Two weeks after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in western Colombia, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles mourned with, comforted and ministered to local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He also met with the mayor of Cali, Colombia, about emergency aid and long-term recovery for affected families.
‘Our hearts are with you’
“We want you to know that you’re not alone. Our hearts are with you. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles pray for you,” said Elder Stevenson on Monday, Aug. 24, according to an Aug. 27 news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Joined by his wife, Sister Lesa Stevenson, the Apostle testified to hundreds of Latter-day Saints in Cali that the restored Church is here to help and support. “We will do all we can to bless you in your afflictions.”
A Savior who understands His people
Elder Stevenson encouraged listeners to consider the “beautiful model of Jesus Christ” — He who suffered “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind” to know “how to succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:11-12).
“When any of you feel pain,” he said, “the Savior, Jesus Christ, takes that on Him so that He completely understands you.”
In her remarks, Sister Stevenson mentioned the Savior’s Book of Mormon ministry among the Nephites in the land of Bountiful. Christ recognized when people were tired, discouraged and weak, she said.
“He gathered them in. He blessed each one of them one by one. He prayed with them, and then He wept with them.” Sister Stevenson added, “He will do the same for you.”
While the earthquake took away homes and possessions, she said, it cannot diminish one’s eternal worth. “What it can’t take away from you is your divine identity. You are a son and a daughter of Heavenly Father, and He loves you.”
Experiences lead to Christlike caring
Those who have lost homes, jobs and sense of security may ask why, acknowledged Elder Stevenson. “Sometimes the answer is, ‘We don’t know why.’ We know that in mortality, there are trials and tribulations.”
He continued, “These experiences we have in life often lead us to a greater sense of compassion for others, a greater sense of knowledge and understanding, a greater sense of Christlike caring and service.”
Emphasizing the blessing of the Church’s ministering program, Elder Stevenson invited members to serve and ask others for help.
Elder Stevenson closed with an apostolic blessing of peace and comfort upon the people. “I bless your families, and I bless your children, that somehow this affliction, this challenge, will be consecrated for your gain. Somehow, someday, you’ll look back and be able to say, ‘The Lord blessed me in my affliction.’”
‘Disrupting their lives but not dimming their faith’
Elder Stevenson was deeply touched by affected members of the Church during an Aug. 25 ministering visit, he said in an Aug. 26 social media post.
“The members in Cali are laboring in intense situations because of this natural disaster disrupting their lives but not dimming their faith. The gospel of Jesus Christ is constant. It brings hope. Even when members are in need of comfort, they are comforting others around them.”
He recounted a spontaneous moment in a Cali member devotional that he “will never forget.” As the congregation was singing “I Am a Child of God,” a young boy — whose family was displaced from their home by the earthquake — ran to the podium where Elder Stevenson was standing.
In a video attached to his post, he’s brought to tears as the boy sings in Spanish. Elder Stevenson continued: “Even amid uncertainty and loss, we observed hearts anchored in the Savior and strengthened by His promised peace.”
Visiting with Cali’s mayor
On Monday, Aug. 24, Elder Stevenson met with Alejandro Eder, mayor of Cali, Colombia, to talk about emergency aid and long-term recovery for affected families.
“We discussed the impact of the earthquake, the emergency response offered by the Church and future plans to collaborate in recovery efforts,” wrote Elder Stevenson in his Aug. 26 social media post. “Our love for God motivates us to care for those in need wherever they may be.”
Elder Stevenson emphasized the Church’s priority of helping families move beyond initial relief toward more sustainable self-reliance.
“Caring for those in need is at the very heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said, according to an Aug. 29 news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Joining Elder Stevenson was Elder Juan Pablo Villar — a General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s South America Northwest Area.
Elder Villar explained some of the Church’s self-reliance programs and community efforts, like donating 3,300 food kits and establishing collection centers. Volunteer members and mental health professionals also served by providing emotional support to those affected.
At the close of the meeting, Elder Stevenson provided Eder with a framed copy of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” The mayor thanked the Church for its prompt humanitarian support in the affected communities.
