LAHAINA, Hawaii — President Joe Biden relayed many of his own personal experiences of fear, loss and not knowing to the crowd gathered at the Lahaina Civic Center during his visit to Maui on Monday.

He said his family had a tradition at home, especially because Biden was so busy much of the time. Whenever his son or daughter wanted to leave him a message, they would write it on paper and stick it to his mirror, where he shaved every morning.

He said during a particularly tough time during his last 25 years, his daughter left him a message, “Faith sees best in the dark.”

Biden said, “When things look the most bleak, that’s when we need faith — faith in our families, faith in ourselves and faith in our God.” Just in the few hours Biden had been on Maui, he said he saw remarkable resiliency in the people.

He said, “Jill and I are here to grieve with you, but also we want you to know the entire country is here for you. That’s not hyperbole. We mean that.” 

Having surveyed the damage from the air, Biden told those gathered that however much it takes for however long it takes, together with the governor and Hawaii’s elected officials, he said, “We’re going to get it done for you. But get it done the way you want it done. Not get it done somebody else’s way.”

Biden said, not to compare difficulties, but 15 years ago, he and his wife also experienced what it’s like to lose a home. He said lightning had struck a pond that hit a wire and went under their home and hit the air conditioning duct. Firefighters ran into the home and saved his wife and family. 

He said he and his wife were out of their home for nearly a year and couldn’t imagine what it’s like to lose one’s home completely, burned to the ground, and more importantly, all the things that matter to someone.  

“And many of you have lost more than just that,” said Biden. “Many of you have lost family, not even sure where some are.”  

He said as a 29-year-old senator, his mentor was Hawaii’s then-senator, the late Daniel Inouye. He was in Washington interviewing for staff before he was sworn in when he received a phone call from the local fire department and needed to come home immediately; “there’s been an accident.” 

A tractor-trailer had broadsided his wife’s car while she and their three children had been Christmas shopping. “She was killed, my baby was killed,” said Biden. He was told his two boys might not survive. So he said he knows what it’s like to feel the anxiety, the worry of facing the unknown. 

“The only thing worse than losing someone is not sure whether you’ve lost someone,” said Biden, adding that their hearts go out to all those who are trying to determine whether or not “the person who is missing, is missing and unaccounted for, for reasons that are devastating.” 

The community, the sense of togetherness in the Maui community, he said, “is not an ordinary community. It’s a community based on faith in one another.” He added, “It’s time to rise up to rebuild this community the way you want it built. So it’s still a community, not a group of beautiful homes, but a community,” to which the audience responded with applause.

“And I promise you, I give you my word as a Biden, as long as I am president and your governor is governor, and this group of your elected officials are there, we’re not going to stop till it’s done.”

He said, “I’ve been impressed at how you look out for one another, turn your pain into purpose. This town has stood in this spot for centuries, so much history, so much beauty. Just before coming here, I stood in front of the banyan tree that stood for 150 years. It burned, but it still stands. One resident called it a ‘diamond in the rough for hope.’ Another said, ‘Fire cannot reach its roots.’ It’s a metaphor, but that’s you. That’s who you are. That’s Hawaii. There’s no ‘quit’ in Hawaii, there’s no ‘quit’ in America. There’s no ‘quit’ in us.”

Biden ended his talk with a prayer for all in on Maui based on Psalms 91. He added, “The nation stands with you. God bless you all and may you find the faith to be able to endure what you have to endure.” 

Biden then said if anyone wished to speak with him following his talk, he said, “I’ll stay around because I just want you to know I really care.”