Colombian community in Reading gathers to support earthquake victims and connect with loved ones
Members of Union Colombiana in Reading, Pennsylvania, are finding ways to connect their homeland after a devastating earthquake in southwestern Colombia.
READING, Pa. —
Members of Union Colombiana in Reading, Pennsylvania, gathered to pray, reflect, and organize aid for victims of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck southwestern Colombia, killing hundreds and leaving the region in ruins.
Heartache and helplessness from afar
Juan Carlos Ramirez expressed his deep connection to his homeland, saying, “Mi familia colombiana, mi patria colombiana,” which translates to “My Colombian family, my Colombian homeland.”
For Alba Fernandez, the gathering evoked powerful emotions. “I left the country when I was 14 and I didn’t go back for a long time,” she said. “When I went back, I realized that my heart belonged there.”
Andrea Yoder shared her sadness over the destruction caused by the earthquake. “Ver la
destrucción por el terremoto me hace sentir muy triste,” she said, which translates to “Seeing the destruction from the earthquake makes me very sad.”
She also described feeling helpless. “Me hace sentir un poco impotente de no poder ayudar a las personas como quisiera,” she said, which translates to “It makes me feel a little helpless that I can’t help people the way I would like to.”
Finding solace through prayer and community
Despite being far from home, Yoder said she has found solace in prayer. “Nuestros corazones necesitan hablar, necesitan desahogarse y, más aún, desahogarse con Dios,” she said, which translates to “Our hearts need to speak. They need to release what we’re feeling, and especially to do that with God.”
The women have organized donation drives and held a vigil for the lives lost, creating a space for reflection and connection. “We’re able to gather here, we’re able to really just get people to, you know, just slow down, reflect, you know, just provide some solace to our, our, our friends and families back home,” Fernandez said.
Union Colombiana invited Ramirez to lead prayers during the vigil. “God talks about how one day everything will perish, but three things will remain, and that’s faith, hope, and love,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez expressed his longing to be in Colombia to help. “Quisiera estar ahí para mover bloques. Pero no puedo estar ahí,” he said, which translates to “I wish I could be there. I wish I could help pick up debris, but I can’t be there.”
He reminded the group of their shared love for their homeland. “Es el amor que tenemos como colombianos para salir al frente y hacer algo para nuestra patria, para nuestra comunidad,” he said, which translates to “It’s the love we have as Colombians that allows us to step forward and do something for our homeland, for our community.”
Fernandez emphasized the importance of the gathering.
“Having a space like this where we can come together and just reflect, you know, and just have a time to pray and hope that our people back home are on the path to recovery,” she said.
Through prayer, music, and community, the group found a way to channel their emotions into action, bridging the distance between Pennsylvania and Colombia.