We thought it would be fun and insightful to ask the kids what they liked most about the Homestead and what they learned. Mel and I also participated in these questions. Here are our answers:
Caleb:
I liked being with Blake (professional woodworker). I made three wooden spoons and a cutting board. I was starting to make a ladle but I ran out of time. It was fun and challenging. It is using your hands and I like working with my hands, and I like watching other people do it. It fascinates me. I liked helping Grady (manager of the dairy and butcher shop) with cows and at the butcher shop. I learned that milking a cow by hand you need to hold the top of the teat with your top two fingers and squeeze the milk out with the bottom three fingers. I liked helping my dad with the electrical work. I liked that I was learning how to do electrical work and I like working with my dad and that I was learning a new skill that I have never learned before. I liked the Friday night meetings where I met a lot of new people and made a lot of new friends like William & Wyatt.
Lydia:
I liked making the jumper. Its like a dress that is a tank top except that you wear an undershirt with it. I liked making it with Sister Nancy, it was fun talking with her. She showed me how to use a sewing machine to make it. It was fun to make because I have not made one before, and it was a new experience. I also liked helping with the farm animals; chickens, goats & ducks. I liked milking the goats since I have never done that before. I made new friends, Rayna, Hanna (x2), Anna, Hosanna & Susanna. Everyone was nice and pleasant. Everyone was also very generous. I also liked helping out with the little kids because I want to learn how to babysit. They are really fun and cute and it was fun to give them rides. I liked them because they did different things and rode their bikes and it was fun to see them having a good time.
Asher:
I liked doing pottery. I liked making a candle holder, a cup for my stuffies, a pinch pot, a candy dish and a plate for my stuffies. I liked to milk the cows, and squeeze the utters and put the milk in the jars. I liked the ducks and ducklings and goats and donkeys. I made a lot of friends, Sean, Jeremiah, Jonathan, William & Wyatt. They were friendly and they like to play tag & hide and seek. Sean likes to play hunting. I liked playing Duck, Duck, Goose with my friends. I counted all the kids playing Duck, Duck, Goose at the picnic. There were 30 kids the first game, 40 the second game, and 90 the third game. I liked to make hot pads. I made two hot pads, I almost made a third but I didn’t get to it. And I liked to pick up the goats at the petting zoo and pet them. I learn to not do screens and to not wear jewelry because you look beautiful without jewelry because God made you that way.
Eva:
I liked having the lollipops from the market. I liked playing with my friends. I liked to hide from people when it was time to go so that I could stay longer. That was the game. The baby animals were so cute and I loved picking up them. The baby sheep was my favorite. I learned to be quiet when the meetings were going. I loved playing in the tree house. I learned how to make a candle and a candle holder. I made lots of friends. I liked to play with them. I played lots of things like…I don’t know. Duck, Duck, Goose was my favorite. That was everything.
Josh:
I liked the people who lived there the most. I was especially impressed with the children and young adults. I have never seen such respectful and good-hearted young people. All the children (young kids to teenagers) hung out together. It was refreshing to see teenagers engaged with people, both older and younger than them. The teenagers are actually a very vital part of the community and are part of the reason the community is able to serve those of us who visit the community. During the conference (we attended a week long conference there) the young adults were cooking lunches and dinners for the adults for the entire week. I heard that they cooked a total of 4,000 meals that last week we were there (all voluntarily). I liked that everyone in the community plays an important role to the whole and everyone seems to be grateful for their place in the community regardless of what they are doing. I learned a lot about how people can work together to create a culture that resembles the culture of the first church recorded in the Bible in Acts 2. I was impressed that so many people could be unified together for a cause and that their motivation didn’t come from monetary payment.
Mel:
I liked the relationships that we built, all the people that we met. During the conference we met many people from around the world, which I loved! I liked how we were cared for by the community like we were family. It’s going to sound funny, but I liked how I cried all the time because I felt the Holy Spirit moving and touching my heart multiple times. I liked learning about gardening. For some reason, I’ve always felt I wanted to garden but I just needed someone to show me how. I liked learning about the Bible more, in depth in a way that I had not had in a long time. I like that no matter where we are in life we have the community at Homestead who care for us, who are praying for us, and are there to support us. While at the Homestead I had my 39th birthday. It was a birthday I’ll never forget. They surprised me and gave me gifts (not that that is important). I just felt so special and loved by the community there.
Miller's Motor Home Adventure 