Back to Black Mountain: Part 2

So, where I left off, everyone was trying to figure out how to help my ankle.

Eventually, it was decided that a Squad Leader from L Squad would take Abeni (my buddy) and I to Urgent Care, while the rest of K Squad went to Black Mountain as planned (well, it took about an hour to figure out what we were going to do, so they were an hour behind schedule, but other than that, nothing changed).

The person taking me was named Sadie, and she’d been on Kait’s original Squad and had Squad led with Alyssa a different time. She was great at reacting to my injury the way that was most helpful for me, meaning not making a big deal out of it.

I still wasn’t in pain, and I wasn’t even upset about the injury, because God’s plan is good, and there’s nothing I could do to ruin His plan. Therefore, nothing that can happen to me is bad.

We drove to Urgent Care, where we had a short wait before getting in to the doctor. He gently probed different areas of my foot, ankle, and calf (only one spot hurt), then had we get an X Ray. While I was getting the X Ray, I got to tell the radiologist what God has been doing while I’ve been out of country!

After another short wait, the doctor came back and recommended I get my foot wrapped and use crutches. He never said whether it was sprained or twisted, but I did research later that leads me to believe it is a Grade 2, maybe Grade 3, sprain. He did say it was not broken or fractured though, so many people were praising God about that.

We picked up pain killers, then picked up the rest of L Squad and began the drive to Black Mountain, North Carolina, to our base (since the last place we stayed wasn’t exactly an option).

After the 3 hour drive, we arrived and I sat down for a bit on the bottom bunk my Squad had saved for me (they’re so considerate!). Then came time for everyone still on base to go to the site of the landslide. K Squad had gone a few hours earlier so they could process without anyone witnessing.

Obviously, I wasn’t able to go with them, but I did head down with the rest of the Squads once we could. The drive down was a trip down memory lane. Passing by the prison where we’d seen God throw gates wide, the thrift store we served at then were blessed by, the gym that had provided a safe place where we’d had none, and finally, the place where God had delivered us as the waters tried to sweep us away.

Seeing it all again, completely dry yet still devastated, with trees and rocks and mud and damage everywhere, sent a thrill of joy through me, strangely enough. It looked so much worse than I’d thought, yet I knew it had looked worse still while we were in it, and that made the magnitude of what God had saved us from so much greater!

Most of K Squad was still here, but Abeni and I mostly ignored them as we ventured through the ruins of the building we’d been inside when the landslide hit. We made our way up to the parking lot we’d waited in for 2 hours, then to the cabins where we should have been (and thankfully weren’t)

In the cabins, we found some of our things still there, perfectly preserved! 8 months, 1 landslide, and a couple bears later, and some stuff was still as good as new! The ways God chooses to reveal Himself are truly beyond my understanding!

When we were finished exploring, we rejoined the rest of the Squads, who were worshiping in the place the enemy meant for evil, but God turned for good. He has used this to bring people and communities together, and the impact is going far beyond K Squad!

As we sang “You Saved Me”, I looked around and felt just how true that statement was. He saved me, and now I will never leave His love!