(Mt.Ulla, North Carolina) -- Michele Toberer and her husband Michael, owners of Mountain Mule Packer Ranch, are not used to anyone paying attention to what they do.
When Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina with torrential flooding, all of that changed.
Rather hear Michele's heart on our podcast?
"We definitely started this very simply. My husband, he has been a mule packer for years...most of his life really. We relocated from California where he was a professional packer there for years. He came out to work with special forces here (North Carolina) and does a lot of training with military groups," Michele explained.
As Hurricane Helene pummeled the southeast, the Toberers were without power for 18 hours. Once the power came back on, they were shocked to see the level of devastation.
"Michael said, 'I can go help and get into places that they're not going to be able to right now' and so he just loaded up and left."
Used to quietly packing with little attention, the Toberers have been blown away by the attention and the support they've received.
Michele went on to their Mountain Mule Packers Facebook page to find out where there was the most need.
"We went and bought a big load of supplies...and it just keeps growing from there. We keep getting more donations which is giving us the ability to get more supplies and equipment up there and just keeping them going," Michele shared.
As the mule team reaches remote homes in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, people have been very grateful and excited to see them.
"He (Michael) went to a house and they told him they had seen him on TV. They were hoping that he'd come to help them and so that was a really good feeling..." Michele shares. "One man needed insulin and ice to keep it cool and he was able to get that to him."
Another lady, an 85-year-old woman, was thrilled to see the team. She'd been isolated in her home for a week!
Someone donated a stack of Bibles and Michele's daughter made sure to write a personal note in each one. She also included a very apt scripture verse, Psalm 46: 1-3 (NLT).
What has this been like for Michele?
"Overwhelming...but the word that constantly comes up every day is 'beautiful.' Every day there's something that happens that's just beautiful. There's no other word. You see just goodness in people," Michele shares emotionally.
"And every day I pray that God does tell me what His plan is because we don't understand completely the response we've gotten, the attention that it's gotten, the amount of people that are saying every day that it's the kindest thing and the most encouraging thing but we do feel...that God is using this for something else," Michele shares.
"It's not just about the people He's bringing supplies to, it's about something else that is showing unity in people and goodness in people. I feel like the country has become so divided and there is nothing about this that you see division. The people are being kind to each other and sharing and generous."
