Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Venezuela are turning to their faith in Jesus Christ as they work to recover and rebuild after two deadly earthquakes struck the country on Wednesday, June 24.
Caracas Venezuela Stake President Fidel Alberto Castillo Gomez wrote to the Church News that the earthquakes had a significant impact within the boundaries of his stake. Approximately six buildings collapsed within the boundaries, and many other residential structures were affected.
But despite the uncertainty faced by many families, members have relied on the Lord by acting with “faith, prudence and Christlike love,” President Castillo said.
“During these days, we have remembered that relying on the Lord does not mean we will not have trials, it means we are not alone in them,” the stake president said. “One of the most powerful ways we have felt the Lord has been by serving one another.”
The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck the country late in the evening on Wednesday, June 24. According to reporting by the Associated Press, the death toll had risen to 3,535 by Monday, July 6, with another 16,740 people injured and tens of thousands missing.
In the hardest-hit area of La Guaira, many families have been forced to dig and search for missing loved ones in the rubble themselves, without access to cranes and other large equipment.
According to President Castillo, many families have also felt fear because of the aftershocks and the possibility of further damage. Yet “many members have responded with generosity, even while they themselves have also felt fear or uncertainty,” he said.
Committees and support groups have been formed to inspect homes, accompany affected families and coordinate the collection and distribution of emergency supplies.
President Castillo said the most effective form of assistance right now is to identify specific needs and respond in an organized way.
“There are families who need nonperishable food, drinking water, medicines, personal hygiene items and basic support while they are unable to return to their homes,” he said. “Our priority is to act with prudence, protect life and serve our neighbor as the Savior would.”
For local Church leaders like President Castillo, service has included listening to the concerns of families, organizing help for those affected, opening Church buildings as temporary shelters, identifying urgent needs and coordinating assistance.
“Serving during this trial has allowed me to feel peace, to feel the companionship of the Lord, and to feel that, even in difficult circumstances, He can make us instruments in His hands,” he said.
Faith in Jesus Christ has sustained President Gomez, and he said it is sustaining others as well.
“Despite everything that has happened, I feel that the Lord is aware of His children in Venezuela,” he said. “He knows our burdens, our losses, and our fears. And I also know that He will give us the strength we need to move forward. To me, that is already a miracle.”
Coordinating the delivery of food and medical supplies
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is working in coordination with the Vice Ministry of Religious Affairs and Worship and other medical authorities of the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela.
According to a news release from June 29 on the Church Spanish language Newsroom, the Church and government officials delivered medical supplies to five public hospitals in Caracas as part of the recent response. This delivery included prepared meals, which was to continue for 10 days.
Part of the delivery included medications, intravenous solutions, medical and surgical supplies and other resources intended to strengthen the hospitals’ capacity to respond to the increased demand.
Day of service
On July 1, members of the Church throughout Venezuela also joined forces with the Vice Ministry of Religious Affairs and Worship of the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela to provide service for those affected in the La Guaira state.
This service included coordinating needed supplies, like mattresses, to families in need, according to a news release on the Church’s Spanish-language Newsroom.
Elder Juan F. Zorrilla, an Area Seventy, said following Jesus Christ means standing alongside those going through difficult times.
“Our desire is that this assistance represents not only material relief, but also a reminder that God loves His children and that, united, we can bring hope to those who need it most.”
Communication equipment
Another donation from the Church to the Vice Ministry of Religion and Worship will make it easier to communicate and coordinate emergency response in the hardest-hit communities.
The Church donated a modern satellite internet system which will be installed immediately in the Emergency Operations Center of the Vice Ministry, located in the state of La Guaira.
This system will allow the operations center to maintain continuous communication, according to a news release on the Church’s Spanish language Newsroom website.
