Lahaina, HI – Dec. 1-5, 2025

My First Week in Maui, by Gracia Brewer

Gluing trusses. Painting. Caulking. Snorkeling. Flying in a plane. Swimming with sea turtles. Seeing the ocean. Eating delicious food. My first week in Maui has been filled with new adventures!

My week started with my first plane ride, flying from Wichita to Dallas, then from Dallas to Maui. Monday was Day One of building houses, and I have already learned many new skills and what it really takes to build a house. During the first week, I also finished all my homework—except for a presentation I will give to my sixth-grade teacher and classmates. My absolute favorite part of the week was snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean at the end of a hard workday.

I can’t wait to see what my second week in Maui will hold!

And now, a brief word from the office manager!

A new leadership team of nine is in place for December. We were excited to welcome 14 weekly volunteers and get them started on the builds in Lahaina. They will actually be here for three weeks, and we will all go home in time for Christmas.

We received permission from the engineer, the contractor, the homeowners, and the project coordinator to build trusses. Because there is only one truss factory on the island—and because so much new construction is happening after the fires—trusses are backordered. It just so happens that our current team includes three individuals who understand the intricacies of blueprints and can lead other volunteers in manufacturing what we need to put roofs on the current builds. This has given us a real boost, both in spirits and in moving the work forward.

Painting and door installation occupied other volunteers, but the bulk of our energy went toward trusses. It has been exciting to watch them take shape and be installed. We are so grateful for the expertise of our construction supervisor and crew leaders as we move toward helping families return home.

Weekend activities included touring the island, eating, and sleeping. Life is good! Thank you, Lord.