You helped us rise

On March 6, 2026, the multigenerational Yadao family was joined by MDS volunteers, community leaders, partner organizations, and supporters to bless their new house and celebrate their return home after two and a half years of uncertainty following the Lahaina wildfire in Maui, Hawai‘i. The eldest son, Bhejay Yadao, 26, shared his family’s journey of loss, persistence, and a community banding together:

“Hello, Aloha, everyone. My name is Bhejay Yadao. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for making this rebuild possible. This is more than a home. This is hope rebuilt. This is proof that our community still stands strong. Today I stand here not just as a homeowner, but as living proof of what our community can do. My family and I are the first to complete the rebuild program in partnership with organizations like Ho’ōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group, Hawai‘i Community Lending, Lahaina Community Land Trust, Mennonite Disaster Service, and the many local partners and volunteers here today.

Whether your contribution was big or small, whether you gave time, resources. or prayers, you helped bring my family home.

Rhonda Alexander-Monkres, Executive Director of Ho‘ōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group, emphasizes the importance in Hawaiian culture of developing relationships with the people first before you do business. She says, “What we found with MDS is they fit right in. They were easy to work with. They were easy to get to know. They easily became like family for each of us.”

On August 8th, 2023, during the Lahaina wildfire, we lost everything in a flash. Our home. Our memories. The pieces of our life that can never be replaced. I remember looking back as we left, not knowing what would happen next. I saw the fear in my family’s eyes, the uncertainty, the question of how we would survive. The pain was real, and it was heavy. In one moment, everything had changed.

But here’s what the fire did not take: It did not take our spirit. It did not take our culture. And it did not take our community. When we felt hopeless, you showed up. When we felt lost, you stood beside us. When we couldn’t rebuild alone, you helped us rise. That is what makes Lahaina strong.

To anyone who is still struggling, still uncertain, still rebuilding, you are not alone. There is hope. And we are living proof. It takes a community tore build more than houses. It takes a community to rebuild lives.

We endured, we adapted, we rebuilt. This is bigger than one home. This is a movement. If we can rebuild one house, we can rebuild a neighborhood. If we can rebuild a neighborhood, we can rebuild Lahaina. So let’s keep showing up. Let’s keep lifting each other. Let’s keep going. Let’s keep Lahaina lands in Lahaina hands.

From my family to yours, we are not done. We are rising. This is only the beginning. And together we will rebuild Lahaina. Not someday. Starting now. Thank you. Wooh!

“Every step forward brings more hope to families who are still waiting to rebuild, and it shows what can happen when people come together with a shared commitment to support Lahaina’s recovery. Mahalo (thank you) to our MDS family. Your presence matters..” – Rhonda Alexander-Monk (Reho’ōla iā Maui Akama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group)

“With over 7,500hours of joyful labor, MDS volunteers are honored to have been partners in this labor of love to bring the Yadao and Kahahane families back home in Lahaina.” – Don Rheinheimer (MDS Project Coordinator)

“It isn’t just about a checklist of goals to accomplish. It’s to build relationships with other people—on your crews, and especially the homeowners.” – Brett Sorgen (MDS Volunteer)

“Dad’s firing up the grill. This is usually a typical weekend with my grandparents, my mom, my brothers. Sometimes neighbors walking past and we say, ‘hey, come, catch up, talk story.’ This is what truly makes a home.” – Bhejay Yadao (On the second day of his family moving into their new MDS-built house)

Watch the Yadao Family Home Dedication video on our YouTube