In this week’s blog post, two of the young adults on our mission trip with Appalachia Service Project (ASP) share some words about their experiences this week. You may remember Larkyn and Annabelle from last year’s ASP blog post. They’re back with more stories.
This past week on HGTV…
We can’t believe it has been five years since Lord of Life has participated in the Appalachia Service Project (ASP). ASP has been one of our favorite parts of summer and we look forward to each year. Every summer we get the honor of meeting new people, being in new environments, learning how to use new tools and construction equipment, and also growing closer as a church community.
This past week in Harlan KY, we worked with our group on removing rotting wood in several different aspects. This week has been a lot different from previous years because we are working the first week of the season. As the first-week crew, we are in charge of preparing the house for future work. It’s been a new experience since we are used to progressing significantly on a project or even revisiting a project from a previous week. But, this week we are discovering projects as we progress through the week.
We began our demolition by removing a back porch making it feel like real-life HGTV. We then moved on to removing things such as the band joist, fascia board, and soffit to prepare the house for future groups. After each layer was removed from one project, more projects were discovered, resulting in several delays. These delays are a blessing in disguise. Project delays allow us time to grow bonds with each other, the animals around us, and even the homeowners. This allows us to really get the full experience out of ASP because believe it or not, it’s not all about fixing houses.
Working with our homeowner has been a pleasure. This home was meant for our crew as there are at least 7 cats, 8 kittens, and 3 dogs. Playing with the animals is such a joy in our week and definitely helps to push through the long, heat-filled hours on the worksite. The homeowners are one of our favorite parts of ASP because it allows us to grow closer to the community and learn more about the county we are serving for the week. It also allows us to take time, reflect on our own lives, and be grateful for what we are blessed with.
Once again, we were paired with a new leader…Dean. He has supplied us with endless dad jokes, the best one so far being “Are you guys branching out or just going out on a limb” after a tree branch randomly fell right behind us. He also has an unbelievable amount of stories that he could tell for days, I don’t think there’s much he hasn’t done in life. He’s been so supportive in putting up with our uncontrollable laughter and love for pets. We couldn’t have asked for a better 5th-year leader.
At the end of the week, we couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to have been serving Central Appalachia Kentucky for half a decade now. The laughter, pets, and heart-filling repairs are something we will always look forward to each and every summer.
Larkyn Ripley and Annabelle King
ASP’s work is ongoing and inspirational. Don’t miss out on the progress and the stories throughout the summer.
To follow along with the Harlan County Projects that LOL started this week, follow the Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/ASPHarlan
Introducing ASP's Summer Blog Series!
This summer, we have two blog series by our Story Gathering Interns:
"Appalachian Honey" by Taylor Beam and "Aspire To Be" by Sarah Brassfield. These entries give a behind-the-scenes look into an ASP summer and give a glimpse into the power and magnitude of ASP's life-changing work!
Appalachian Honey Blog Series: https://asphome.org/2024/06/07/appalachian-honey-resilience/
"I hope to give y’all a taste of the honey this summer. I will work to translate the wondrous experiences, people, and quirks of Appalachia that are illuminated by a summer of service with ASP."
Aspire to Be Blog Series: https://asphome.org/2024/06/03/aspire-to-be-hellos-and-goodbyes/
"As I travel throughout Appalachia the next couple of months capturing moments and memories, I know I will hear many stories of people involved with ASP that will touch my heart and inspire me to become a better version of myself."