Staff and volunteers gathered to dedicate a new home to Brian Baker who’s been living in his damaged yurt near Burnsville since Hurricane Helene hit in 2024.
Brian Baker’s simple lifestyle surrounded by woodland solitude in western North Carolina was suddenly interrupted when aggressive wind and rain began pounding his tent walls. His home of 15 years–a traditional yurt measuring 27 feet in diameter–was not built to withstand wind speeds of over 100 mph.
“I have experienced a couple of major floods, but it was nothing compared to Hurricane Helene,” he said. When he heard trees start crashing down around him, he grabbed his cat and climbed into the bathtub.
The yurt sustained excessive damage when a tree struck its side. As a result, most of Brian’s possessions were waterlogged and black mold began creeping along the interior. Without the resources he’d need to make repairs or to relocate, he continued living in the impaired structure.
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers not only took time to build Brian’s new home, but also to care for his well-being.
“A regular day contains emptying rain buckets because the yurt’s roof is still leaking profusely,” he said. “I haven’t had running water or power since the storm.”
When Brian heard that Samaritan’s Purse was rebuilding bridges, driveways, and culverts after the storm, he requested help to repair his gravel driveway. But after Site Superintendent Curtis Bradley surveyed his property and saw his poor living conditions, he offered to help with more than just the driveway. Samaritan’s Purse offered to build him a brand-new home for free!
From a Hurricane to a Home
Hurricane Helene carved its way through eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, causing widespread destruction and catastrophic flooding. Tens of thousands of Samaritan’s Purse volunteers immediately deployed across the devastated region to tarp roofs, mud-out homes, and provide relief in Jesus’ Name.
“There was major flooding, landslides, and lots of damage from trees falling on houses,” Bradley said.
Brian kisses the Bible he received from Samaritan’s Purse while standing inside the doorway of his new home.
After our initial response, Samaritan’s Purse stayed in the community to help families recover and rebuild. After connecting with Brian, our team recognized that his greatest need was not a repaired driveway, but a livable home. While hesitant at first–knowing many others were also in need–Brian eventually accepted their offer to help.
“Brian told me, ‘I’ll just take a shed,’” Bradley recalled. “And I said, ‘Well, we work in Jesus’ Name, and I don’t believe Jesus would like us to put His Name on just a shed.”
Instead, the team pitched the idea of building a tiny home on a flatbed trailer to fit Brian’s needs. Even before the storm, Brian had lived a minimalist lifestyle without common comforts like air conditioning or a refrigerator, so when he learned about the amenities included in the tiny home, he was elated.
Brian celebrates his new appliances that came with the home Samaritan’s Purse volunteers built.
“This is basically a new life starting,” he said through tears. “And definitely a 100,000-fold upgrade.”
Luther Harrison, vice president of U.S. Rebuild, shared that the home was constructed with excellent materials and built to fit Brian’s lifestyle.
“When God shows us unique opportunities, we try to adapt to that opportunity. So, this one where Brian lived in his yurt off the grid–we had to replicate that,” he said. “We built [the tiny home] like we were building it for Jesus Christ, and the quality of this work is second to none.”
Luther Harrison (left) and Wesley McMullen congratulate Brian on his new home.
Brian was greatly encouraged by each volunteer and staff member who not only took time to construct his new abode, but also to care for his overall well-being.
“You can just see their generosity and love for human beings. They’re not here to do anything but give their all to people that need that help,” he said. “Finding Samaritan’s Purse really did just reiterate God’s love for me.”
A Dwelling Prepared in Heaven
As scores of volunteers, staff, and family members gathered in Burnsville to dedicate the new, forest green home, Brian went from person to person, shaking their hands and saying, “God bless you.”
Brian received an invoice with the words “PAID IN FULL” stamped across it in red—a reminder that, just as the expense of his new home was covered, Jesus Christ’s blood shed on the cross cancels the debt of sin.
During the ceremony, he was gifted a signed Billy Graham Training Center Bible, along with a journal full of encouraging notes from volunteers. Brian was also given an itemized bill with the words “PAID IN FULL” stamped in red across the front, a reminder to Brian of the gift Jesus gave when He died on the cross for the sins of all mankind.
Brian received a Billy Graham Training Center Bible signed by the team that worked on his home.
As Wesley McMullen, the project’s foreman, presented Brian with the key, he reminded him of a future dwelling prepared for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ.
Brian proudly holds up the key to his new home—a reminder that Christ is the only key that can open Heaven for people.
“This is the one key that will open this house,” he said. “Jesus paid for our sins in full, and He is the one key, and only through our faith in Him can we get into the house He is preparing for us.”
As the event concluded, Harrison prayed a blessing over Brian and his new dwelling.
“Bless Brian now as he unlocks the door to his new home, because, Lord, you’re building a place for us in Heaven,” he prayed. “We all want to have that eternal mansion in glory with You and live forever.”
