Mountain Mission

Following God’s Guidance in Service

As evening settled over the small mountain town of Canton, our mission team gathered in an upstairs room with hardwood floors, a large area rug, and a collection of mismatched couches and lounge chairs to rest after a week of work and share one last night together. Rev. Jamie Smith offered a verse he had held closely since his days in confirmation, found in Isaiah 58:11a: “The Lord will guide you continually.” He invited us to wonder why God had guided us to this place.

Many of the team’s responses included stories from that day, the past week, and even tender moments from their lives. We began to recognize that God’s guidance runs deeper than our own plans or desires. It cannot always be explained in words but is often felt through acts of service, a warm embrace, or a simple offering.

For those who might not make it to this place, perhaps a story or two will help describe our experience in this small town, once known for its paper mill and now, like so many others, known for the destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024.

Our twelve-member mission team from the Shenandoah Valley served during the day at home sites assigned by United Methodist Disaster Relief. In the evenings, we spent hours sharing stories and playing games at Canton Presbyterian Church, a Presbyterian Disaster Assistance host site in Canton, North Carolina.

Each morning around 7:00 a.m. we ate breakfast and packed our lunches, then headed out the door for the day’s work. By the end of the week, our team, split into several smaller groups, had weatherized four campers, assisted with bathroom and skylight repairs to a gentleman’s home, removed mold-damaged walls four feet high in a family’s basement, moved large furniture from a house to a garage, and helped clean and restore a woman’s kitchen.

Throughout the week, we spoke and prayed with homeowners who had been displaced by the flood, many of whom were still living in campers. Several of our team members returned each day to a campsite lined with ten campers about a hundred yards from the river. Some campers had been donated to flood victims, while others were home to individuals who had lived in them for years. One afternoon, as a school bus stopped and children hopped off and ran toward their homes, the team realized how this campground had become its own kind of neighborhood.

One resident there, named Don*, shared that after suffering a heart attack, he had to stop driving tractor-trailers and now lives on Social Security income. The campground charged $550 a month for rent, and his electric bill ran nearly $100. His honesty made us wonder why affordable housing today is more often found in campers than in houses or apartments.

Another resident spoke about her daughter and son-in-law, who had just gotten married and were preparing to move into their first home when the flood came and displaced them. She spoke openly with one of our team members about how overwhelmed she felt and kept apologizing for crying during their conversation.

While weatherizing a camper for a family of four, a mother named Sandi* stepped outside to offer a ride to her neighbor, another mom with her one-year-old daughter. Several in our group greeted the two moms and smiled at the little girl. On the back of Sandi’s van was a bumper sticker that read, “Hot Mess Express.” She smiled, half joking and half serious, saying the sticker seemed to describe the chaotic life they were living after the flood, just trying to make it one day at a time.

Team members cut, drilled, and taped foam board around a camper to keep it insulated for the winter ahead.

As most of the group winterized campers, four team members served all week at Gary’s* home. On Monday, he showed them videos of the flood and spoke about his bridge, which had been rebuilt just last month by a group of Mennonites. Each day, the men learned more of Gary’s story, including his hot air balloon rides and motorcycle adventures. They also heard stories from long ago about his 5½-year-old daughter, who died of a brain tumor and for whom the bridge was named. The men helped restore the water-damaged bathroom and repair leaky skylights and offered a calm and consistent presence of companionship, which Gary deeply appreciated.

On the last two days of our trip, two of us spent time at Susan’s* home, cleaning out her kitchen, wiping down shelves, and throwing away fifteen bags of spoiled food. She worked alongside us the entire time, sharing about her health challenges and the sadness she felt over family members who had grown distant.

Susan made us laugh when she greeted us on the second day wearing a Presbyterian T-shirt she had found at the top of her clothes pile in the camper. That day, we cleaned out her entire pantry, purchased two new shelving units, and found a permanent home for all her food. We also created a temporary spot for her small kitchen appliances and baking supplies until her kitchen was ready to use again.

At the end of our time together, she asked if we could pray. So, the three of us joined hands and stood in a small circle between her front porch, the dumpster, and two storage pods. After I prayed for her, she prayed for us. Although she still had a long way to go before moving from her camper into her home, it was good for her to see that every little bit helps in the process of restoring both a home and a life.

The word overwhelming surfaced many times throughout our week as people shared their stories and continued the long process of restoring their homes a year after the flood. It was said that recovery in this area of western North Carolina might take eight to ten years. Although our work may have seemed small in the world’s eyes, we felt that God had guided us to each place and every person to offer a bit of hope through our ministry of presence and humble acts of repair.

The Lord’s guidance continues as we carry these experiences home with us, lifting in prayer by name those who welcomed us into their lives and whose stories have now become part of our own.

*To honor the privacy of those we served in western North Carolina, the names in this reflection have been changed.

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Many thanks to the faithful servants who offered their leadership for our trip like Anne Waple, Disaster Recovery Coordinator for the Presbytery of Western NC; Rev. Esta Jarrett, Jean, Doris, and property members who helped us during our stay at Canton Presbyterian Church, Canton, NC; and Hannah, Maggie, Will, Sheri, and Jordan who we served with at the Western North Carolina Conference United Methodist Church (WNCCUMC) Disaster Ministries.

If you would like to make a donation to one of these vital organizations serving in Helene Recovery, please visit:

• WNCCUMC Disaster Ministries at https://www.wnccumc.org/DM-generosity

• Presbyterian Disaster Assistance at https://pcusa.org/about-pcusa/agencies-entities/interim-unified-agency/ministry-areas/disaster-assistance

• Canton Presbyterian Church’s flood relief.

Each evening, we lingered at the table over carrot cake or pumpkin bread as different members of our team led devotions. We are grateful for Dave Thalman’s story about Miss Mary and her goats, and for Rev. Reed Hopkins enlightening us with Hebrew words and reminding us that God is great because God is good.

After dinner, we stayed a few more hours for conversation or to play games. A few fun ideas for your next family game night include Farkle (dice game), Bologna Sandwich or BS (a bluffing card game), and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza (a fast-paced card game).

We could not have served well during the day without the warm welcome each afternoon from our cook, Tonya Gavin, and her delicious meals each night. We enjoyed many of her comfort food dishes, from mashed potatoes and gravy to chicken vegetable soup. One of the group’s favorites was her salad with poppyseed dressing. Enjoy the recipe below.

Poppyseed Dressing
by Tonya Gavin

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup grated red onion

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon dry mustard

• 1/2–1 tablespoon poppy seeds

• 1 cup canola oil

Salad Suggestions

• Baby spinach

• Strawberries

• Hearts of palm

• Walnuts

Instructions

1. Place the first four ingredients in a pan over medium heat.

2. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.

4. Let cool, refrigerate, and shake well before serving. 🍓

Good Times at Canton PC

If you are ever in Canton, North Carolina, be sure to stroll through downtown, where you can find your next great read at Blue Moon Books, enjoy a large chai tea at Papertown Coffee, meet Kevin the service dog at Mountain Fly Outfitter and learn one of his 70 commands, or sit down with your favorite people for a delicious meal at the Southern Porch restaurant.

May God guide us all to beautiful mountain towns like Canton, where we can lend a helping hand and embrace the gracious spirit found there.

Serve and Love Well,
Rev. April H. Cranford