Since Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina in late September, hundreds of first responders, Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) chaplains, and Samaritan’s Purse volunteers have made the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove their temporary home as they serve hurting people.
With The Cove in Asheville, North Carolina, as home base, BG-RRT chaplains have been sharing heartfelt stories about local residents they’ve had an opportunity to comfort and encourage.
Frozen with shock and fear, Sandra* stood in knee-deep water that was flooding into her Asheville home as Hurricane Helene raged outside.
Torrential waters were rushing around her house. The 90-year-old widow—who lives alone—looked outside in desperation and saw two men pushing a boat through the rapids.
They came to her yard and asked her to step in so they could push her to safety. Several tense moments later, she was on solid ground—traumatized, but grateful to be alive.
She recently shared that story with Billy Graham chaplains Matt Gullion and Dale McKenna as volunteers worked to remove rotted materials from her home.
Listening and talking with her, Matt—who is also a pastor—couldn’t help but think of another, similar story: the Gospel.
“Miss Sandra, do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?” he asked as her son and daughter, both Christians, stood nearby.
She replied that she had joined a church when she was 20 years old, but didn’t know Jesus or the Scriptures.
Matt used Sandra’s rescue story to talk to her about the Good News of a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
“That boat is like Jesus Christ. If you trust Him like you trusted in that boat, you can have eternal life and be brought to eternal safety and security,” he said.
The analogy hit home. Sandra started crying.
Matt asked her if she’d like to put her faith in Jesus.
“Yes, I do,” she replied.
Holding back tears of joy, Matt and Dale prayed with Sandra as she repented of her sins and prayed in faith to receive Christ.
“For the first time, her children—now middle-aged adults—heard their mom proclaim the Gospel,” Matt said. “God provided an illustration of not only the Gospel, but the core of what chaplains are here for.”
Later that day, one of her neighbors—also an elderly woman—saw volunteers working on Sandra’s house and came over to say thanks.
“They just led me to Jesus,” Sandra said, leaning over to tell the neighbor about her decision. “I’ll tell you more about it later.”
Matt and Dale left her a couple of resources to help her grow in her faith: a devotional booklet, Living in Christ, and a copy of “When Your Whole World Changes,” a short booklet about how to overcome trauma with God’s help.
They read through the first page with her as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Her whole world had just changed twice—once with this disaster and again with her new life in Jesus,” Matt explained.
Jesus Has the Wheel
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers Eric and Trena Sheppard of Wooster, Ohio, have also been serving communities hit hard by Helene.
“Asheville has been pulling on our hearts since we heard about the hurricane,” Trena said. “It’s the least we could do.”
The couple has been staying at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove while helping nearby families clean up after the storm. Normally used as a retreat center for Bible study and spiritual growth, The Cove paused events through the end of the year to host disaster relief workers.
As The Cove has taken on a new role in this season, so have its employees.
“We are usually here to serve people who come through those doors, but this time, they are coming in to serve us as we serve them,” explained Laurie, a greeter at The Cove.
“I have some co-workers who lost everything in the storm,” she said, adding that her home in Arden, North Carolina, also flooded.
Those working at The Cove have been greatly encouraged by the outpouring of love from everyone using the property as a hub for service, she added.
“They’ve hugged us, they’ve prayed with us—it’s been a blessing,” she said with a smile. “Jesus definitely has got the wheel.”
Please continue praying for the ongoing ministry in Western North Carolina and in other communities devastated by hurricanes Helene and Milton. Pray that those hurting would find healing, hope, and peace in Jesus Christ.
*Name changed for privacy.
