Adult Mission Trip Interest Meeting

Each summer, Emmanuel’s teenagers participate in a week-long mission trip through the Appalachia Service Project, repairing homes in the Appalachia region. To deepen EEC’s relationship with this faithful organization, Rev. Jen is considering offering a 2027 Adults-Only trip through ASP. The dates, duration, and other details are up for discussion, so if you might be interested in participating in this selfless act of service, please attend the interest meeting for more information.

Youth Summer Mission Trip 2026: Recap

For the second year, the teens of Emmanuel Episcopal Church participated in a summer mission trip through Appalachia Service Project. Founded in 1969, Appalachia Service Project (ASP) believes all people should be able to live in affordable, safe, and sanitary housing. Shelter is a basic human need impacting all areas of life for families; ASP addresses this basic need so families no longer need to worry about leaky roofs, soft floors, or unsafe porches and stairs, making homes warmer, safer, and drier. Each year, ASP welcomes 15,000 volunteers, and serves more than 24 communities, impacting over 300 low income families with more than 3,000 repair projects, building approximately 20 new homes  in the Appalachian region – West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

On July 5, 2026 I loaded up eight teenagers from Emmanuel (7th grade - junior in college) into a rented Episcopal High School bus and drove to Alderson, West Virginia. We stayed in Alderson Community Center with work crews from three other churches (two from PA and one from CT), where we slept on air mattresses on the floor, ate in the cafeteria, and showered in mobile shower stations parked outside the facility. Each work crew was expected to complete daily chores, and shared morning and evening devotions as a large group.

While last year our work crew sided and underpinned a house, this year we were tasked with overlaying two staircases, to make them safer and more functional for the homeowners. ASP provides each work crew with a Construction Manual with basic instructions as to how to complete your project. What they don’t provide is the creativity, troubleshooting, and teamwork required to actually make the project come to fruition - those are the responsibility of the crew, and ours certainly had those! The students utilized both handheld and large power tools like the mitre saw, circular saw, handsaw, and jigsaw; powerdrills; reciprocating saw; concrete drill; and a wide variety of screws and nails necessary for differing base materials (Have you ever tried to drill into concrete? It’s a situation). The students not only successfully and beautifully installed two staircase overlays, but also added sturdy hand rails, complete with spindles! 

Despite being on site to complete critical work of making homes warmer, safer, and drier, the work is not the primary focus of ASP - the primary focus is building relationships. When not working, the students sat on the patio and got to know our homeowners; they heard stories of their lives, their experiences, their joys, and their sorrows, as they enjoyed the opportunity to meet and learn from people whose lives are drastically different from their own. Our crew grew particularly close to this year’s homeowners, and the boys even built them a new bench (with added Walmart cushions!) and a bird house, just to show how much they are loved. On our last day, the homeowners surprised us with a home-built frame containing a psalm, and the wife gave each girl one of her china teacups (she has no granddaughters of her own to share them with). The husband has the incredible hobby of turning large sticks he finds on the property into gorgeous walking sticks, and he allowed each member of our crew to select one to take home with us. Many tears were shed on our final day on site; they are a couple we will never, ever forget. 

Each site is given a code name to protect the privacy of the homeowners. This year, the code name of our site was Mountain Snow, named after the plentiful Snow on the Mountain which grew on their property. We shared the code name with the homeowners, who were absolutely delighted, and they sent us home with some of their Snow on the Mountain to plant outside of Emmanuel. We pray that each time you see it, it is a reminder of how lives change when community is built - lives change when we invest in relationships - lives change when we live in service to others. And for those of us who met and loved them, it will always remind us of A & R. 

But just as wonderful as developing a deep relationship with our homeowners, was watching EEC teens have fun together. From wading into the eerily warm river, to helping each other use large power tools, to laughing at the meal table, to working together to problem solve on site, to creating their own Summer Mission Trip traditions, the bonds these students have created with one another are special, and hopefully life-long. And as both their priest and someone who genuinely loves and cares for these students, it was a truly beautiful and moving thing to see. 

So thank you, Emmanuel, for creating this opportunity for every student who wants to participate. For it is through your generous stewardship that we are able to offer this experience at no cost to families! I can think of no greater gift.

Oh, and the bus broke down as we pulled into town. Because what’s a work trip without a little extra excitement, right??

In Christ’s love,

Jen+