Surely you know by now the devastation that two recent earthquakes left in their wake in the northern part of Venezuela. This comes while Venezuela remains in crisis-mode, 10+ years and running, which means that the Venezuelan diaspora spans far and wide. Some of our closest friends are from Venezuela, and when the level of destruction was made clear to them, they quickly responded by asking our church to help gather some funds to help in their hometown, also impacted, but forgotten in the wake of much bigger cities that were getting most of the attention and aid.
Alexy wrote:
Good morning everyone, I hope you’re doing well. The reason for this message is to ask for a helping hand with what has happened in my country: earthquakes that have led to devastation and hurt for many. Solangel and I are trying to organize a collection of money to be able to send to Venezuela for purchasing medicines and wound care supplies.
We’re deeply thankful that our family in Venezuela is not hurt, but there are many close friends and relatives that didn’t have the same luck. Since there are parts of Venezuela more affected by the earthquakes, the emergency response is concentrating efforts there and leaving little towns like ours (San Joaquín, Estado Carabobo) without any attention or resources.
Any amount of help is welcome; my deepest thanks ahead of time. May God bless you tremendously.
I told Alexy that I would send that on to the last three HULA groups (since those are the three groups that Alexy and Solangel have gotten to know since they started being a part of our church in early 2024), and within just a couple hours a few hundred dollars given both from our church and from HULA meant that Alexy and Solangel had already been able to send money to their family and a nephew in particular who bought water, food, and wound care kits and were able to distribute that to many families in need. In particular, one pregnant mother of 2 was given diapers, food, and a place to stay in the wake of having lost everything.
And then HULA students just kept giving. And an incredible set of circumstances led to a $1000 gift. And all in all we got more than $2000 in just a couple of days and now it was Alexy and Solangel’s task to figure out ways to best use that incredible generosity for the sake of people who are really hurting. Even now there are significant challenges with moving this help forward, with electricity shortages in large parts of Venezuela and parts of the country who have lost cell service. So we’re coordinating with friends and contacts here in Arequipa who know of people and situations there who need help. And my friend Jonathan in Buenos Aires whose church is well-connected to churches in Venezuela is coordinating an effort to get help directly to people who need it through church leaders there.
The Psalm from the lectionary two Sundays ago was Psalm 13, which was what I had sent Alexy when he and I were first talking about the devastation and Alexy said “¿Hasta cuándo? Hasta cuándo seguirá Venezuela sufriendo asi?” “How long, Lord?” We lament, asking God, “How long?” And “When will it end?” And at the same time, with hope, we work to bring help and healing to those who are hurting, because of Jesus.
Here are just a few words of thanks and snapshots from the help being given. Special thanks to all those from HULA 2024, 2025, and 2026 who have contributed to this:
From Solangel:
Amigos de HULA gracias por todo su apoyo incondicional, gracias por todos los aportes que han hecho para poder ayudar en este momento tan difícil a nuestros hermanos y hermanas de Venezuela. Gracias por sus oraciones, que Dios bendiga a sus familias y a cada uno de ustedes grandemente. LES MANDAMOS UN FUERTE ABRAZO A TODOS. FAMILIA MONTERO GONZÁLEZ.
(Friends of HULA, thank you for all your unconditional support, thank you for all the contributions you have made to help our brothers and sisters in Venezuela during this difficult time. Thank you for your prayers; may God greatly bless your families and each one of you. We send you all a big hug. The Montero González Family.)
From Alexy:
Chicos hoy no tenemos palabras para describir el agradecimiento que sentimos y todo lo que ha implicado este movimiento de solidaridad con nuestro país. Agradecemos de todo corazón sus donaciones y todas sus oraciones; pedimos especialmente que no desista en sus oraciones ya que hay mucha gente que está pasando por mucho sufrimiento ahora mismo. Mi familia y yo queremos hacerle llegar nuestra gratitud; decirles que Dios bendiga su esfuerzo y su colaboración y pedimos que por favor sigan orando por cada familia que han perdido todo, y hacer de su conocimiento que aún seguimos haciendo la distribución de lo que se ha recaudado tratando de llegar a las familia vulnerables.
(Guys, today we are speechless with gratitude for everything this solidarity movement has meant for our country. We sincerely thank you for your donations and all your prayers; we especially ask that you continue to pray, as many people are going through immense suffering right now. My family and I want to express our deepest gratitude; we ask that God bless your efforts and your support, and we ask that you please continue to pray for every family that has lost everything. We also want to let you know that we are still distributing the funds raised, striving to reach vulnerable families.)
Here’s a video compilation from two of Alexy’s nephews who have been helping distribute the help from these donations. Alexy is blown away because he says, when he left Venezuela almost ten years ago, they were just kids. Now they’re out there helping people who are hurting.