Episode #361
Serving with Appalachia Service Project revealed severe, often hidden poverty in the U.S., including dirt floors, no running water, and opioid-driven despair, underscoring the need for local support and skills centers.
Hard, uncomfortable work became a crucible for growth—building resilience, pride, and practical construction skills for his sons through visible progress and service.
Impact and philanthropy align with core values; listeners are urged to take action by serving locally or supporting ASP, demonstrating that success can be pursued through service beyond self.
You get tough by doing tough things.
if you architect a little bit of discomfort into your day and into your life, you can be happy just eating a cracker in the rain.
They need to put something here to help these people.
I always tell my kids, “You get tough by doing tough things.” So I thought, “what better way to start their summer break than to give my two oldest kids their much-needed coming-of-age experience!”
Instead of our usual fun summer getaway adventures, my sons— Jesse (16) and Wyatt (14)— and I went on a mission trip that changed the way we view the world.
This year, my boys and I signed up for a mission trip organized by the Appalachia Service Project— a “Christian ministry that inspires hope and service through volunteer home repair and replacement.”
During the seven-day mission trip, we spent our nights sleeping in a gymnasium with 70 strangers, while our days were spent sweating through our jeans from the non-stop digging and hammering and building.
The experience changed us, to say the least. Not because of the hard work. I’ve worked plenty of construction jobs. But because of the emotional conflict that I walked away with.
In this episode, allow me to take you back to our trip to Kanawha County and experience what it’s like to make a dent in the world— one family at a time.
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