Plunging into Appalachia – Learning, Serving, and Building Community

By Novice Bob Jones

In mid September, I accompanied 10 Purcell Marion High School students and three other adult chaperones on an “Appalachian Plunge Retreat” to Salyersville, Ky. It was an extended weekend of service learning and simple community living in the foothills of eastern Kentucky. At the outset our intent was that the students would gain a better understanding of the struggles of the region and that there is a need for change. I think we also all returned with a better understanding of the spirit and hope that pervade the area, and an awareness that it was something inside of us that was changed.

The living accommodations that were chosen were quite simple. The house did not include television, showers, or an indoor bathroom. There was no internet access and cell phone service was spotty at best. Realizing that these are not the status quo in Appalachia, they allowed us to empty ourselves, to step back from our “normal lives” and realize that we were entering into something different, a time given to us by God to experience his grace at work in our lives in a new and different way.

It allowed us to slow down and concentrate on our relationships with each other and the unique gifts God has given each individual. None of the students complained about being bored, because the house had a nice porch for sitting and talking and a wide table for sharing a leisurely meal. We could see our focus change, from busyness to presence.

While our time in Appalachia was short, we used the time we had to listen to the stories of residents and lend a hand where we could. Members of the Christian Appalachia Project told of the work they do with youth, the elderly, and the poor. We visited and played bingo with residents of a local nursing home who were more than willing to share stories and songs from growing up in the mountains.

We learned of the region’s heritage at the Magoffin County Historical Society, a source of pride for the area. We visited families in the countryside, giving us city dwellers a taste of the rural life and a sense of the poverty that does exist in Appalachia. One of our days was spent helping a family move several truckloads of recycled lumber that will be used to construct a new barn.

All of these experiences taught the students that there are inequities that exist and that they can help to bring about justice. They were challenged to go beyond their comfort zones and experience a culture different from their own. The people of Salyersville also taught them valuable life lessons, such as the importance of hospitality and joyfully welcoming everyone as family, even the stranger, just as Christ calls us to do in the Gospel.

They learned that simply sitting with another and listening is just as powerful as saying something. They were shown the value of being good stewards of the resources of the land, using what is given and not wasting what they have. And, they saw what could be accomplished when everyone works together. By the end of the weekend, the stereotypes that were held about the area were broken down, and bridges were being built between rural Appalachia and urban Cincinnati.

As our weekend came to a close, we heard Jesus say in the Gospel of Mark that, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” What fitting words to end the Appalachian Plunge weekend. The task of the students, of course, is to take the experiences and learnings they received back home and into their everyday lives. Hopefully, the lessons learned during this weekend will remain with the students and serve as a jumping off point to continue learning, serving, and building community wherever God leads them on their journey.