Well it's been a hot minute since I've written a blog and I honestly wasn't sure I would really write this one. Over the last few weeks and especially days I've found myself reflecting a lot on what was happening a year ago and the Lords faithfulness in it all! I've been reminded over and over again of my blessings and how truly thankful I am to even be standing here, alive today!
I've debated whether or not to write this for a while simply because I didn't want to make a big deal or keep bringing up old things over and over again. However, the more I thought about it, the more I've realized how much of a God thing it is that I made it past my 19th birthday and how important it is to testify to who He is. I realized how important it is to praise Him for His Faithfulness and to share that with others. If you're not sure what I'm talking about here, I'm referring to September 27, 2024, one year ago today that my squad and I survived a landslide caused by Hurricane Helen. At first I thought I might just reshare my previous blog post about that day but I've realized how many more important parts and details there are to add, so here's the full story of what happened on that day and how powerful and in control my God truly is!
To start at the very beginning I'd actually have to start about a week before the actual accident when the Lord showed my squad a beautiful and complete double rainbow! This was the first of many rainbows we would see in the sky all throughout the week. Each and every one of them was His promise to us that though the storm was coming He would pull us through and protect us through it. He was preparing us even before we knew what was coming, reminding us of His steadfastness!
We were supposed to have the day off, a day of rest before going back to the base in Georgia. Now while we slept in North Carolina, one of the guys on Adventures Disaster Relief Team in Georgia had been woken up with the words "get ready to go" and instead of going back to sleep he sought the Lord for clarity on what that meant and got ready for whatever that meant.
Back in North Carolina one of our hosts woke up early and felt like he needed to move us from our cabins. He hesitated because he wanted us to be able to sleep in but he just couldn't shake the heaviness and feeling that we needed to be moved. So, around 8 in the morning he came knocking on our cabins and asked us to please move up to the dining hall where we'd be safer from falling trees. Along with moving us out leaders also moved the vans from next to the cabins up to a concrete parking lot on the other side of the camp.
We got dressed, grabbed a couple of things, and ran through the pouring rain to the dining hall. Once there we ate some cereal for breakfast and waited. The back patio, deck, and right side of the building (where the bathrooms were) began to flood and our leaders made the call that no one was allowed over there anymore. We had a short meeting and were told to continue waiting till further instructions were given and then prayed together as a group. Within minutes of our meeting ending one of my squad mates began yelling from the window for everyone to "run". In the chaos that followed all 36 of us managed to get out of the building just before the whole right side was taken out by the wave of earth, water, trees, and another cabin headed toward it. Along with the dining hall one of the cabins we had been in less than an hour before had been completely taken out and the other one was filled with water and mud. If we had remained in those buildings we would have been completely trapped in if alive at all. 
With nowhere to go we ran through mud and water and made it onto the concrete parking lot where the vans had been moved. We were rushed in and out of the vans multiple times trying to figure out what to do while our leaders called 911 without making it through. Somehow our ministry host made it up to us, gathered us together, told us that he and two other men were working on a way to get us out, and prayed with us.
We waited up there in the pouring rain and the wind for what felt like forever (somewhere around 2 hours) completely trapped in. We shook, cried, and tried to call our families. We huddled together speaking words of encouragement and then we began to sing and worship the one who was in control the whole time, "Rain came, wind blew but my house was built on you. I'm safe with you, I'm gonna make it through". We found the joy in the chaos being reminded of His faithfulness and even began to laugh as we focused on the one who was holding it all.
Our host came back with a plan to get us across the newly formed river that was blocking us off from getting out. He had two friends with him, one of them a survival ropes expert, who had set up a rope for us to use. We paired up and crossed the river two by two helping each other as we went. Now to give you an idea of how fast this water was going a lost phone had been tracked 3 miles away within 5 minutes of getting swept up. To add on to that almost every single one of us was barefoot walking thought water filled with broken tress, rocks, glass, and other debris from the buildings. During this time the guys on our squad really stepped it up and helped us all to get across safely.
Once on the other side of the river they had a small bus ready to take us over to the community building we had spent the week deep cleaning. As we arrived there, soaked in water and covered from head to toe in mud we found that several ladies had come in with food from the coffee shop and dry clothing from their thrift store for us. We were able to kind of rinse the mud off, put on dry clothing, and get in touch with our families. They gave us all the blankets and pillows they could find and stayed to speak comfort and peace over us. We stayed here for several hours waiting for what was next. We laughed, cried, watched movies, ate food, and tried to rest. During this time we were informed that a team of people from Adventures was on its way to come help us.
Yes, the very man who God had woken up earlier that morning and prepared to get ready to go was now leading a team through all kinds of storms and closed roads to get to us. These people wasted no time, they heard the call and they immediately responded, even at risk to their own lives. It took them hours and many different roads and routes but eventually they made it just outside of where we were. All of the roads leading to us were completely washed out except one that led straight through a women's prison, by a miracle all the prison gates were open and they were able to drive straight through to us.
Once they got to us, they began looking for a safer place to move us to because of danger from a nearby gas leak. Through the night that was quickly closing in they saw the little light of a hotel shining through the trees and the darkness around it. They went to the hotel and asked the manager if they had any room they could put us in. At first the manager said they were already overflowing with other people who had fled but after hearing our story he hunted down a conference room to put us in. Now the issue became how to transport us from one place to another. Several people had over heard them talking about our story and immediately offered to help drive us. These people who had just escaped with nothing but their lives and the things in their trucks, immediately began emptying them in the parking lot to make room for us. They drove us through some really sketchy washed out roads and open prison gates till finally we arrived at the hotel.
Even at the hotel complete strangers who had lots everything offered so much kindness to us! They took even the shoes off their very feet so we could walk into the flooded bathrooms. In the morning they gave us plenty of food to eat while we waited for what was next. We had all lost service throughout the night but all the way in Tennessee one of the girls dads had grabbed a friend with a small bus and began driving through the night to us. A usual 4 hour drive took over 8 as he searched for roads that were still open. The only thing that he knew before we lost service was that we were at a random Holiday Inn somewhere, yet somehow he managed to find where we were. By that evening we had returned safely to the base in Georgia where they had even more supplies and clothes for us. That night we gathered together again and worshipped the one who had brought us through so much!
God's hand was with us from the very beginning! The fact that all 36 of us made it out alive with nothing more than a sprained ankle is crazy! Even more than that the fact that we had gotten completely out and back to Georgia within 40 hours is insane. Over and over again they told us we'd be stuck and trapped for days or weeks but God pulled through! More than that He also provided more than $30,000 to help replace all of our belongings and supplies that had been lost. With everything replaces we were able to stay on track and leave for the field just one week later!
Over and over again He provided and protected, His hand over every little detail! Like Noah He promised protection with a rainbow! Like Mary and Joseph he provided an inn to stay in! Like the disciples we crossed the river two by two helping one another! Nothing not even prison gates could stop Him from protecting us! He used so many people and so many little things to protect and provide!
So as I look back on all that has happened in the last year I'm just thankful for all He let me be apart of, all the ways He used me! I'm thankful for another birthday, for another year that I got to know the Lord that much deeper! I'm thankful that even in the chaos of life and the literal storms that it brings I can look to Him and worship knowing He's got it all! I'm thankful that He saved my life in that moment but I'm even more thankful for the cross that saved my life first! For the new life I have in Him!
If you've made it this far then thank you for reading! I pray that this has been a reminder of the Lords faithfulness through everything! That no matter the outcome He is in control and He alone will get the glory! Every day is a gift and blessing, take a minute to reflect on His goodness in your own life!
Love,
Emilee
