Exactly one week before Thanksgiving 2006 a twister ripped through a residential area in Riegelwood—just west of Wilmington—killing nine people and leaving more than 40 residences to rebuild and repair.
North Carolina Baptists wasted no time organizing a blitz build—the first ever for North Carolina Baptist Men. Three new homes in three weeks would not kill the community’s heartache, but at least it was a step.
Inspiration to build the homes so quickly came in part from the television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” which completed a project in Raleigh not long after the Riegelwood tornado. A deadline helped maintain momentum and as volunteers saw progress, they kept coming back.
“We wanted them to see some action,” said Gaylon Moss, Baptist State Convention (BSC) volunteerism/disaster relief consultant. “The blitz build kept everything moving forward. It helped that community come together.”
A blitz build strategy may be replicated in other disaster relief efforts. To expedite the building projects, each home had the same floor plan and the foundations were built before most volunteers arrived on site.
Though each floor plan was the same, families chose their cabinets, hardware and siding and carpet colors. “We had the package, but they had choices. It made it personal,” Moss said.
None of the Baptist Men work in Riegelwood would have been possible without the North Carolina Missions Offering, which provides support for the Baptist Men disaster relief ministry.
Following God’s vision
Baptist Men planned to build three houses in three weeks. But God’s plan extended further. In addition to building three houses, Baptist Men helped everyone else in the community.
Some families needed help fixing a roof, replacing siding, repairing a storage shed or raking trash out of the driveway. Each new house, and every smaller project, finished on time.
Baptist Men also took on a fourth home that a different volunteer group started but could not finish.
God sent the right volunteers at the right time, including a drywall team from a Hispanic church in Durham. Their pastor, Roberto Rodriguez, was drawn to North Carolina from Honduras following Baptist relief efforts after Hurricane Mitch.
“This is our opportunity to work hand in hand as we will in Heaven,” said his wife, Delia Rodriguez.
When volunteers arrived on site one morning and realized they needed more plumbers, they prayed for God to send help. By 10 a.m. the team had plenty of plumbers working hard.
Changed community
When Baptist Men volunteers first rolled into town the community did not exactly embrace them. People were skeptics, wondering why strangers would offer help without a promise of return.
Hearts still heavy from tragedy, the community remained withdrawn, wondering if the volunteers would really return the next day.
As the rebuild continued, homeowners learned the volunteers were dedicated not only to the project, but to building relationships with them. People started smiling and waving to the volunteers. Neighbors who had never spoken to each other started talking.
When people in the neighborhood saw Christian love their lives changed. Volunteers shared the Gospel with them, prayed with them and listened as they shared their joys and sorrows.
Volunteer efforts in Riegelwood are a good reminder that God wants to use every North Carolina Baptist to make a difference.
For more information about North Carolina Baptist Men disaster relief and ministries, visit www.ncmissions.org.
To learn how your church can support disaster relief efforts through the North Carolina Missions Offering, visit www.ncbaptist.org.