 This week, LCC Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) chainsaw volunteers are serving out of Mt. Pisgah in Hendersonville, North Carolina, bringing practical help and spiritual encouragement to those impacted by last year’s hurricane. New teams from St. James and East Meadows, New York, are receiving in-depth chainsaw training and leadership development, preparing them to serve with skill and confidence. Meanwhile, a dedicated team from Athens, Georgia, has brought their food trailer, graciously preparing and serving meals to nourish all volunteers throughout the day. One of the team’s meaningful efforts included clearing several large tree trunks in the small river behind one homeowner’s house that were blocking the flow of water to the properties of neighbors. During heavy rains, this blockage had caused water to flow dangerously close to their homes and, at times, into their basements since Hurricane Helene. Although he is 82, the homeowner had been trying to remove the trunks on his own, but he needed help with the remaining stumps. The team was able to chainsaw the trunks to manageable pieces and remove them. The neighbors were deeply grateful as volunteers finished the work, and they joyfully shared lunch together on their deck before the team moved on to the next site. The remaining large team worked at the home of a couple and their two-acre property. They had at least 50 trees that had fallen in a wooded lot. After the team's chainsaw work, the couple has piles of wood and brush to burn. They told the team how frightening it was to be see and hear all of these trees falling and they prayed nothing would hit their home. At the end of the day, the team prayed with them and presented a cross made out of a slab of one of their trees and a Bible from Mt. Pisgah Lutheran Church. The couple told the team that they were a blessing and sincerely thanked each of them. The team from St. James, New York, also worked on a construction project through Housing Assistance in Hendersonville. They demolished a large wrap around deck that had rotted wood from flooding and will be rebuilding a new one for a 91-year-old disabled woman. All New York teams participated in chainsaw classroom training led by LCMS and LCC chainsaw instructors Pete Springmire and Matt Flynn, strengthening their skills and ministry readiness. Throughout the week, they will continue hands-on training as these teams serve homeowners still recovering from the storm’s aftermath. Through these efforts, volunteers are not only restoring homes but also sharing hope and Christ’s love in tangible ways. Comments are closed.
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