Greetings from Magoffin County, KY, from two of your original Appalachia Service Project (ASP) (self-proclaimed) favorites! Can you believe this is our fourth time attending the ASP mission trip? In 2019, we heard about the opportunity to spend a week serving under God and being served by Him. As two 16-year-olds, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. As we spent our first week at ASP, we quickly learned this was a place we belonged. From endless inside jokes and laughs to serving the families of each community through the love of Christ, we have found ourselves fully involved in Appalachia Service Project.
In 2019, Lord of Life’s first year at ASP, we quickly realized we would do this every summer. This year our tasks were to put in a bathroom and put up a wall. We had no idea what we were doing or what to expect, but we quickly realized that our most important task was to put a smile on everyone’s face. With our amazing leader Lowell, not only did our nerves settle, but we also created so many strong relationships. ASP was a new environment for everyone, but Pastor Lowell did not hesitate to get his hands dirty at work daily and helped our group with every step. All the built-up excitement for each workday was followed by an amazing ice cream stop at the best local shop. The ice cream we enjoyed each night is still remembered and talked about to this day. The first year of ASP was one to write in the books and start the Lord of Life tradition each summer.
In 2021, our second year due to Covid preventing ASP from happening in 2020, we had a unique role. We had the honor of being “floaters” with Tom Barth, meaning we would travel from site to site and help wherever needed. Having Tom as our leader, we learned many of his habits, creating life-long jokes. We can only imagine Tom's horror when he realized he was paired with us two for the week, but he became one of us in no time. We quickly became a dream team whose reputation would live on. Without Tom, ASP would not be the same. This year had the biggest impact on us as we grew close and were able to have an impact on several different families.
In 2022, our third year, things were a little different in a good way. We stayed on cots in little cabins instead of on a community center or school floor. We also had to drive to the showers, activity rooms, and supply room. With these many changes, there were also several new people, including Dan Seiller. Dan made our trip a year to remember! As a fire chief, Dan was prepared for all the hard work this year would entail but not for the work it takes to deal with us two girls. Little did he know, we would make this the best trip he’s ever experienced. Not only was he shocked at how honored he felt to work with us, but Angie was happy to see her husband entertained for the week. Without Dan, we wouldn’t have finished the work or shared as many laughs. We also had the pleasure of working with another church at our worksite. Our goal was to repair a hole and uneven floor in the kitchen. We had a great work crew for the week and accomplished all the work. As Saturday morning approached, we realized we had completed a successful third year with Appalachia Service Project.
This year, our 4th year, 2023, has been quite the ride. With almost a whole new group of people, who knew what this year would hold? We partnered with another Lord of Life crew for the first time. We were disappointed by the sad news that Dan would not be returning to ASP, but little did we know we would be blessed with an amazing leader: Joe Cramer. You’re probably thinking the same thing: the name Joe does not do justice to the man behind the name. This year, we got to work alongside the most infamous leaders, Joe and Tom. Our task for this year was to fix and put up siding. We thought by now we were pros as we’d done a little bit of it every year. We were wrong. We quickly realized it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. Luckily, we grew close with all our work partners, and everyone was willing to help us get started. We got a lot of work done and had a fabulous time making new friends in our work groups. This year has held the most laughs.
Overall, Appalachia Service Project has greatly impacted both of our summers and has become one of our favorite traditions every year. It is such a fun experience, and we hope every person gets to participate in ASP. The people and environment, with changes every year, keeps bringing us back, and we hope one day we get the opportunity to become staff members of ASP.
Yours in Christ,
Annabelle King and Larkyn Ripley