As Los Angeles-area residents returned to the ashes of their homes and communities, crisis-trained chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) and disaster relief volunteers from Samaritan’s Purse were there to offer physical, emotional, and spiritual help.
The Palisades and Eaton fires consumed whole neighborhoods before being declared fully contained on Jan. 31. Together, the fires killed at least 29 people, burned some 58 square miles of land and damaged or destroyed more than 18,000 homes and other structures.
Three weeks after the fires began their relentless onslaught, many streets in the devastated areas were still mostly deserted as residents waited for insurance companies to evaluate the losses. Power company crews were out in force to restore electricity, and National Guard troops were stationed at various points to provide safety and security.
BG-RRT chaplains ministered with tenderness and discernment. “People coming back for the first time to their properties are just overwhelmed and trying to figure out how to get through the moment,” said Chaplain Coordinator Cathy Nordgaarden.
But when people were ready to talk about their loss, many were receptive to a caring conversation and prayer. At press time, more than 40 chaplains had ministered in the area, praying with some 2,000 people. Several people had prayed to receive Christ.
At a drive-through site where residents could receive personal protective equipment, snacks, water and information from the county health department, chaplains were able to talk with people about their situation and provide information on how Samaritan’s Purse could help.
“You could sense that some weren’t able to talk,” Nordgaarden said, “but they were able to receive the love.”
One woman was so traumatized that she couldn’t stop crying, but she welcomed the chance to sit with Nordgaarden. After a while, she began to open up. “I’m a Christian, and my children are involved in church, and I don’t understand how we’re supposed to get through this,” she said.
Then she showed Nordgaarden some of the things she had found in the ashes of her home.
“It was the Scripture,” Nordgaarden said. “It was the Word of God written on pieces of paper.” The woman had also recovered a painting of two little children playing the hand game, “Here’s the church, here’s the steeple … ”
“So we’ve seen on a few occasions that God speaks His Word in the ashes,” she said. “And whether it’s a Bible that is still intact, or the Scriptures this woman found, we’re seeing that God is absolutely meeting people in the ashes and bringing beauty out of that, as Scripture says.”
One day, chaplains spoke with a security guard near a property being served by Samaritan’s Purse volunteers. The man said he hoped he might find favor with God and go to Heaven based on the way he treated others. The chaplains explained what the Bible actually teaches about salvation, and without hesitation the man acknowledged his sinfulness and his need for a Savior. He learned that everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved, and he prayed right there with the chaplains.
A second security guard overheard that interaction. He said he had heard that keeping three of the Ten Commandments would gain someone entrance to Heaven. Again the chaplains explained the true Gospel message, and the man repented of his sin and put his trust in Jesus Christ. Both men eagerly received Bibles from the chaplains.
Nordgaarden said that Franklin Graham’s caring interaction with one couple was beautiful. Earlier that day, the couple had said they were willing to have volunteers pray on their property, but they didn’t want to join themselves. But later, after talking with Franklin and seeing the recovery work done by the volunteers, the man and woman joined the prayer circle.
“Franklin’s interaction with them and with the team was really helping them through and getting them to a step of healing,” Nordgaarden said.
