STATESBORO, GA (WDHN) — An unlikely reunion occurred in eastern Georgia when a lineman crew from the Wiregrass made a chance stop at a church to help with Hurricane Helene disaster relief.
Steven Baxely, a lineman for Pea River Electric, met his cousin, Jeff Parmer, the associational missionary of Ogeechee River Baptist Association in Statesboro, Georgia, after 40 years of separation.
“You know, the whole aspect of that day was ‘moments.’ There were several moments before that I believe were God-ordained moments,” Parmer told WDHN.
“I never thought I’d meet some of my kinfolk while out on a storm, but you never know how things work out,” said Baxley.
Baxley ran into his cousin Parmer at Agape Church in Metter, Georgia, where a large downed tree from the hurricane was in the front yard.
The crew was originally down the road helping the coop restore power in the area, but they saw the church crew struggling to clean up the tree, which would have taken them at least two days of manpower. So, the Pea River foreman asked if they needed machinery to help take care of the tree.