About 750 members of the Church were seriously affected when an earthquake struck the western Colombia mountain community of Armenia on Jan. 25, but they have been assisted by neighboring members who quickly responded.
"The priesthood is well-organized, and the people have food, clothing and medicine," said Elder Francisco J. Vinas of the Seventy and president of the South America North Area.He said Church assistance was immediately shipped to Armenia by welfare committees in Bogota and Cali, and that the area will handle affairs locally.
According to news reports, some 920 people throughout the area damaged by the earthquake are confirmed dead. Some areas of Armenia were leveled. In addition, health and security problems are developing as looters search for food, and bodies of the dead remain entombed in ruins.
Elder Vinas said three members died and 10 were injured in the quake. None of the 20 missionaries stationed in Armenia were injured, but the magnitude 6 temblor destroyed an unused meetinghouse and seriously damaged or destroyed the houses of some 147 LDS families, among whom were 485 adults, 222 children and 47 infants. No members in the neighboring cities of Calarca and Pereira, which also received damage, were affected.
The members who died were Blanca Aguirre de Mujica, 21; Adriana Olarte de Rivera, 25, and her baby, Bastien Rivera Olarte, 11 months. Sister Mujica was recently sealed in the temple to her husband, said Elder Vinas.
Pres. Alexander Nunez of the Colombia Cali Mission said that a day after the earthquake, a truck from the stakes in Bogota arrived in Armenia with three tons of food, clothing and water. Two trucks later arrived from Cali, and another from the two stakes in Medellin and several nearby districts. Some of the food was purchased by the Church and some was donated by members.
At present, six families in Armenia are staying in the Castellana meetinghouse, eight families in the Granada meetinghouse and about eight families in the Tres Escinas meetinghouse. These families will soon be given tents for temporary shelters.
Pres. Nunez said that two missionaries, Elders Dustin Berlin and Jaden Allred, who were trained to render emergency medical assistance, helped the Red Cross give emergency aid for two days. Other missionaries also assisted in relief operations in the city. However, all missionaries were recently taken out of Armenia because of health and security reasons.
Several committees have been organized by the local priesthood leaders, said Pres. Nunez. "One is an engineering committee, headed by a non-member who helped build our chapels. He is helping decide which damaged homes need to be destroyed, and which can be rebuilt.
"We have a medical committee headed by a doctor. She is not a member but her parents are. Her parents lost their home and they are living in a meetinghouse. This committee helps with emergencies and distributes medicines that have arrived.
"Another committee helps with transportation. And we have a committee to supply food to the branch presidents and it is distributed by the elders quorums. These committees have been very effective because there is no member in Armenia who has gone hungry."
He said the missionaries were protected as most of the homes where they were living were not seriously damaged. However, one home with missionary quarters was ruined, and the beds and desks were lost.
"I would like to express our gratitude to all the members of the stakes and districts that sent food, clothing and mattresses, and everything," said Pres. Nunez. "This help has been excellent."