Calvary Chapel Westside Maui Ministers in Lahaina, Hawaii, After Wildfires

On August 14, thousands of people lined up at a distribution site for the Maui Police Department’s newly launched placard program, which offered temporary access in and out of West Maui after wildfires that began August 8 devastated the area. Steve Santos, pastor of Calvary Chapel Westside (CCW) Maui in Lahaina, was among those waiting for a placard that day. He had lost access to his church building and the internet over the preceding weeks and had been without power for nine days. He said that while waiting, he had the opportunity to pray with people he had never met before.

“I got to pray with people that otherwise I never would have,” Pastor Steve recalled. “People are open right now. I’m excited to see what God’s going to do here.”

According to The Pacific Disaster Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the fires had taken at least 97 lives as of a September 16 count. The Lahaina fire destroyed an estimated 2,207 homes and businesses and 2,170 acres. Pastor Steve said the church worked with other Calvary Chapels and believers to meet physical, emotional and spiritual needs in the aftermath. As of August 26, CCW had a plan underway to use donated funds to buy gift cards worth many thousands of dollars for distribution at local centers. “We wanted to help people to be able to buy clothing in sizes that fit and foods that their families wanted rather than depending solely on donated goods,” Steve explained.

Through a contact at another church, who was reached through Steve’s daughter in Colorado, Steve was able to distribute generators when power was out on their side of the island. The church is also helping displaced residents financially, with assistance ranging from mortgage payments on burned homes to rent and other bills, according to the report.

Steve described people chasing his truck down the road, asking for generators. He said he and his team told them the generators were free. “Every person we gave a generator to, they were so thankful,” he said. “[And] everywhere along the way, there was a chance to pray with somebody, whether it was National Guard guys or a policeman.” He added: “Every encounter is an opportunity to give people hope in a time when things look completely hopeless. And far beyond the power we could offer with a generator was, and still is, the power and hope that comes with the name of Jesus.”

Steve and his wife, Kim, opened their home to family and friends who had lost everything in the fire, and their backyard has become a temporary meeting place for the congregation. The church building was not destroyed, but access is restricted because lead, asbestos and other chemicals were released during the fire. Steve said experts have estimated that cleanup alone could take two to three years. The church has held Sunday services at Wahikuli Wayside Park and Wednesday services at the Santos home, but for weeks it was difficult to announce these meetings because of the lack of internet.

CCW had held Sunday morning services oceanside in the park for the past 30 years. Because the building remains unusable, the church is looking for a future meeting place. It now also holds Sunday evening sunset services oceanfront at the Hyatt Regency Maui. Steve said new people have begun attending, including a local man who recognized him as a former bartender. Steve, who worked as a bartender before becoming a pastor more than 30 years ago, said that man’s entire family now attends.

Steve has emphasized in his messages that God was not the cause of the fires. He compared the situation to Elijah’s experience in 1 Kings, when God was not in the wind, earthquake or fire but spoke in a still small voice. “I cried out to God at 4 a.m. on that morning after the fire,” Steve said, “knowing that our town was gone, looking like a bomb had gone off, and many, many lives lost as well.” He said he felt the Lord speak to him that the Lord was not in the wind or the fire. He also credited several pastors with support, naming Pastor Jack Hibbs, Bill Stonebraker and JD Farag, who he said have given, encouraged and prayed for the church.

Source: Read the original report