‘A mission field all around us.’ River of Life brings faith and help to Columbus

Instead of flying halfway around the world, students from across the state spent last week in Columbus repairing homes just a few hours from their own — or even in their hometown.

For the first time in its decades-long history, the River of Life mission project came to Wynnton Methodist Church in Columbus to teach students the importance of serving people close to home.

Around 200 student and adult volunteers from 17 churches around Georgia — and one all the way from Texas — arrived July 9 in Columbus for the five-day mission. More than 150 of the volunteers are Wynnton Methodist members. During three work days, they upgraded 30 midtown homes whose owners could not physically or financially afford renovations.

The Rev. Jason Wade, senior past of Wynnton Methodist Church and co-coordinator of the project, said the mission was an opportunity for students to invest in the community, start conversations and facilitate positive change.

“We’re doing this in the midst of midtown because we want to love the people in the community that surrounds us,” Wade told the Ledger-Enquirer. “The project gives us the ability to just have connections and build conversation with our community. If we can help our brothers and sisters meet their physical needs, … then it gives us the opportunity to talk more about spiritual needs in their eternity.”

Planning the event took nine months, Wade said. The church partnered with the Wynnton Neighborhood Network, an interfaith nonprofit organization that provides food and utilities assistance, and selected homes by sending letters, conducting meetings and inviting homeowners to apply for help. Projects included painting, constructing wheelchair ramps and screen porches, repairing fences and doing yard work.

Wade said it’s not just Columbus that benefits.

“One of the coolest things that we always have said about River of Life is the fact that anyone can do it,” Wade said. “And so our hope is [the students] are inspired by what we are able to do in our community and have the desire to take it back and do it in their community.”

Wade called the experience emotional and humbling. He was excited to see students realize how they can impact the community on a larger scale.

“I just love watching the walls break down,” he said. “There’s always going to be a need. Maybe we can go to Houston, or maybe we can go to Marietta, or maybe we can go to Jesup and pour back into another community and allow more people to take hold of what God’s doing in our lives.”

About the River of Life

The River of Life mission project is a ministry-led initiative that began in Dallas, Georgia, according to Wade. Though hosted in different cities each year, the program follows a similar structure wherever it is held, with students staying together, worshiping together and working together on local homes and community projects.

Multiple communities across the south implement their own River of Life projects, and many are coordinated locally or regionally by individual churches.

Derek Harrison, co-coordinator and director of student ministries and young adults at Wynnton Methodist Church said he has been involved with River of Life for seven years and has directed the event in Tifton, Georgia, for two. He said not only has the need grown, but the initiative’s reach has as well.

“My first year actually directing the event, we had 12 homes. And so seeing it up to 30 has just been a blessing,” he told the Ledger-Enquirer. “The need is here. It’s ever present. And all of us can make an impact.”

More than just a community service project, River of Life also helps participants connect with others through faith and share their church’s mission with the wider community.

“It’s really [about] bringing the body of Christ together,” Harrison said. “It gives us the opportunity to peel back a lot of our daily routines and really be observant of those around us and … [recognize] the impact as one body all together we can have on the community.”

Student and homeowner connection

For many participants, connecting with local homeowners is an especially rewarding experience.

“I like being able to serve other people because I feel like that’s my thing,” 15-year-old Abigail Trussell, from Cordele First Church in Cordele, Georgia, told the Ledger-Enquirer.

Trussell, who has been participating in River of Life for three years, said this year’s project has been particularly motivating. Seeing people travel from as far as Texas made her own two-hour trip from home feel more meaningful, she said.

She said the gratitude from those they serve makes the journey worthwhile.

“Seeing how happy [the homeowners] are whenever [we’re] done makes me feel good about myself. And it’s just nice to feel connected,” Trussell said.

Inez Gardner, a Columbus resident whose home was worked on as part of the mission project, said the feeling is mutual.

“It’s amazing because we have always tried to do for others when we were younger, but we’ve gotten older now. To receive that blessing back is really amazing,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer.

Several students worked to repaint Gardner’s house, trim some of the shrubbery and fix rotten posts. Working on each home was a team effort, with small groups gathering at each property.

“With the way things are out there, you think people don’t care, but there are a lot of good people,” Gardner said. “They care about others. And so I’m glad that it’s happening.”

Asher Lawson, a 20-year-old volunteer from Perry Methodist Church in Hawkinsville, Georgia, told the Ledger-Enquirer he has been a part of the River of Life mission since 2021. He said helping those in need gives him a sense of purpose and belonging.

When Lawson arrived at Perry Methodist Church in 2019, he said he struggled to fit in. But during his first River of Life mission trip, Lawson said he “really felt God’s presence” and became more connected in his community.

He said River of Life is special because it challenges the assumption that mission trips are done in a foreign country.

“What most people don’t realize is that there’s so much work to be done here right in our backyard,” he said. “Helping out our neighbor [is] hugely important because a lot of people don’t realize how many people are in need. … There’s a mission field all around us.”