Milestone travelers
Joe and Nancy Harper visit Hawaii in September, completing a quest to see all 50 U.S. states. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Harper)
Oct. 6, 2023
CLINTON, Tenn. -- Throughout their marriage, Joe and Nancy Harper have had a goal of visiting all 50 states in the U.S. When they finally planned a trip to Hawaii, the 50th state on their list, they didn’t know the island of Maui would be devastated by a deadly wildfire on Aug. 8.
One month after the tragedy, the Harpers were still able to experience their Hawaiian vacation, but they also took the opportunity to share some Christian love. While they were in Maui, the couple met with the Rev. John Crewe, pastor of Lahaina United Methodist Church, which lost its historic sanctuary to the fire.
“We got the idea that since we are going to be in Maui anyway, why don’t we do something?” says Nancy Harper, a member at Memorial United Methodist Church in Clinton, Tennessee.
After reading about the loss of the Lahaina church in UM News, the Harpers were sad for the congregation and wanted to do something to help. They talked to their pastor and Sunday school class in East Tennessee, which led to a special offering.
Members of Memorial United Methodist Church gave a total of about $1,500 and wrote personal messages to members of Lahaina United Methodist Church. The Harpers delivered the check and messages to Crewe on September 22.
Encouraging letters
Rev. John Crewe reads notes from Memorial UMC on Sept. 22. (Photo by Nancy Harper)
“We said, ‘We have a gift for you from our church to your church,’” Nancy Harper said of the meeting with Crewe. “He got choked up when he read the notes from our children.”
The Maui wildfires claimed nearly 100 lives and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings, including the 101-year-old Lahaina United Methodist sanctuary. When reached by phone, Crewe said that many church members had also lost their homes.
The pastor said he was grateful for the visit from the Harpers and had read aloud the notes from Memorial United Methodist Church to his congregation.
“Things like that lift our spirits and we know we’re not alone,” Crewe said. “We feel like we’re all part of the body of Christ, and we’re not going to be forgotten.”
The Lahaina congregation has been worshiping in another church -- Lahuiokalani Ka'anapali Congregational Church in Honokowai – as they await access into Lahaina which has been restricted since the fires. While the church’s initial goal is to purchase and pitch a tent on the property, the long-term goal is to rebuild the church, Crewe said.
Financial donations received through the Lahaina United Methodist Church website are currently being used to help fire survivors in the church and community, the pastor said.
Crewe sent a video back home with the Harpers, thanking Memorial United Methodist Church for their gift and compassion. Memorial’s pastor, the Rev. Scott Wilks, said the video was shown during the “joys and concerns” part of Sunday worship.
“We’re mighty proud of Joe and Nancy for doing this,” Wilks said. “We’re just glad they had the opportunity to be our emissaries."
Nancy Harper explained that she and her husband used to have a “motor home," allowing them to travel throughout most of the United States. The last two states on their bucket list were Alaska (#49) which they visited in 2020, and Hawaii (#50) which they crossed off last month.
“We just had to get in that last trip, but we wish we had done it 10 years ago when we had more energy,” she said. “We may have waited too late in our life to make such an ambitious trip.”
The trip took them to three Hawaiian islands and involved seven flights. Nancy is 79. On November 5, Joe Harper will turn 90 years old.
On October 6, the couple celebrated their 39th anniversary.
A lifelong United Methodist, Nancy Harper said she was grateful to her Sunday school class members for reaching into their wallets and handing over money the minute she mentioned the desire to help Lahaina United Methodist Church.
The name of her Sunday school group, she said, is YAK, which stands for “young adult (k)lass.” “It’s also because we talk all the time. Yakety yak yak.”
To help Laihana UMC and wildfire survivors, you may give online or mail a check to: Lahaina UMC, P.O. Box 10253, Lahaina, HI 96761 See also: Special sanctuary lost in Maui fires by UM News
Annette Spence is editor of The Call, the Holston Conference newsletter. Holston Conference includes 545 member churches in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and North Georgia, with main offices in Alcoa, Tennessee. Sign up for a free email subscription to The Call.