• Stephanie Chastain

Strength in the Storm: Wendy's Mission of Hope and Healing

Barnardville, NC - Wendy met the love of her life, Bo, at a Salvation Army camp when she was just a teenager. Thirty years later, they finally reconnected and began building their lives together. As newlyweds, they felt called to a life of service, and they soon enrolled in the Evangeline Booth College to become officers with The Salvation Army.

After more than a decade of faithful service, Bo was suddenly promoted to glory just over a year ago. Though the loss was devastating for Wendy, it did not shake her resolve to continue the ministry they had committed to together. So, when she was asked to serve on the disaster team in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, she didn’t hesitate to answer the call.

Wendy was assigned to Barnardsville, a small mountain community hit hard by landslides and flooding. She provided meals and emotional and spiritual care to a community grappling with the same sense of sudden loss she had once experienced. “You could see it on their faces—the look of ‘What just happened?’ ‘What am I going to do now?’” Wendy recognized that she was exactly where God intended her to be.

In a town known for its independence and stand-offish nature, Wendy made it her mission to learn every name, listen to every story, and connect with every person. Her dedication was rewarded as the community opened its arms and embraced her as one of their own. Locals would stop their cars to chat with Wendy, give her a hug, or share an update.

“These people have become my family. I’m coming back here one day,” Wendy says with a smile. “I’ll put on my uniform and go to church with them. I’m going to come back to see how they’re rebuilding.”

As the town of Barnardsville walks the long road toward recovery, Wendy has seen a renewed sense of hope. “I can see the resolve in their eyes now,” she says. Together, Wendy and her newfound family are moving forward—healing not only in Christ but also in the deep bond they have built through resilience and restoration. 

2 Corinthians 1:4 "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."