Therefore, we though it would be a useful exercise to collect the impressions of the participants, after the fact. Many posted daily thoughts on the website, but it was felt that all the participants should have the opportunity to share their impressions, and now that we were home and safely back to our normal routine, we would have both the time and liesure to reflect on the week we spent in Appalachia.

Before the trip I kept complaining about no TV and no computer, but when I got home, I relished the simplicity of a warm shower and having air conditioning. In the Princeton area, to use (I think) Kara's words, we all live in a bubble. For some, it is more padded, more comfortable and for others is simpler, but it is still a bubble nonetheless. While I do a lot for the community, I realized that what I was saying and the way I was acting was so thoughtless. In Appalachia, most of the people were lucky to have electricity and running water. I know that I have complained more than once about missing a TV show or not having enough hot water for a 20 minute shower. I don't need to take a 20 minute shower!

I also think that during the week, I have gotten to see my fellow workers in a different light. People will be people, and they will always make assumptions, judge people, and not give them another chance. And as much as we hate to admit it, this even happens in church. In just 7 days, I have gotten to see people in a different light, away from what is safe and known. I think I have become closer to existing friends and gotten to acquaint myself with others...

But by far, the most amazing part of the whole trip was the last day there, when Carolyn came down and saw the progress that we all had made. She was so thankful and appreciative; one could just see it in her eyes, the way her face lit up. And in that single moment, the whole trip was worth it.

Still, the whole experience in Appalachia was extremely overwhelming. Some of the things I've seen sadden me because I wish I could change them. The family whose home I was working on couldn't afford to pay for enough dog food, forcing two of their dogs to starve. I also found out that Roy (the husband) never received his high school diploma. These things that I take for granted or just assume – are not even an option for some people. Sometimes we hear all these statistics about poverty, teenage pregnancies, and unstable families - but they're easy to ignore when you never see it. Here in Appalachia, less than 11% of people have their bachelors degree and only about 63% graduate from high school. The average income per capita is less than $15,000. It's easier to fathom these statistics when you're right here in it. The daughter we met is 20 years old, unmarried, and has two children one of whom is about 3 and the other is a baby. It's just hard to imagine living in a place where things like that are so common. Roy talked about his life in the coal mines and the struggle of working there and how hard it is to deal with the coal mining company. He talked of beautiful things being destroyed by fires and water. It is so different when you hear these stories directly.

One morning during devotions, Gordon read a passage from the gospel of John and posed the question - how are the people we are helping out the same as us? We all know that there is an endless list of differences - but where is there common ground? He had an answer, saying that we all need food, relationships, and that we all share a hunger for God. I saw that one day when I was talking to Geneva (the wife) and she smiled and said "My grandson Isaiah is coming today and I'm sure he'll make one of you pretty girls his girlfriend." We had a laugh because Isaiah is about three. I can see the struggle though and that is what makes me so upset. I'm just so glad I got the opportunity to go to Appalachia. Sometimes I really question where my faith comes in. How can I believe in a God who allows people to live like this? I've been so affected by the things I've seen that it is really a battle between my heart and my head. The house that I worked on could be ruined if the boards holding back the hill collapse. The family holds their breath every time it rains - hoping that their house won't flood or get even more destroyed. They live with no running water and no electricity. I could sit here and say I'm happy that my life is not like that but I honestly don't feel that way. This experience wasn't about what you have and what you don't have – it was about people helping other people. And I'm so happy I could be a part of it, I will never forget it.

To say we leave with more than we contributed is not to denigrate the work we do. Last week we helped provide a more stable foundation to two homes, insulated, sheet-rocked and painted rooms, put up exterior siding and sealed it against the weather, and helped construct a wheelchair access route for an elderly couple in need. And from my own experience and the stories I have heard, the owners of these homes were very, very moved and thankful for our assistance.

Still, in the end what we leave them with is a better home; what we take away are better selves. We leave with a better sense of community, of our inevitable (if often ignored) interconnectedness, and a renewed sense of our shared faith that together can move mountains. Or at least dig ditches!

Working side by side with other Christians in service to those in need is about as Christ-like as we are likely to get in this modern world. Remember, Jesus was that carpenter guy who said “as much as you have done this for the least of my brethren so you have done it for me.”

Sharing of ourselves brings out gifts we did not know we had and reconnects us to a larger purpose we tend to forget. In the words of one of the songs we sang upon our arrival in Appalachia: “when we get there we’ll discover, all of the gifts we’ve been given to share have been with us since life’s beginning and we never noticed they were there. … loving spirits will live together, we’re all swimming to the other side.” [Pat Humphries, “Swimming to the Other Side”].

Thanks be to God.

Our three-member family included Nancy, her husband Riley, and Shadow, Nancy's baby and the family poodle. Watching Nancy persistently help us, as much as a seventy year old woman can help on a construction site, inspired us to work harder and faster. I know without her around it wouldn't be possible for a petit and young teen princess/dragonfly to finish, even if we did get a little help at the end.

The program was well organized, fun, and we got a lot done. I hope in the future to continue going on trips similar to this one and I hope that they are all as rewarding and fun!

It gave me a good opportunity to see how other people live and opened my eyes to see how lucky we really are. I really hope we can go back next year and make a difference to another family in need.

One of the high points of my week was meeting with our family and Colin, one of the staff members from ASP. I went with Colin and one of our group leaders, John, to our worksite on Sunday evening to learn what our work group would be doing for the week ahead. Carolyn is a very nice woman who has lived in her home for around twenty three years. Working in Wise County and meeting Carolyn and her daughter made me realize that there are people who live difficult lives, but still seem to be happy. Her ability to make the most of her life was inspirational for me.

Personally, I felt frustrated because some people in our country have to live in such poverty. They struggle with life. One question that comes to me after traveling to Appalachia is why God would allow people to live in poverty. But I believe that God is everywhere and God allows us to go help folks who are in need. Also it seems very strange to me that I go help people for one week and then I will most likely not see them for the remainder of my life. Even though I probably will not see them again, I know they were appreciative of our work and efforts no matter how much work we were able to get done.

I got quite a bit out of this trip. While we spent a lot of our time working, we did have time for recreational and social events. I enjoyed these times to relax and get to know others in our group and folks we met in Virginia better. I have been on three earlier mission trips and I felt this trip was well organized. I think it is very important to learn about other people who might be less fortunate than you. I hope NPC will return to ASP.

I think that this type of mission trip would benefit anyone who goes on it. The trip leaves you with a whole new perspective, new friends, and a bunch of great new memories.

I was a driver, and in that role it was rather easy. All the adults shared driving responsibilities more or less, so it was not a burden. The route there and back was rather straight forward, and the only time we got lost was when we followed our Garmin GPS unit. Because we had to work three separate projects, we needed to take three vans down with us, and since there were only eighteen of us, we had plenty of room in the vans, even with all the gear and tools.

I was the trip musician. I seldom travel anywhere without a guitar or instrument on some sort. I was excited to go to Appalachia, an area whose music I am familiar with and have been playing for years. I prepared a songbook of traditional hymns and ballads from the area, as well including some Church favorites and traditional hymns. We did have several opportunities to sing, and we were blessed with some real singers and musicians, and no shrinking violets. In addition to music at devotions and our communion service, we had the opportunity to attend a community sing one night, and I probably had the best time of our group. Our kids got up and sang a couple of hymns, which was heart warming, but the best moment for me was when I got to sing a duet with my daughter.

I was the trip blogger. I’ve always tried to provide daily updates on the Church website, partially for the families back home and partially for the folks on the mission trip. Since we were working three separate sites, I had to rely on others to provide photographs as well a commentary. Now, I am generally most comfortable when I am in charge, and letting go of control and depending on others was a learning experience for me. This perhaps was the most demanding job I had, since it virtually guaranteed that I would be up working on the website long after everyone had gone to sleep, and because the sole Ethernet connection in the ASP office was available only before the staff came in, around 7 a.m. I caught up on sleep the Sunday we returned.

I was a carpenter. And I had lots of opportunity to practice. We drew what I consider was an ideal job, finishing a wheelchair ramp. Since we had come in the middle of the job, we spent the first day fixing some problems the prior team had left. To be sure, I don’t doubt we created some problems for the team that followed us, but that is one of the challenges of working with waves of volunteers. The wheelchair ramp was eighty feet long, with two landings and a return. When we got there the posts and the deck was already in place. Our job was to put in the handrails and all spindles around the deck. We got off to a strong start, but I regularly underestimated the amount of wood we could go through each day. The kids were great, they all handled power tools with care, and by the end week like pros. We worked in less than ideal field conditions, sharing an extension cord, in the rain and as often as not in each other’s way. But the kids were troopers, there was no whining, no complaining, they took instructions graciously and they finished whatever they were asked to do. But the pictures tell that story much more eloquently.

I was a trip father. I wasn’t the only father on the trip, in fact we had several as well as couple of pairs of sisters. This was my first trip with Anna, my youngest, and it was her first mission trip. It was fun to watch her go from a skeptical teenager to an enthusiastic participant. There were even opportunities for father and daughter moments.

I was the official trip geezer. This is not a new role for me, one with which I’ve long since come to terms with. I am generally the oldest member of the senior high trips. I sometimes feel like Roy, on the old Mickey Mouse Club. He was part of the team but still separate, part of the background coming forward only when an adult was needed. Now age has its perks, I didn’t have to dig drainage ditches, play basketball and generally was given a fair amount of deference.

Tallying it all up it was a great trip. It had all the important components, music, hard work, the ability to do make a difference to some folks and a feeling of endless satisfaction.

After a day of hard work and getting to know Nancy, the amazing woman we were working for, I came back to the worksite with a slightly different attitude. By the time we came inside for a home-cooked meal on Wednesday that was maybe the best thing I’ve tasted in my life and saw the rest of the house, I noticed not the mess and difficulty of the family’s lives but the pictures of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Their lives were difficult and far from perfect, but they still had such clear love for family and even friends like us who they’d only known for a few days.

I started to see how Nancy could live in a situation like hers. True, she and her husband had three disabilities between them and were living solely off pension money, but they still had each other and their family, including three little great grandchildren who often visit them and whose toys filled the house. Their house could use some help, but it was still absolutely adorable and had a little stream and a beautiful view. I almost wished I could trade lives with them, dirty mirrors and all.

Helping families in rural Virginia was the main reason we were there, but I came home feeling we did that and much more. On our last day, what a pleasure it was, to show Carolyn what we had been able to do with her home. She was delighted and so appreciative. She took pride in her home. Part of the time we were there, she and a friend were working on a project for her front porch. We talked about how eager she was to return to her job, where she had been laid off, and she spoke of her minister and her church. I found myself wishing we could have stayed longer so we could have helped even more.

I know I will participate in other service projects in the future. I am grateful for the opportunity to get to know the wonderful adults and youth on this trip and to meet and spend time with volunteers from another church in New Jersey. Our kids were amazing. It was fun to hang out with them and see things through their eyes. I was so proud of how hard they worked and never complained. They were eager to learn new skills and brought us music and a lot of laughs. It was great to be able to meet and chat with the families from the different worksites at the ASP picnic. We have more in common with them than you might think-especially our faith in God.