Thor and Sabita thought the storm was the end to their hopes, their dreams, and their plans. The young couple’s new home was flooded during the torrential rains that hit the Atlanta area in late September. They were in debt from renovating the house, and now everything seemed ruined.

Instead, the storm proved to be a beginning.

They were among the hundreds of homeowners helped by Samaritan's Purse staff and volunteers. After a team performed a mud out—removing their belonging from the flooded house, stripping ruined sheetrock off the walls to allow wood to dry out, and spraying to kill mold—they were invited to dinner at our base camp.

That evening, they listened as volunteers told how they had been blessed by coming to Atlanta to help flood victims. They heard the Gospel from a chaplain with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Rapid Response Team.

Thor and Sabita had seen the care and compassion of Christ earlier that day.

“With each piece of sheetrock removed and each nail pulled, the love of Jesus was shown,” our team leader said.

Now, after hearing about His love and His sacrifice on the cross, they both accepted Jesus as their Savior, and now can look to the future filled with the promise of eternal life in Heaven.

As much as 20 inches of rain pounded the area. It caused what the U.S. Geological Survey called an epic flood, one that occurs once every 500 years. Scientists said it was one of the worst anywhere in the country in the last 100 years.

Samaritan's Purse sent two Disaster Relief Units to help homeowners recover from the disaster. We arrived in the last week in September, and stayed until Friday.

During our nine weeks in Georgia, 1,170 volunteers from a dozen states worked 23,084 hours to help 310 homeowners.

“You have given us a new beginning,” said one of the people we helped. “You've brought us priceless, incredible peace of mind. If the Lord doesn't do anything else, he's done enough.”

Most importantly, 67 people came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Most of the new Christians were people we helped, including Dennis. As the team went to work on his house, volunteers took turns sitting with him and listening to him share his life. One of the ladies on the team led him to Christ. Dennis had lost what few possessions he had during the flood, but three weeks later our team saw him at a gas station where he was giving away a sleeping bag and heater to someone in need and praying with others.

Others were neighbors of people we helped. After volunteers had helped her, Dolly told them about her friend Betty, who had been bitter since her husband had died several years ago. A chaplain visited Betty, and she gave her heart to the Lord at the age 73.

Still others were volunteers like Amy, who came with a team from Michigan and was overwhelmed by the tangible love she saw expressed on a daily basis.

Daniel Jellicorse, one of our team leaders, summed up the nine weeks in the Atlanta area.

“We gave thanks to the Lord for the 67 people that will now share a home with us in heaven,” he said. “Thank You, Lord, for giving us the opportunity to serve these people, and we pray that You would continue to bless those that need it most.”

Samaritan's Purse , United States , DR Extranet , U.S. Disaster Relief , Hope from Despair