Graham joined staff and volunteers Dec. 1 to welcome home the Tatums who lost their Minneapolis, North Carolina, home of 46 years in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Hurricane Helene ripped through Bob and Edwina Tatum’s hometown of 200 people, swelling the once-peaceful stream behind the couple’s Minneapolis, North Carolina, house into a destructive river.
Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham speaks during the Dec. 1 dedication of the Tatums’ new home.
The torrent swept away everything in its path, including the Tatums’ home of 46 years.
The couple wasn’t sure where to turn for help or where they’d live in the days following the storm. They certainly didn’t have the money to begin rebuilding where they’d lived together for nearly five decades.
Earlier this year, after months of living at the home of Edwina’s 95-year-old mother, they received a call from Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham, who’d seen their story on the news and committed to building them a new house.
At a Dec. 1 ceremony, Graham welcomed them to their home built by Samaritan’s Purse volunteers.
“Today we come to dedicate this to the glory of God and to thank Him,” Graham said. “All of this comes from Him.”
Edwina Tatum lifts the framed “Paid in Full” invoice on the porch of their newly rebuilt home as volunteers and guests look on.
Graham thanked the scores of volunteers, along with members of the U.S. Rebuild staff from Samaritan’s Purse, who took part in the construction of the Tatums’ home.
“We just thank God for every person who worked on this,” he said. “Behind all this paint and nice siding, people have written their Bible verses on the studs, so this house is covered in God’s Word.”
During the ceremony, the couple received an invoice with the words “PAID IN FULL” printed across it in large red letters–a framed document presented to families that confirms the house is a free gift and serves as a reminder of God’s love through Jesus Christ.
Rebuild staff member John Granger, foreman on the Tatum home, presents the Tatums with keys to their house.
Luther Harrison, vice president of U.S. Rebuild, praised God for the opportunity He’s provided to helping hurting people in the region and for the many volunteers who continue to show up and rebuild homes.
“God sent His workers to be the hands and feet to build this beautiful home that they can call theirs for the rest of their life here on this earth,” Harrison said. “And we already know they have a strong witness for Jesus Christ. And their testimony was just shared in many ways today.”
Bob recounted receiving the call from Graham and Harrison in the midst of not knowing what their next steps would be.
“It just hit me. I was shocked,” Bob said. “He asked me what we wanted [in our house]. So, I told him. He said, ‘Done.’ When I hung up with him, I just looked at Edwina and she looked at me and I just said, ‘Ain’t God good?'”
As they celebrated their new home, they also celebrated God’s provision and the love of Jesus Christ shown through the volunteers.
“God is so good. We never lost heart,” Bob said. “I watched every step of it. The quality’s great. I’ve never seen that kind of foundation, with all the concrete and materials they used. Samaritan’s Purse does not do anything halfway.”
Bob and Edwina Tatum sit inside their new living room holding the framed “Paid in Full” document presented during their home dedication.
The Tatums also received a Billy Graham Training Center Bible with signatures from all the volunteers who worked on their home. Edwina said the volunteers were a blessing to them well beyond the gift of their new dwelling.
“They are really great representations of their Lord and Savior,” she said. “Generous to the max, loving to the max, providing, comforting. Every person who touched any part of building our house, I want them to know that their representation of the Lord Jesus Christ represents God to everyone. They’ve been such blessings. So uplifting.
“We give God the glory. He’s never late. He’s never early. He’s right on time all the time. Thank you all again for being here. God bless Samaritan’s Purse.”
Wesley Anderson volunteered on the Tatums home and now serves as a staff foreman with Samaritan’s Purse. He said, “Today is a sacred moment, one that reminds us that God still moves through people, still works through compassion and still brings beauty out of hardship. We are not just dedicating a house today. We are witnessing a miracle, love, generosity, and hope made real.”
Franklin Graham encouraged attendees to continue praying for the many communities still affected by Helene and for the many homes yet to be replaced in the region.
“We’re thankful to God for those resources that we can continue to do this. We’ve got several hundred houses we’ve got in front of us to build, similar to this. So we’re going to be busy, but we are glad to get you in here before December. So, here we are, Dec. 1, and that will give you time to get ready for Christmas.”
