The family and faith community of Pastor Romildo Delima, who led Worship Church Ministries in Riverside, California, are grieving after he was killed and his wife was injured in Venezuela last Wednesday when twin earthquakes rocked the South American country.
In a GoFundMe campaign seeking in part to retrieve the pastor’s body, Delima’s family members state that he and his wife, Carlha Nacarid, traveled to Venezuela to celebrate his 69th birthday on June 21. Three days later, twin 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck northern Venezuela.
“In a matter of seconds, everything changed. During the earthquake, a wall collapsed on them. Romildo was rescued and taken to the hospital, but despite every effort, he did not survive,” the Delima family and Delima’s niece, Luciene Ferreira, explained on the GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $20,000.
“Carlha Nacarid, survived the earthquake but suffered severe injuries, including two broken legs and a fractured pelvis. She will undergo the surgeries she urgently needs in Venezuela, and the funds raised will also help cover the medical expenses associated with her treatment and recovery,” they added.
Miguel Gonzalez-Mateo, Delima’s friend who is also a pastor, told CBS LA that the hotel where the couple was staying in Caracas collapsed. One of the pastor’s sons told the news outlet that his father, who has three grandchildren, was hit by a falling wall.
“We will miss him all the time. He’s like a best friend for me,” Gonzalez-Mateo told CBS LA. “We feel so sad in all the congregation. We must pray for the family.”
His family members said he lived out his faith with “compassion, humility, and unwavering love.”
In addition to helping with his wife’s surgeries, the GoFundMe campaign is seeking to raise money for travel and repatriating Pastor Delima’s body to his native Brazil to be buried next to his mother.
“His final wish, and his family’s wish is for him to be laid to rest in Brazil, beside his mother and surrounded by the rest of his family. Bringing him home has become an overwhelming financial burden during an already unimaginable time,” the family stated.
They noted that they had asked government agencies for assistance in repatriating the pastor and his wife but did not receive the help they expected.
“We have spent the last several days desperately trying every possible avenue for help. We reached out to government agencies and anyone we thought could assist us, hoping they could help bring Romildo home and help Carlha get the medical care she needs. Sadly, despite all of our efforts, we have not received the support we were praying for,” the family said. “It is incredibly difficult for our family to ask for help, but today we have no other choice.”
Nearly 2,000 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the earthquakes in Venezuela since June 24.
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