After being a volunteer at the Farm in the summer of 2007, I continually found my thoughts, prayers and heart being pulled back to this place. I knew that I wanted to do some sort of post-grad service following graduation, and throughout my senior year of college the Farm remained high on my list. I was drawn to the Farm\'s mission and the seriousness with which it takes its commitment to spirituality, service, simplicity and community. Ultimately, I decided to volunteer at the Farm because it seemed the place where I can best encounter God through the experience of active love being given and received- where I can live out with gratitude my joy for all I have been given, and be molded and shaped into more of who I am to be.

Before learning about the Farm of the Child, I had wanted to do a longer-term service project after graduating from college. After reconciling to Catholicism from Protestantism in the fall of 2008, the idea of doing a service project that integrated and supported my faith became a very important goal of mine. After finding out about the Finca and learning about other Catholic mission opportunities, I think what drew me here were the pictures of the beautiful children, the Franciscan spirituality, the chance to experience intentional community living, the abundance of spiritual opportunities and projects, the chance to really learn a second (and useful) language, and the gorgeous natural surroundings.