Sips from the Fountain
Learning to drink from Jesus, the Fountain of Living Water, isn’t as hard as I thought, especially when you just start with sips, and those will change everything.
Sips from the Fountain
What Generosity Looks Like and a Story You Can Join
Join me, Martha Gano, alongside my sister Stacey Goddard and cousin Amber Smith as we uncover the staggering reality faced by communities in the western Piedmont of North Carolina after Hurricane Helene struck. We're offering an unfiltered look at the heartache and resilience of those affected, including personal accounts of survival like Pam's, and the sheer devastation that flooded the Appalachian Mountains. As we discuss the values of generosity and community that have guided our family’s response, you'll learn how these principles can empower anyone to make a meaningful impact in times of crisis.
Amidst the chaos, Generation Church in Swannanoa stands as a testament to the power of community and compassion. Despite their own challenges, the church has become a sanctuary of hope, providing essentials and emotional support to those in need. Volunteers from across the nation have united, proving that anyone can contribute to healing and rebuilding. Listen along as we share poignant stories of enduring strength and invite you to join the ongoing efforts to restore hope—because together, we can weather any storm.
Do you ever feel like life can get too complicated and maybe even overwhelming? Yeah, me too, and it's okay. My name's Martha Gano, and in this podcast we're going to talk about life, love, faith, family relationships, all kinds of things, and we're going to drink from what God wants to pour into us, one small sip at a time, because when it's the fountain of living water, small sips make all the difference. Sometimes it'll be just you and me, sometimes we'll have a friend join us. If we could have lunch together today, this is what I'd want to talk about, okay, well, thank you, guys for joining us on the podcast again today. I am so excited to talk about what we have for you today. This is actually going to be the first of its kind, and I have two very special people here with me in the studio, Some of my very favorites my sister Stacey Goddard and my cousin Amber Smith. So right off the bat, girls, let's just make this clear. No stories from our childhood. Right off the bat, girls, let's just make this clear no stories from our childhood.
Stacey Goddard:Like that Wait a minute.
Martha:No, no, that we'll save that for another time. Okay, Just to make it clear, yeah. So yeah, right now we are actually in the Christmas season, which is such a season. I think it's amazingly appropriate that we are going to talk about our topic today. I think it's amazingly appropriate that we are going to talk about our topic today. In fact, if you checked the last episode, which came out on Giving Tuesday, you learned that, yeah, I'm super passionate about living a life of generosity, and that is not just connected to finance, although it definitely includes it, but really it's more about a posture that we are fully provided for, we're fully cared for, we're fully loved as sons and daughters of the king, so we can move through the earth and move through our lives as ones who bring solution, instead of spending our lives trying to get our own needs met. So today we're going to give you guys a glimpse of what that looks like for us as individuals the three of us but also for us as a family, because we do things together as a family.
Martha:This is not new for our family. I think we were raised right. We were raised with this idea of we're blessed to be a blessing, giving back, taking care of each other, which may actually have something to do with where we're from too, considering what we've seen in recent months. So our family is actually from the western Piedmont of North Carolina, which is the Piedmont, the flat farmland right at the base of the mountains of western North Carolina where Amber still lives. We actually hung out two nights ago. I got to be a part of it. We did Just saying, just saying so. Amber still lives there and you guys may have heard that back in September, those mountains were hit with Hurricane Helene.
Martha:Speaking for myself, I don't know about you guys who are listening, but I saw some news blips and I saw some posts on social media.
Martha:But even though I'm from there, I really had no idea and didn't connect with what was going on, what had happened there and what is actually continuing to happen, because it may actually be worse right now than it was even at the very beginning, because the winter is settling in and things haven't changed.
Martha:We'll talk more about it, but I didn't connect with that really until, amber, you brought it to our attention and then we actually got involved. So we're going to talk about that today and I'm telling you guys, you want to hear this. You're going to hear some unbelievable stories, some of which are mind blowing in their tragic nature, and some which will show you the power of human connection and community like you've never heard before. So hang on until the very end, because not only are you going to hear some amazing stories, you actually are going to hear how you could join us, the three of us, and be a part of this story with us, which is why we're on this podcast today. So, amber, what if we just start with what happened here? I think we've all heard a little bit about it, but tell us what happened with Hurricane Helene in the Appalachian Mountains.
Blue Amber Smith:Okay. So on September 26, hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, and that hurricane made a straight pathway to North Carolina mountains where, three days before, it had already been raining for those entire three days and in that amount of time it had dumped 40 trillion gallons of rain. That's enough to fill 60 million Olympic swimming pools Wow, there is less than 0.1% chance dams and caused a tsunami of water houses, trees, cars, boulders and more down that mountain and then everywhere. The Suwannee River, which runs from east to west, from Black Mountain to Asheville, reached historic levels the next day, and when I say historic, it peaked at 27 feet by that afternoon, according to the US Geological Survey, and then, four days earlier, it was flowing at only 1.44 feet.
Martha:Wow, so you got a river.
Blue Amber Smith:that normal level is one and a half feet and it peaks at 27 feet, 27 feet Unbelievable the stories of the just intense wall of water that rose so quickly. It lifted whole houses, it washed out bridge after bridge after bridge, it broke through lakes that are not even there anymore and, unfortunately, it took a lot of life along with it. So, in hours, this picturesque mountain that we live in, that we vacation in, that we thrive in, it's completely gone. In fact, the geography of the mountains has changed in such a way that it looks more like a war zone than a place to go watch the leaves change and where you can go up and watch the local artists around this area display their work. People not only lost their houses, they lost the land that it was sitting on, and the incredible thing was that no one had any warning. They were just in their homes watching the water out the window and in moments that water was in their home and then was washing it away.
Martha:There was one thing that was spoke to. Oh, I'm sorry, I was going to say it was like 20 minutes. In 20 minutes, yes, 20 minutes. All of a sudden it was a wall of water and everything it picked up on the way coming down yes, okay, and it came in with such force that it washed out everything in its path.
Blue Amber Smith:There was, uh, one family that we spoke to that had two fishing lakes side by side and we walked it and saw firsthand how the river that fed into these lakes breached both ends and took not only the campers and the homes and the vehicles and the fish, but it took the entire lakes as well. And the lakes are gone and the owners of that property. They lost 11 members of their family that day. Wow, I walked through Chimney Rock and I drove on the Miners Road when it first opened and I've spoken with Search and Rescue and with an older lady who watched the side of the mountain come down with 11 houses on it. When I say the mountains and the people went through a catastrophe, there is no other word I can use than historic devastation.
Martha:And Amber. You've documented a lot of this. Amber's an incredible photographer and if you want to see some of the images that she's captured, you want to throw your handles out for everyone.
Blue Amber Smith:Yes, you go to Blue Amber Photo on Instagram.
Martha:Okay, awesome, and you can see some of these very situations that she's talking about, because you've been photographing it as a part of this journey, right, yeah?
Blue Amber Smith:Yes, and then giving these photos to the church that we're about to talk to so that they can use it to help bring in donations?
Martha:Yeah, Okay, so you know that's what happened. Stacey, you actually are the one who heard about this from Amber and started taking action on what you heard. You want to tell us how that all started.
Stacey Goddard:Yeah, so similar to you. Heard about it on the news. It was such a shock because that storm was actually supposed to come. The path was right to us.
Martha:And in the night it shifted.
Stacey Goddard:So it just kept hitting me that that could have been us. That could have been us. Like we were literally in the path and we had no clue that it was going to be like that. So I was just putting myself in these people's shoes and thinking, oh my goodness, what are they going to do? And I just couldn't shake the burden. I just couldn't stop thinking about them.
Stacey Goddard:And so we decided as a family to drive up over fall break to where Amber lives and her dad, my uncle Alan, ended up being the catalyst to find where we could serve, because sometimes you hear about things online, you see things and you just don't know if they're legit or if you're giving somewhere where it's really going to go to the people. And I know there's so many authentic, amazing organizations out there, but you just really want to know. And so when we got up there, we didn't really know where we were going to go. Uncle Alan said listen, I think I know where you need to go. I'm friends with this pastor, sam Fine, at Generation Church over in Swannanoa. He's doing it, he's doing it.
Stacey Goddard:And so we went over there. Amber's going to give you more description of what they do and who they are in just a minute. But they just really are doing it, they really are serving, they really are being the hands and feet of Jesus, and they're just they're it. You just watch them in disbelief of how they've poured out what they've been doing. They've just basically become a Walmart and a restaurant for their whole community.
Stacey Goddard:A free one, a free one, a free one in their parking lot, yeah, and so it has been such a joy to be able to go, and they basically just give you a piece of tape and a Sharpie Go ahead.
Martha:I was going to say you know, Stacey, explain why that's important. You know, Amber, like described the devastation, but connect the dots for us to like what's going on. Where are the people right now? What's happened? We know that actually, so many people lost their lives. They've continued to find bodies well past when the news has been reporting it.
Martha:People are continue to be missing. Been reporting it. People continue to be missing. For those who did survive it, what does life look like and why is the service like this that Generation Church is providing? Why is this so important?
Stacey Goddard:Yeah, Well, the issue is that people have lost their homes, they've lost their belongings, they've lost their jobs. I've heard so many stories about people who lost their businesses, their business truck, their business vehicle, their tools, their stock, their everything. And so, even though things are starting to open up around, there's power now for a lot of people still not for some but water now. People don't have income. They don't have income to go to exits up to Ingalls and buy their groceries, they don't have jobs. And so, um, many people told me as well that their insurance agents had said you know, you don't need flood insurance. This is the mountains which, no blame on them, you know, right, yeah, so people don't have insurance either for this situation. So, um, so what? What this church has been doing is just supplying those basic needs for people the food, the water, the mattresses, the sleeping bags, the heaters, the generators, the you know, you just see everything going out from that parking lot and tents. By the way people are, we've seen them.
Stacey Goddard:Amber we've seen them in their yards, have we not?
Blue Amber Smith:Yes, we have seen them in their yards.
Stacey Goddard:One sweet lady. I'll call her Pam. She told me a story about. She told me minute by minute what happened with her, and she did. She said I went down to the creek and it was a river and it was ankle deep. 20 minutes later they were fleeing their home and there were elderly people who were stuck and she and her son went back and rescued them and she stood there crying, telling me she'd lost her computer, she'd lost her job, she didn't know where she was going to live. Also, I noticed that she had on somewhat of a nicer outfit and she said you know, I was standing in line for gas the other day and somebody looked me up and down and said you don't really look like somebody that needs help. And she said it just broke my heart and made me feel really weird. I never thought I would be in this situation before. But she said I didn't have the heart to tell the guy that this was the only outfit that survived the flood.
Stacey Goddard:It was in the top of the closet.
Martha:I never wear this Because it was fancy, because it was fancy.
Stacey Goddard:Yeah, and she told me that her house was the last house in her neighborhood to be overtaken by the flood, and her son was. She said my son was just telling me the other day about how he felt like we're so unlucky because it almost missed us. And she said no, son, our house stopped the flood. We stopped it for other people. We are not victims, we are survivors. And our house stopped the flood.
Stacey Goddard:And this lady she was telling me how she's driving up in the mountains helping other people because she figures other people have it worse off than her. And just her attitude and the attitude of all these people up there. They're helping each other. And just her attitude and the attitude of all these people up there. They're helping each other. They're not quitting Even this church. And how they are themselves victims, are turning around and offering a helping hand.
Stacey Goddard:Another, you know people drive through in their cars as well, sometimes to get their supplies. And there was this precious mom I could tell she was just at the end of her rope and her son, about 15 years old, was sitting in the car with her. And I just was like are y'all okay? Is everything okay? Is there anything I can pray for you about and she said well, we just left the ER. She said ever since the flood, something's been wrong with my son and we can't figure it out and they think it was something in the flood, the floodwaters.
Stacey Goddard:So like just so many different things that people are facing from this situation, from this catastrophe, from loss of belongings and homes and everything, to health, to life, and there's so the church sits up on a hill. You can see mountains across the valley and there's these two big mountains off in the distance and you can see these huge landslides. It's like two big long gashes that go down the whole side of the mountain. And I was talking to this one precious lady in her car and she looked over my shoulder and she mentioned to her neighbor that she had brought because her neighbor didn't have a car. So she's helping her neighbor sitting there, looks over my shoulder and is like oh look, I hadn't seen the landslides from this perspective. Look at that. She goes. You know that looks like two big old tears, it looks like the mountains even crying up here, and I just didn't even know what to say. I was like you are right.
Martha:So Amber's going to tell us a little more. You know, we mentioned Generation Church a couple of times and if you can't tell yet, that's a place that we are going to direct you as a place that we've been involved and continue to be involved. So you're going to want to hear about it. But, Stacey, like you know, I'd love to hear a little more about let's talk about, before we talk about, Generation Church. Where are they getting all this stuff? What's happening? It getting all this stuff, what's happening? It's this nationwide movement and I'd love to hear you share about it, Stacey, like the things that they're bringing, what's happening. Just share a little bit about that.
Stacey Goddard:Yeah Well, all I've noticed, my experience is there's trucks that pull in from Wisconsin, there's trucks that pull in from Ohio. When we were there they were saran wrapping with food grade saran wrap people mattresses on top of their car, through the window, and these had come from Texas.
Martha:So it's just, it's not, they're not putting it out there.
Stacey Goddard:Horse trailers, yes, in horse trailers. They bought them in horse trailers. So it's just people with a burden on their heart finding out what is needed and taking it there. It's just people like you and me. It's not government agencies, it's not this, it's not that. It's just people wanting to help other people.
Martha:Which is incredible, which is why we're on this podcast and I don't want to go into this, but I just want to mention there is little to no official aid for these people and even though it happened what 75 days ago? Now it's maybe worse, because it's freezing cold up in those mountains now and they're still living in tents, they're still trying to figure out what they're going to do to rebuild or to you know, I know we talked about this family with the lakes. That was their income and they're at retirement age and everything is gone.
Blue Amber Smith:What are they?
Martha:going to do, and so I'm so grateful that this Generation Church little church of about 100 people, and it's a massive operation, that they're functioning on a weekly basis and they continue to go and go and go. So, amber, I know that it's your dad, our Uncle Alan, that was the connection in. Why don't you tell us a little bit about that at Generation Church? How's it working?
Blue Amber Smith:Okay, so Generation Church, which is located directly off of Interstate 40 east of Asheville, they, you know we're talking about how they've become the central hub that has taken on one of the largest outreach events in the history of the North Carolina Mountains.
Martha:Awesome.
Blue Amber Smith:And how amazing is it that just in their name Generation Church they've found a purpose of preserving the next generation of people that are coming after them? Awesome Since the beginning, they've been distributing not only groceries and water, but also medicines to individuals and to nursing homes. They've also been offering prayer and counseling for people. They also give out hot meals to anyone who needs it. And the crazy thing is, like you said, it's 75 days later and they are still doing it because the need is so great.
Blue Amber Smith:They found people from all over the United States who have dropped off supplies and brought in food trucks with hot meals, and the tractor trailers and the horse trailers that are just loaded down with supplies for not just the people but even their animals. Each day that they serve their community and people drop off the supplies, they come and they give it to people who are lined up in their cars and lined up on the side of the road, who are still, like you said, still sleeping in tents and campers and sheds and in hotels which are running out. But they are this wonderful church. They are giving people daily hope and just a little bit of kindness. They are actually being the church. They're not just consumers of the church. They are living it out and giving volunteers a place to come in and jump in and be the actual boots on the ground to help.
Stacey Goddard:And one thing that I do love about what Amber's talking about, like the volunteer opportunity at Generation Church is that anybody can go and help. You literally just show up at the hours they post on their Instagram page or their website. They give you a piece of tape and a sharpie. You write your name, you put on your shirt and they say would you be willing to help here? And you just jump in and my husband and I have been able to go. We've taken our kids, people from my church have gone, friends have gone.
Stacey Goddard:I have not talked to one person who has not been so grateful and thankful that they got to go be a part of it. They've been pouring out for months and months and they are victims themselves, which is just phenomenal to me and they just give endlessly. Honestly, one of the times we've been up. Not too long ago, my husband and I were walking around the inside of the church, which is also completely full of stuff, with the pastor, sam, and we were just looking around. He was like, isn't this just awesome?
Stacey Goddard:And this is what the church is supposed to look like, but then you also, as a person from the outside, coming in, notice that it's been destroyed. The carpet's completely wrecked, the bathrooms there's broken sinks, there's like they're just making it through and just thinking ahead that wouldn't it be wonderful and beautiful to help this church restore down the road as well? And so I've got that on my heart and I feel like a lot of people who go see the same thing, that they're just really giving sacrificially of their time, their resources and their facilities to this community. So I think it'd be a beautiful thing to help the church as well.
Martha:Well, and I love it, you know, and I think that right now, as it's getting colder, I know that we've actually heard that the need for volunteers is even greater.
Martha:So as we move along. We're going to share a little bit more about how you can volunteer. But, stace, I love that you know that you caught a bug for this seen you catch a bug before for something and it is a. It is a powerful thing and then you, of course, invited your family into it, your kids into it. I love that you're being a solution to where there's a need and you're teaching your kids you're passing on the way we were raised that we are supposed to be a part of the solution and that it's good to sacrifice for other people who are in need. So I love that you are doing that and we are going to share more about how you can potentially go and help in Swannanoa from wherever you are. I know that not everyone is going to be able to become involved at that level, but what I love about what we're going to talk about in terms of options, is that there's actually a way for everyone to be involved. So if you do have a little bit of time, if you have no time or if you have a lot of time, there is a way for you to join us and we're inviting you in to join us, to become a part of this story to become a part of the solution. So the first place we would direct you is the Generation Church website, which is generationavlcom. You're going to see the whole spectrum there, from where you can make donations if you aren't able to go that is a really simple way to be a part to seeing what their current needs for specific items are to where you can sign up for volunteer opportunities. You can also follow their Instagram page, which is generationavl, for more frequent updates on what's happening.
Martha:I can say for myself, I can say for all three of us we donate to them. We donate goods and services and time and money and we will continue to partner with them and to serve and volunteer with them. We trust them, we've been on the ground with them seeing the work that we're doing, and so we can recommend them with that confidence. So obviously you know, being involved if volunteering isn't something that you're able to do, then being involved by donating is pretty straightforward and such a powerful way to help. But let's talk just a little bit more about the volunteering part for those who are interested. So, amber, tell us what does volunteering look like at Generation Church?
Blue Amber Smith:So, first of all, generation Church always needs volunteers. So if someone wants to go volunteer, it's very simple, you just go. It's just that simple. On their website that I'm going to, like Martha just said and I will give you again in a second there is a page on there that is titled Hurricane Relief Hub Schedule. It's listed and they just started these new times. You can go up Wednesdays, thursdays and Saturdays from 12 to 5. If you want to drop off donations, they take those Wednesdays, thursdays and Saturdays from 9 am to 11 30 am only. There's no appointment that you need to make to drop off the supplies. You just go drop them off at those times. But please do note that they cannot accept any used clothing, coats or blankets or bedding, just for safety reasons. So it needs to be new things. But they're accepting them in the mornings, wednesdays, thursdays and Saturdays and then, after you drop it off, then you can stay and help give all of that out.
Stacey Goddard:Yes, and I will say, like the volunteers get there at nine in the morning as well, like that's when things are dropped off, so volunteering is nine to five on the open days.
Martha:Yes, and again referencing the website and the Instagram page, because I do want to say too they have so much going on that what's really helpful is that you donate what they need at that time. So when they get in donations of things that they don't need, it can overwhelm their volunteers. So we just encourage really intentional donations. So if you can't give the items that they need or you're just like me, honestly I'd rather just give them the money to go get what they need when they need it and I'm not trying to keep up Then, yeah, that's good stuff. Were you going to say something else, amber?
Blue Amber Smith:that's good stuff. Were you going to say something else, amber? Uh, yeah, I was just going to say, uh. When Stacy and I were up there last month, we, we, we spoke to this beautiful older lady and she said to us I just hope that they do not forget us when it gets cold. And winter is here, it it, and it's a windy one in the valley of these mountains. They've already had one snowfall, and the time to step in has actually just started.
Stacey Goddard:Right.
Blue Amber Smith:This is going to be an ongoing crisis with this harsh season change and it is just so easy to step in and help in multiple different ways. It is just so easy to step in and help in multiple different ways. So I just encourage people to grab a girls group, your community leader, your family and friends and go do some good work, especially this holiday season, when people really need it. I will say that if you have a family with kids, I would say to try to find someone to watch the little ones. This is a very hands-on project, so you're probably looking at ages 10 and up, but this is such a great safe place to introduce them to giving back and introduce them to being a volunteer.
Martha:Yeah, that's so awesome. And you know, amber, you mentioned like what this ongoing crisis and the truth is, there are stages of disaster relief and there are a lot of other great organizations working there. I know Samaritan's Purse has been there. They're a fabulous organization doing amazing work as well, but we just really wanted to put this out there, build this awareness in our region, in our country, that let's keep our eye on these places. You know, right now it's well, they've gone from search and rescue which we've heard some harrowing stories of the things they found and people that they found which has been a source of the trauma for, wow, yeah, that has been one phase search and rescue, saving lives to now helping people stay alive, and the next phase will be how are we going to help them rebuild, which is started in Chimney you know, in, not Chimney Rock, I just passed right by there today yeah, in.
Blue Amber Smith:Swananoa.
Martha:Swananoa started in those places, no-transcript and let's keep this amazing movement of people coming from all over the country to take care of these people. Let's see them all the way through it to the end of their need and help them reestablish and rebuild their lives as a part of our own journey to generosity. So, amber and Stacey, thank you so much for being on with me.
Stacey Goddard:I always.
Martha:thank you, guys, and you're a gift. You're a gift to the planet, both of y'all, and thanks for spending time with us today.
Stacey Goddard:You're welcome. Thank you for having us, yeah.
Martha:All right, guys. Thanks so much for joining us again. We so appreciate your time. Can't wait to see what comes from this amazing group of people that hear this information on this podcast. We just bless you guys in your own journey of generosity and we'll talk to you soon. All right, thanks guys, bye, hey you guys, thanks for hanging out with us today. I hope you got some refreshment from this sip from the fountain. If you're curious to hear more, or if you like what you've heard, you can go ahead and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen to yours or follow our Instagram account, sips from the Fountain or our Facebook page by the same name. Special thanks for Cover Art Photography to the Sarah D Harper, and I can't wait to hang out with you guys next time. Thanks so much. Love y'all, thank you.