Before I dive into this reflection on Hurricane Helene and the impact it’s had not only on the camp community but also on the Western North Carolina community at large, I’d like to thank all of you who have been praying for us, reaching out after the storm, and especially those who have sacrificed their time or money to help provide relief to the communities here. The outpouring of love and support has truly been a blessing to behold and a great reminder that this community is what defines camp and makes it so special.

I also want to shout out the year-round team here at Timberlake and Merri-Mac. Before cell service was restored, before relief arrived from out of state, and before they even knew where they would get food or water for themselves, they were coordinating cleanups, working with local businesses to locate supplies and resources, figuring out how to get supplies to those in need, and literally bridging divides to get others to safety. The ways they immediately immersed themselves in community relief provide a powerful example of what it means to be a servant leader. I am so blessed and so grateful to be part of a team like that.

So, about the storm. We (my wife, Caroline, and I) sat in the Big House early that morning and watched the storm grow stronger by the minute. Eventually, when trees started falling every two to three minutes, we retreated to the basement and spent the rest of the morning listening to the storm. We re-emerged early that afternoon to a scene can only be described as the most massive, giant-sized game of pick-up sticks you can imagine. The rest of the weekend was spent hunkered down at Timberlake, sending text after text in the hope that at least one would go through. Communication was virtually non-existent. Those of us who live at camp weren’t able to drive to Black Mountain, where the rest of the year-round team lives, or contact them in any way. Those few days were challenging, and there were times I was honestly scared. But I soon realized that our experience paled in comparison to the challenges many others were facing. We were worried about getting more water, contacting with family, finding flashlights, and planning how to leave town, while others were dealing with circumstances I couldn’t have imagined.

As I mentioned, text messages getting through were few and far between, so it was a few days before we got the relieving news that all our camp folks were safe and sound. Once we knew our people were okay, the next question was, “How is the property?” Thankfully, both Timberlake and Merri-Mac avoided severe flooding and will be shipshape for next summer! The main extent of damage at Timberlake was fallen trees. John counted 155 trees down in total (we’re good on campfire wood for a few years!). Thankfully, all the cabins and buildings survived, with only minor damage to Further Up and Tiger Tooth—nothing that requires rebuilding or major renovation. The Big House was surrounded by fallen trees, and one did hit the garage/porch, but God’s protection was over us. Thankfully, the renovation plans that had been in place prior to the storm just needed a little tweaking to include storm repairs.

I don’t think 24 hours went by before Andrew busted out his chainsaw and got to work around camp. Thanks to his monumental efforts and a heroic crew of arborists, camp was cleaned up in time for Caleb and Maddie to proceed with the festivities and have an absolutely beautiful wedding in the chapel just two weeks after the storm. Congratulations to the Owens! As far as camp goes, we’re full speed ahead for next summer. We’re making great progress piecing together an elite team of counselors, planning out the latest addition to our daily activities, laying thousands of feet of fresh Kentucky bluegrass sod, and, as usual, plan on bringing you the best summer yet in 2025. See you next summer!

Many in the area now have power restored, and clean water is beginning to make its way through the pipes, but there are, and will be for some time, ongoing relief efforts in the area. We’ll continue to provide updates on local relief efforts, cleanup at camp, and preparations for next summer in the coming months, so stay tuned for that!

I’d like to share briefly one of the many little reflections I’ve had in the weeks and months after Hurricane Helene. The older I get, the more I appreciate the lessons God teaches me through challenging circumstances like this (I’m still working on appreciating them sooner rather than later—haha). Others may have had this thought too, but I often get so full of distractions and day-to-day monotony that I think God sometimes uses events like these to shake me up. He’s clearing the distractions out of my cup to give me a chance to refill it with His truth.

In the days and weeks after the storm, after much reflection, my question to God was, “What are you teaching me here?” This is one of those lessons I’m working on.

The relief I felt in the moment after hearing our camp folks were safe was brief once we saw and heard of the devastation in the local communities. To be honest, it took some time for me to realize that I can be, and should be, thankful for God’s will and blessings in my life, even when there are so many around me suffering in such tangible ways. That led me down a path of spiritual chastisement when I realized that I often find it “easier” to be grateful to the Lord not because of a lack of suffering but because the people I see suffering day to day are often far away, on the other side of a screen, or don’t interfere with my everyday life.

So there I was, realizing that I either ignore suffering when it doesn’t affect me or let suffering that does affect me distract me from what God is calling me to in that moment. What I have learned (or am in the process of learning) through all of this is that I should approach gratitude differently. I should reflect on how God’s blessings to me are more about Him entrusting me with gifts to use to spread His gospel and His love and less about me feeling rewarded for something I have done. Not that God doesn’t sometimes bless us for being faithful, but I needed the reminder that a lot of the time He blesses me with opportunities to do His will, and it’s up to me to make the most of those opportunities. He is our protector, and we are called not to question His will but to trust in His will through any circumstance and give thanks that in these challenges He is working in and through us.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” —James 1:2-4

I’ll save the rest of my lessons learned for next summer when it’s “time for another…..!” Thank you again to everyone for your prayers, texts, calls, and support. It’s been a challenging adventure here this fall, but it has been so encouraging to see everyone come together and experience the Gospel through it all.

Winston Horn

Assistant Director, Camp Timberlake