Fwd: Family in Maui returns home after wildfire

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Fwd: Family in Maui returns home after wildfire

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Mennonite Disaster Service <ecommunications@mds.org>
Date: Thu, Apr 30, 2026 at 7:02 PM
Subject: Family in Maui returns home after wildfire
To: <info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org>

The Yadao Family is welcomed home in Lahaina, Maui.

(3.5 minute video)

Dear Friends,

The Yadao family (featured in the video above) had been without a permanent home since August 2023, when theirs was one of 1,355 houses burned by the Lahaina wildfire on the Hawaiian island of Maui. But last month, thanks to support from donors like you, they were welcomed to their new home built by MDS volunteers.

Bhejay Yadao, the oldest of three sons in the family, shared about his family’s experience with the fire during their home dedication ceremony.

“The pain was real, and it was heavy,” he said. “In one moment, everything 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,” Bhejay said of the volunteers. “When we felt lost, you stood beside us. When we couldn’t rebuild alone, you helped us rise.”

Our volunteers cannot rebuild without financial support. We invite your continued partnership so more families like the Yadaos can return home.

We continue to respond to the impacts of Hurricane Helene from 2024 in communities across five states in the south. This summer, volunteers will begin rebuilding in response to the Los Angeles fires from 2025. We are also exploring work for volunteers in central Texas to assist communities impacted by flash floods last summer.

Thank you for considering a gift to support our hardworking volunteers, offering hope to those who wait.

Sincerely,

Kevin King

MDS Executive Director

mds.org/donate

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