Families like Raymond and Eunice English of Wallace, an elderly couple who lost everything in the flood. The Englishes and Buff Creek were partnered through the Operation C.A.R.E. program of the N.C. Baptist Men. Last month, 10 members of Buff Creek Baptist Church and four members of Dutch Cove Baptist Church in Canton spent a week working on the English's home and two other homes in Wallace.
"This was my first chance to go on a mission trip," said church member Eloise Shuler of Sylva, who earned the title of "grand mudder."
"I learned how to put the mud, or paste, on the Sheetrock pretty good even though I'd never done anything like that before," she said. "The preacher called us 'mudders,' and I became the 'grand mudder.'"
The group worked on the molding and the casing around the windows, as well as painting, Sheetrock finishing and other projects. The devastation around the area was amazing, Morris noted.
"While many families are returning to their homes or have moved into doublewide homes, many have not," he said. "Everywhere in the Wallace area there are still the little 18-foot travel trailers provided by FEMA for temporary housing... homes, businesses and churches that are still empty waiting for someone to help. One of the most striking examples of the need for help was in the gutted nursing home from which the residents have had to move all over the state to find a place to stay."
Another example of the need in eastern North Carolina, he said, was shown by the Marshburnes, another of the families the group helped.
"The family not only lost their home in the flood, but Mr. Marshburne, an independent trucker, lost his truck and livelihood in the waters," said Morris. "They also lost their water supply in the contaminated waters. They were not able to use their well water until the end of last month. That is four whole months without water for cooking, drinking or even washing clothes."
The third family the group helped illustrated that the flood hit every age.
"The Futrells, a young couple with two small children, saw their trailer damaged beyond repair in the flood. Mr. Futrell has been working full time during the day to learn his grandfather's business and to rebuild a damaged doublewide trailer he bought from another family. The children are looking forward to finally having their own rooms when the work is complete," Morris said.
At the end of the week, the Sylva group - Morris, Shuler, Audrey Greene, Shirley Beasley, Jim Shuler, Bill Shuler, B.T. Greene, Kenny Shuler, Jim Beasley and Martin Mathis - came back changed. After seeing the widespread damage and the slow progress in rebuilding the broken lives, each member came back with a determination to help spread the word of the need for volunteers in eastern North Carolina.
Eloise Shuler said the English couple truly amazed her. "After all they'd gone through, they felt no self-pity. They didn't feel sorry for themselves at all. There was none of this negative 'Why me, Lord?' Instead, they praised the Lord for how people had responded to their need."
The oldest one on the mission trip, "grand mudder" Shuler said, "Age is mostly a matter of the mind. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. I already asked the preacher when we can go again."
For more information on partnering or other opportunities for assistance, contact Gaylon Moss at the N.C. Baptist Men's office at 1-800-395-5102, Ext. 333.
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