ROAN MOUNTAIN — When Nathan and Emily Purcell moved to Roan Mountain from upstate New York 11 years ago, they were seeking warmer weather and Southern culture. They found both, settling into life with their three children — Jesse, Finley, and Elias — while attending Calvary Baptist Church.
But God had bigger plans for their family.
“I was quite comfortable with three kids. I said, three’s good,” Nathan said with a laugh. “But the Lord had put it on Emily’s heart that we needed to foster. Emily has always had a huge heart for kids, especially kids who were in need of love.”
The turning point came when they heard stories that hit close to home. “We heard about kids in our county sleeping in hospitals and DCS offices,” Emily said. “We couldn’t ignore it anymore.”
In 2023, after completing training and extensive paperwork, the Purcells welcomed two brothers into their home: one-year-old Roy and newborn Si.
“The Lord has given me the sight to see that these children need us,” Nathan explained. “The world is a very dark and dangerous place, and they need spiritual guidance, shelter, and love. That’s what he’s called Emily and me to do.”
When disaster strikes
But just as the family was adjusting to their new reality as a household of seven, Hurricane Helene struck, devastating their community and destroying their home.
“The whole inside was totally destroyed,” Nathan recalled. “It looked like somebody had ransacked the place. Furniture was thrown around the house, and there was mud six to eight inches deep throughout.”
For Emily, the moment of seeing their destroyed home was overwhelming.
“I just remember looking at the house and knowing that we still had a mortgage payment, knowing that we still had five kids depending on us. The house wasn’t livable. What were we going to do?”
With two parents and five children under the age of seven, it would have been easy to feel defeated. Instead, their faith kept them strong while their community rallied around them.
“The first day, everybody in town was driving around in shock,” Emily said. “By the second day, people just started showing up from everywhere. It was amazing.”
Noticing others in need
Pastor Steven Nauman from Hunter First Baptist in Elizabethton learned of the Purcells’ situation through a mutual friend. When his church sent a team to help, Nathan characteristically deflected their assistance to an elderly couple down the street who needed it more.
Nauman reflected on the family’s response: “They’re a testimony to us, a reminder of the work of God in the believer’s life that allows them to go through trials differently.”
Two and a half months later, the Purcells’ home became livable again — though they were still without a washer and dryer, cooking on a little griddle set up on a cardboard box.
“We were doing well with what the Lord gave us for that time,” said Nathan, whom Nauman describes as someone who always has a smile on his face.
Even eight-year-old Jesse echoed his parents’ perspective: “It’s been hard, but it’s also been good because it brought our community closer together by helping other people, like the Bible says.”
He added that what he missed most since Hurricane Helene was having grass in the yard to play in.
Another blessing arrives
By early 2025, life seemed to be returning to normal. Then came a call on a cold January morning — there was a seven-day-old baby at the hospital who needed a home. Her name was Amber.
“At that point, we were so overwhelmed with projects trying to get finished up,” Nathan said, noting they still didn’t have a fully functioning kitchen. “It seemed like, ‘What more do you want from us, Lord?’ ”
“But he brought us to this little baby, and it’s been such a blessing. She has just been the greatest baby,” Emily added.
Jesse summed up their mission simply: “I like that we get to help families that don’t have parents.”
The Purcells, now a family of eight, are working to adopt their three foster children — a process that has tested their patience.
“We’ve just had to wait on the court system,” Emily explained. “We’ve had several terminations of parental rights hearings canceled for snow and other things.”
“It’s been a long process,” Nathan said. “But I feel like this is the calling the Lord has put us in for this time in our lives.
“We have to be faithful to that. We in ourselves are not able to keep motivation, but these children need us.”
Unexpected generosity
Throughout the lengthy process, God has continued to provide in remarkable ways.
Nathan had jokingly mentioned to pastor Nauman that if he knew anyone selling a church van cheap, to let him know because they’d probably need a bus.
In January, shortly after receiving Amber, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB), after hearing of the Purcells’ situation, donated a 15-passenger van to the family.
“It’s such a blessing,” Nathan said. “Just having the room to take all the kids to get groceries or chicken feed — whatever the case is — it’s so much easier.”
Then came an even bigger surprise. Nathan, Emily, and their six children were invited to a TBMB Board of Directors meeting last April.
“We thought we were just going there to give details on the van and provide an update,” Emily said.
Instead, they received an endowment from the Amy Hood Adoption Fund. This endowment, hosted through the Tennessee Baptist Foundation, provides financial grants for families from TBC churches seeking to adopt a child.
Pastor Nauman sees the bigger picture in the Purcells’ story: “It’s Tennessee Baptist churches that God is using to rebuild homes and give hope in the midst of a dark situation. Nathan and his family are seeing the benefit of collaborating churches.”
The generosity they’ve received has inspired the Purcells to give back.
“It makes me want to help other people,” Nathan said. “It makes me want to participate and get involved in reaching out and being a salt and light to people around us. It gives me a lot to be thankful to the Lord for.”
As the Purcells continue their journey of foster care and adoption, their story serves as a testament to faith, community, and the power of opening one’s heart and home to children in need — even when life throws unexpected challenges their way. B&R