Lucero and Ella

Lucero, who is from Yucatan, Mexico, joined us in the summer of 2024 as an intern. Her coming to Camphill Village Kimberton Hills started long before this year though. Her ties to our community began years before when she met Ella at a college in Maine. Ella grew up in CVKH and still has family living here.

Ella and Lucero 

Lucero works in a nonprofit organization that has Spanish programs which led them to the COA in Bar Harbor, Maine. As part of this program, every winter about 25 students from COA travel to Yucatan and learn about their culture, language, and traditions. Lucero explained, “We have a web with families who really want to share their way of life, food, traditions, and to just learn about each other. It’s really nice.” Soon after meeting in Maine, Ella traveled to Yucatan, and spent three months completely immersed in learning Spanish and about family and community life.

Lucero explained, “Ella was studying in college and thought it sounded like a good idea to learn Spanish and learn about a different culture. And so she came to Yucatan and it was really good. She decided after finishing her 3 months there, that she wanted to return again.”

Ella remembers her first impression of Mexico. She shared, “My flight was in the evening and she said as they flew over, the whole city was lit up, and I thought, oh boy, what am I doing?”

   Lilly, Lucero, and Ella

Ella shared, “Because I grew up in community, things that were hard for others were fine for me. I was used to sharing my house, my room, and everything. I’ve always had people in my personal space. Overall, I think there’s such an openness and sharing in the program. They really embrace bringing people in. Ella went to Lucero’s family’s house. She noted, “You really learn what cultural habits are, you take them as normal, but it’s cultural. I learned so many new things there.” After Ella’s 3 months were completed, she decided to return again and again.

Lucero and Ella in New York.

While Ella was there, the two became good friends. Lucero commented, “She is incredible. She has such wonderful ideas about community. We have people who come from all around the world and most people who come are somewhat rigid, but not Ella, she was so open.” It made Lucero really curious about where Ella was from, and she began asking her questions about her home and then about Camphill Village Kimberton Hills. Ella shared that we’re an intentional community, but at first Lucero didn’t understand what that meant.

As they continued to talk, Lucero began to see how our community works. Ella began talking to Lucero about her coming and visiting the community. Lucero remembered saying, “I know I need to learn English, but maybe one day.” That was over 7 years ago! After that, Ella and Lucero kept in touch.

When Lucero met Ella’s mom, Sue, who is a Long Term Coworker here at CVKH, Lucero shared, “She is so nice and she too encouraged me to come and visit.” So Lucero continued to think about it, and replied, “One day, one day!”

Cindy, Lucero and Sue.

Then in 2024, there was a pause for Lucero in her job, where she had a long break and finally she said, “Yes, why not? I can learn more English and see this community for myself!” So the process started, and after all the time of thinking and talking about it, Lucero was here soon after that for an internship in our community.

Lucero’s goal was to improve her English while she was here, but she learned a whole lot more than just the language, and she was quite happy about that. Ella had given Lucero a bit of an orientation about how things work here so she had more understanding of community life. Lucero had done an immersion program before, but she said, “It’s so different here! Everyone is so kind, and they are always asking how you are?”

Having dinner at Hyacinth House.

She added, “In Mexico, you spend a lot of time with family and you’re always together, and here, it’s similar. You’re working, and learning about the community at the same time, and you’re with other people all the time. I’m learning how all is connected. In the CSA garden, where I’ve been working some, it relates to Mexico for me. The importance of food, and the work that goes into producing the food is important and so you don’t want to waste it. Here I get to be a part of the process of working with the ground, planting and harvesting, and you know where your food is coming from.”

Lucero milking in our Biodynamic Dairy.

Lucero’s favorite moment here was with the children. She explained, “I have a lot of respect for children. They are learning all the time while playing. As I was working in the Herb Garden the children were playing and it was so beautiful to see. They were learning through playing in nature and with each other and the community, as we all worked together in the garden.”

She also shared, “The hardest part here is my body! My first day in the CSA garden I could barely move afterwards, my fingers and everything hurt! It’s such hard work. And of course the language, and because I can’t understand some of the villagers, and so I’ve been finding ways to understand. I’m also missing home, of course. Here it’s nice, it’s like home too because of the sense of community. While here, I’ve also been able to catch up with Ella and stay with her parents, Steven and Sue in the community.”

Lucero, Lisa, Cindy and Sue enjoying some ice cream!  

In describing CVKH, Lucero said, “For me, here is like a bubble, a really beautiful bubble, and all the people shine. I love to see how people with disabilities are working and feel like they can do it by themselves. As humans, we are social, so if they need help they know they can ask for it. It’s a very different idea about the view many hold about people with various disabilities always needing to be helped with everything.”