Cancelled!

John’s phone vibrated with another notification from Turo, the ride-sharing app his business uses for reservations.

“Cancellation,” the notification read.

Before he could set his phone down, another notification popped up.

“Cancellation,” it read.

John’s stomach sank. It was August 9, 2023—the day after a wildfire devastated the town of Lahaina on Maui. John and his wife Karissa lived on the opposite side of the island, but within a week, 90% of their future reservations were cancelled.

“This might be the end of our business,” John thought to himself. With these kinds of cancellations, they would never be able to pay their workers or the loans on their newer cars. He had no idea what to do next—but God was ready to turn their business’s misfortune into a message of love and support for their neighbors.

The immediate aftermath of the fire was a distressing time for the entire island. John and Karissa were afraid for one of their workers, who couldn’t be reached because of failed cell service. They grieved for the tragic losses of their neighbors in Lahaina. They were nervous for their own business’s future Their home was a frantic hive of activity as they helped guests return their cars early, supported the church in its efforts to shelter evacuees, and transported their own girls to Oahu for the beginning of a new school year.

“It was an emotional rollercoaster,” Karissa says.

Soon, images of burned-out vehicles lining Lahaina’s Front Street flooded the media. As Karissa looked at the list of empty cars sitting in their lot near the airport, God sparked an idea.

“John, what do you think about letting people use our cars for frees?” she asked.

Without knowing the future of their own family’s livelihood, John and Karissa Baker made the radical choice to trust God through the crisis. Karissa made a quick post on Facebook, offering a free one-week rental to anyone affected by the fires. Families could use their cars for to pick up medications on the other side of the island, apply for financial aid, or take care of other immediate needs.

The response was overwhelming. Right away, John started communicating with the families and distributing cars.

“Every single person had a story,” Karissa says. Together, they listened, cried, and prayed. “Giving to others while we were struggling grew our faith substantially,” Karissa says. “It was a spiritual high.”

As word got out, the Hawaii Conference of Seventh-day Adventists offered their support, sending a team to help make deliveries. God matched a Spanish-speaking volunteer with a family who only spoke Spanish and a Filipino pastor with families who spoke Tagalog. Others donated money, enabling them to keep loaning out their cars for free. Then the banks deferred their car loans. “God’s hands were everywhere,” Karissa says. “The more helpless we felt, the more He helped!”

There was a time in John Baker’s life when he never could have imagined this kind of impact. John grew up with Taj Pacleb, but when Taj began his own spiritual journey, John blocked him out. He wasn’t interested in church at all.

Then, in 2013, Taj and the Revelation of Hope team began a series of meetings in their hometown. Though Karissa suggested they go, John wasn’t interested. Instead, on opening weekend, John took Karissa to a beer festival.

A few days later, Karissa tried again. “John, let’s go early tonight—before the meeting. We can talk story with our friends.”

That sounded okay, so John agreed, and the family joined the Revelation of Hope team for dinner. When John realized the meeting was about to begin, he tried to leave—only to discover his daughters were already happily engaged in crafts and stories in the chidlren’s room. He was stuck.

“Now, don’t get convicted,” he told himself as he entered the meeting and sat in the seat closest to the door.

But sooner or later, something Taj said caught his attention, and John started to listen. “I saw how wretched I was,” John says, “and how good Jesus is.” He was overwhelmed with the quiet conviction: “I need to change.”

During the quiet ride home, John told Karissa, “Our life is going to change.”

Karissa was ready. The Holy Spirit had been working on her heart, too.

When the meetings were finished, many individuals were ready for baptism, but John and Karissa hesitated. “I wanted to know that this wasn’t just a spiritual high. I wanted the change to last,” John says.

Six months later, it was obvious their conviction was real, and Taj had the privilege to baptize his friends. When Taj transitioned his ministry base back to the islands, Karissa joined the Revelation of Hope team.

Today, four months after the fires, Karissa says, “We’re not done yet.” There is still money available to keep renting out cars for free and still a waitlist for available cars. 7000 people are still hotel-hopping, without long-term housing.

One family stands out to the Bakers. They lived in a 5th generation home on the beach front in Lahaina. Their home burned to the ground, as did the businesses where they both worked. By the time they returned their third rental to the Bakers, FEMA and unemployment had still not kicked in.

“Can you drop us off at the car dealership?” they asked. They were hoping the dealership would offer them a loan.

“John deals with dealerships all the time,” Karissa says. “I knew they could never get approved without an active job and current paystubs.”

“I have a van for you,” Karissa told them.

“How much?” the woman asked, tears of joy coming to her eyes at the thought that they could buy a vehicle.

“It is absolutely free,” Karissa told her.

A few weeks later, this same family had to leave the hotel where they were being housed. They ended up sleeping on the beach, homeless.

“But our children were able to sleep in the van you gave us,” the family reported to Karissa. “Because we had the van, our kids just thought we were camping!”

“God’s thinking is not our thinking,” John says. “When the fire happened, it looked like an impossible situation—but when we acted in obedience to His Spirit, He opened doors we thought were shut. I’m so glad we were open to hear His suggestion.”

“Hard times are bound to happen,” Karissa says. “But during those times, when we get to lean on God’s understanding, the peace we feel is amazing.”

Help us reach the people of Maui with God's hope. Our 2024 Bible promises calendar is available now! A portion of the sales will be donated to the relief efforts for the people directly affected by the Maui fire. Click here to purchase - bulk discounts available while supplies last.