This week we spent our time serving Excel College, Black Mountain homes for children, and a few more ministries! We got to stay in two Black Mountain cabins for the week which was a huge blessing!
Tuesday our first ministry day, two girls were chosen to go help with the homeschooling. My friend and I got to go so I was so excited! This was such a fun day full of playing with kids, teaching by example, and loving them with God’s love. It was such a fun fruitful day! Wednesday I was placed in a garden all day to clean it up and get it back functioning. It was supposed to be pouring all day but God held the rain off and gave us perfect overcast weather! We worked the whole day, the garden turned out beautiful, and they were so happy! Thursday it was raining lots so we got placed to work in a thrift store that was owned by the Black Mountain Homes for children. It was a fun day! I had a tag gun and put tags on clothes all day haha! We helped them get a lot sorted and done this day.
Now onto Friday…I know people are waiting to hear about this so here’s what happened: We were supposed to go serve again just like the day before, but it was pouring so we were going to have a later start. we were supposed to be at breakfast at 9ish on the porch of one of our cabins (keep that time and place in mind). We were woken up by a man around 7 saying we needed to evacuate fast up to the big building that was safer and on higher ground. It had been raining all day and all night and still pouring in the morning. We got there around 8. We ate breakfast and played piano for about an hour. All was calm! Here’s a sweet pic of my teammates listening to me play piano minutes before the disaster:
once we got settled in we were laying on the ground but the water made it up to the doors. We were just laying down and chilling when a guy on my squad yelled that we had to go now so everyone ran for their lives around 9:10ish (the time we were supposed to be eating breakfast on the porch of the cabin that was destroyed..God saved us!!! As we were laying on the ground there was a mudslide that made a huge tree fell and smashed the part of the building we were in. The building came down hard and fast as we were in it. Immediately knee high mud water full of trees and debris came through and knocked a lot of us down. We made it out of the building without our belongings and shoes. We had no clue where to go. At this moment, I thought I was going to die because there was nowhere safe to go. We saw some concrete that we made it to after trekking through high water and thick mud that smelled like sewer and gas. We called 911, but no one tried to help us. We stood there for about 2 hours with no way out in the pouring rain and wind we were freezing but alive, praise God. People were praying and crying and some people were freaking out really bad. I had a lot of adrenaline so I didn’t really cry until I heard my dad and Jose. I called them to tell them I was safe and what was going on, but I don’t remember anything I said. I was trying my best to comfort people who were freaking out and praying. We stood in a huddle on this concrete. Wind would start to blow and trees would crack and we thought they were going to fall on us so we ran and tried to dodge them. Through all of this, I had a God given peace. Whattt? God gave me this peace so that I could comfort others and be strong for others.
Eventually, men came and said they could rescue us and take us to a school. To get there we had to go in pairs of two and hold on to a rope as we walked through the flooding up to our hips. I fell in really deep sewer/mud and couldn’t get up because it was hard to see but eventually we got through it safe while being absolutely caked in mud. When I got to the van and they drove us to the school is when it really hit me that I almost died. The things that got saved (only because someone grabbed my bag) are my passport, license, phone, my stuffed animal I sleep with every night and laptop. My Bible and journal are the things I miss the most but I’m pretty positive they got destroyed. My Bible that a gift from my Mama Pat in 2017 is one of my favorite things to exist. I love that Bible so much because it has my battles written in it and everything written in it. It’s something that is so special to me but Gods word lives forever I can get a new one. We made it to the school where they gave us coffee and clothes from a thrift store they own. I was just overwhelmed with so many emotions and really in shock. I was walking around the halls freezing and saw a baby in a window so I went in there and it was sleeping so I asked if I could hold it. I got to hold it for over an hour maybe two hours and it warmed me up and calmed me down so much. It’s 3pm now and we haven’t had service since this morning but we are inside and safe so I am so thankful. The people of this orphanage has provided us food, shelter, love, and clothes. So we settled down for the night around 8 because everyone was so exhausted, and then we were told we had to evacuate again because of a gas leak. Our vans were stuck at the cabins we were staying at so we didn’t have a way to get anywhere. A few people from GA were helping us find somewhere to go and they found a man who owned a hotel and he said we could stay in the conference room for free. Some Christians who came to NC for a conference that got canceled overheard and offered us to use their cars to get everyone here. Wow thank you God. All of the roads were closed and blocked off so there was no way to get in and out. But God made a way! There was a women’s prison and the gates just opened! they were not supposed to, but God. Praise opens prison doors literally! We all made it to the hotel in a couple of trips back and forth and were In for the night. Everyone was still uneasy and some stayed awake the whole night. I stayed awake looking at pictures of my family, Jose, and friends for a long while reminiscing on memories and thanking God for them.
I finally fell asleep and woke up to Alyssa saying “hey Clara wake up your dad is here” and I sprung up and said WHAT I couldn’t believe it. I stood up and ran around the corner and there he was! Hugging him was the most amazing feeling. I can’t explain. I felt safe for the first time in a while. I have the best dad to ever exist and I am so thankful! Less than 24 hours before I didn’t think I would see them again so I was elated! I didn’t even know he was coming!
Mr. Will Cummins and my dad left Dayton TN at 10pm and found a way through destroyed roads, complete darkness, no service, and so many more things that could hold them back, but God. They found our hotel in complete darkness with no direction at 545ish in the morning. After driving all night, they came ready to serve and get us out of there. With no sleep they selflessly loaded us all up and drove us all the way back to GA and shortly after they drove back to Dayton…again with no sleep! My Bible was something super important to me that I cherished so much but unfortunately it got destroyed. Mr. Will felt like he should give his to me and whewwww. That is so beautiful and special to me. This is one of the best gifts I have received. Thank you Jesus and thank you for Mr. Wills willing spirit.
Wow. Jehova Jireh, my provider! The Lord comes through every. single. time. Thank you Jesus for sparing our lives! Now we can relate to more people and love them with our understanding of what they have been through. It is still fresh but God is my healer and I am confident He is healing me mentally, emotionally, and physically from this. Even though I lost almost everything I brought, I am not lacking a thing. The Lord provides.
Most of us will be leaving for Guatemala on Sunday night! We made it back to the camp and they are putting us inside to sleep..Praise God! He is so good to me😭❤️God has been so so good to us even before this all happened, but man isn’t He amazing. thank you for all of your prayers. I am so thankful for every prayer and thought. please continue to pray for my team and I as we heal from this. I love you all! -this was written on September 29th
update! -October 1st
MY BIBLE WAS FOUND! It came back perfect not even wet!!! Wow God is so good! It’s never ending blessings I’m so thankful! I am so thankful for Adventures in Missions as they have fundraised for us and the community. we were able to get almost every thing we needed through them. What a huge blessing! My church has been so supportive and prayed over me all of the time. my family, church family, and people have called and texted me every hour just loving me so so much. Thank you so much for your prayers and your love I feel it from all the way over here! Thank you so so so much!
