What did Gail and Katrina do with a long weekend in Maui?
But we also . . .
That’s the summary in pictures. Here are a few more details:
The stories of flight through the flames of the Lahaina fire are overwhelmingly hard and utterly heartbreaking. The lives and the town that were lost can never be replaced. With homes and jobs gone, so many are living like refugees – some families crammed into hotel rooms, some in makeshift tent communities on the beach, and some leaving their island home, perhaps for good. Everyone is unsure of how they will make it through this crisis in their lives.
But the churches in Maui are moving toward the crisis, eager to be the hands and feet of Jesus as well as His heart and voice. They are learning that ministering after a fire is complicated. There is not much physical work to do since it will be years before homes can be rebuilt. In addition, the people who survived the fire are living far from their homes and are too overwhelmed even to seek help. Even so, the Lord is opening doors and He is preparing His people to walk through those doors ready to serve.
The primary purpose of our trip to Maui was to participate in a conference that brought members of several churches together to develop their skills as lay trauma counselors. We spent time thinking about practical ways to show compassion, learning how to listen to people’s hard stories in ways that help them heal, and thinking about how to offer God’s healing Word to hurting hearts. We also brainstormed many effective ways to serve the practical needs of people in the aftermath of the fire. The training was encouraging and helpful, and so were the conversations held in groups both large and small.
At this point ReachGlobal Crisis Response is functioning primarily in an advisory and support role, coming alongside local churches to equip, guide and encourage as they seek to minister in the mission field created by this crisis. We are providing training in basic trauma care and healing conversations. We are connecting people who want to help with people we know who are ministering to the hurting. We are supporting local efforts as churches are led into ministry opportunities.
God is on the move to care for hurting people and to draw them to Himself, just as He always does in times of crisis. Please pray with me for local workers who are willing and able to serve, not offering solutions to the complex problems people face, but the support they need in the form of listening ears, humble and compassionate hearts, and truths about both sorrow and hope from the pages of God’s Word.
A friend recently shared her reflections on a season of suffering that was two years in the past: “…time brings perspective and I can see how God didn’t just bring beauty from ashes, but created beauty that needed the ashes.” **
I am asking the Lord to bring this kind of healing to the people of Maui. Please pray with me that the survivors of the fire will be drawn closer to the Lord Jesus and come to know the kind of beauty that only grows from ashes.
Thank you for praying for me and for the people of Maui. I hope that the Lord will take me back again soon to participate in the work He is doing in that place. May He be honored and glorified by the service that we offer in His name!
Blessings,
Gail
**quote from the blog of Amy Medina, March 13, 2024
P.S. Thanks for partnering with us on this adventure. If you would like to support our ministry financially, visit Giving: Bob and Gail DeGray. All gifts are greatly appreciated. If you want to be on our frequent pray-ers team, just drop us an email, a text, or reply to this post.