We spent our first night at Saint George’s, Nashville, a beautiful Episcopal church. As soon as we got there, we jumped out of the van and played Ultimate. A little while later the St. George’s youth directors greeted us and showed us around. They showed us good hospitality. Our group got to know each other very well there. We played Sardines in the dark with flashlights all night!! In the morning we were all a bit tired. OK, we were very tired. Luckily, we discovered a coffee machine at St. George’s, and a good one. With donations we all got coffee, and I mean good coffee. Then we were ready to play a final game of Ultimate before we left! —Isabel Whelchel
After driving through rural Arkansas for about an hour we made the right turns and came down a slight hill to arrive, finally, at Heifer. We met our facilitators, and were told we were free to roam until dinner: free to roam 300 acres as we wished with the reservations that we don’t cross fences into cow pastures, don’t go into places that say “private,” and don’t break our legs on a cattle guard.
Heifer Ranch is incredibly sustainable. They rotationally farm to support the permanent animal residents and the many guests that come and go throughout the summer. They grow corn, squash and beans, and raise cattle, chickens, and rabbits. Everything we ate was grown and cooked on the Ranch and you could tell. Heifer Ranch actually owns more than 300 acres. They lease to local farms partly in exchange for some of what they produce. When we were there they had just received a load of lovely hay.
The damage that a recent tornado had wreaked was clear. There were piles of uprooted trees, several barns were just skeletons and one tree had a piece of roofing tin wrapped around its trunk. But no one had been injured or killed, animals included. In fact a calf had been born! You can look at this as a good omen. Heifer will keep educating people and will continue to change the world. —Miranda Norlin
During our first day at Heifer, we played “community-building games,” which were meant to teach us how to work together and how to figure things out using common sense.
The first game we played was a tag game where two people linked arms and tried to tag others with foam noodles. Whenever someone got tagged they had to join the line. In the end the line got so big that it became really hard to maneuver. The people in the line had to work together to tag the last people out.
The next game was harder. The group leaders started swinging a jump rope, which was the anaconda. Our group was a village that had heard about the Heifer project and decided to walk to the town a couple of miles away to get some cows. But as we walked in the jungle we saw an anaconda barring our way. The object of the game was to get all our team mates past the rope without it hitting one of them.
The first time was pretty easy, though it took a couple of tries. When our village got to the town the Heifer people told us to go back home to fill out some paperwork. So we had to get past the snake again. But this time the snake was hungrier, and we only had ten turns to get past the snake. Everybody started talking at once about how to get past the snake and tempers frayed. After three or four tries we did it though.
The next thing our village had to do was to get the animals from the town. This time we got five turns of the rope! We talked about how to do it, and somebody had the great idea of forming lines and counting to get the beat of the rope turning. This helped a lot. When the village came back with the animals we had only two turns of the rope to do it. By now though it was easier. We all knew what to do, got into lines without much of a fuss, and got past the snake on the first try! —Milo Norlin
The Global Village has seven houses around a large pond. Each house represents one place in poverty. The seven places are: Guatemala being the most comfortable; Thailand, Appalachia and Tibet being moderately comfortable; Refugee Camp, Urban Slum and Zambia are the least comfortable. The Guatemalan house had two bunk beds and was made out of cinder blocks and shingles. Thailand homes were raised on stilts, with a wooden floor, bamboo walls and thatched roof. The Appalachian house had one bunk bed and were made with a wooden floor and walls with a tin roof. The Tibet house was a canvas yurt. The Refugee Camp home was made with torn tarps covering a wooden frame. Urban Slum homes were made out of various materials including cardboard. Zambian homes had a cement floor, brick walls and a thatched roof. Our group spent the night in either Guatemala, Thailand, or the Urban Slum.
The way you were divided went as follows. You chose a number from a bowl. Then our facilitators called out several numbers that had been chosen. If your number was called you went to the front along with the other people whose number had been called. Finally our facilitator told your group what house they would be spending the night in. This process was repeated until the houses were full.—Ethan Heilig
The Urban Slum was very different from what I’m accustomed to. I thought it was very hard sleeping on the wooden floor, and knowing that a lot of people do it every day. Some of those people don’t have a meal to look forward to in the morning. It was an eye-opening experience for me that I will remember for years to come. I’m glad that I got to do it.
—Addie Pitts
I was put into Guatemala. It is one of the best countries to be put in because of the unlimited water rights. Basically we had control over everybody because if we chose not to cooperate with the other countries they would not be able to eat. After the Urban Slums offered to do all the cooking and cleaning work in exchange for water we relented and let them cook. The sleeping area was pretty comfortable as well (bunks with foam mattresses). In the morning we had to do chores though... Guatemala has two goats, four rabbits, and several chickens. Also we had to put sawdust in the composting toilet. Going to Heifer Ranch was a great experience; thanks to everybody who donated to make this happen! —John Norlin
Recently, Trinity and All Souls Youth took a joint trip to Heifer International Ranch. While the car ride wasn’t exactly thrilling, the rest of the trip most certainly was. We got there after a full day of driving. We learned about Heifer’s mission, and played a lot of fun games. The real fun was the Global Village, though. It is a collection of houses around a small pond. Each house is stylized to represent the kind of house in that part of the world. I stayed in Thailand, which was a wonderful experience. While the house lacked beds, the rest of it was comfortable. We all learned a lot, and, given the chance, I would definitely go again. —Andrew Stevenson
During the long bus rides and the late nights playing Sardines, the youth group got closer, but the night in the village really made us work together as a team. Our group was split up into three “villages” and we were given resources based on where we were assigned. I, for example, was assigned the Urban Slum and for dinner we were allotted a bowl of rice. Thailand was given rice and potatoes and eggs. Our groups decided to work together and so those of us in the Urban Slum agreed to prepare the entire meal if the other villages would share their food with us. After finally managing to keep the fire alive, we Urban Slummers got the dinner finished! Everyone started cheering and we felt very accomplished!
Even a small experience like this dinner opened our eyes, showing us how much time and effort many people in the world have to spend to locate and prepare meals every day of their life! I know our group returned from Heifer Ranch much more grateful for everything we have been blessed with and hopeful that we can help people who are suffering in the world. Thanks to All Souls for the opportunity. —Sophie Whelchel
The conversations we had at Heifer were very interesting. They ranged from a heated debate about global warming to a one-on-one discussion with me and an adult about whether poverty could be solved. When I went to the Heifer Ranch I was ready to be hungry for a night, and then be told how lucky we are over and over again. Because it was not like that I think I learned a lot more, and felt a lot more lucky. I think the most valuable thing I learned was how complicated world hunger and poverty are. There is not just one cause; there are hundreds.—Anne Worth
Before our trip to Heifer Ranch, I had been unable to imagine a means of ending world hunger. When I was little, I was dead-set on filling a truck with apples and water and driving it to Africa, where I would somehow miraculously feed everyone. (Especially considering the difficult drive from Asheville!) I soon realized that, for starters, Africa is not the only place in the world that has hungry or malnourished people. I also realized that I needed a better plan. Just one truck isn’t going to end all hunger in the world.
So when we approached that complex question, I was interested to see what we could come up with. Our friendly leader from Heifer, Jireh, introduced a different method of tackling world hunger. He first had us list causes of hunger. We came up with lack of education/knowledge, disease, lack of resources, war, etc. Then we tried to address the causes. It made so much more sense to break up the issue into smaller, more manageable bits. This activity made world hunger seem less intimidating. Surprisingly, by doing small things, and solving more specific issues, we can do so much more than a truckload of apples could.
Our hunger discussion was one of many ways this trip inspired me to take what I've learned and act upon it. I could even volunteer at the Heifer Ranch and teach other people the things that I found to be very influential. Like they say at Heifer, pass on the gift! I’m so thankful for this amazing experience. —Brooke Smith
Let me tell what I enjoyed about my trip. The most fun things I did on the Heifer trip were the drive there, experiencing the life in different countries challenge and the drive back. On the way to Heifer there were a lot of funny moments that happened in the van and everyone also had tons of fun in the church we spent the night in. Everyone played games like hide and seek at night in the church—it was tons of fun. In the country challenge, you would live in Guatemala, Thailand or the urban slums of India. Luckily I got to be in Thailand and got to spend the night in a nice bamboo house. It was a fun trip overall. —Will Noel