The Fragrance of the Lord After Helene

It’s been more than 150 days since Hurricane Helene hit, and it might be tempting at times to start thinking the disaster has ended and the recovery is over. The vast needs, though, are still here. Kendall Kauffeldt shares how the Disaster Assistance Response Team is meeting people face to face, listening to their stories, and providing for their physical needs. This opens the door to share the love of Jesus Christ.

“But the question always is like, ‘Why do you care? Why are you here?’ And we get to tell them, ‘This is why. It's because Jesus loves you, and He has sent us here to tell you that He sees you, He cares for you, He loves you. He loved you so much that He died for you.’ And what I love about this response is that personal connection. The people we're helping is not a number, it's a name.” — Kendell Kauffeldt

Many across western North Carolina and east Tennessee lost their livelihoods, their transportation, and their housing. After our volunteer teams spent many weeks helping residents clean up after the storm—removing debris, mucking out houses, and salvaging belongings—we began to help them get back on their feet by replacing destroyed cars, providing campers for winter housing, and even mules.

Kristy Graham attended a car dedication and met a woman named Cindy whose tenderness and humility set her apart. As Kristy got to know her story, she realized that Cindy had faced loss after loss in her life—she carried so much grief. Samaritan's Purse served her in her time of need when her house was flooded, and, later, provided her with a brand-new car. She said being served in these ways restored her hope in humans, but more importantly, hope in God.

“God has blessed me with good people to give me a vehicle, so I don't have to walk in the rain and the cold and the snow.” — Cyndi Barton

As families shared their stories, Disaster Assistance Response Team members like Jazmin Ortiz were able to share with them the hope found only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She encouraged them that even in hard times, the joy of the Lord can be our strength and that His desire is to make all their burdens light.

“We've had a few that accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, including [Sandy.] And when you see that, it's kind of a burst of energy. I said, that's what gives me wings. That's what keeps me going. And as tired as I may feel, all of a sudden, I just feel so energized. And that's one of the 14 salvations I saw while I was there.” — Jazmin Ortiz

Join us in praying for all of our teams in North Carolina and Tennessee. Please pray for the people who are recovering months after this hurricane. Pray that they will find hope and healing in Jesus Christ. If you’d like to keep up to date with more stories from On the Ground, please visit SamaritansPurse.org.