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13 MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE HELENE REBUILDING HOMES & LIVES WILL TAKE A LONG TIME.
The picture shows the severely damaged home of a 74 year old woman. After the destruction from Helene, she continued to live in the one room that was the least damaged throughout the winter and the months that followed with no power, heat, water or plumbing! Over a week ago, thanks to the unrelenting efforts of several local aid groups (many formed post-Helene), churches, and individuals; a road was repaired to make way for a camper to become her temporary home until a new one can be built.
This is one such story and there are countless other stories still waiting to be written. It's why Lori and I, thru our LaRoche & Co Missions remain committed to doing our small part to make sure every story is written with a happy ending. To do so, we will need many of you to be right there with us through your participation on mission teams, financial gifts, donated items, and prayer. Western North Carolina and Haiti are two key missions of a larger vision that God has called us to with LCOM.
Back to mountaintops and foothills of Western North Carolina.... Our new friend and contact there (Mobilizing Missions Thru RELATIONSHIPS), Myra Steadman just posted an update today. You see, Myra works tirelessly coordinating teams like ours, volunteers, resources, funding, etc. to meet the vast needs that Helene left in her wake. Her day job is Financial Administrator at a local church. Her husband pastors another church. The two of them have decades of experience in disaster relief. Now they live smack dab in the middle of a big one!
Her church has allowed her time and space with her day job to serve as a coordinator with the various groups, churches, and individuals working to rebuild lives, homes, and communities in Southern Appalachia. That's one of the great stories coming out of one big, bad one. People helping people. Yes, many have and still are coming from the "outside" like us. But, it's the locals, the neighbors who are making this rebuild happen. We saw it on our 1st trip last October and we were still seeing it in our quick visit last Saturday to Clyde, the site of our next trip.
Again, this is another motivating factor for us. The need is overwhelming. The work is hard. The recovery has been long and will be even longer. Every little bit of help we can give will lighten the load, move the work forward, and bring encouragement that they are not alone in their struggles. Most of all, we are a tangible expression that God is with them and He is using His Christ-followers to answer their prayers. This is much-needed in an Appalachian culture that does not like to ask for help for one's self.
November 8-14 will be our 5th trip. Lori and I have intentions of doing 3-4 more in 2026. However, I am willing to go higher than that if there are individuals, churches, and other Christian groups that want to go. After all, we are called to "Mobilize Missions Thru Relationships" and that we will do for a place we call our "2nd Home".
I share all this not for your "pats on the back" or "attaboys" or so you think more highly of us. I share it so that you will allow yourselves to be used by God for this Kingdom work with us or maybe it will be with someone else and somewhere else. After all, the message of The Hope, Love, and Life that can only be found in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior needs to be spread far and wide and there are many dark corners of the world and people's live in which to let that Light shine bright!
Now, back to that report I mentioned. Myra reports:
  • 105 Teams have completed 332 projects since April!! Praise The Lord!
  • Over 130 projects are on the list right now. But, the list is never-ending at this point. As projects are crossed off, new ones get added on.
  • Currently, there are 27 people/families in need of housing for the winter so they can get out of their barns or get their families under one roof.
  • Sadly, I (Russ) noticed today that a local group is hosting a "Winter Living & Preparedness" Seminar. I have never seen that before as a seminar topic. Yet, this is a reality.
  • The work that Myra is helping coordinate stretches from Sylva to the West to Old Fort & Morganton to the East. And from Spruce Pine to the North and Rutherfordton to the South. It's a large swath of Western North Carolina.
To join our upcoming November 8-15 trip: Click Here
To see the list of items to donate: Click Here
To learn more about LAROCHE & CO MISSIONS our 2026 NC Recovery Mission Trips, our work with REAL Love Ministries International in Haiti, and other mission work the Lord leads us into, continue to visit us at larochemissions.com
While you are here sign-up for our newsletter and watch for LCOM to join social media.
Russ & Lori Van Nest
larochemissions@pm.me
724.488.3102
#MobilizingMissionsThruRelationships
"....we have done what is our duty to do." Luke 17:10
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United States