While wildfires raged out of control throughout San Diego County, beginning Oct. 21, members of the Fallbrook Seventh-day Adventist Church bravely stood their ground to pray for the church building and to serve the firefighters who came to help them.

"A wall of fire 30 to 50 feet high devoured homes around us and then headed for our church building," said Associate Pastor Ulisese Mataafa, "but as we prayed, the flames turned back and our building was spared."

Unafraid, Mataafa and Senior Pastor Gerald Jones, along with members of the Rad Krkljus and Pete Flores families, then worked around the clock to provide hot meals and a place to sleep and wash for firefighters who were using the church parking lot as a staging site. More than 100 firefighters each day, from fire stations as far north as Paradise, Calif., stopped by the church fellowship hall to refresh themselves before heading back out to battle the worst wildfires in recent history.

With power lines down, neighbors supplied generators to keep the lights on and the food hot. Kari Roosenberg and Shirley King gathered donations from restaurants and large chain stores, while Michelle and Curtis Brownlow, Troy and Gina Egly, Francisco and Janet Garcia, and many others worked to make sure that supplies were plentiful.

Crew members from Engine 67, Richmond, Calif., said, "You took care of us when we were tired and hungry, and that enabled us to work harder for you. For this, we will be eternally grateful."