Serve Now News: April 2025
Deployments
Lahaina, Hawaii
In 2023, fires ravaged the community in Lahaina. Serve Now deployed teams in previous years to go, serve, and help clean up. This year, Serve Now had the opportunity to help rebuild!
A team was deployed from March 30 – April 5. They served under the oversight of Samaritan’s Purse, working on a total of three different homes. The team built two porches along with the front and back steps for one of the homes. Other work consisted of framing, installing siding, and caulking throughout the homes.
Los Angeles, California
The day after the Hawaii team returned, another team of 12 deployed to Los Angeles, California to assist the communities that were affected by the wildfires earlier this year. This team served with Samarian’s Purse from April 6 – April 12.
The team of 12 was split into two groups, both groups served through personal property recovery. They sifted through the remnants of two homeowners’ properties each day, looking for anything that might have survived the fire. The two groups were able to find many items, such as artwork made of clay and jewelry.
There were also a couple of very exciting items that were recovered. One team found a married couple’s cowbells that the husband had brought back from Switzerland, where he was born. The other team recovered an urn filled with the homeowner’s late husband’s ashes, a melted Olympic torch that belonged to a runner from 1967, and an Emmy that was awarded to one of the writers of the Muppets!
Most importantly, the Gospel was shared. Forty homeowners gave their lives to Jesus during the week this team was there!
Trip Quotes
“I decided to come on this trip to serve those who were affected by the wildfires and who lost so much in the Lahaina community. Although we worked very hard, I feel like we were the ones who were served. The whole week, we all grew from the Samaritan purse staff intentionally pouring into us, our leaders mentoring us, and hearing stories of hope from homeowners. I truly saw the body of Christ coming together in worship to our creator through service the whole week, loving each other and loving those who we were serving” – S (Hawaii)
“Truly an amazing experience serving with Samaritan’s Purse through the LU Serve Now program. I am in awe of the relentless work they are constantly putting into being the restorative hands and feet of Christ” – R (Hawaii)
“Jesus came to serve, not to be served, and I believe serving is the best way to honor God! Going and being the hands and feet of Christ in California this past week was such an honor and a blessing and something I will never forget!” – N (California)
Serve Now Trivia Night!
On April 15 from 6:30-7:30 pm, Serve Now held its first Trivia Night. Students played an 80-question Kahoot where they had to be the quickest and most accurate team in answering questions about the program, natural disasters, and the Bible. The “Care Bears,” the winning team, won Serve Now’s new Yeti water bottles!
The End of the 2024-2025 School Year
LU Serve Now wants to congratulate the students who are graduating this May. You all have a bright future ahead of you! It is our hope and prayer that you will never stop serving.
To the students who will be returning in the Fall, we are excited to see you again!
Prayer Points
• Please pray for the families that lost their homes or who had extreme damage in North Carolina as a result of Hurricane Helene. This community is now sadly dealing with the aftermath of wildfires.
• Please continue to pray for those dealing with the aftermath of the wildfires in California.
• Pray for Myanmar. The country was hit by a terrifying earthquake at the end of March. There were many fatalities, and the clean-up process is going to take a very long time.
• Pray for students all around the country as they head into summer break.