Nazareth Farm- Pablo Rios
"Nazereth Farms was an amazing experience. For one week I lived by the farms four cornerstones of simplicity, community, service, and prayer, which allowed me to really focus on what was important during the time I was there. Living simply meant only three showers for the week, no make up, no doing your hair and no electronics. Although loosing your phone or computer, and not being able to shower everyday for a week seems like not very much fun, it was my favorite part of the experience. You are able to escape the craziness of the real world for just a little and really have time to focus on meeting new people and serving those in need. Community is a big part of the week also. You meet so many new and wonderful people from different schools all over the country. They also encourage you to get to know the people who we were serving in the community. For example, we were building a new roof for one of the members of the community and at lunchtime everyday we sat down and ate with this person and learned about their life. Service is also a main focus for this week. We serve each other as a smaller community by cooking and cleaning on the farm but we also serve the homeowners by fixing up their homes whether it be through building them a new roof, stairs, floor, or just helping to clean up their farm a little. Each experience of service brings something new to your life and you learn so much doing it. Finally, prayer was also important to the experience on the far but it is important to know being catholic is not a requirement. There were people from all kinds of religions in our group at Nazareth farms and if anything it helped the experience by giving it some depth and some different perceptions. My experience at Nazareth farms fits in perfectly with the Jesuit spirit and was a great addition to my experience here at Le Moyne. It allowed put into action what Le Moyne teaches me everyday about inquiry, spirit, leadership, and the Jesuit way.
Read more about Alternative Breaks at Le Moyne from: :
Lacey Eames ’12 – Ecuador Lizzie Molloy ’12- Kenya Justin Sullivan ’12 - New Orleans Pablo Rios- Nazareth Farm