[1]WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. — Staff and volunteers with N.C. Baptists on Mission celebrated a major milestone in the ongoing recovery efforts across western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene by dedicating the first newly constructed home during a ceremony held April 7.
The home was built for Ashe County resident Loretta Swafford, whose previous residence was destroyed in the storm. She had been living in a camper on her property for the past year and a half. During the dedication ceremony, ministry leaders and volunteers gathered for prayer and thanksgiving, recognizing God’s provision after months of labor.
While Baptists on Mission volunteers have completed hundreds of repair jobs across western North Carolina since Helene, Swafford’s home was the first to be constructed entirely from the ground up.
“Thank every one of you,” Swafford said, fighting back tears as she spoke to the more than 30 people who attended the dedication event. “I really, really appreciate it.”
Among those in attendance were Bill and Kelly Keating, volunteers from Westwood Baptist Church in Roxboro — a three-hour drive from West Jefferson — who previously worked on Swafford’s home with a team from their church. They wanted to be in attendance when the home was officially dedicated.
“God just laid it on our hearts to come and help,” Bill Keating said. “We wanted to see it done. We had worked on other ones, but we’ve never seen one finished. It’s a blessing to be able to help people out like this.”
During the dedication ceremony for the two-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot home, ministry leaders and volunteers shared remarks, prayed and gave thanks for God’s provision through the many months of work.
“It’s amazing just to see your house, Loretta, and see what God’s done,” said Richard Brunson, executive director of N.C. Baptists on Mission. “There are so many people who have been a part of this and so many partners, but it’s God who provided this house. Just remember that.”
[2]Gerald Hodges, a retired pastor who has served as a local coordinator for Baptists on Mission’s rebuild efforts in the region, presented Swafford with a Bible that had been signed by a number of the volunteers who worked on her home. Hodges added that some volunteers also wrote Bible verses on the home’s wooden studs in the hallway before they were covered with sheetrock.
One of those verses was Matthew 7:24, part of the parable of the wise and foolish builders, which reads: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like the wise man who built his house upon the rock.”
Although verse 25 wasn’t written on the stud, Hodges said the verse speaks of the house withstanding rain, floods and winds in the midst of a storm because it was built upon a rock.
“We can’t guarantee that there won’t be another storm come through,” Hodges said. “And we can’t and won’t guarantee that if another one comes through like it did before, nothing will happen to this house. But here’s what we can guarantee you, Lorettta — that God’s promises in His Word are a rock that you can count on.”
“He’s always there,” Swafford replied. “Rain or shine.”
Hodges said the home and the work that went into it was a tangible expression of the love of Christ in word and deed.
“Our goal was to demonstrate to you the love of Jesus so that you and your family would put your faith and trust in Him,” Hodges said. “Not in this house, and not in us. We’re thankful that we’ve had the opportunity to do that.”
Baptists on Mission leaders noted the significance of the milestone as ongoing, long-term rebuilding efforts continue in affected communities throughout western North Carolina. As of April 21, N.C. Baptists on Mission volunteers have completed 865 repair jobs with an additional 210 in progress. Moreover, there are an additional 19 homes being built from the ground up that are also in progress.
“We’ve got many more to build,” said Richard Weeks, who, along with his wife Tammy, serve as the overall rebuild coordinators for western North Carolina. “Please come and volunteer and help us rebuild western North Carolina for the glory of God.”
To learn more about opportunities to serve, visit www.helenerebuild.org [3].
This article originally appeared in the Biblical Recorder [4].
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