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There was a sense of connection as Dan Christianson nailed the final pieces of siding to Miss Francis’ new house near Boone, North Carolina. Dan and his wife, Sherri, of West Salem, Wisconsin, were part of a 10-person relief team from Bethany Free Church of La Crosse that headed to storm-tossed western North Carolina in November of 2025. They spent one week helping with rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Helene devastated the area in the fall of 2024. 

Floodwaters had ripped up huge chunks of road and tossed houses into the swirling morass like toys. Entire sections of towns had been swept away. The storm carved deep scars into the landscape as well as the hearts of its people.

But this had become a time of rebirth for these people and their communities. They proved to be strong and resilient, and waves of support and assistance poured in from across the nation.  In fact, the outpouring was so great that Bethany Church, which had originally fielded four teams, had to wait almost six months for just one slot to open up. 

“People were here from Texas, California – from all over,” says Dan, a veteran of over 14 relief missions including Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the local Rushford, Minnesota flood of 2007.  The last five years have found him in Bogota, Columbia, helping to build a children’s home with Bangor, Wisconsin-based Children’s Vision, and refurbishing a building at a Christian college in Colorado. 

For Dan and his teammate, David Paudler of Brice Prairie, Wisconsin, this was their second trip to the stricken area. The first was just a few weeks after the hurricane tore through the state. “Everywhere you looked you saw trees down,” says Dan, recalling that trip. “We drove along the river outside of Asheville and saw places where houses just weren’t there anymore.” Back then, the work required tree cutting, brush removal, and tarping roofs. David recalls people living in houses with buckets placed under holes in the roof. 

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief organization led by Franklin Graham and headquartered in Boone, North Carolina, coordinated much of the rescue activity. It organized the largest civilian airlift in U.S. history with well over 200 helicopter flights dropping supplies. Grieving survivors found comfort in the counsel and prayers from Samaritans Purse chaplains who accompanied relief teams. Now, the organization coordinates much of the rebuilding effort, which some estimate could take as long as five years.

Even a year later, when the Bethany Free Church team arrived, evidence of the storm was still visible, with cars and debris marking the riverbanks and huge, lumbering machinery restoring the roads. “It was eerie to see all the destroyed homes,” says Lisa Cochlin of Onalaska, who joined the Bethany group with her husband, Paul. “There’s no way to rebuild on some of these sites.” 

“You just can’t understand what these people went through,” Paul adds. “You don’t realize what it means when your house is underwater.” 

While in Boone, the Bethany team, with an average volunteer age of 68 years, slept at a local church and took meals from a mobile kitchen outside. Under the direction of Samaritan’s Purse, the group got to work quickly, tearing down sheds, cleaning up debris, and filling dumpsters before finally moving on to home repairs.

At Miss Francis’ worksite, Dan and Paul nailed siding while Sherri and Lisa taped off windows, washed mud from the house, and prepared the exterior for painting. This was a change for Sherri, who originally planned to volunteer as a cook, as she did with Hurricane Katrina relief.  “I had to leave my comfort zone,” says Sherri. “I was not used to ladders. Then they would say, ‘go down to the stream and get a bucket of water to clean your paintbrush.’ I don’t normally do stuff like that.”

Brian Martz, along with Doug and Jolene Williams, all from Onalaska, worked with David Paudler at a different location where a young mother lived in a camper with her four children and grandma. Jolene was moved at the sight of most the family’s personal possessions still laying outside under a tarp. She connected with the young mom, helping with the difficult task of sorting through beloved family possessions.

As the week progressed, the team found that volunteering with Samaritan’s Purse meant more than just clean up and construction. “Samaritan’s Purse rebuilds people as well as it rebuilds houses,” says Dan. “People come first,” echoes Sherri. “If anyone wants to talk, we stop and listen.”  

So, when the 84-year-old Miss Francis recounted her story, they listened. Miss Francis had sheltered in her home when the storm hit. Initially rebuffing her brother’s suggestion to evacuate, she later acquiesced and he picked her up in his car. Then came the floods. Afterward, when authorities allowed them to return, Miss Francis found that floodwaters reached several feet above her countertops. “She lost everything except for a few clothes,” says Sherri. “If she had stayed…,” her voice trailed off.

After the group finished work on the house, Paul led everyone in a final prayer for Miss Francis and her new home. “Miss Francis was very emotional, grateful and crying,” adds Lisa. “She must have given us 20 or 30 thank-yous.”

As the volunteers returned home, thoughts often turned to their own lives. “You hear about people going through trials and you learn compassion,” says Paul. “If we don’t have compassion and love, who are we?”

For Brian, the work felt really important. And the camaraderie and connection among the volunteers made an especially lasting impact. “There was a lot of bonding with other team members,” he says. And as he listened to retirees who volunteered regularly with Samaritan’s Purse, an idea took shape. “I’m getting close to retirement so I might do it more,” he says. “It gives me a reason for living.”

Greg Kirscher

Greg Kirscher is a La Crosse based writer focusing mostly on faith issues and church events. He is also a photographer focusing mostly on his 14 grandchildren.

People interested in assisting or giving to Samaritans Purse can connect with them at samaritanspurse.org. Or helping through Bethany Free Church at bethanychurchlax.org