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Nearly nine months after the devastating wildfires in Maui, the community is still struggling and suffering from the consequences of the devastating fires.
Pastor Greg LaurieThe founders of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California and Hawaii want to help meet the needs of those struggling on the island in both a material and spiritual sense.
Laurie, with ex “American Idol” Contestant Danny Gokey and worship leader Leland are hosting an outreach event called “Hope for Lahaina” on Sunday, April 28. Their goal is to bring a gospel message to the people of Maui and to be a source of encouragement and upliftment for the people. Those who are trying to regain a sense of normalcy after losing everything.
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Speaking to Fox News Digital this week, Lowry said there remains a “long sadness” over the island long after the clouds of smoke and ash have cleared.
“Reality is setting in,” he said. “Sadly, some people have left the island altogether.”
“Rebuilding in Lahaina has been slow,” Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, told Fox News Digital. (AP Photo/Rick Bomar, File)
While the program is called “Hope for Lahaina,” Laurie said “Hope” is an acronym that means “Holding On with Patient Expectation.”
“The Bible tells us that hope can serve as an anchor in a person’s life,” he said.
In Lahaina, this is going on in a quite literal sense, Laurie said. A “huge anchor” now stands where the Pioneer Inn, a historic inn that was the oldest continuously operating inn hotels in hawaiionce stood.
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“The anchor survived that terrible fire, as did the famous banyan tree,” Laurie said. “That tree was originally planted by missionaries in 1873 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first mission to the island.”
The banyan tree and the anchor, Laurie said, “symbolize what we are doing.”
Pastor Greg Laurie, center, will share a message from the Gospel of John about Lazarus at Sunday’s “Hope for Lahaina” event. He will be joined by Leland Mooring, left, and Danny Gokey of “American Idol” fame. (Harvest Maui)
He said, “Hope in God sustains us in difficult times, and God can bring ‘beauty from ashes’ and we can live and grow again.”
That hope, Laurie said, “is found in a relationship with God. through jesus christ,
“Hope in God sustains us in difficult times.”
Harvest, which is based in Lahaina, “is able to step into the gap and bring both practical help and hope to the people of this island,” he said.
Thanks for the donations received from all over the country, Provided by Harvest Maui Food, clothing, school supplies, housing and more for fire survivors.
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“We also had mental health “Experts speaking on the island, as well as at events for families – from inspirational movie nights to reaching thousands of kids,” Lowry told Fox News Digital.
He added, “We have assisted local area schools by creating temporary classrooms for their children and continue to support Maui’s first responders, who are also victims of the fires.”
Pastor Laurie, seen here in a July 2023 photo, wants to inspire the people of Maui with the message of the gospel and the truth that Jesus has the power to change lives, even when things seem hopeless. (Pastor Greg Laurie/Harvest Ministry)
He said the after-effects of the fire have been particularly hard on children, who now have to travel 90 minutes by bus to school every day after their original schools were destroyed.
“Rebuilding here has been slow,” Laurie said.
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In addition to physical aid, Laurie has also worked to meet people’s spiritual needs.
He said, “Our weekly worship services and Bible teachings are the heart of everything we say and do.” “We have Harvest Maui chaplains who are trained in Biblical trauma counseling to assist those in the community who need support.”
“Harvest Maui is here for the long term.”
“Harvest Maui is here for the long term,” Laurie said. He said his church would soon move to a more permanent facility to accommodate its growing congregation.
“I can’t overemphasize how important spiritual help is for people, especially during times like these,” he said.
“Jesus is still in the business of changing lives today,” said Pastor Laurie. (Pastor Greg Laurie/Harvest Ministry)
Lahaina’s situation, he said, is not dissimilar to the story of Lazarus in John’s Gospel.
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After Lazarus’s death, things “seemed like worst-case scenarios,” Laurie said.
“Jesus came and changed everything,” raising Lazarus from the dead.
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And “Jesus,” he said, “is still in the life-changing business today.”
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