“Expect a miracle.” That is what the staff of Nazareth Farm said on the first day. I didn’t know what to expect, my first year here, being forced and I already have no idea what they are talking about and I don’t believe a miracle will happen to me here. We were in the O’Conner room smelling like a hint of sulfur and that nice smell of outdoors with a sprinkling of the smell of wood. I went that first year with a terrible attitude, I did not want to go and neither did the rest of my family except my mom. My mom would tell me, “It’s the best place ever.” Rolling my eyes at her I would just say, “oh whatever”.

The week went by fast, too fast in my opinion. I loved the first week but each year after the weeks got better and better. While there, I woke up every morning around 6:00, we did chores, ate breakfast, and went to the worksites. Nazareth Farm is a place to go for mission trips. We go to people’s houses that need work done but they can’t afford someone to do it or they can’t do it themselves. We spent long days on the worksites with sweat pouring off of us. At the location we stay at, Nazareth Farm, we drive up a little rocky and bumpy road to a big piece of land. On the land we first see a garden, we drive further up and there is a bonfire pit, a couple of barns and then the building we sleep in and hang out in.

We go to Nazareth Farm a week before school starts every year for the last 4 summers. I look forward going there all year because I love it so much. The reasons I love it are because one of my best friends, Clare, goes also and it’s the only time I ever get to see her. Another reason is because of everyone else who goes. I also get to spend time with my family in a different situation and I believe going to Nazareth Farm really strengthened our relationship. I have also really proved to myself how much I can do for others and I can have fun doing it. For example, one day we were up on a fifteen foot high house about to do roofing. At first I thought it would be hard and very boring but it turned out I really liked it. While I was up there I had so much fun and it turns out roofing is one of my favorite house improvement things to do. When I am at Nazareth Farm, all of my problems at home just disappear; nothing really matters except being there with the other people and not worrying about other things.

When we got to the worksites we never know what kind of shape the house is. Sometimes we go and the house is small but pretty nice on the inside. Some of the houses I have gone to though have been very sad and it really breaks my heart having to see people living in these types of conditions. The houses can be very run down on the outside and walking in there is usually a smell that is not pleasant at all and the house is very dirty. I have gone to trailers with the inside not being clean or not looking very nice. The people in these houses though have been some of the nicest and best people I have ever met.

When we go to Nazareth Farm the priority is not to help the house, it is to help the people and to create community with them. During the day if the owner of the house is home and would like to talk to us. A couple of people in the work group go inside and sit down to talk to them. This is because some of them don’t have too many people they can talk to and mostly they just want to be with someone. Like one time I went to a worksite for a woman named Lilliana she came outside to greet us and the staff member was mentioning how people can come in and talk to her and she was very excited because she enjoyed telling people about her life and that was one of the main reasons why she calls Nazareth Farm. She was so nice and my friend, Clare, and I really enjoyed talking to her and learning about her life.

I love Nazareth Farm and I am very excited to go back next year. “Expect a miracle” we are told this the first day every year that we go there. I do expect a miracle and a miracle happens in some way when I am there. The miracle itself though is very hard to explain but throughout my life the miracle lives throughout my life and keeps me growing. Nazareth Farm gives me peace in my life and it helps me reprioritize what is important in my life and I have the most fun when I am there. For me though the quote, “Expect a miracle” applies to my whole life not just Nazareth Farm because when I am home I think of that and I just remember Nazareth Farm and miracles do happen.