This was Chardon Church’s 42nd year of participating in ASP, as our annual Youth Mission Trip!  Our mission was held in Greenbrier County, WV (Charmco, WV). We joined nine other work teams from North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware  and the ASP staff in repairing homes and building relationships during the week.  We felt very blessed to get to know the families we were supporting and the other volunteers.  Two teams from our church completed drainage, structural, siding, and roofing improvements on two homes.  One house was occupied, and we got to know the family well.  We were gutting the other house, and did not get to meet the owner, but we did get to work closely with one of the teams from North Carolina.  We also did some sightseeing during the trip, which was fun and strengthened the relationships within our team.

This event is our national youth service project.  Our youth travel to Appalachia to make homes warmer, safer, and drier.  They return home stronger, wiser, and closer to Jesus.  This is a life-changing event!  Our youth always return talking of hard work, with minimal injuries, and lots of fun.  They talk of families that they were sent to help.  And they reflect how the hope and faith of these families touched both our youth and their leaders.

ASP provides vital housing services to low-income families living in Central Appalachia as well as transformational life experiences to those we serve, volunteers offering their service, congregations involved with ASP, and entire communities.