A California pastor was killed and his wife was seriously injured after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela last Wednesday, leaving his family and congregation mourning his sudden death.
Pastor Romildo Delima, who led Worship Church Ministries in Riverside, California, was in Venezuela with his wife, Carlha Nacarid, when the earthquakes hit the South American country.
According to a GoFundMe campaign organized in part to help bring Delima’s body home, the couple had traveled to Venezuela to celebrate the pastor’s 69th birthday on June 21.
Three days later, on June 24, two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude struck northern Venezuela, killing nearly 2,000 people.
“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, a pastor and friend of Delima, told CBS LA that the hotel where the couple was staying in Caracas collapsed during the earthquake. One of Delima’s sons also told the outlet that his father, who had three grandchildren, was struck 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.”
Delima’s family remembered him as a man who lived out his faith with “compassion, humility, and unwavering love.”
The GoFundMe campaign is raising funds to help cover Nacarid’s surgeries and medical recovery, as well as travel costs and the repatriation of Pastor Delima’s body to his native Brazil, where his family hopes to bury him next to his mother.
