Morón Update: Rebuilding Lives, Homes, and Hope

While much of the world’s attention remains focused on Venezuela’s largest cities, communities like Morón continue the difficult journey from survival to recovery.

Primer Iglesia Bautista de Morón, our local church partner reports that the greatest damage has been to people’s homes. Many houses collapsed completely, while many others were left structurally unsafe. For many families, finding a safe place to live has become the most urgent concern.

Within our partner church alone, five families suffered major damage. Two families lost their homes completely, while three others remain in houses with collapsed perimeter walls and serious structural concerns. Although these families are grateful to be alive, they continue living in unsafe conditions because they have nowhere else to go.

The church building itself was also damaged. Three walls suffered significant structural failure, and after inspection, local firefighters recommended that two of them be demolished and rebuilt before the building can be fully used again. A five-ton air conditioning unit was destroyed during the earthquake, adding to the repair costs.

Yet perhaps the deepest wounds are not visible.

Children, elderly residents, and many adults continue to experience fear and anxiety. Even weeks later, many still feel as though the ground is shaking beneath them. The emotional trauma remains one of the community’s greatest needs.

Despite these challenges, the church has become a place of hope.

This week the team is serving in the El Bolivariano neighborhood by distributing clothing, providing medical care, organizing activities for children, and delivering hygiene kits, especially for elderly residents and young families.

Looking ahead, volunteers will begin clearing debris from damaged homes and helping rebuild the perimeter walls of three houses belonging to women who live alone. One of these women was recently robbed after thieves took advantage of the missing walls to enter her home. Restoring these homes is about far more than construction—it is about restoring dignity, safety, and peace of mind.

The church also continues offering prayer, encouragement, and pastoral care to families carrying the emotional burden of the disaster. Community members consistently ask for spiritual support alongside practical assistance.

Food and clean water remain pressing concerns. Morón struggled with reliable access to potable water even before the earthquake. The disaster has made that challenge significantly worse, and non-perishable food supplies will remain essential for the months ahead.

IsraAid a nongovernmental organization has provided us with special tubs with water filters which provide clean and good tasting water.

Our local partners continue to move forward one step at a time, using every resource entrusted to them to serve as many people as possible. Their immediate priorities are clear: create places of refuge, strengthen vulnerable homes, restore the church as a center of community life, and continue demonstrating the love of Christ through practical service.

This is exactly the kind of grassroots, locally led response we believe creates lasting transformation. As resources become available, we will continue standing alongside the people of Morón—not only during this emergency, but throughout the long journey of rebuilding lives, communities, and hope.