Day 13 of the Apocalypse, Ground Zero, Gerton, NC pop. 231

Instead of burying the lead, let me share that my husband Jeff’s recent request for a Starlink was sent by a friend of a friend to Elon Musk’s mother, Maye.

Starlink is advanced satellite technology that delivers high-speed internet and was developed by Elon Musk.

The Starlink looks like a white pizza box with a kickstand. You set it up in an open area outside (ie not under trees). It requires power, but only as much as is needed to power a lamp. Once powered, the pizza box uses its own technology to track satellites in the sky (which are constantly in motion) and jumps between their signals to deliver steady internet. It’s a lightweight miracle connection to the world.

The best part is that when connected to a generator, a Starlink offers great Wi-Fi anywhere in our fire district.

Elon Musk is literally Jeff’s favorite person right now because his Starlink technology is the only thing that has allowed Gerton community members to have contact with the outside world post-hurricane. I’ll keep you posted on how things go with Elon’s mom.

In other news, Jeff and I made a big decision yesterday to draw from our savings and purchase a new Kubota UTV (aka a side-by-side), to help us navigate getting up and down our mountain, and around Gerton.

We did this because we recognize that it could be months before we have power and properly reconstructed roads. All roads from our house to the fire department are now technically driveable, as long as we don’t have heavy rain causing more mudslides, and keep to 5 miles an hour, and there is no electricity shooting through fallen power lines above and below us.

Yesterday we drove Jeff’s truck down our HOA road and the second road (now open) that connects our road to the highway. We both agreed it was a terrifying experience. Mainly I kept my eyes closed and listened to Jeff gasp and curse as he navigated the narrow, treacherous path, with no place to pull over if another car tried to pass by us. The UTV works best for our new reality.

So I’m now going to be a side-by-side driver. Add that to my list of things I never thought I would be or do.

A new-to-us friend, Sean Ryan, saw Jeff’s post about needing help sourcing a UTV. He called around for us to find one in our area that could be delivered quickly. Because of his good efforts, we were able to get to a dealer yesterday and make a quick purchase.

The side-by-side will assist Jeff’s efforts with getting a mobile Starlink (hooked up to a generator) to the remote areas of our fire district, so people there can have access to phone and internet. I’ll travel with him to offer Trauma Chaplain services for people who can’t get to the fire department.

The photo is of Logan Wise and I at Kubota of Asheville, a family-run business. Logan has worked at his family’s dealership since high school. Logan performed miracles to get us a great price and is ensuring that we are #1 in line for delivery - because he wants to do his part in supporting Gerton, too.

Enroute home we stopped by Ansley Smith’s house (another new friend) in Asheville, and picked up a brand new Generac Generator that she wanted to donate to Gerton.

It continues to amaze me how many people are stepping up. Every time we ask for support someone always says yes, usually within 24 hours. We deeply feel all of the ways that we are blessed right now, and are so grateful to get to know new people who want to help.

This is what you (read: me) must remember:

Everything you desire is always available to you. Everything happens for you, not to you. There is always a way through. When you stop forcing and are open to receiving support, you make space for miracles to appear.

My prayer for our community today:

Help us to see the bounty of gifts we’ve been given, rather than the things that have been taken away.