Liberty students serve on wildfire recovery teams in California, Hawaii

Through trips to both Lahaina, Hawaii, and Los Angeles over the past few weeks, Liberty University students and staff have provided much-needed support to individuals and families devastated by wildfires that engulfed their neighborhood.

Last week, Liberty sent a team of 12 to Los Angeles to partner with Samaritan’s Purse in response to the Eaton and Palisades wildfires that claimed the lives of at least 29 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures in January. The team, sponsored by the LU Serve Now initiative, spent the week sifting through the rubble of formerly large homes. Wearing hazmat suits, they searched for sentimental family heirlooms spared by the flames.

Through this daily selfless service, team members found opportunities to share the love of Christ with homeowners.

“I wasn’t sure how what we were going to be doing was going to be that impactful, but seeing how the homeowners reacted to us working with a smile on our face for free in the sun, it broke them down in such a way they were so open to why we were there. That was really special,” sophomore Jonathan De Klerk said.

Finding everything from wedding bands to other sentimental treasures like a spouse’s Emmy award, a 1968 Olympic torch, or even family members’ remains, Liberty’s team helped provide a small spark of hope for individuals who had lost almost everything they owned. Praying with the homeowners before and after their work was done and presenting them with a Billy Graham Bible, the students had the chance to be a light in a dark, tragic time.

“Most of the homeowners embraced us almost immediately … we were taking times out of our lives to be there and that hit them immediately of why we were doing that,” junior Leah Kelley said. “The initial interaction we had with them opened the door to them wanting to share their stories and tell us what they had been through. They wanted us to walk alongside them.”

Waking up before 6 a.m. each morning to prepare for a full day of work, the group credited the Holy Spirit with providing them the strength to overcome fatigue and serve faithfully.

“We had way too much energy for the work we were doing,” De Klerk said. “It was not normal. We were just going at it eight hours a day. By the last two days, we were slowing down a little bit, but we were still really motivated. It was amazing to see.”

Freshman Nicolas Chism, who previously served on an LU Serve Now trip to Boone, N.C., in response to Hurricane Helene, said he entered the week with a Christ-centered determination to plant a seed for the Gospel.

“I believe that serving others in this way is such a great way to honor Christ and be a Gospel for someone else who maybe doesn’t have experience (with Christianity),” he said. “LA is such a culture shock compared to Lynchburg. There are so many different things going on — different religions and different beliefs — going down there and being the Gospel yourselves is such a great thing.”

LU Serve Now not only sends teams in the timely aftermath of disasters but is dedicated to recovery efforts even years later. The week before the LA trip, Liberty sent a separate team to Lahaina, Hawaii, March 31-April 5 to assist Samaritan’s Purse in rebuild efforts from the 2023 wildfires that decimated the area. This was Liberty’s third trip to Lahaina; teams were dispatched in September 2023 and December 2023.

On this most recent trip, students and staff helped frame a house, built two porches, installed siding on two homes, and sealed three homes. Junior Nathanael Jasso, who also attended the first LU Serve Now trip to Lahaina, said he experienced mixed emotions returning to the scene of the tragedy. Instead of sifting through the wreckage as he had on the previous trip, he spent his week cutting railings and stairs for new porches.

“It was pretty neat to see how the city of Lahaina has come along,” he said. “Last time I was there, it was ashes, rubble, melted cars, and lots of sad stuff like that. This time all the ash was gone, and the property has been replaced with a flat patch of gravel.”

Despite the incredible progress that had been made to restore Lahaina to its former glory, Jasso said he still felt burdened by the losses suffered by residents.

“It was encouraging to see some greenery coming back, because Hawaii is a beautiful place, and it was sad to see it destroyed,” he said. “Seeing the greenery coming back, but also seeing these gravel flats everywhere was solemn in a way. These were all homes (before the fire). People lived there. … It was encouraging, but also sad to see that there were still not many houses in this town and there was a long way to go.

Although the Hawaii team didn’t have extended interactions with homeowners, they still sought to share Christ’s love through joyful service. They wrote Scripture references and words of encouragement on the interior beams of the structure that homeowners could see both during the building process and again if they ever decide to remodel the home.

Liberty remains dedicated to meeting the needs of families affected by catastrophic disasters. This academic year, Liberty has sent multiple teams to North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia for hurricane relief.

“It is so important for anyone to go on (a Serve Now trip),” said Crystal Childress, who served as a team leader in LA. “If you have the opportunity, you should take it. One of the things we talked about as a group is it’s so easy to feel like you have a microscope focused on your own life. This was a trip where you could pull that microscope back, get out of your own world for a second, and just focus on something other than yourself.”

“If you have the opportunity to go on a LU Serve Now trip, you should do it,” she added. “It’s hard work, but it’s worth it and rewarding in every way, and the Lord will sustain you.”

The LU Serve Now initiative provides multiple opportunities for students to respond to natural disasters alongside partner organizations that embrace and support Liberty’s mission and purpose. Students interested in participating are encouraged to apply online.

The ongoing success of LU Serve Now is largely due to the contributions of generous donors. Visit the Serve Now portal to support future trips.