Graham joins western North Carolina residents celebrating the rebuilt crossing in Watauga County.
As Steve and Sharon Breitenstein watched the Watauga River rise in front of their home, higher than they’d seen in their time there, one thing was on their minds: Would the bridge hold?
Graham helps cut the ribbon during a special time of dedication.
It had served as the only vehicle access on and off the property since Steve’s father built it in 1966. It was shared by over a dozen households and one local business, and it had sustained multiple floods through the years.
But it was no match for the torrent of water and debris rushing through neighborhoods and communities as Hurricane Helene swept across western North Carolina.
“We didn’t believe the storm would be bad, but by Friday morning, it was total devastation,” Sharon said, recalling how the bridge was swept away in the current.
Samaritan’s Purse staff and local residents join to celebrate the new bridge.
After working with other residents several times to replace the bridge, the Breitensteins received a phone call from U.S. Rebuilds at Samaritan’s Purse that brought Sharon to tears. We offered to help provide the community with a brand-new bridge.
“I could do nothing but sob at the news that Samaritan’s Purse agreed to help,” Sharon said. “As soon as I knew they were going to help us, there was such a relief.”
On April 13, the Breitenstein family and their neighbors gathered with Samaritan’s Purse COO Edward Graham and rebuild staff to celebrate and dedicate the completed structure.
“God entrusted us with this money and with these resources to be able to put you and this community back into living safely,” Graham said.
Today the Breitensteins and neighbors praise God for a reliable bridge, replacing the decades-old bridge wiped out by Hurricane Helene.
The family received a Billy Graham Training Center Bible signed on the inside cover by the Samaritan’s Purse team involved in the project. They were also given an invoice stamped with “PAID IN FULL” in large red letters, serving as a reminder that the bridge is a free gift, just like salvation in Jesus Christ.
God Made a Way
After meeting the initial needs of families impacted by the hurricane, Samaritan’s Purse transitioned to a long-term rebuilding phase to restore critical access points such as bridges and driveway culverts.
“We have never seen access damage like this,” said Brent Graybeal, driveway, culvert, and bridge program manager at Samaritan’s Purse. “When a bridge is destroyed, homeowners are essentially stranded.”
For weeks following the storm, the Breitensteins and their neighbors had to travel on foot when they needed to get to work or drop their children off at school.
“Without the bridge, our only way out was through a path in the woods,” Sharon said. “It’s wide enough for a four-wheeler, but the mud gets so bad that the four-wheeler is unsafe. So, we did a lot of walking.”
Ilya Wang, a neighbor of the Breitensteins, remembers the days following the storm when she would have to take the long, treacherous path.
Cissie Graham Lynch presents the family with a special Billy Graham Training Center Bible on behalf of the Samaritan’s Purse team.
“I’m in grad school, and so I am in and out of here every single day,” she said. “There were days in the winter that I would hike out in 14 degrees.”
While Steve and Sharon worked tirelessly to find a way to rebuild the bridge, another neighbor installed a temporary land bridge.
“In the midst of the year-long process of trying to get funding and trying to figure out how to survive the storm, we were already out of the news,” Sharon said. “And the land bridge washed out 11 times.”
Despite the trials she faced, Sharon knew God had a plan for her community.
“Our faith was only strengthened,” Sharon said. “I just believed that God would find a way.”
Built for Generations
Since Hurricane Helene, Samaritan’s Purse has provided 68 brand-new bridges and completed 200 culvert projects for families affected by the storm.
Three generations of Breitensteins now enjoy the new bridge.
“God gives us His very best in His Son, and so we want to give the very best back to His people,” Edward Graham said. “So, when we build a bridge or home, we want to make sure it is reliable.”
Eric Breitenstein, Steve and Sharon’s son, lives next door to his parents and is excited to use the bridge for years to come.
“This bridge was built to last,” he said. “I have the peace of mind that we’re going to be able to pass it down to our kids and grandkids, and they’re going to have the ability to drive across that exact same bridge.”
Please be in prayer for this community as they continue to recover from Hurricane Helene, and for our teams who are meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of hurting homeowners in Jesus’ Name.
