When College Students Choose to Serve: APU 2026

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Desire that your life count for something great! Long for your life to have eternal significance. Want this! Don't coast through life without a passion.” - John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life 

It’s been a sweet few days around RCW thanks to a team of college students who traveled a long way to serve and learn.  We have the privilege of hosting work teams from time to time, including on college Spring breaks.

This past week four students from Azusa Pacific University — three seniors and one sophomore — came to McDowell County through Young Life Expeditions to spend their Spring break learning about the work God is doing here and jumping in wherever they could help.  

They spent time visiting several local events in the area (lots of laughs, lots of young folks) and getting to share their stories with YL kids at Campaigners, which in my opinion was an absolute highlight. They also rolled up their sleeves to help clean the church and set up for the Zera House spaghetti dinner fundraiser, which is a ministry that is making a meaningful difference for women escaping exploitation.


One of the "visual" highlights of their time here was a project inside our kids wing. The team spent hours planning and painting a beautiful mural on the wall of the RCKids Large Group room.  The photo speaks for itself. 

The words from Psalm 36:5–6:

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains…”

This bright mural now fills the room where our kids gather each week.  If you've ever taken the time to hike here in WV you can't miss how beautiful God's creation is.  We pray that the words remind our kids that God is the creator of beauty and that He loves them very much in Christ.

We’re incredibly grateful for the time and heart this team brought. After spending a few mornings with them I learned that they all had different stories, different backgrounds, and that raveling across the country to serve wasn't something they "had to do"... it was a choice and a "want to do".  

To the team from APU:
thank you! Your encouragement was with us all week.  The APU excellence was on display, as always.  The mural you left behind will always be a sweet reminder of the week you shared with us.  

in His grip,

- Paul

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