Samaritan’s Purse volunteers show and share Christ’s compassion in singed neighborhoods
With wildfires raging nearby, Christy Cover fidgeted as she sat glued to the TV, watching the news. She was awaiting an alarm to warn her to evacuate her parents’ mountain home in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where she was staying. Sitting at the front door was a bag she had packed just in case she’d have to make a speedy exit. No alarm was issued, so Christy thought that maybe the house that her mother and father had lived in for 20-plus years—and the one she loved coming home to herself—would be spared.
The phone jolted her. Calling was her mother, Sandra Cover, who was out of town. Sandra told her daughter to leave everything immediately and get out because she had heard how close the fire was.
Christy Cover receives a hug from one of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains.
Christy didn’t hesitate. She picked up her suitcase, jumped into her vehicle, and sped down the curvy hill road.
Less than 10 minutes later, the house was engulfed in flames.
Jim and Sandra Cover’s home was among the more than 1,700 structures that were damaged or destroyed when wildfires scorched more than 17,000 acres across Sevier County in east Tennessee two weeks ago. Fourteen people were killed in those historic blazes.
This was the second tragedy to strike Sandra and Christy. Two weeks before, Jim, a longtime certified public accountant, died from multiple myeloma. He had been in constant treatment for four years, but they were managing it. Then he got sick and died suddenly.
“We were married for 26 years after meeting in a Gatlinburg restaurant parking lot,” Sandra said. “It’s just like being in a daze. I really haven’t had time to cry over all this.”
Homeowner Sandra Cover tries on a ring found in the ashes. It had been given to her by her husband Jim, who died from cancer two weeks before the fire destroyed their Gatlinburg home.
Then she grew reflective, wondering aloud if this was God’s provision.
“When Jim had hard days and didn’t feel well, he would say he just needed to get home to the house,” she said. “Now our home is a pile of ashes, and I can’t imagine Jim having to go through that on top of fighting cancer.”
But where could she and Christy turn for help to sift through the ashes to see if any precious belongings could be retrieved? Enter Samaritan’s Purse.
Recovering Keepsakes from Charred Remains
Our team members began deploying last Friday. Our Disaster Relief Unit—a tractor trailer stocked with relief supplies—is based at the First Baptist Church in Gatlinburg.
“Their help has been wonderful, the best blessing I’ve ever had in my life,” Sandra said, choking back her emotions. “These people are volunteering their time to help us. They are truly sent from God.”
Homeowners Christy and Sandra Cover flank team lead Paul Brock and volunteer Jeff Rouse
As a dozen people worked at her parent’s home this past weekend, Christy described it as emotional and heartbreaking.
“Mother and I have been in kind of a state of shock” she said. “I guess this is reality setting in. You can’t hardly deny it when you see things broken and smoky.
“I’m just so thankful for Samaritan’s Purse. I can’t get over the work they do. I’m amazed at the selflessness of the volunteers. They sleep on [church] floors, eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and work in cold temperatures. You just don’t run across that every day.”
Our volunteers are coming alongside distressed homeowners in Jesus’ Name to help recover treasured keepsakes from the charred remains.
Among Sandra’s favorite finds was a cup and saucer that a friend gave her. Still visible on the bottom of the saucer were the words “made in Occupied Japan.” This was always meaningful to her because her father served in Occupied Japan at the end of World War II in 1945.
Precious belongings and keepsakes found at the mountain home of Sandra Cover
Team members also discovered in the soot a ring that Jim had given to her. He had collected all sorts of things, from roosters to World War II model airplanes. Our volunteers found a metal rooster and dishes with roosters painted on them among other items.
“She may be about 5’2” but she was about 8’10” after she saw that airplane,” said team lead Paul Brock when he first showed Christy a metal model airplane they found.
“Bless you all,” Christy said. “Thank you all so much. This is an enormous job that we couldn’t have tackled alone.”
