I’ve held back on posting much over the past two weeks, simply because our family and community have been through an incredibly difficult time. It’s been hard to put into words all that I’ve felt during this experience. My head has been spinning.
We had to evacuate our home almost two weeks ago due to a wildfire. We originally believed we were being evacuated simply due to poor air quality, but later discovered this wildfire—now record-breaking as the largest in our province’s history—was shifting toward our home.
I hurried through our rooms, gathering the sentimental items I could think of and taking photos just in case we needed them for insurance purposes. I managed to pack a small bag for Samuel, but somehow left the house with the pair of pants I was already wearing, one extra shirt, and little else.
We left with our international students—one from Spain and one from Belgium—and followed the rest of our family to the Red Cross evacuee registration site. After registering, we were told, “So what are your plans? Where will you be staying?”. Since this was all new, nothing had yet been determined as far as where people would stay.
Our family isn’t small; we have six of us adults including my parents, brother & sister-in-law, and Isaac & myself. We also all host international students in our home, which means we have five additional people, plus Samuel. In case you missed count, that’s twelve humans plus all our pets: two dogs, two cats, and a bearded dragon.
It wasn’t an option to split up: we wanted to be together, knowing we were at least going through this with each other, but we weren’t a small group. Finding a place to stay would prove difficult when on a budget and having an unknown end date. I called my cousin who had heard of the fire and offered us a place in her new garage, if need be. See, she had lost her home due to a fire last April and has yet to move into her new home. She gave us what she had available, and we were so thankful to know we had a roof over our heads for that first night while we wrapped our minds around what was going on.
After that, I found a local campground that was offering cabins for evacuees. It wasn’t advertised as free of charge, so I was a bit nervous, but thought it was worth a shot and if anything, maybe they would give us a discount. We told them the whole story—we’re a big family, need a place, etc. We heard, “Yes, you’re more than welcome to come! We’d be happy to have you!”. Now came the question: “And how much are you charging?”.
“Absolutely nothing. We want to help.”
We spent two beautiful days there with staff giving us the opportunity to use the pool and other facilities. Samuel got to play outside all day, tanning up in the sun and splashing in the pool. It was exactly what we needed, and boosted our spirits in an otherwise bleak time.
With peak camping season beginning, our time was short at the campground. We weren’t sure our alternatives once that time was up, but God knew. Sitting by the pool one day, we had a phone call from a friend who was in my parents’ youth group 20+ years ago. She heard about our situation and offered a lodge at a local Christian camp; the same one my brothers and I attended as children. We headed back to the area and moved into the lodge, thankful for another God-provided place to lay our heads.
We spent our days near the lake, thankful for God’s protection and provision. We were displaced from our homes for ten days, and blessing upon blessing happened during that time. If I were to write them all, I’m sure I’d never be able to write again. The Lord provided in miraculous ways during this time. We had another church—that we don’t already attend—provide us with groceries, prepared food, and even toys & activities for Samuel. We had one of the staff at the first campground bless us with bags of canned items, cereals, etc. Some old friends showed up and gave us gift cards to buy some necessities. Again and again, God provided.
We learned during our evacuation that my brother’s home was directly in the fire area. We worried first, but then gave it over to God, trusting that even if they were to lose their home, He is still good and would provide for their family. Not only did we later discover that the winds shifted and our parents’ home and our home was safe, but that my brother’s home—which stood directly in the fire’s path—not only was still standing but had no damage done to it.
The Lord has been faithful. He’s used His people to bless us these past weeks, and I’m forever grateful. We’ve had strangers show up at our home with loaves of bread & sandwich fixings, another elderly neighbour give my chickens water & food to keep them alive (and they all lived, praise God!), a new friend who did all our laundry for us after Samuel was sick with a stomach bug, and on and on.
I’ve seen God’s hand so visibly over the past two weeks, and I’m overwhelmed and grateful. We’re back in our homes now—which have all been untouched—and though we lost all our food from an 11-day power outage, God has provided in so many ways and continues to do so.
Mr. Rogers once said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
Though this wildfire has affected so many homes and families, I have seen our small community band together in an incredible way. The helpers are out there: the elderly lady who lost her home but is still serving meals to the evacuated, the young man who saved two new fawns from the fire, the volunteer firefighters who are serving day and night while their own families are displaced, the strangers giving out gift cards for grocery stores, the neighbours offering their homes for a place to shower & do laundry—the list goes on.
Most of all, I am thankful for my Lord. My Saviour who has always been faithful to me. I’ve lived in His goodness, and He has blessed us abundantly. Life is not easy: we’re not promised an easy life, free from heartache and pain. But what we are promised is that He will go before us and be with us. He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8). I’m thankful that for years to come, our children will grow up hearing stories of God’s goodness and faithfulness, just as I heard from my own parents.
