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Grace, Nutley Youth Mission Trip to Heifer International's Overlook Farm

Copyright the Episcopal Diocese of Newark
By: 
Joan Skorupski

The Teen Group of Grace Church in Nutley spent an exciting week in Massachusetts at Overlook Farm of Heifer International. The group spent four days working on an organic farm, developing a better understanding of global hunger and poverty.

We rose with the roosters and were ready for chores at 8 a.m. We fed animals such as llamas, cows, goats, yak and chickens twice a day. We had an exciting time milking goats and collecting eggs. During the day the teens removed down trees from the forest to be use as firewood, pitched hay, moved herds of goats from one pasture to another, and handpicked beetles from potato plants. Now we know why organic vegetables are so expensive!

We spent a night in their Global Village at Ghana which was one of their international sites representing the different areas of the world where Heifer works. We experienced life in a developing community. We learned to build a fire and were responsible for cooking our own ethnic evening meal and breakfast.

We were fortunate enough to meet another Episcopal Youth Group from Florida whom we shared morning and evening prayer. We slept in tents and worked long hours in the hot sun but came out of the experience as stronger individuals with a better understanding of world hunger, caring for the environment and a greater appreciation of what God has given us.