I never thought I would get to see Hawaii, but careful saving and using a Southwest credit card to pay for daily expenses allowed me to go early this summer. My friend Paula and I found ourselves on the beautiful island of Maui for the first time in June.

Yes, it was beautiful–a paradise. It’s hard to believe that such unspoiled beauty exists, and that Hawaii is a part of the United States. We enjoyed staying in a beautiful condo just outside Lahaina and we explored the area like the tourists we were.

The beaches are beautiful, well-cared-for city parks abound, and chickens roam around freely. We saw the Maui Ocean Center, we drove the road to Hana (yes, I drove it myself in our rental car!) where we visited the Garden of Eden (no, not THAT one) and saw many waterfalls. We saw the Nakalele blowhole, trekked Honolua Park, and hung out on the beach.

We visited downtown or Old Town Lahaina, too. We had originally planned to stay at the historic Pioneer Inn, but decided upon a condo instead. We did go look at it, though, and we met Alex the African Gray parrot, who was quite vocal. We marveled at the huge, complex, 150-year-old banyan tree in Banyan Tree Park, and we perused the shops along Front Street. We had lunch at Captain Jack’s restaurant overlooking Front Street, and bought a Dole whip in a corner ice cream shop.

And now it is all gone. I haven’t heard any reports, but I’m sure Alex is gone, as well as the macaws, hyacinths, and cockatoos used in sidewalk photo opportunities for tourists. Maybe the owner got them to safety before the fire swept through. I’m sure many chickens are gone, probably the rooster we saw perched in one of the banyan tree branches. There is some hope that the banyan tree itself will survive, but it will never grow that big in our lifetimes.

Worst of all, though, is the loss of human life. With over 100 reported bodies found, hundreds more are expected. All those homes and businesses are gone, many of the 13,000 residents homeless. I can’t imagine the fear and despair, but God is still in control and He is faithful to those who call on His name. I pray for them daily, that they will find their loved ones, recover from injuries and loss, and come back from this.

I’m so glad I got to see Lahaina before it was destroyed. I feel honored to have done so. I’m glad I wasn’t there when the disaster happened, as so many tourists were. God, help those affected by the fires on Maui. Help Lahaina. Help Maui.

XOXO