And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

~Matthew 25:40 ESV

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, our church became involved in disaster relief.

The Relief

Like many others, we shipped truckloads of donated supplies and arranged a couple of mission trips. In December, I joined one of these mission trips that partnered with a small local church near Asheville, which had become the hub for volunteer efforts from all over the nation.

As a resident of North Carolina, I’d seen shocking videos of the flood and followed reports of the horrific damage. I watched the stories of amazing responses, such as the private groups that sent fleets of helicopters into areas isolated by impassible roads. How heartening to see citizens working together. 

In the immediate wake of the hurricane, the Calvary Chapel of Asheville members responded as most of us would by stepping up to address the emergency. But instead of making headway, the scope of devastation grew. The overwhelming needs around them became more apparent every day.

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

~John 12:24 ESV

The church’s choice was to die to their normal church agenda or abandon Jesus. But these fine believers didn’t pick the job of delving full-time into disaster relief; the situation selected them.

My part of our church’s assignment was to support this small congregation that had turned their church over to house volunteers. We also created a center for the distribution of donated supplies. We cooked meals for them and organized the overflow of donated clothing, food, toiletries, propane stoves, blankets, and so much more. When destitute people showed up to receive, we listened to their stories and prayed for them.

These jobs were important to the church, which had been pouring out nonstop efforts for over two months. They needed encouragement and relief and to have their hands held up. An example of the emotional burden they carried occurred when a person coming for help shared that their neighbor’s eighteen-month-old baby had frozen to death in a tent the night before.

The Joy

The trip taught me a precious lesson about dying to myself. Although exhausted physically, I experienced the strengthening joy of Jesus in loving others and being with those who are called to do this every day. We’re told the mountain communities will take years to recover. I hope to have the privilege of going back.

Strength for impossible situations must come from Jesus. As we lay down our lives, He’s there.

Remember that your strength for impossible situations must come from Jesus. As you lay down your life, remember He is with you.

Father, I thank You for this New Year and all its promise in Christ. Therefore, open my heart and lead me to those who need to experience hope. Give me the joy of sharing the love of Jesus, who laid down His life for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2025: Disaster Relief: Caroline Powers: All Rights Reserved