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Student Reflections on Service Immersion Trip to Bethlehem Farm
Hello! My name is Jack Travers and I’m currently a sophomore at SHP. This past November I attended the Service Immersion Trip to Bethlehem Farm in West Virginia. I originally wanted to go on this trip to get away, immerse myself in a new experience and create bonds with my peers, but this trip became so much more as it opened my eyes to a new culture that I could have never imagined.
Our days began with prayer, then farm chores followed by an amazing locally produced breakfast. Then we were sent out to our various service placements. I ended up working on two farms run by women who were both in their 70s. After service we came home and had free time to hike and enjoy the natural beauty for Appalachia. Our day concluded with dinner and evening reflection. Those evenings, spent in reflection, and prayer with my brothers and the Bethlehem Farm Community offered new insight that changed my perspective on the world.
On the first day of service, we went to work on Ann’ s farm. Ann is a 70+ year old woman who has been running a cattle farm for most of her life. During that day were helping Ann with much needed renovations to her farmhouse. Ann had been living in her trailer and working by herself. So, our service that day, including cleaning out the shed, cleaning out mouse poop from her home, and digging out the old crumbly 1800’s foundation so that a new foundation could be laid. The service was challenging but so rewarding. I’ll never forget the smile on Ann’s face when she saw the work we had accomplished. The look that she gave us of joy and gratitude was worth all the hard work and something I don’t know if I’ll ever see again.
Other than the service, I learned so much about Care for God’s Creation. The natural beauty of Appalachia was breathtaking. During our first day, we went on a hike of the Bethlehem Farm property and up at the top of the hillside we could see all the way to the Virginia state border. We were in a dark sky zone (one of the few left in the United States) and at night, we were able to take a star tour. The night sky was awe inspiring! We were even able to witness multiple shooting stars! Our food was all locally made and sourced and was delicious! What made the food even better, was sharing it with the local population during our community night. This experience influenced my understanding of conservation and how we can better take care of our shared resources. I even started working in my neighborhood’s community garden when I got back to NJ.
This was lifechanging experience! The benefits I received were more than I could have ever imagined. I would highly recommend the Appalachian Service Immersion trip to anyone with a strong will and the desire to promote good in the world.
For more information on service immersion trips at SHP visit:
https://www.shp.org/service-immersion-trips or contact Clare Ettensohn at cettensohn@shp.org
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