​Appalachia Trip Reflection

Luke Giannetta, ’17, reflects on this summer’s mission trip to Webster Springs, WV.

My recent participation in the Appalachia Mission trip has opened my eyes to the joys of serving and helping those in need. The sense of accomplishment that followed a day of physical labor made all of the hard work worth it. Whether I was tearing down old drywall, putting up a ceiling, or sawing boards for a wheelchair ramp, I knew that all of my efforts were going towards improving the life of someone else. One moment that I will remember forever followed our completion of an 80-foot long wheelchair ramp for an elderly couple that lived well off of the beaten path. The terrain in front of the house was so rough that the woman living in the home, Peggy, had to be carried to her car in a chair by two of my classmates. After finishing the project on our final day of work, Peggy came outside to inspect our work. The look on her face upon seeing her new ramp instantly fulfilled me for all of the labor that I had performed. Similarly, inspecting the differences that our drywalling and plastering had made all of the work worthwhile.

Another aspect of the trip that I enjoyed was the sense of brotherhood that I developed while spending a week of service with my classmates. It was inspiring to see men and women on the same mission as me. During the workday, I was motivated to work even harder by all of my peers that were working around me. After the workday, it was neat to befriend both classmates that I otherwise wouldn't have had the chance to spend time with as well as local people that lived in Webster Springs. Basketball games at the local park provided a unique opportunity to meet local kids and learn about their lives.

Overall, the 2015 mission trip was an extremely positive experience for me. Not only has it provided me with a sense of accomplishment in what I've already done; it has inspired me to perform even more service like this in the future. My only regret is that I didn't participate in service opportunities like these before this year.