July 7, 2025 • 40 mins
At just 18 years old, Hannah Welch found herself pregnant, scared, and under pressure to marry quickly. Desperate for guidance, she reached out to Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters—and the response altered the course of her life. In this episode, Hannah sits down with Brody to share how that single conversation gave her the courage to slow down, seek God first, and make decisions rooted in biblical wisdom.
Now an ER trauma nurse and Snowbird’s camp nurse each summer, Hannah reflects on the journey from crisis to calling—and the incredible full-circle moment of watching her daughter Maddie, once the unborn baby in that desperate email, now serve on Snowbird’s summer staff.
This is a powerful story of God's faithfulness and generational impact—showing how His guidance in one life can echo through generations.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everybody, happy late 4th of July.
I hope you guys had a wonderfulweekend celebrating the
independence of America.
God bless America.
We at camp had a great time.
Andy I know Brody has braggedon Andy so much, but he went off
this week, had brisket andbaked beans and pound cake for
(00:25):
Friday night dinner.
It was awesome.
And then, of course, we shotoff the best fireworks in all of
Western North Carolina, ofcourse.
So it's been a super fun weekfor us here down at Snowbird, or
up at Snowbird, wherever you'reat.
And today Brody is sitting downwith Hannah Welch, who has some
crazy ties to Snowbird, but forthe past like six, five or six
(00:50):
years she's been coming up hereand blessing us with her nursing
skills and she is the campnurse for a week, and so we're
super grateful for her.
She brings her family up hereand her daughter, her oldest
daughter her name is MaddieWelch, and Maddie, this is her
second year on staff.
Last year she was on Elementand then this year she's on
(01:10):
Summer Staff.
But Maddie is my girl, she's myhome girl.
A lot of times people thinkwe're sisters because we look
alike we both have red hair.
But Maddie is my dog, my homegirl, but Maddie is my dog, my
home girl.
Hopefully, brody will be ableto do a part two of this
sometime in the future withMaddie and Hannah, because their
(01:32):
story is just really cool andtheir connections to Snowbird is
just really cool and there is abunch of full circle moments
throughout this episode wherewe're just able to see the
Lord's faithfulness andredemption and just so.
I'm super grateful for Hannahbeing able to sit down with
Brody during this crazy week ofcamp.
(01:52):
But I really hope you guysenjoy and are just able to glean
something from this story.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
But welcome to no Sanity Required welcome to no
sanity required from theministry of snowbird wilderness
outfitters.
A podcast about the bibleculture and stories from around
the globe let's.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
So let's start by talking about what you do here,
like what you're doing here thisweek, because you're not here
as a leader, a camper, camper.
Mom, give a little bit of whatis your third year doing this.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
No, I started in 2020 .
Speaker 3 (02:33):
OK, COVID year.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
When COVID hit, the email went out that y'all were
looking to meet all of thestandards for North Carolina to
remain open and one of those waslet's bring a nurse on.
So I was, like, sign me up now,Like this is dream job.
And it was still very didn'tknow all that the nurse role
(03:03):
would be when I got here thatfirst year in 2020.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Cause we didn't know either.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
No, but it was, I was finally getting to plug in and
be part of, uh, the snowbirdministry, and being able to be
part of that in any way, shapeor form was it was an honor.
I was like, yes, that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
That was a crazy year because talked about it on here
before and there's a there's awhole chapter in the book on it,
but the you know it was aprilof 2020 when every camp in
america announced they're goingto close down and that was when
we, like it, shocked me to thepoint.
(03:44):
I got in trouble because wewere doing these Facebook live
videos, and every morning,because we could only have six
people.
Remember that?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yeah, it got down to six people in one room or
something like that Ten people,six people.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
It was small.
Well, we have all thesedepartments, so we were doing
our 8 am meetings during notduring summer, but like during
the spring.
Yeah, we're doing our 8 ammeetings in departments.
So the front office they wouldmeet in here, maintenance would
meet in the shop.
You know, rec would meet in therec shed and I would.
(04:17):
I would do the 8 am meetingfrom the media office, but then
we would just do it on facebook.
So anybody that?
So for them.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
I watched them.
Yeah, I watched all of them.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
You're basically at our morning meetings.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
It was.
It was a little peek behind thecurtain.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
It was fantastic.
Well, maybe we should do it inthe future, you know, like once
a week.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
I watched them.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
That'd be fun.
That's cool.
I didn't.
I remember people were watching, but I've never thought about
going back and doing that.
Maybe this upcoming year wecould do one meeting a week.
We could stream it.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
I watched them.
It was trying times.
You were reading through andpicking out of Every Moment Holy
and I have picked up every oneof those and like they are so
applicable but you were pickingpieces out of those and just
(05:12):
they've become a staple, just inmy prayer room that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
yeah, yeah, we would.
We had about the time we weretrying to figure out, okay, how
we're gonna run, everybody elsesaid we're shutting down and out
.
Okay, how are we going to run?
Everybody else said we'reshutting down.
And our board even was likemaybe we need to shut down.
And, uh, man, we just felt like,well, for one, I am extremely
stubborn and I'm like there isno way that Roy Cooper, liberal
(05:41):
Democrat governor North Carolina, is going to tell me what we
can and can't do, and I'm alaw-abiding citizen.
But what he was doing executiveorders is what were being
signed.
Well, that's not a law, it'snot statutory, it's a
declaration, it's an order fromthe executive branch of the
government or whatever.
(06:02):
And I was like, so we're tryingto figure out, what do we have
to abide by here?
So we worked with local lawenforcement, local commissioners
, like we worked with our localgovernment and got man, it was a
miracle how the Lord made it away for us to run that summer.
But yeah, I mean, this ministryexploded.
We grew about 13% in COVID and92% of camps shut down.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
And it was funny.
Like I checked with my youthminister, I was like, can I or
like, do you care if I do doubleduty, because we do SMO when?
We come.
I was like, do you care if I domission stuff with y'all when I
can and then help with nurseduties?
And he was like, yeah, that'sfine.
Whatever phone system y'all hadset up that year, I didn't get
a call the single week.
(06:46):
And we got down to the bottomof the Ocoee, got next to Ocoee
Lake and my phone just like blewup with all the calls I had
missed.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
That was the day.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
As we were leaving.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Like the day we left On your way out, on my way out,
going back to Tennessee.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Going back.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
I way out going back to tennessee.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
Going back I was like , oh, they were calling me, but
like, funny it was, didn't work.
There was just uh, I would stopby up here and be like do y'all
need anything?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
and they're like no, I guess so we well, the little
med bay that you're working outof this week.
We had to make that.
We built that during covidbecause we had to have a space
and a cabin.
That was a quarantine cabin.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Now, since I guess that was year one, year two, I
did a little bit.
So 2021, I did a few nurse-ythings, and then 2023, they had
fully kind of embraced.
We have a nurse.
Like let's use her, let's, let's, let's really get some you know
(07:48):
, help for the churches thatcome and bring all these
students.
And I remember 2023 was thebusiest year.
I could not sit down to eatlike people would walk up to me
and they were just like hey, doyou have band-aids?
Hey, do you have that?
Have that.
Like it was.
There was like no holds bar,like use her for everything.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
So what's a okay, what is a typical day look like
for the SWO camp nurse.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Now it's different.
Now they have streamlined.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
That was a peak year, so 2023,.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
I got hammered because I was still doing double
duty.
I was still trying to be withour church that was here and I
remember Spencer walked up to meand he was like hey, how's it
going?
And I was like, stop, I need totalk to you.
He was like what's wrong?
I was like I need compensation.
He was like I'm sorry, what doyou mean?
I was like no one free spot isnot going to cut for the amount
(08:39):
of work I've done.
And he said said, what do youwant?
I said I want to be in a skit.
I said, and I don't want to besome dumb village idiot, I want
to be in a skit.
And he was like do you want tobe in Jack and the Beanstalk?
I was like do I get to be thebig bad wolf?
He was like or the Jacks?
It's story of the Jacks, Ican't remember.
(09:00):
I said I want to be the big badwolf.
He was like are you going tocarry the bat?
And I was like yes.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
And you did it, I did it.
I remember that it was bucketlist.
That is so great.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
It was so good.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Man, that's so fun.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Yeah, but since then they have communicated really
well with the group leaders thatcome and said hey, we have a
nurse here available for X, Y, Z, but if you can take care of
the first aid type things, ifyou can take care of the little
things as much as possible,there are 600 of y'all and one
(09:36):
nurse.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Yeah, there's 620 students, 630 students and
leaders and then 200 staff.
For context, andy's meal prepis for 900 people, so we feed
900 people three times a day andthere's one nurse one nurse,
but typically mornings are realquiet, real calm.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Before everybody goes to wreck.
There's a little bit of anuptick and they're like hey, I'm
going down the river, can youcover this wound?
Am I good to get on the river?
I've got a fever.
Do you think I should go laydown today, or can I go on my
rec and then after rec there's agood little increase.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Oh yeah, boo-boos, bumps and breezes, bumps and
breezes come back in, yeahboo-boos, bumps and breezes,
bumps and breezes come back in.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Hey, I don't feel real good.
I probably didn't drinkanything all day long, or I'm a
homeschool kid and I had myfirst Baja Blast this week and I
feel real jittery.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
You'll see those in the afternoon.
Is that a common call then?
Like dehydration, They've justbeen drinking energy drinks and
junk.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
It's those homeschool kids.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Really that Drinking, energy drinks and junk, it's
those homeschool kids?
They just Really that's who itpredominantly is?
Speaker 4 (10:46):
No, because you're a homeschool mom.
I was.
Yeah, we've plugged into publicschool now, but yeah, so kids
that just come and they're notusually not used to that freedom
they're not used to double shotespressos from starbucks, and
yeah, they take full advantageand that's fine just just for a
week, take some increase, somegatorade through dinner and
(11:07):
you'll be fine yeah, if theywould drink.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
We try to tell our kids drink for every one of
those you drink.
Just drink a cup of water.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Drink some water 16 ounce cup of water.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Drink some water.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
16 ounce cup of water .
Um, I've had a couple of goodinjuries over the years.
We had a pretty good uh anklefracture on the basketball court
last year.
Oh, it was a good one.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Like had to go get cast like a soft cast till they
go home.
Go to an orthopedic, yeah, yep.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
But he wasn't going home.
Yep, but he wasn't going homehe stayed.
He was like no, I think it waslike Wednesday, and he was like
no, I'm not going home.
I was like, dude, that's prettyrough.
Did they give you pain pills atleast?
And I think y'all just used thegator and just drove him around
the rest of the week.
That's funny.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
I love having nurses here like you that are moms,
which almost all of them are.
We have one guy that comes.
He's a bivocational pastor anda nurse, but he's a dad to a boy
and so these kids don't getcoddled when they go see the
nurse which I like Yesterday wewere talking about.
I'm a little bit gentle withthe girls, but if a boy shows up
(12:06):
it's like suck it up.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
My kids hate that I'm a nurse, because I'm not a
clinic nurse, I'm an ER nurse.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
And so I'm like it's not impressive.
I wanted to ask you that it'sum, before we get into your
story, which is what thisepisode's really going to be
about, and that we've alreadytalked about, this story's going
in the no sanity book.
No sanity stories is going tobe awesome, um, but you're a
trauma nurse.
Yeah, what I mean?
Gunshot wounds, motorcyclecrashes you ever see somebody
(12:38):
that's had their head knockedoff?
Speaker 4 (12:40):
Blown off.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Blown off, Dang Missing limbs like disemboweled.
That's the world you live in.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
I don't think I've ever seen anybody disemboweled.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Okay, bucket list for a trauma nurse right there.
Yeah, you just get.
I know that sounds crass, butmost people listening to this
are going to just be laughingright now, cause you just kinda
you live in that world.
I guess you get a veneer overyou where it's like, okay, I
gotta be compassionate to people, but I also got to just have a
thick enough skin that I meanyou'd lose your mind.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Um, so we were.
I work in the biggest ER inbetween Memphis and Nashville
and so we really stabilize andship out a lot.
We service a lot of ruralcommunities and we're the
biggest hub.
So everything comes to us andwe have a pretty high crime rate
(13:32):
in Jackson.
In the last couple of yearsit's taken a toll on me.
It's one thing to see grownadults who make bad choices and
have the consequences, but whenthe children get in the line of
fire I've seen some pediatricgunshot wounds over the last
(13:53):
couple years that have it'sreally kind of you have to step
back and say like can I remainhere as a mom, compassionately,
empathetically andprofessionally?
I'm still there, I'm hanging inthere, but it's.
It's challenging in differentways I never imagined.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Because there have to be.
You know, it's like believersare the most compassionate
people, or should be, peoplethat are following Jesus, should
have the most compassion fortheir fellow man.
But with that comes it's hardto deal with, it's hard to see
(14:36):
things, deal with things, andbut that's exactly where we need
Christians in those lines ofwork.
That field of work whether it'strauma care, law enforcement,
anything, emergency medicalservices, military those are the
, those are the vocations whereI want believers because they
have an internal perspective.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
I could not do it.
Without the people that I workwith I I would have walked away
a couple of years ago.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Or any of them believers.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
There's several believers thatare there faithfully and there's
a lot that aren't, but they'regood nurses, but I love them all
.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Man yeah, it's like a brotherhood, sisterhood I would
imagine in that world, morethan if you're working Not that
there's anything to demean thisbut like if you're a nurse with
an orthopedic surgeon orsomething like that.
It's just.
I would think it wouldn't forgethat same kind of bond.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
No, it doesn't.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
It's like being a combat medic, basically what
you're doing oh, I can't.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
I can't say that we are.
We are very blessed where Iwork.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
We have great ratios and I have great management and
I love where I work so you comehere and you just deal with a
bunch of lunatic kids that drinktoo much red bull everybody's
asked me this week.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
They're like, how's your week?
And I'm like, as an er nurse,it's really boring from a
standpoint of risk management.
It's just like y'all want it tobe.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
It's super chill, everything's great, got some bee
stings and band-aids but,that's it so yeah, one nurse
that was here that works withlike you know what do you call
the older people um geriatric?
Yeah, like changes diapers andyou know, with overseas the cna
changing diapers and gives medsand like, yeah, it's a routine
(16:25):
week for me, it's got the samekind of work yeah um I love
these kids.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
They're fun, they're fun to plug in with and and just
I don't know.
I love here, I love being ableto give back to it.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Well, one day we're going to have to hire a nurse,
so we'll let you know when thatday comes.
Keep me posted Put your name atthe top of the list Sounds good.
So yesterday I was talking withAlex, your husband, and we were
just visiting and sitting outright outside of the metal
building there at supper andwhen you walked by me and Alex
(16:59):
probably been talking an hour 45minutes, something like that,
and so you came over and thenyou told me a story.
You told me your story which,like just blew my mind and I've
been talking to you for fiveyears as you've been coming
around and you've alluded to it,but it's the first time we got
in one place at one time lookingat each other, and you told me
(17:21):
the story.
I just want to walk throughthat story for our listeners
because it is a no sanity story.
I got emotional last night whenI got done with y'all, I went
for a walk.
I didn't go to worship servicelast night.
It's the first one I've missedall summer.
Rob was speaking.
I was like man, I'm tapped out.
I've had a heavy two weeks asfar as just ministry.
(17:44):
You just kind of got to stepaway.
Sometimes.
I was like I need to go for awalk because at 10, I was going
to meet up with some youthpastors.
So this was at like 8 because Ileft that conversation.
We all got some supper.
Went for a walk.
I've got a spot in the creekway up on the family our family
owns land that is adjacent toswall went up there.
(18:06):
I'll get in the creek, sitabout to my armpits.
Just sit there, cool down, stopsweating, and I keep bar soap
on a rock up there, you knowthere you go and uh.
So took me a little creek bathand got out and and sat in red
for about an hour and uh had acup of coffee.
But I got emotional, thinkingabout, like your story is why we
(18:26):
exist and it's.
I can remember.
I can remember having thisvision from the lord, not like a
I went into ausion, but likejust a daydream of there are
going to be people whose livesare changed here, who then
generations of that family aregoing to be impacted by this
ministry, and that's your story.
(18:48):
So let's just get into it.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
Okay.
So my story is why I telleverybody like, snowbird is not
just a church camp.
Snowbird is a resource foryoung people.
It is, and for me personally itwas.
It was a pillar.
It was a lighthouse that Icould look to in a storm that I
(19:18):
it was a pillar on a hill that Iwas able to look towards, uh,
and reach out to when I foundmyself in a mess.
Um, I had come to Snowbird inhigh school in 04 and 06, um
fell in love with it like atraditional camp kid, would.
(19:41):
I just loved the fun, I lovedthe expositional teaching.
It stuck with me.
It was good, but each time Iwould go back home didn't have a
lot of parental guidance athome, and so I, even though I
(20:06):
was a believer, I knew rightfrom wrong.
I knew that I was walking downa path that was not honoring the
Lord, but it was honoring myflesh.
Uh, down a path that was nothonoring the Lord, but it was
honoring my flesh.
Um, I had a boyfriend that Iwasn't um seeking to honor the
Lord with, but I just you know,was trying to fill a void with,
(20:46):
because I Kentucky that fall of2006 and was pregnant and I
talked to my family about it mysister, my brother-in-law
they're solid Christians.
He was actually right close tome.
He was in Louisville at SouthernSeminary.
Whenever I was in Lexington atUK my freshman year so they were
close to me drove over, sharedthe news with them and they were
(21:10):
like we love you, we're herefor you.
What does his family say?
What are they thinking now thaty'all are expecting?
I said, well, they said we gotto get married and my sister and
brother-in-law were both justlike hang on, like, before you
rush into any decisions, youneed to find some unbiased
(21:35):
wisdom.
You need to find someone whoyou respect biblically, that
doesn't know you, doesn't knowhim, that can speak to it and
just give you sound biblicaladvice.
And I was like I got to emailSnowbird, so I shot you an email
.
I got an email, snowbird, so Ishot you an email.
(21:58):
I bet you I didn't even get upand walk away from the computer.
I got an email back so fast,said this is my phone number,
I'm free right now if you cantalk.
And basically in the email Ihad just said hey, I found
myself in need of prayer andsome wisdom, if there's anybody
there who can just spare aminute to give me some biblical
(22:20):
advice.
I have found myself 17, 18, Iwas 18 at the time pregnant and
just needed to.
Needed to know which directionto go.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
I was sitting in that chair right there.
That's crazy.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
So in my mind I knew that you were in this lower
level of the coop because Icalled you and we're
chit-chatting.
You didn't have great cellphone reception and you said
hang on, I'm going to climb outthis window real quick so I have
better reception.
You climb out the window and Ican hear you.
You're like, oh hey, there's myfamily.
(22:58):
They're walking past and I canhear Tucker yap at you and say,
hey, fathead.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
He would have been like four.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
He was little, and so I just I knew I was talking to
someone that I could trust,someone who was already a parent
, who is already faithful to hisfamily, to the word in ministry
.
I had so much faith in you.
First thing you said to me wascongratulations, you're going to
(23:29):
be a mom, and that is just thegreatest blessing.
Secondly, are you stillshacking up with him?
Speaker 1 (23:42):
At which point I wanted to die.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
I wanted to crawl under a rock and be like what
have I done?
But I had to answer truthfully.
I was like I, I'm not livingright, um.
Luckily there's eight hoursdifference between he and I
right now, so you know I'm atcollege and he was you just
didn't, he was, you just didn'tshirk away from.
(24:03):
Let's get some things in lineright first, first and foremost,
like physically safe, do right,make better choices.
Secondly, like let's address theheart issue of this and how, um
, let's get you back on path youtold me you know, we talked and
prayed for a little while andyou basically told me like you
have two choices Like you cancontinue to honor your flesh and
(24:27):
and that might be a struggleLike it's going to be a struggle
or you can slow down, seek theLord and hold off on getting
married.
If marriage is the right path,it'll be there.
But right now, you've got tofocus on getting your heart
right with the Lord so that youcan be the best mom to this
(24:49):
child.
I took that to heart and I saidyou know what?
I am going to wait.
Let's not rush into gettingmarried.
If we're meant to get married,that'll still be there, but
let's just focus on writing ourhearts with the Lord.
(25:09):
Jb just showed up.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Have a seat, come on in.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Let's write our hearts with the Lord and seek
him instead of seeking oneanother and let's hold off on
getting married.
And it was like the Lordhonored that decision to pursue
him and not pursue like ourrelationship as priority.
(25:35):
And it was like the longer thatI pursued the Lord and sought
scripture and righted my heart,it was like the blinders came
off and I saw just the red flagsthat were so obvious.
Substance abuse didn't have aheart, for the gospel wasn't
(25:58):
interested in all at writing hisheart with the Lord and the
Lord he protected me and he justcovered me in so much grace in
that season.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Did you stay in Lexington?
Speaker 4 (26:15):
I finished my semester at UK.
I knocked out a ton of creditsthat first semester and then I,
my sister and brother-in-lawmoved to Jackson.
He got a job at Union and theysaid why don't you move with us?
Come live with us and we'llhelp you through that first year
(26:37):
, make sure you get back intocollege, finish your degree and
we'll make sure you get steadyon your feet.
And I think in the back oftheir mind they also not in the
back of their mind, in the frontof their mind.
They wanted to be a protectorfor both of us, because I think
they saw her biological dad'strue character.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
And where was he?
Speaker 4 (27:06):
He was still in Millington.
That's where I'd met him.
We were at the same church.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Um, we had both been campers here, uh, at Snowbird,
and he passed away not longafter the baby was born.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
Oh no, he.
We officially ended ourrelationship um a month or two
after she was born, um, but Idid try and keep in touch and
let him be part of her life,like still see her um, but I was
very cautious about it.
(27:41):
Um, there there were all thesigns of substance abuse um, and
while I could never confirm it,um, we ended up going through a
legal process with him.
He wanted visitation.
I just simply asked if you'regoing to do visitation.
I just asked for a clean drugtest.
He was like, yeah, sure, noproblem.
(28:01):
And he never saw her againafter she was seven months old.
But he did not die until 2022.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
He just recently died .
Speaker 3 (28:12):
That was recent Okay, I have my timeline off, yeah,
but.
But never interacted with herduring those years.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
No, we um.
I ended up finishing my nursingdegree at Jackson state and
graduated.
I met Alex that first year thatI worked there.
Um, we got married.
He adopted Maddie the next year, Um, and he, he came to
(28:42):
depositions and like wouldn'tinteract with attorneys at all.
He just wanted to address meand he was like I've messed up,
I'm sorry, Like I need anotherchance.
And I was like she's five, Likeyou've had five years of a
chance, but no, he didn'tinteract with her at all.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Let's talk about her.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Oh, Maddie.
So, maddie, works at SWO, sofull circle.
As full circle as it gets yeah,so you counseled me, prayed
over her when I was pregnantwith her.
And then she hit sixth grade andour poor youth minister.
(29:24):
I worried that man to I waslike you have to take our youth
group to Snowbird, it's not anoption.
I was like you have to.
And he was like man, I don'tknow.
He was like it's, it's a longway, it's really expensive.
I was like no, you don'tunderstand Like it has to happen
.
I worried the mess out of him,talked him into it Um, we bring
(29:50):
them here.
I introduced her to you.
She would have been in sixthgrade and she fell in love with
it.
She came sixth grade, seventhgrade, eighth grade.
I don't know how many years shecame.
She came a lot of years.
She fell in love with it.
She applied for Element and didthat last summer and she's all
(30:17):
in, she gets it, she loves thisministry, she sees the benefit
that it is and she applied forsummer staff.
This summer she's doing SMO,working with groups, and then
she applied for internship andis going to stay on.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
And I got this from her yesterday.
She's in the thick of it.
This is going to be a littlebit cryptic because I want to
protect the people that she'sministering to.
Hey, it's Maddie.
I'm with blank from blankchurch.
Uh, we've been talking and shereally needs to talk to you.
So just a cool glimpse of atext between me and Maddie where
(31:00):
we're doing ministry together,she's with this person who is in
need of some counsel that shefeels like she needs to bring me
into, or you know, sometimes itor sometimes it might be they
bring Nikki or Rob or JB.
The point being how cool that meand Maddie are doing ministry
together.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
You've prayed for her since before she was born.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Crazy.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
It makes my heart swell just to see her here
growing and doing the Lord'swork, and I've had such a heart
for this ministry for so longand I think the greatest gift
that the Lord could give me wasto see my kids serving in it.
(31:44):
There's nothing better thanseeing your kids be faithful and
serve.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
I got pretty emotional after she told me the
story.
Yesterday I started connectingdots because I just hadn't
connected the dots because itwas 19 years ago.
I didn't go to service lastnight.
I just went for an hour.
I just went for I think I toldyou this for an hour.
I just sat and prayed andmeditated on scripture and
reflected on God's faithfulnessand saying sort of prayer that
(32:19):
you know I can think of.
I mean years of praying that wewould have multi-generational
ministry, and not justmulti-generational ministry from
us investing in people, butmulti-generational ministry
people serving here.
And it's happening, you know.
And Maddie's a cool picture ofthat.
What a story, man.
(32:39):
Yeah, this story is going to bein the book no sanity stories.
This is a no sanity storybecause it doesn't make sense
According to the world's wisdom.
The world would have saideither get an abortion That'd
have been choice Number one.
Um got to get married, that waschoice number two or three.
(33:03):
And the other one would havebeen uh, just, you're an
independent woman, you just gotto pull yourself up by your
bootstraps and get on.
Have been you're an independentwoman, you just got to pull
yourself up by your bootstrapsand get on.
And what that typically turnsinto is codependency on the
system, and you become a victimof the system, where now you're
propped up by government handoutand you don't pursue what God's
(33:23):
gifted you and called you to do.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
It cripples, it does it cripples a lot of situations.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
And you know it's there for a reason and the
church has, you know, God alwayscalled.
He called Israel to do this, totake care of people that are in
crisis, but not to enablefurther crisis in the Lord's
faithfulness in your life and inthe Lord's faithfulness in your
life and in Maddie's life.
And Maddie's got two littlebrothers, yes, and they're
(33:55):
growing up, coming to school.
They're 11 and 8.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
Jace- Jace is 11 and Grayson is 8.
Jace is quiet and cautious andkind of stands back and takes it
in.
Grayson is both feet in, justbarrels in.
Yeah, he is good and dehydratedthis week because he's had
(34:22):
nothing but Pepsi, baja Blastand Airhead Extremes.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
And Gaga and Gaga and Gaga Ball and Gaga.
Ball.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Oh my gosh, I've given more Band-Aids to my child
than I have anybody else allweek long.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Have you had to deal with Moses Holloway at all?
Speaker 4 (34:38):
Just a little.
I think there was an incidentwith a water balloon yesterday,
maybe.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
What did he do?
Every week there's an incidentor two.
First off, he's a menace andhe's a drama queen.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
I think he was actually being defended by a
pack of Maybrees.
Okay, there was a little bit ofa not of a tussle, but it's
like Lord of the Flies downthere.
I love them.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Around the Gaga Pit and the creek.
I love them, everybody thathangs out there during the day
are like middle schoolers, andthen the Mabrys and Moe and
there's a gang.
You know a lot of snowboardkids are middle schoolers.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
There's so much fun.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
So Tuck texted me the other night and says and I was
here at camp, I was meeting witha youth pastor and Tuck texted
me and said he said Mo isholding his head moaning in pain
like he's concussed, saying heneeds some pain meds.
And then it's like a pause.
(35:40):
And then he texts again andsays he skimped one knuckle
playing gaga ball.
That's what's triggered, causedall this.
And Tuck said he's like, comeon, it's time to go home, you
need to go bed that's all it isand they're driving home and
tuck said mo's like over.
I mean, this kid is not six, youknow, he's 12 years old and
(36:01):
he's curled up in the, in thefetal position which the lord
only knows.
What has he eaten?
That day.
Oh, what has he?
Has he drunk any water?
He's curled up in the fetalposition and he's holding,
holding this finger up, and he'sholding his side, like this
moaning saying mama would giveme pain, man, mama she's in
(36:24):
combat asking for morphine.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
No, my kids don't come to me for anything.
Grayson had Wednesday.
He ate the marshmallows out ofa Lucky Charms bowl Just the
marshmallows.
He had a handful of tater totsand then that night at dinner he
crashed.
He just started sobbing and hehad had like two Pepsis that day
.
Maddie at one point came up andjust dumped it out.
(36:48):
She was like no more, mom's notmaking good choices, she's
tired, she's doing all thisother stuff, she's not paying
attention to how much caffeineyou've had.
He lost it.
We skipped him.
Alex took him home, theyskipped evening service and he
fell asleep at 7.20.
We had to wake him up at 7 thenext morning like he slept 12
(37:10):
hours and was done.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
It had high fructose corn syrup coursing through
those veins.
His insulin levels were throughthe roof.
Yeah, mo, when Tuck got Mo homeright after on the way home,
when he said mama will give mepain meds, you know which is not
true she just said suck it upand go to bed.
You know which is exactly whathappened.
Got home and was out in aboutnine minutes.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
Yeah, they just need a nap.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
Well, thanks for everything you do for SWO.
You have more than contributedyour share since COVID, five
years.
This is your sixth summer.
Speaker 4 (37:42):
This is my sixth summer, that's wild.
Thanks for letting me Like I,really like.
I tell everybody, like, thanksfor letting me Like.
I, really like.
I tell everybody like it's anhonor to be able to give back.
Even if it's just band-aids andyou know it, just it fills my
cup to be able to to be even asmall part and give back to a
(38:03):
ministry that has has comealongside me through not just
that storm Like that was myfirst and that was my biggest,
but just being able to listen toyour faithful teaching and just
diligence to the word has meantso much.
(38:24):
So to give back is the best.
It's awesome.
We ain't going nowhere.
I might die tomorrow, is it's?
Speaker 3 (38:28):
the best.
It's awesome we ain't goingnowhere.
I might die tomorrow, but we isthings here to stay.
I'm so glad.
I mean going nowhere forgenerations to come.
It's awesome See what the rootsthe Lord's put down, so thanks.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Thank you guys so much for tuning in this week.
Um, I just listened back to myintro for tuning in this week.
I just listened back to myintro.
It sounds like I smoke a pack aday of cigarettes, so please
excuse my hoarse voice.
I've got the camp crud.
But so grateful that Hannah wasable to come on and just share
her story.
(39:02):
Man, it's been so cool to justhear all these people's
testimonies and stories and howthe Lord has worked through
their lives and use Snowbird asa tool for his kingdom.
It's always so humbling for meto just sit in and listen and
hear those things.
It's awesome.
And so, yeah, thank you guys somuch for tuning in.
I hope you guys enjoyed.
(39:23):
Like I said before, I hope youguys saw some awesome fireworks
and ate some good food andrested well and we're just able
to reflect the blessing it is tolive in America, to live in a
free country.
I was praying about it thismorning Lord, just keep your
hand over America, keep blessingAmerica.
But yeah, I hope you guysenjoyed and we'll see you next
(39:46):
week on.
No Sanity Required.
Thanks for listening to.
No Sanity Required.
Hello everybody, happy late 4th of July.
I hope you guys had a wonderfulweekend celebrating the
independence of America.
God bless America.
We at camp had a great time.
Andy I know Brody has braggedon Andy so much, but he went off
this week, had brisket andbaked beans and pound cake for
(00:25):
Friday night dinner.
It was awesome.
And then, of course, we shotoff the best fireworks in all of
Western North Carolina, ofcourse.
So it's been a super fun weekfor us here down at Snowbird, or
up at Snowbird, wherever you'reat.
And today Brody is sitting downwith Hannah Welch, who has some
crazy ties to Snowbird, but forthe past like six, five or six
(00:50):
years she's been coming up hereand blessing us with her nursing
skills and she is the campnurse for a week, and so we're
super grateful for her.
She brings her family up hereand her daughter, her oldest
daughter her name is MaddieWelch, and Maddie, this is her
second year on staff.
Last year she was on Elementand then this year she's on
(01:10):
Summer Staff.
But Maddie is my girl, she's myhome girl.
A lot of times people thinkwe're sisters because we look
alike we both have red hair.
But Maddie is my dog, my homegirl, but Maddie is my dog, my
home girl.
Hopefully, brody will be ableto do a part two of this
sometime in the future withMaddie and Hannah, because their
(01:32):
story is just really cool andtheir connections to Snowbird is
just really cool and there is abunch of full circle moments
throughout this episode wherewe're just able to see the
Lord's faithfulness andredemption and just so.
I'm super grateful for Hannahbeing able to sit down with
Brody during this crazy week ofcamp.
(01:52):
But I really hope you guysenjoy and are just able to glean
something from this story.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
But welcome to no Sanity Required welcome to no
sanity required from theministry of snowbird wilderness
outfitters.
A podcast about the bibleculture and stories from around
the globe let's.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
So let's start by talking about what you do here,
like what you're doing here thisweek, because you're not here
as a leader, a camper, camper.
Mom, give a little bit of whatis your third year doing this.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
No, I started in 2020 .
Speaker 3 (02:33):
OK, COVID year.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
When COVID hit, the email went out that y'all were
looking to meet all of thestandards for North Carolina to
remain open and one of those waslet's bring a nurse on.
So I was, like, sign me up now,Like this is dream job.
And it was still very didn'tknow all that the nurse role
(03:03):
would be when I got here thatfirst year in 2020.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Cause we didn't know either.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
No, but it was, I was finally getting to plug in and
be part of, uh, the snowbirdministry, and being able to be
part of that in any way, shapeor form was it was an honor.
I was like, yes, that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
That was a crazy year because talked about it on here
before and there's a there's awhole chapter in the book on it,
but the you know it was aprilof 2020 when every camp in
america announced they're goingto close down and that was when
we, like it, shocked me to thepoint.
(03:44):
I got in trouble because wewere doing these Facebook live
videos, and every morning,because we could only have six
people.
Remember that?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yeah, it got down to six people in one room or
something like that Ten people,six people.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
It was small.
Well, we have all thesedepartments, so we were doing
our 8 am meetings during notduring summer, but like during
the spring.
Yeah, we're doing our 8 ammeetings in departments.
So the front office they wouldmeet in here, maintenance would
meet in the shop.
You know, rec would meet in therec shed and I would.
(04:17):
I would do the 8 am meetingfrom the media office, but then
we would just do it on facebook.
So anybody that?
So for them.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
I watched them.
Yeah, I watched all of them.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
You're basically at our morning meetings.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
It was.
It was a little peek behind thecurtain.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
It was fantastic.
Well, maybe we should do it inthe future, you know, like once
a week.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
I watched them.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
That'd be fun.
That's cool.
I didn't.
I remember people were watching, but I've never thought about
going back and doing that.
Maybe this upcoming year wecould do one meeting a week.
We could stream it.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
I watched them.
It was trying times.
You were reading through andpicking out of Every Moment Holy
and I have picked up every oneof those and like they are so
applicable but you were pickingpieces out of those and just
(05:12):
they've become a staple, just inmy prayer room that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
yeah, yeah, we would.
We had about the time we weretrying to figure out, okay, how
we're gonna run, everybody elsesaid we're shutting down and out
.
Okay, how are we going to run?
Everybody else said we'reshutting down.
And our board even was likemaybe we need to shut down.
And, uh, man, we just felt like,well, for one, I am extremely
stubborn and I'm like there isno way that Roy Cooper, liberal
(05:41):
Democrat governor North Carolina, is going to tell me what we
can and can't do, and I'm alaw-abiding citizen.
But what he was doing executiveorders is what were being
signed.
Well, that's not a law, it'snot statutory, it's a
declaration, it's an order fromthe executive branch of the
government or whatever.
(06:02):
And I was like, so we're tryingto figure out, what do we have
to abide by here?
So we worked with local lawenforcement, local commissioners
, like we worked with our localgovernment and got man, it was a
miracle how the Lord made it away for us to run that summer.
But yeah, I mean, this ministryexploded.
We grew about 13% in COVID and92% of camps shut down.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
And it was funny.
Like I checked with my youthminister, I was like, can I or
like, do you care if I do doubleduty, because we do SMO when?
We come.
I was like, do you care if I domission stuff with y'all when I
can and then help with nurseduties?
And he was like, yeah, that'sfine.
Whatever phone system y'all hadset up that year, I didn't get
a call the single week.
(06:46):
And we got down to the bottomof the Ocoee, got next to Ocoee
Lake and my phone just like blewup with all the calls I had
missed.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
That was the day.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
As we were leaving.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Like the day we left On your way out, on my way out,
going back to Tennessee.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Going back.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
I way out going back to tennessee.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
Going back I was like , oh, they were calling me, but
like, funny it was, didn't work.
There was just uh, I would stopby up here and be like do y'all
need anything?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
and they're like no, I guess so we well, the little
med bay that you're working outof this week.
We had to make that.
We built that during covidbecause we had to have a space
and a cabin.
That was a quarantine cabin.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Now, since I guess that was year one, year two, I
did a little bit.
So 2021, I did a few nurse-ythings, and then 2023, they had
fully kind of embraced.
We have a nurse.
Like let's use her, let's, let's, let's really get some you know
(07:48):
, help for the churches thatcome and bring all these
students.
And I remember 2023 was thebusiest year.
I could not sit down to eatlike people would walk up to me
and they were just like hey, doyou have band-aids?
Hey, do you have that?
Have that.
Like it was.
There was like no holds bar,like use her for everything.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
So what's a okay, what is a typical day look like
for the SWO camp nurse.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Now it's different.
Now they have streamlined.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
That was a peak year, so 2023,.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
I got hammered because I was still doing double
duty.
I was still trying to be withour church that was here and I
remember Spencer walked up to meand he was like hey, how's it
going?
And I was like, stop, I need totalk to you.
He was like what's wrong?
I was like I need compensation.
He was like I'm sorry, what doyou mean?
I was like no one free spot isnot going to cut for the amount
(08:39):
of work I've done.
And he said said, what do youwant?
I said I want to be in a skit.
I said, and I don't want to besome dumb village idiot, I want
to be in a skit.
And he was like do you want tobe in Jack and the Beanstalk?
I was like do I get to be thebig bad wolf?
He was like or the Jacks?
It's story of the Jacks, Ican't remember.
(09:00):
I said I want to be the big badwolf.
He was like are you going tocarry the bat?
And I was like yes.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
And you did it, I did it.
I remember that it was bucketlist.
That is so great.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
It was so good.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Man, that's so fun.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Yeah, but since then they have communicated really
well with the group leaders thatcome and said hey, we have a
nurse here available for X, Y, Z, but if you can take care of
the first aid type things, ifyou can take care of the little
things as much as possible,there are 600 of y'all and one
(09:36):
nurse.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Yeah, there's 620 students, 630 students and
leaders and then 200 staff.
For context, andy's meal prepis for 900 people, so we feed
900 people three times a day andthere's one nurse one nurse,
but typically mornings are realquiet, real calm.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Before everybody goes to wreck.
There's a little bit of anuptick and they're like hey, I'm
going down the river, can youcover this wound?
Am I good to get on the river?
I've got a fever.
Do you think I should go laydown today, or can I go on my
rec and then after rec there's agood little increase.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Oh yeah, boo-boos, bumps and breezes, bumps and
breezes come back in, yeahboo-boos, bumps and breezes,
bumps and breezes come back in.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Hey, I don't feel real good.
I probably didn't drinkanything all day long, or I'm a
homeschool kid and I had myfirst Baja Blast this week and I
feel real jittery.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
You'll see those in the afternoon.
Is that a common call then?
Like dehydration, They've justbeen drinking energy drinks and
junk.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
It's those homeschool kids.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Really that Drinking, energy drinks and junk, it's
those homeschool kids?
They just Really that's who itpredominantly is?
Speaker 4 (10:46):
No, because you're a homeschool mom.
I was.
Yeah, we've plugged into publicschool now, but yeah, so kids
that just come and they're notusually not used to that freedom
they're not used to double shotespressos from starbucks, and
yeah, they take full advantageand that's fine just just for a
week, take some increase, somegatorade through dinner and
(11:07):
you'll be fine yeah, if theywould drink.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
We try to tell our kids drink for every one of
those you drink.
Just drink a cup of water.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Drink some water 16 ounce cup of water.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Drink some water.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
16 ounce cup of water .
Um, I've had a couple of goodinjuries over the years.
We had a pretty good uh anklefracture on the basketball court
last year.
Oh, it was a good one.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Like had to go get cast like a soft cast till they
go home.
Go to an orthopedic, yeah, yep.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
But he wasn't going home.
Yep, but he wasn't going homehe stayed.
He was like no, I think it waslike Wednesday, and he was like
no, I'm not going home.
I was like, dude, that's prettyrough.
Did they give you pain pills atleast?
And I think y'all just used thegator and just drove him around
the rest of the week.
That's funny.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
I love having nurses here like you that are moms,
which almost all of them are.
We have one guy that comes.
He's a bivocational pastor anda nurse, but he's a dad to a boy
and so these kids don't getcoddled when they go see the
nurse which I like Yesterday wewere talking about.
I'm a little bit gentle withthe girls, but if a boy shows up
(12:06):
it's like suck it up.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
My kids hate that I'm a nurse, because I'm not a
clinic nurse, I'm an ER nurse.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
And so I'm like it's not impressive.
I wanted to ask you that it'sum, before we get into your
story, which is what thisepisode's really going to be
about, and that we've alreadytalked about, this story's going
in the no sanity book.
No sanity stories is going tobe awesome, um, but you're a
trauma nurse.
Yeah, what I mean?
Gunshot wounds, motorcyclecrashes you ever see somebody
(12:38):
that's had their head knockedoff?
Speaker 4 (12:40):
Blown off.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Blown off, Dang Missing limbs like disemboweled.
That's the world you live in.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
I don't think I've ever seen anybody disemboweled.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Okay, bucket list for a trauma nurse right there.
Yeah, you just get.
I know that sounds crass, butmost people listening to this
are going to just be laughingright now, cause you just kinda
you live in that world.
I guess you get a veneer overyou where it's like, okay, I
gotta be compassionate to people, but I also got to just have a
thick enough skin that I meanyou'd lose your mind.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Um, so we were.
I work in the biggest ER inbetween Memphis and Nashville
and so we really stabilize andship out a lot.
We service a lot of ruralcommunities and we're the
biggest hub.
So everything comes to us andwe have a pretty high crime rate
(13:32):
in Jackson.
In the last couple of yearsit's taken a toll on me.
It's one thing to see grownadults who make bad choices and
have the consequences, but whenthe children get in the line of
fire I've seen some pediatricgunshot wounds over the last
(13:53):
couple years that have it'sreally kind of you have to step
back and say like can I remainhere as a mom, compassionately,
empathetically andprofessionally?
I'm still there, I'm hanging inthere, but it's.
It's challenging in differentways I never imagined.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Because there have to be.
You know, it's like believersare the most compassionate
people, or should be, peoplethat are following Jesus, should
have the most compassion fortheir fellow man.
But with that comes it's hardto deal with, it's hard to see
(14:36):
things, deal with things, andbut that's exactly where we need
Christians in those lines ofwork.
That field of work whether it'strauma care, law enforcement,
anything, emergency medicalservices, military those are the
, those are the vocations whereI want believers because they
have an internal perspective.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
I could not do it.
Without the people that I workwith I I would have walked away
a couple of years ago.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Or any of them believers.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
There's several believers thatare there faithfully and there's
a lot that aren't, but they'regood nurses, but I love them all
.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Man yeah, it's like a brotherhood, sisterhood I would
imagine in that world, morethan if you're working Not that
there's anything to demean thisbut like if you're a nurse with
an orthopedic surgeon orsomething like that.
It's just.
I would think it wouldn't forgethat same kind of bond.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
No, it doesn't.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
It's like being a combat medic, basically what
you're doing oh, I can't.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
I can't say that we are.
We are very blessed where Iwork.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
We have great ratios and I have great management and
I love where I work so you comehere and you just deal with a
bunch of lunatic kids that drinktoo much red bull everybody's
asked me this week.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
They're like, how's your week?
And I'm like, as an er nurse,it's really boring from a
standpoint of risk management.
It's just like y'all want it tobe.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
It's super chill, everything's great, got some bee
stings and band-aids but,that's it so yeah, one nurse
that was here that works withlike you know what do you call
the older people um geriatric?
Yeah, like changes diapers andyou know, with overseas the cna
changing diapers and gives medsand like, yeah, it's a routine
(16:25):
week for me, it's got the samekind of work yeah um I love
these kids.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
They're fun, they're fun to plug in with and and just
I don't know.
I love here, I love being ableto give back to it.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Well, one day we're going to have to hire a nurse,
so we'll let you know when thatday comes.
Keep me posted Put your name atthe top of the list Sounds good.
So yesterday I was talking withAlex, your husband, and we were
just visiting and sitting outright outside of the metal
building there at supper andwhen you walked by me and Alex
(16:59):
probably been talking an hour 45minutes, something like that,
and so you came over and thenyou told me a story.
You told me your story which,like just blew my mind and I've
been talking to you for fiveyears as you've been coming
around and you've alluded to it,but it's the first time we got
in one place at one time lookingat each other, and you told me
(17:21):
the story.
I just want to walk throughthat story for our listeners
because it is a no sanity story.
I got emotional last night whenI got done with y'all, I went
for a walk.
I didn't go to worship servicelast night.
It's the first one I've missedall summer.
Rob was speaking.
I was like man, I'm tapped out.
I've had a heavy two weeks asfar as just ministry.
(17:44):
You just kind of got to stepaway.
Sometimes.
I was like I need to go for awalk because at 10, I was going
to meet up with some youthpastors.
So this was at like 8 because Ileft that conversation.
We all got some supper.
Went for a walk.
I've got a spot in the creekway up on the family our family
owns land that is adjacent toswall went up there.
(18:06):
I'll get in the creek, sitabout to my armpits.
Just sit there, cool down, stopsweating, and I keep bar soap
on a rock up there, you knowthere you go and uh.
So took me a little creek bathand got out and and sat in red
for about an hour and uh had acup of coffee.
But I got emotional, thinkingabout, like your story is why we
(18:26):
exist and it's.
I can remember.
I can remember having thisvision from the lord, not like a
I went into ausion, but likejust a daydream of there are
going to be people whose livesare changed here, who then
generations of that family aregoing to be impacted by this
ministry, and that's your story.
(18:48):
So let's just get into it.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
Okay.
So my story is why I telleverybody like, snowbird is not
just a church camp.
Snowbird is a resource foryoung people.
It is, and for me personally itwas.
It was a pillar.
It was a lighthouse that Icould look to in a storm that I
(19:18):
it was a pillar on a hill that Iwas able to look towards, uh,
and reach out to when I foundmyself in a mess.
Um, I had come to Snowbird inhigh school in 04 and 06, um
fell in love with it like atraditional camp kid, would.
(19:41):
I just loved the fun, I lovedthe expositional teaching.
It stuck with me.
It was good, but each time Iwould go back home didn't have a
lot of parental guidance athome, and so I, even though I
(20:06):
was a believer, I knew rightfrom wrong.
I knew that I was walking downa path that was not honoring the
Lord, but it was honoring myflesh.
Uh, down a path that was nothonoring the Lord, but it was
honoring my flesh.
Um, I had a boyfriend that Iwasn't um seeking to honor the
Lord with, but I just you know,was trying to fill a void with,
(20:46):
because I Kentucky that fall of2006 and was pregnant and I
talked to my family about it mysister, my brother-in-law
they're solid Christians.
He was actually right close tome.
He was in Louisville at SouthernSeminary.
Whenever I was in Lexington atUK my freshman year so they were
close to me drove over, sharedthe news with them and they were
(21:10):
like we love you, we're herefor you.
What does his family say?
What are they thinking now thaty'all are expecting?
I said, well, they said we gotto get married and my sister and
brother-in-law were both justlike hang on, like, before you
rush into any decisions, youneed to find some unbiased
(21:35):
wisdom.
You need to find someone whoyou respect biblically, that
doesn't know you, doesn't knowhim, that can speak to it and
just give you sound biblicaladvice.
And I was like I got to emailSnowbird, so I shot you an email
.
I got an email, snowbird, so Ishot you an email.
(21:58):
I bet you I didn't even get upand walk away from the computer.
I got an email back so fast,said this is my phone number,
I'm free right now if you cantalk.
And basically in the email Ihad just said hey, I found
myself in need of prayer andsome wisdom, if there's anybody
there who can just spare aminute to give me some biblical
(22:20):
advice.
I have found myself 17, 18, Iwas 18 at the time pregnant and
just needed to.
Needed to know which directionto go.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
I was sitting in that chair right there.
That's crazy.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
So in my mind I knew that you were in this lower
level of the coop because Icalled you and we're
chit-chatting.
You didn't have great cellphone reception and you said
hang on, I'm going to climb outthis window real quick so I have
better reception.
You climb out the window and Ican hear you.
You're like, oh hey, there's myfamily.
(22:58):
They're walking past and I canhear Tucker yap at you and say,
hey, fathead.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
He would have been like four.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
He was little, and so I just I knew I was talking to
someone that I could trust,someone who was already a parent
, who is already faithful to hisfamily, to the word in ministry
.
I had so much faith in you.
First thing you said to me wascongratulations, you're going to
(23:29):
be a mom, and that is just thegreatest blessing.
Secondly, are you stillshacking up with him?
Speaker 1 (23:42):
At which point I wanted to die.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
I wanted to crawl under a rock and be like what
have I done?
But I had to answer truthfully.
I was like I, I'm not livingright, um.
Luckily there's eight hoursdifference between he and I
right now, so you know I'm atcollege and he was you just
didn't, he was, you just didn'tshirk away from.
(24:03):
Let's get some things in lineright first, first and foremost,
like physically safe, do right,make better choices.
Secondly, like let's address theheart issue of this and how, um
, let's get you back on path youtold me you know, we talked and
prayed for a little while andyou basically told me like you
have two choices Like you cancontinue to honor your flesh and
(24:27):
and that might be a struggleLike it's going to be a struggle
or you can slow down, seek theLord and hold off on getting
married.
If marriage is the right path,it'll be there.
But right now, you've got tofocus on getting your heart
right with the Lord so that youcan be the best mom to this
(24:49):
child.
I took that to heart and I saidyou know what?
I am going to wait.
Let's not rush into gettingmarried.
If we're meant to get married,that'll still be there, but
let's just focus on writing ourhearts with the Lord.
(25:09):
Jb just showed up.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Have a seat, come on in.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Let's write our hearts with the Lord and seek
him instead of seeking oneanother and let's hold off on
getting married.
And it was like the Lordhonored that decision to pursue
him and not pursue like ourrelationship as priority.
(25:35):
And it was like the longer thatI pursued the Lord and sought
scripture and righted my heart,it was like the blinders came
off and I saw just the red flagsthat were so obvious.
Substance abuse didn't have aheart, for the gospel wasn't
(25:58):
interested in all at writing hisheart with the Lord and the
Lord he protected me and he justcovered me in so much grace in
that season.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Did you stay in Lexington?
Speaker 4 (26:15):
I finished my semester at UK.
I knocked out a ton of creditsthat first semester and then I,
my sister and brother-in-lawmoved to Jackson.
He got a job at Union and theysaid why don't you move with us?
Come live with us and we'llhelp you through that first year
(26:37):
, make sure you get back intocollege, finish your degree and
we'll make sure you get steadyon your feet.
And I think in the back oftheir mind they also not in the
back of their mind, in the frontof their mind.
They wanted to be a protectorfor both of us, because I think
they saw her biological dad'strue character.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
And where was he?
Speaker 4 (27:06):
He was still in Millington.
That's where I'd met him.
We were at the same church.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Um, we had both been campers here, uh, at Snowbird,
and he passed away not longafter the baby was born.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
Oh no, he.
We officially ended ourrelationship um a month or two
after she was born, um, but Idid try and keep in touch and
let him be part of her life,like still see her um, but I was
very cautious about it.
(27:41):
Um, there there were all thesigns of substance abuse um, and
while I could never confirm it,um, we ended up going through a
legal process with him.
He wanted visitation.
I just simply asked if you'regoing to do visitation.
I just asked for a clean drugtest.
He was like, yeah, sure, noproblem.
(28:01):
And he never saw her againafter she was seven months old.
But he did not die until 2022.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
He just recently died .
Speaker 3 (28:12):
That was recent Okay, I have my timeline off, yeah,
but.
But never interacted with herduring those years.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
No, we um.
I ended up finishing my nursingdegree at Jackson state and
graduated.
I met Alex that first year thatI worked there.
Um, we got married.
He adopted Maddie the next year, Um, and he, he came to
(28:42):
depositions and like wouldn'tinteract with attorneys at all.
He just wanted to address meand he was like I've messed up,
I'm sorry, Like I need anotherchance.
And I was like she's five, Likeyou've had five years of a
chance, but no, he didn'tinteract with her at all.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Let's talk about her.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Oh, Maddie.
So, maddie, works at SWO, sofull circle.
As full circle as it gets yeah,so you counseled me, prayed
over her when I was pregnantwith her.
And then she hit sixth grade andour poor youth minister.
(29:24):
I worried that man to I waslike you have to take our youth
group to Snowbird, it's not anoption.
I was like you have to.
And he was like man, I don'tknow.
He was like it's, it's a longway, it's really expensive.
I was like no, you don'tunderstand Like it has to happen
.
I worried the mess out of him,talked him into it Um, we bring
(29:50):
them here.
I introduced her to you.
She would have been in sixthgrade and she fell in love with
it.
She came sixth grade, seventhgrade, eighth grade.
I don't know how many years shecame.
She came a lot of years.
She fell in love with it.
She applied for Element and didthat last summer and she's all
(30:17):
in, she gets it, she loves thisministry, she sees the benefit
that it is and she applied forsummer staff.
This summer she's doing SMO,working with groups, and then
she applied for internship andis going to stay on.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
And I got this from her yesterday.
She's in the thick of it.
This is going to be a littlebit cryptic because I want to
protect the people that she'sministering to.
Hey, it's Maddie.
I'm with blank from blankchurch.
Uh, we've been talking and shereally needs to talk to you.
So just a cool glimpse of atext between me and Maddie where
(31:00):
we're doing ministry together,she's with this person who is in
need of some counsel that shefeels like she needs to bring me
into, or you know, sometimes itor sometimes it might be they
bring Nikki or Rob or JB.
The point being how cool that meand Maddie are doing ministry
together.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
You've prayed for her since before she was born.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
Crazy.
Speaker 4 (31:21):
It makes my heart swell just to see her here
growing and doing the Lord'swork, and I've had such a heart
for this ministry for so longand I think the greatest gift
that the Lord could give me wasto see my kids serving in it.
(31:44):
There's nothing better thanseeing your kids be faithful and
serve.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
I got pretty emotional after she told me the
story.
Yesterday I started connectingdots because I just hadn't
connected the dots because itwas 19 years ago.
I didn't go to service lastnight.
I just went for an hour.
I just went for I think I toldyou this for an hour.
I just sat and prayed andmeditated on scripture and
reflected on God's faithfulnessand saying sort of prayer that
(32:19):
you know I can think of.
I mean years of praying that wewould have multi-generational
ministry, and not justmulti-generational ministry from
us investing in people, butmulti-generational ministry
people serving here.
And it's happening, you know.
And Maddie's a cool picture ofthat.
What a story, man.
(32:39):
Yeah, this story is going to bein the book no sanity stories.
This is a no sanity storybecause it doesn't make sense
According to the world's wisdom.
The world would have saideither get an abortion That'd
have been choice Number one.
Um got to get married, that waschoice number two or three.
(33:03):
And the other one would havebeen uh, just, you're an
independent woman, you just gotto pull yourself up by your
bootstraps and get on.
Have been you're an independentwoman, you just got to pull
yourself up by your bootstrapsand get on.
And what that typically turnsinto is codependency on the
system, and you become a victimof the system, where now you're
propped up by government handoutand you don't pursue what God's
(33:23):
gifted you and called you to do.
Speaker 4 (33:25):
It cripples, it does it cripples a lot of situations.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
And you know it's there for a reason and the
church has, you know, God alwayscalled.
He called Israel to do this, totake care of people that are in
crisis, but not to enablefurther crisis in the Lord's
faithfulness in your life and inthe Lord's faithfulness in your
life and in Maddie's life.
And Maddie's got two littlebrothers, yes, and they're
(33:55):
growing up, coming to school.
They're 11 and 8.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
Jace- Jace is 11 and Grayson is 8.
Jace is quiet and cautious andkind of stands back and takes it
in.
Grayson is both feet in, justbarrels in.
Yeah, he is good and dehydratedthis week because he's had
(34:22):
nothing but Pepsi, baja Blastand Airhead Extremes.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
And Gaga and Gaga and Gaga Ball and Gaga.
Ball.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
Oh my gosh, I've given more Band-Aids to my child
than I have anybody else allweek long.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Have you had to deal with Moses Holloway at all?
Speaker 4 (34:38):
Just a little.
I think there was an incidentwith a water balloon yesterday,
maybe.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
What did he do?
Every week there's an incidentor two.
First off, he's a menace andhe's a drama queen.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
I think he was actually being defended by a
pack of Maybrees.
Okay, there was a little bit ofa not of a tussle, but it's
like Lord of the Flies downthere.
I love them.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Around the Gaga Pit and the creek.
I love them, everybody thathangs out there during the day
are like middle schoolers, andthen the Mabrys and Moe and
there's a gang.
You know a lot of snowboardkids are middle schoolers.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
There's so much fun.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
So Tuck texted me the other night and says and I was
here at camp, I was meeting witha youth pastor and Tuck texted
me and said he said Mo isholding his head moaning in pain
like he's concussed, saying heneeds some pain meds.
And then it's like a pause.
(35:40):
And then he texts again andsays he skimped one knuckle
playing gaga ball.
That's what's triggered, causedall this.
And Tuck said he's like, comeon, it's time to go home, you
need to go bed that's all it isand they're driving home and
tuck said mo's like over.
I mean, this kid is not six, youknow, he's 12 years old and
(36:01):
he's curled up in the, in thefetal position which the lord
only knows.
What has he eaten?
That day.
Oh, what has he?
Has he drunk any water?
He's curled up in the fetalposition and he's holding,
holding this finger up, and he'sholding his side, like this
moaning saying mama would giveme pain, man, mama she's in
(36:24):
combat asking for morphine.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
No, my kids don't come to me for anything.
Grayson had Wednesday.
He ate the marshmallows out ofa Lucky Charms bowl Just the
marshmallows.
He had a handful of tater totsand then that night at dinner he
crashed.
He just started sobbing and hehad had like two Pepsis that day
.
Maddie at one point came up andjust dumped it out.
(36:48):
She was like no more, mom's notmaking good choices, she's
tired, she's doing all thisother stuff, she's not paying
attention to how much caffeineyou've had.
He lost it.
We skipped him.
Alex took him home, theyskipped evening service and he
fell asleep at 7.20.
We had to wake him up at 7 thenext morning like he slept 12
(37:10):
hours and was done.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
It had high fructose corn syrup coursing through
those veins.
His insulin levels were throughthe roof.
Yeah, mo, when Tuck got Mo homeright after on the way home,
when he said mama will give mepain meds, you know which is not
true she just said suck it upand go to bed.
You know which is exactly whathappened.
Got home and was out in aboutnine minutes.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
Yeah, they just need a nap.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
Well, thanks for everything you do for SWO.
You have more than contributedyour share since COVID, five
years.
This is your sixth summer.
Speaker 4 (37:42):
This is my sixth summer, that's wild.
Thanks for letting me Like I,really like.
I tell everybody, like, thanksfor letting me Like.
I, really like.
I tell everybody like it's anhonor to be able to give back.
Even if it's just band-aids andyou know it, just it fills my
cup to be able to to be even asmall part and give back to a
(38:03):
ministry that has has comealongside me through not just
that storm Like that was myfirst and that was my biggest,
but just being able to listen toyour faithful teaching and just
diligence to the word has meantso much.
(38:24):
So to give back is the best.
It's awesome.
We ain't going nowhere.
I might die tomorrow, is it's?
Speaker 3 (38:28):
the best.
It's awesome we ain't goingnowhere.
I might die tomorrow, but we isthings here to stay.
I'm so glad.
I mean going nowhere forgenerations to come.
It's awesome See what the rootsthe Lord's put down, so thanks.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Thank you guys so much for tuning in this week.
Um, I just listened back to myintro for tuning in this week.
I just listened back to myintro.
It sounds like I smoke a pack aday of cigarettes, so please
excuse my hoarse voice.
I've got the camp crud.
But so grateful that Hannah wasable to come on and just share
her story.
(39:02):
Man, it's been so cool to justhear all these people's
testimonies and stories and howthe Lord has worked through
their lives and use Snowbird asa tool for his kingdom.
It's always so humbling for meto just sit in and listen and
hear those things.
It's awesome.
And so, yeah, thank you guys somuch for tuning in.
I hope you guys enjoyed.
(39:23):
Like I said before, I hope youguys saw some awesome fireworks
and ate some good food andrested well and we're just able
to reflect the blessing it is tolive in America, to live in a
free country.
I was praying about it thismorning Lord, just keep your
hand over America, keep blessingAmerica.
But yeah, I hope you guysenjoyed and we'll see you next
(39:46):
week on.
No Sanity Required.
Thanks for listening to.
No Sanity Required.
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