On the evening of September 26, 2024, Ivana Marin Muñoz didn’t think much of her landlord’s advice to move her car to higher ground. Later that night, despite a friend’s offer to stay in Asheville for the night, she decided it would be fine to stay at her townhome along Old US Highway 70 in Swannanoa, which she shares with her roommate.
A 2023 graduate of Montreat College and a current assistant women’s wrestling coach at her alma mater, Ivana was confident that she was adequately prepared for a potential power outage. After all, she had grown up in North Carolina, where her school had occasionally been canceled for snowstorms that failed to deliver on their hype. Hurricane Helene’s, however, proved to be a far more formidable force than she anticipated.
“The Lord humbled me,” she admitted. “I woke up at 5 in the morning and went outside to see the storm, and the water was over my wheels and up to the windows of my car. I couldn’t go anywhere at that point, so I went back to sleep. When I woke up again and my feet hit the floor, my whole floor was covered in water.”
As the waters of the Swannanoa River surged into her first-floor bedroom, Ivana quickly grabbed a bag, packing her laptop, passport, and three Bibles. Despite the worsening situation, she found herself thankful for the roof over her head, especially as her focus shifted to the desperate cries of a man outside her window clinging to a tree after his mobile home had been swept away by the rising river.
“I wasn’t really thinking about me,” she remembered. “I felt so hopeless and useless because I couldn’t help him, but I kept encouraging him like ‘You got it!’ Even though I felt useless, it was like when Paul was in prison. He just started worshipping, so that’s really just what I did during that time.”
After a long and intense day of prayer, Ivana and her neighbor in the tree were finally rescued by boat around 8 p.m. that evening. For the next three days, she stayed with family friends in a higher-elevation home across the street until her family was able to come from the Charlotte area after roads were reopened.
Losses and Lessons
The flood claimed many of Ivana’s belongings, including her car, which she estimated ended up 100 yards down the road. Everything stored on the lower level of her closet was also ruined. Thankfully, she was able to save her clothes on the top rack. To help with her losses, Montreat College generously extended assistance through a community benevolence fund. Even more than the financial aid or temporary housing, Ivana credits the friendship and support she received from Montreat College with helping her recover.
“One of the reasons I feel like I have no place to complain is that I feel really loved,” she expressed. “I’ve always believed I’ve been surrounded by some great people, but now I know these people actually love me. This was people actually pouring their hearts out and wanting to help.”
Alongside the encouragement she received from others, her faith helped her navigate through the tragedy.
“My faith is definitely stronger now,” she said. “It was strong even in that moment, but I also learned a lot about myself, getting to put my faith into practice. In your lowest moments, you still have to trust in God and say, ‘Lord, I’m trusting you, and I know that you will provide.’ There will be joy in the morning.”
Foundation of Faith
For Ivana, Montreat College played a major role in shaping her faith that carried her through the aftermath of the storm. A graduate with a degree in Psychology and Human Services and a minor in Criminal Justice, Ivana first discovered Montreat College during a Discovery Day visit with a group of friends in 2019. Even though she grew up in Concord, NC, in the northeast quadrant of greater Charlotte, she had never heard of the college just two hours away. However, one visit and a meeting with the soccer coach sealed the deal.
“It was a perfect distance for me,” she said. “Discovery Day confirmed everything for me that Montreat was where I wanted to go to school. It was a very welcoming and friendly community.”
During her four years at Montreat, she played soccer and fully embraced the distinctiveness of her Christian college environment.
“I never really saw myself going to a Christian college, honestly,” she confessed.” It was all kind of a big surprise for me, but I didn’t realize how important it would be. Just having your professors and coaches pray for you and genuinely care about your spiritual life and your soul was a different environment. It provided such a good foundation that I knew where to go and whom to go to if I needed prayer.”
Moving Forward
Two months after the catastrophic storm, Ivana continues to make an impact as a case manager for a nonprofit dedicated to fighting human trafficking, a position she secured through connections with Montreat faculty. She’s also further pursuing her passion for competition as an assistant coach for the Cavaliers women’s wrestling team, one of the newest athletic programs at Montreat College.
Like her home, McAlister Gymnasium on Montreat’s campus suffered significant storm damage, leaving her team without mats, uniforms, or a dedicated practice space. After a two-week hiatus, the team was privileged to practice briefly at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC, before transitioning to temporary facilities. For the remainder of the season, they are training at The Manor House on Montreat’s Black Mountain Campus and the wrestling facilities at Charles D. Owen High School.
Through these challenges, Ivana remains grateful for the opportunity to share her testimony with her team and others about life’s fragility and God’s provisions.
“The Lord has been working on me, and people can still see joy through me,” she said. “That has been so encouraging.”