“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, NKJV
“This wasn’t supposed to happen here.”
So many of us have uttered these words in recent weeks, since Hurricane Helene brought untold damage in late September. On the heels of a massive storm that saturated the ground of western North Carolina, Helene moved in and dropped additional historic rain, leading to unfathomable flooding and landslides.
Sadly, many lost their lives. Many more (including some of our employees at The Cove) lost their homes, vehicles or pets. It’s been an incredibly difficult season, but – through it all – our Lord has been faithful.
As you likely already know, in the days following Hurricane Helene, we at The Cove prayerfully made the decision to cancel remaining events for 2024, so we could serve as a hub for disaster relief. Over the past couple of months, we’ve hosted the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Samaritan’s Purse disaster relief, and crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. We’ve been able to be a light in this hurricane-devastated region, for the glory of God.
There’s still much to do in the mountains of North Carolina. In ways, this is just the beginning of a long and hard road toward recovery. But, we’re thankful that life is returning to a “new normal” for many who have endured these dark days.
As we turn our eyes to 2025, we’re excited to once again have events on The Cove’s calendar, with Bible studies, concerts and seminars returning soon. Registration is now open for these events. We invite you to visit https://thecove.org/events/ to see what is coming up, and to secure your spot.
Thank you for your prayers and support during this difficult time. May God bless each of you, and we hope to see you soon.
Eric Wilkes
Executive Director
The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove