Elder Soares Encourages Valencia Flood Survivors to Trust in Jesus Christ

On Wednesday, November 8, 2024, Elder Ulisses Soares, an Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visited a portion of Spain devastated by flash flooding in late October.

He and Elder Rubén Alliuad, President of the Europe Central Area, shared love, concern and an uplifting message of keeping faith in Jesus Christ with Latter-day Saints in Catarrojas, Spain.

“My dear brothers and sisters, we love you deeply and want to be close to you at this time. That’s why we are here. I hope you can feel our Heavenly Father’s love for you, as well as our love,” said Elder Soares.

Helamán Rubío, who lives in Catarrojas, lost four neighbors during the flood and saw one of them die while trying to rescue someone who was sick. He was overcome with peace to hear an Apostle of Jesus Christ was coming to minister to them.

“We really needed Elder Soares to come. It has been like a miracle,” said Rubío. “Yes, it has been a miracle, because we have been able to hear the voice of the Spirit, and it was what we needed to hear.”

When individuals are sick, the Apostle said, they look for a doctor to take care of their immediate needs.

He then added, “Perhaps, in this moment, the main need we have right now is a spiritual need. And our spiritual caretaker is the Savior Jesus Christ. I invite you in this moment to put your life in His hands, trust in Him, know that He is there, He is waiting for each of us.”

Elder Soares offered a prayer with a special blessing for flood victims. He and his wife, Rosana, as well as the Allauids, greeted and embraced every person in attendance.

“Keep your faith in God and Jesus Christ. We are very committed to do everything that is possible to help each with your needs and to help you press forward,” he said.

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After their time together, Elder Soares visited a nearby hospital to show his love to a member who fell down a manhole walking back to his home to check on his children as the water started to rise.

Almudena Gómez felt the power of Elder Soares personally ministering to her family.

“It has been a great blessing that … he came here to give us all his love,” he said. “He greeted each of us, hugged each of us, and we truly felt [loved] through those hugs and the blessing he gave to all of us.”

Church Newsroom followed the Almenar-Gómez family back to their home through mud-covered streets of Catarrojas to see the damage to their home and hear their story.

“Through the peephole in the door, I could see the car parked in front,” Gómez said. “I watched as the water rose — first halfway up the wheels, then covering them, and by the third time I looked, the car was gone.”

They used buckets to keep as much water out of their home as possible, but it came too quickly. It rose to nine feet in an hour. They used a ladder to escape over their back patio wall and climb to their neighbors on the second floor.

They returned to their home around 4 a.m. the following day to see the destruction. On the street corner was a 15-foot-high pile of items carried there by the raging waters.

In the face of these challenges, the Almenar-Gómez family is like so many others in the community — relying on community support.

“Our leaders, who have been here since the very beginning, have come from Valencia every day to help us clean, to bring clothes, food — everything, because when you lose everything, you need everything,” said Gómez.

The Church’s local meetinghouse has become one of many community locales where people can come for a hot meal, medical equipment, daily necessities, and a place to ask for help. Gómez has personally seen young people leading the charge to help those in need.

“In the midst of this tragedy, we have felt a lot of support even before today, with help from both Church members and people who have come from all over Spain,” said Gómez.

“I have been able to understand better what the prophet was telling us about the new generation that has come with great strength,” she added.

The following day, Elder Soares met with missionaries of the Barcelona Spain Mission and thanked those who are serving the Valencia — particularly the four sister missionaries who are currently serving in Catarrojas. They walked two hours from the flood zone to attend the meeting.

On Sunday, November 10, 2024, Elder Soares and his wife, Rosana, as well as Elder Alliuad and his wife, Fabiana, spoke at a countrywide conference. More than 5,000 Latter-day Saints participated in the meeting.

The Apostle reinforced the need for members of the Church to strengthen their own spiritual foundation on the rock of Jesus Christ as a way to survive the difficult days ahead that precede the second coming of the Savior.