technology
that seems to take over. This “service” trip was not only about the helping
hands we could lend, but also about the relationships we could build between
ourselves and others. Based on that, I think this Liberty trip was very very
successful and one I will always remember.
Elizabeth Fogarty
The Fall 08 trip was my 2nd and best visit to liberty! I loved
everything about it the 1st time I went this past spring but my 2nd
trip was awesome because I got to see all the people I met last time as well as
meet new people.
I really enjoyed the 2 days I spent at the Ruessers. The first day was fun
because I got to hang out with Janelly and learn how to pick corn. It was rainy
and wet but still a lot of fun, especially when we went inside to make lunch and
get to see the rest of the family. It was so fun to help Emily and Hunter with
their schoolwork, because they were so excited about spending time with us. It
was also really nice to hear from Jason and Michelle because they were so honest
about what it was like to adopt the lifestyle they have and about their decision
to move their family to Liberty. They are really strong people and I admire them
for being awesome people and awesome parents. I also enjoyed our second day
there because we all worked as a team and finished all the corn, which would
have taken a lot longer for them to do on their own.
Another thing I enjoyed was working at Jerome’s where I got to learn how to hang
drywall. It was really fun to learn something new and to accomplish something I
never would have thought I could do. I needed a lot of help but I still felt
pretty proud of myself when we finished J. I also enjoyed seeing the work they
have done at the church. I didn’t get a chance to work there but it was awesome
to see how the church community has grown. I also loved the church service on
Sunday. It was nice to see how close their church community is. I especially
loved how anyone in the congregation can mention their special intentions,
instead of them just being read by one person.
It was so fun to see Jean Beaudelaire and Jerome sing for us. I love their music
it’s so beautiful! Also, seeing the community at the Galilean home, the
basketball game, and the Bread of Life Café was awesome to see all the people
because they are so welcoming and kind towards us. It was so much fun to revisit
all of the people and places that I remember from my first visit to Liberty. I
had an amazing time and I can’t wait to go back!
Emma Stiver (2010)
Liberty,
KY… Where to begin? I had heard that Liberty was an awesome experience from some
friends who had gone this summer. So, I thought, why not? What an amazing place.
For
being new, I was nervous how I would adjust to Liberty and the girls I went
with. But, I found to make new friends, become closer to the friends I went
with, and reconnect with a very old friend that I hadn’t see since the seventh
grade. We worked so well together and I couldn’t imagine going with another
group of girls - from working on the farm together, shucking corn, riding in the
cars, or just fooling around at the house. These are memories that I will
treasure forever.
I found Liberty to be very peaceful and
simple. I liked being away from my busy life along with no computer or cell
phone. It was so quaint and everyone seemed to know everyone else. The people I
met in Liberty were very inspiring also - Pete being one of them. Pete’s story
is truly remarkable and I am lucky to meet someone like him. Working at Pete’s
or at Jerome’s farm was hard, but so worth it. I enjoyed every second of even
though I could only use one arm part of the time, having pepper spray come my
way, and had tomatoes thrown at me thrown at me. I would go back to Liberty in
heartbeat.
J
Tana Matz (2010)
The trip we took to Liberty Kentucky was a truly amazing experience. The fall trip was defiantly different than the summer trip we took. During both trips, I learned many important things, but I felt like the second trip really went to heart with me. I absolutely loved how the people we when with really opened up to everyone, and shared their feelings with everyone. I realized that everybody has difficult times in their lives, and there are true and compassionate people out there, who will listen and comfort you during these times. I also realized how small things can leave such a big impact in other people’s lives. And even though we may be small, we leave behind huge footprints behind us through our acts of kindness.
Sarah Danielsons (2010)
This year my trip to Liberty, Kentucky was different that the previous two. On top of some of my friends who I went with every year not going, there were people I had never met before coming along.
But, Liberty amazed me once again, and I found myself having more fun that I could have imagined. I was able to help more people, see new things, and really go back to my roots once again.
I think one of the main things this trip has taught me was not to have preconceived notions. I was so afraid to step outside of my boundaries, even though I had done this before. I refused to accept the fact that other people had come here without me!!! But I really enjoyed every second of the trip and I was so glad I was able to get over myself. :)
Theresa
Snyder (Chaperone
Being the second trip to
On another day, the ladies and I went over to Mr. Pete
Patton’s to do some outdoor work. It
was horrible because of the rain and cold and I ended up with massive poison ivy
for the next two weeks. I wouldn’t
have changed that day at all. Mr.
Patton took our group down to his studio where he paints.
He talked of his faith in God and how his faith was pushed to the limits
due to his health. Pete said, “Life
is an adventure. Happiness is a
choice. Jesus is God!”
Oh, so true.
he apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Pete’s daughter, Shannon, had come back to