Matthew 17 speaks of having faith to move mountains. Kahili Adventist School recently had the opportunity to both practice and receive that extra measure of faith.

The school is located at the base of Kahili Mountain on the southeast side of Kauai. A few short miles to the west, there are desert-like conditions with an annual rainfall of only 15 inches per year, while at Kahili, the annual rainfall is around 21 feet per year. The integrity of the roof of the lodge, the original building on campus, has been in question for several years, jeopardizing library materials and the computer lab. Funding was a problem, but it was time to make a faith move.

The school turned to La Sierra University’s Campus Ministries, which has supported Kahili students with spiritual speakers, task-force workers and campus improvements over the past several years. Sam Leonor, the LSU campus chaplain, pledged to sponsor a contractor and skilled student workers to come to Kahili to assist with the roofing work. The timing, however, was a little questionable as the winter monsoons were ready to begin.

Administrators moved out in faith, planning, purchasing materials and asking the Lord to move the rain around the mountain. Three weeks prior to the arrival of the Campus Ministries crew, the school administrators visited Kahili’s two constituent churches, Lawai Valley and Kapaa, asking for volunteers for roofers, cooks and prayers for dry weather.

Our big week-end arrived. The La Sierra crew began the work Thursday and Friday by stripping the old tin roof off where repairs were needed and replacing water-damaged rafters and roof boards, a true “roof razing.” It rained Thursday and Friday nights, but the open roof portions were covered. It also rained Sabbath and Saturday night. Sunday morning dawned not so bright and definitely not clear, but the rain tapered off by scheduled starting time. The plastic was taken off the roof, and the skies held the rains.

At one point, there were 36 volunteers swarming over the roof and job site. This was a biblical head count, therefore did not count women and children. There were current students, former students, dads, faculty, church members, several contractors, and even ‘walk-ons’ who were not associated with the churches or school, but had heard about the work needing to be done. Comparatively little communication was needed between the crew chief from LSU and each of the workers, as each assumed a familiar work role.

New sheeting was in place and one-half of the approximately 5,000 feet of shingles was in place by lunch time. The second half was completed later that afternoon, and the rain held off until just prior to nailing the ridge cap in place. One bard suggested the job would have been completed before the rains came except, “The Lord didn’t expect us to linger quite so long over our lunch.” During the next lull in the rain, the work was completed, and over the next four days the roof was given it’s first real test by successfully shedding 11 inches of rain.