Cathy Mission Trip Update

As some of you may know, Cathy Meyer, our Assistant Church Administrator, is currently on a mission trip in North Carolina. She’s there lending a helping hand with recovery efforts following the damage caused by the 2024 hurricane. Below is an update from Cathy that we wanted to share with you!

Yesterday, I did get to go into one room that had not been cleaned yet. They call it “the museum”, but it’s just a small room with lots of pictures and memories from years gone by (the camp has been here since the 1940s). It gave me a better understanding of what it was like after the hurricane (first picture). Notice that there is about an inch of dried mud on the floor, whatever debris was floating in the water stuck to the walls, and there are leaves in the latch of the door. Anything that could float, moved around in the room. It was all dried out, but when they were first cleaning out the cabins, it was sloppy mud, and all of the walls and insulation were soaked had to get removed, and what could, got burned.

The next picture has a water level line in red that shows how high the flood waters were in the area during the hurricane. Also, the unpainted wall in the background is the workshop wall, the large dumpster they have by the kitchen (50 yards to the right) floated over in the water current and busted out the wall of the shop. Tools and equipment were scattered all over the property and ruined.

I got a chance to chat with the Pastor (Bryan Chestnut) this afternoon. He was explaining that in the 8 counties in northwestern North Carolina, Mountain View Lutheran Church is the only LCMS church. It is almost like a mission church. They have the reverse of us in SCW, they get a surge of associate members during the Summer (people come up from Florida and other areas south to escape the heat). This part of the state has a much higher poverty level, so they have several programs that work with the kids in the area.

It is rather unique that there are several other LCMS churches all across North Carolina (Hickory, Conover, Durham, etc.) that help support the camp. They have their names on the cabins that they sponsor, and there is a brass plaque with their names under the windows in the sanctuary. A much larger community!

So, I’m sure people wonder what I have been doing. Anything and everything! Hanging curtains, pressure washing, spreading grass seed, fertilizer & hay to protect the seed, replacing a power cord on an oven, hanging a barn door for the bathroom in the Dean’s quarters, repairing drywall, exterior caulking around windows, installing grab bars for ADA cabins, whatever needs to be done! Their goal is to be able to open camp and get back into their sanctuary next weekend (less than 8 months after Hurricane Helene tore through their lives). The next phase will be to move out into the community to assist in the rebuilding.

Thank you for your prayers, and please keep these wonderful people in your prayers, that the church and camp will continue to be a blessing to the community and to all of the children and families that come to camp.

Blessings Y’all!
Cathy