Obedient Service

BY BRIANNA STEPHENS

Throughout scripture, we see the many ways service is the foundation of our relationship with God and the people around us. Bob and Kathy Rice have responded to the call to serve, acting as the hands and feet of Jesus everywhere they’ve been, all across the world. Since discovering the great need that exists in Appalachia, the Illinois natives have served anually with Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) for more than 15 years alongside other devoted volunteers.

“The need right in our own backyard is just as great as what we saw in other places. We felt called to help people closer to home,” Kathy said. “The reason why we do this is because Jesus instructed [his followers] to help others in need. I would hope in all of this, the people we help recognize it’s not about us doing the work, but it’s about Jesus commanding us and us being obedient. The reason we are here is to show God’s love.”

They show that love in Appalachia through serving in CAP’s Home Repair program. Bob serves as a short-term skilled leader, helping CAP crew leaders oversee worksites. Short-term skilled leaders make it possible for CAP to open additional worksites, therefore leading more crews of volunteers, completing more projects, and helping more people in need. Kathy has served as part of the worksite crews, making home repairs, and as part of the kitchen crew at CAP’s Foley Mission Center, preparing meals for the volunteers who serve.

Each spring, the Rices serve for three weeks during CAP’s annual WorkFest event, an alternative spring break trip for college students. Their experiences during WorkFest have not only transformed the lives of people in Appalachia, but they’ve made lasting impacts on their lives as well.

During those weeks, Bob teaches volunteers construction skills needed to complete designated home repair projects and many go on to use in their everyday lives when they return home. He remembers one instance when he saw the skills he was teaching even go beyond his crew members.

“I was installing windows with three college students. I installed the first, showed them how to do it, and then had them work on the second window,” Bob recalled. “The homeowner was watching and said she wished she could do something like that. I encouraged her to try it and watched as the three college students I had just taught teach the homeowner those skills. The four of them put in the remaining windows. It was a powerful experience.”

What has captured Kathy’s heart during her service with CAP is the people she has served and the people she serves with. In 2014, she and a friend came to serve during YouthFest, CAP’s alternative spring break trip for high school students, and they met two women from Arkansas. The group immediately formed a strong connection, and the next year, they coordinated to serve together during YouthFest again. Since then, the women have made it a tradition to serve during YouthFest and take other trips together during the year.

“They are some of my closest friends,” Kathy said. “Our bond was built side by side in service, and it was affirmative for a lifetime. It’s a family that is built around serving together, and that community was built by CAP.”

The Rices are grateful for the experiences and bonds they have made through their service in Appalachia, and they credit CAP’s RV accommodations for their ability to serve for long periods of time. The Rices stay in their RV during their service, using the free power, water, and sewage hookups CAP offers.

“It’s a great opportunity for RV travelers to have great accommodations. Everything you need is at CAP,” Bob said. “You don’t have to have a lot of construction experience to help. You just have to have a willing heart. CAP will teach you what you need to know. You won’t be left alone.”

“We would encourage anyone to try a week of service at CAP, whether you have an RV or if you stay in the mission center,” Kathy said. “We have fallen in love with so many of the participants we worked with. We are in alignment with what CAP is doing to help people in Eastern Kentucky. There are many opportunities to serve here. I bet anyone who tries it will fall in love with the region just as much as we have.”

For more information about service opportunities with CAP, visit christianapp.org/volunteer.