by John Williams, Co-director of Hawaii Pacific Baptist Disaster Relief

In the aftermath of two Kona-low storms, and after local and mainland volunteers, including a California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) team, had completed work focused on Oahu’s North Shore, we began responding to requests in rural inland sections of Waianae. One particular family home and property were devastated by the storms and flooding. Four days of cleanup were required simply to get back into the home and prepare it for rebuilding.

The family was overwhelmed and considered demolishing their home and starting over. At the same time, they needed a place to bring their newborn baby home to in a matter of days. Each day we worked, the family was given hope as they saw progress.

The grandfather watched us throughout our time there, observing the home’s transformation. Each day, he warmed up to us a little more. On the third day, he joined our team for lunch, and we spent time together talking. It was encouraging to see the change in him over those few days, knowing that a seed had been planted.

In the middle of the work, Malama Christian Fellowship’s Pastor Eddie Hunt and his wife, Faleiva, visited our team and met this family. We were grateful to see the local church connecting with its community, and our team was also blessed by the generosity of his church.

Our role in disaster relief is to step into difficult situations and give of ourselves, trusting God for the results. It is a blessing to serve God by sharing the love of Christ with others in times of need.