Calvary Chapels Loving Their Neighbors in Lahaina
Photos courtesy of CC Honolulu and CC Central Maui
Kerry Taylor stepped out of the burned remains of a collapsed two-story home in Lahaina, Maui, carrying a small lamb figurine. Donned from head to foot in a white hazmat suit designed to protect him from the toxic ashes, he removed his protective eyewear and handed the lamb to homeowner Sandy, a 72-year-old widow who lost her home and many of her pets in the August wildfires in Lahaina.
Calvary Chapels from all over the United States have joined together to help victims who lost their homes during the Lahaina, Maui, wildfires in August. Two of the churches leading the effort include CC Honolulu and CC Central Maui.
Kerry, an assistant pastor at Calvary Chapel Honolulu, HI, was one of a team of CC believers sifting through the ashes to help Sandy recover anything of value. She especially wanted to find parts of her nativity scene. Kerry recalled, “Her eyes opened wide; she looked at it, and the ladies surrounding her started laughing. Apparently, they had been speaking to her about the Lamb of God.”
Assistant Pastor Kerry Taylor (left) of CC Honolulu and Brian Johnson of CC Moreno Valley, CA, prepare to sift through the toxic ashes of a home in Lahaina. “You can only stay in those hazmat suits for 15 minutes at a time; you have to rotate … out, or you’ll pass out, it’s so hot,” Kerry explained.
After a 15-minute break from the stifling suit, Kerry returned to his sifting. He continued, “Wouldn’t you know it, I found the Baby Jesus figurine from that nativity scene and brought it back out to her. Sandy yelled, and the ladies said, ‘See, Sandy, see?’” At the time, Kerry didn’t know that the women had been sharing with Sandy that Jesus Christ had come as a child.
“These pieces really confirmed for her that our words were true—as we were working, taking breaks, and ministering to her,” Kerry remarked. “We knew that was absolutely of the Lord; you couldn’t plan that. The figurines should have melted like everything else did.”
Sandy (center) prays with the team, representing multiple Calvary Chapel fellowships, that helped to sift through the ashes of her home. They recovered valued figurines from her nativity set. After hours of "Talk Story", a Hawaiian tradition allowing her to talk about her loss and pain, she accepted Jesus as her Savior by the end of the day. “We weren’t asking for anything, and I think she understood that,” Kerry said.
Sandy, who had started the day as an unbeliever and unreceptive to the Gospel, accepted Jesus as her Lord by the end of that day, grateful to receive a Bible from Samaritan’s Purse.
At the end of the sifting, the CC team recovered a few small fragments at Sandy’s home, shown (top photo) and placed in her yard. However, Sandy was overjoyed that they discovered an intact conch shell her brother had given her (bottom photo).
Sifting through the Memories
Kerry has responded to natural disasters in the past. However, this disaster, located a 30-minute plane ride from Honolulu, was different. “This one hits close to home because it’s in our backyard. Seeing the locals go through this, your heart just goes out to them,” he assessed.
A team from Calvary Chapel Moreno Valley, CA, prays over Pastor Kerry before he heads out for another day of sifting through the ashes of homes in Lahaina.
He added, “You can only stay in those hazmat suits for 15 minutes at a time; you have to rotate out, or you’ll pass out, it’s so hot. That would give us all opportunities for “Talk Story”—that’s what we do in Hawaii. You allow the person to pour their heart out. We let Sandy talk, just little by little throughout the day; and as the Lord would allow, we’d talk about heaven directly with her.” Serving her complemented the words. “We weren’t asking for anything, and I think she understood that.”
Behind Pastor Kerry is an example of the destruction the wildfires caused in the small town of Lahaina. Charred trees and vehicles line the street near Sandy’s home.
CC Honolulu has partnered with Calvary Chapel Central Maui, whose Senior Pastor Sean Housman has also spent hours sifting through the ashes of people’s homes. Sean’s church is on the other side of the island, where the landscape is still lush and unaffected by the fires. He reflected, “You get to be there with these families as they sort and sift through what used to be everything that was ‘normal’ for them. It was their entire life.”
Calvary Chapel Central Maui Senior Pastor Sean Housman and his wife Hannah take a break from working at the distribution center his church set up shortly after the fires. The center is the future home of their new house of worship. God turned their frustration over permitting delays into a huge opportunity to serve hundreds of Lahaina victims. “We’re seeing the glory of God being revealed in the delay!” Sean joyfully exclaimed.
Sean recently worked at the home of a woman who had given her life to the Lord while in prison. “She couldn’t begin to approach this pile of debris and ash—it seemed insurmountable. We got to help her sift through the few things she was looking for, including the urn containing her father’s ashes. Praise the Lord, we were able to find it,” Sean reported. She asked for a King James Bible, the version she grew up reading, and a Strongs Concordance. “We’ve been able to get those things to her. Now we have continuing follow-up with her.”
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
An Organized Response to Disaster
God turned CC Central Maui’s frustration with local permitting rules for their new house of worship into the ability to help hundreds of Maui families who lost their homes. “For a long time, we haven’t been able to get the permits that we need. We were all so upset about it,” Sean explained. “Then the fire happened, and now we have this building—a massive distribution center—sitting on nearly two acres here. It’s virtually empty and has a roll-up door and loading ramp. We’re seeing the glory of God being revealed in the delay!” Soon they were receiving containers of supplies coming by land, air, and sea. He marveled, “The next thing you know, people were saying, ‘We want to help Maui; we just don’t know how.’ We’re like: Please send it to us!”
[ Gallery ] The CC Central Maui distribution center sits on nearly two acres and has a roll-up door and loading ramp—equipping it to house massive amounts of products for fire victims.
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CC Central Maui believers met to evaluate the best way to respond to the crisis. Sean related, “We noticed that the people who needed help were so shell-shocked that they didn’t even know how to ask for what they needed. From that, the vision just kept coming together; so we created an online order form.” The warehouse offered much, including basics such as food, water, baby needs, and personal items.
There were many donations to the distribution center from across the U.S., including approximately $300,000 worth of barbeque grills (top photo), 82 new sofas, and 150 new beds.
“We were asking the Lord, ‘How can we have a model that’s discrete, maintains dignity, and one where we can connect with them and bring hope?’” Sean acknowledged. The order form started going viral from the families in need and those who were housing them. Church members would then catalog, customize, and fill orders. “We just want them to feel cared for, that they’re not having to go through this alone—that our little church family is there to meet them and try to help them along the way,” he emphasized.
Sean described the process. “We’d have our most hospitable, personable people call them to find out their situation. We’d pray with them and feel like we were getting to know them. From that, we were able to build a custom order for each family as they came through.” Orders were also delivered. “By then, we already knew them and their circumstances and had a follow-up ministry with them. Talking face to face and praying with them, so many tears have been shed in our parking lot. It’s just been incredible.”
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12
Many in the CC Central Maui family are volunteering in the distribution warehouse, according to Pastor Sean. Here, two of his young children do their part as well by helping to stock shelves. The church’s goal is to maintain the dignity of town residents and offer connection and hope. Toward that end, they set up an effective online system to customize orders.
A United Effort
Both CC Honolulu and CC Central Maui have been working with many who have freely and generously given to help the fire victims. These organizations include the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), Samaritan’s Purse, Calvary Disaster Relief, and Calvary Relief. Calvary Chapels in Hawaii, California, Colorado, Maine, Florida, Washington, and Arizona have sent—and continue to send—teams.
A team of believers prays together before working at homes in Lahaina. Multiple relief organizations and Calvary Chapel teams from seven states have already been hard at work since the August fires.
Pastor Sean has been able to build and use many connections to meet needs. Businesses from the continental U.S. have donated a 747 airplane to help with delivery, 82 new sofas, and 150 new beds; another company sent $300,000 worth of barbeque grills. A Fox News station and network of ex-military veterans also stepped in to assist.
Donations to the distribution center have come from land, air, and sea. A 747 airplane was donated to ferry products; the center can also accommodate very large trucks.
“Each step of the way, we’re seeing God pour in with provision. We have yet to ask for anything,” Sean exclaimed. “As long as it keeps coming, it’s that reassurance from the Lord that He wants us to keep doing this.” The church has directly helped and will follow up with between 700-800 families—that has been Phase 1. Phase 2 is helping them sift through the ashes of their homes when the opportunities open, and Phase 3 will be helping them rebuild. “We’re going to start switching from basic essentials to more home goods, giving them what they need to take those first steps of normalcy,” Sean said.
In December, the two churches are planning a Christmas party for Lahaina’s children—inspired by the desire of students at CC Honolulu’s Calvary Chapel Christian School.
Serving First Responders
In addition, Pastor Sean is one of two chaplains actively serving the Maui Police Department. “I was able to be there for the shift change in Lahaina in the early days when it was so chaotic. I got to give them a devotional thought and pray over them, all because the BGEA assisted with death notifications,” he stated.
First responders have faced personal loss themselves as well as the early anger and backlash of the community, Sean shared. “They’re working in this place they call home, and their own memories are impacting them. I tell them, ‘Don’t dwell on the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens. You have to dwell on what’s true, that God still loves and is still showing up for our community, and that He wants to gently guide you through this, too.’”
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, … noble, … just, … pure, … if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8
Border Patrol agents came to Maui to help secure the burn zone during early investigations and victim recovery. Here they are unloading cases of water for the Maui Police Department. One of the Border Patrol agents was a believer from Calvary Chapel El Centro, CA.
Community is Key
Pastor Sean elaborated, “This is very precious to us—it’s our community. Maui is a small island. Everything that we’re doing here is building trust and longevity for great opportunities for future ministry.”
He concluded, “From the get-go, Jesus has truly been the only gentle voice. We’re just showing up and bringing Him. We’ve been brought up to think that government is the one to come to our rescue, but the Gospel teaches us that we’re called to love our neighbor as ourselves. That’s our responsibility.”
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