“My insurance is gonna run out soon. Truman promised to take care of us.”
When you’re immersed in Appalachia, this statement translates quite easily: I used to work in the mines.
But the coal industry that sustained life in West Virginia – and, if we’re honest, the rest of America – is now idle. Caught in the political crosshairs, tens of thousands of men and women are now without work.
The local pastor with whom our mission team recently served was quick to redirect our sympathy: “I can’t even go through a metal detector – I got metal in my knees and hip!”
It was a light moment before the grim reality of the region intensified: There is no money.
Unlearning 