Dear Friends,

We are writing this letter after the events in Valencia. On October 29, a massive flood hit, destroying many towns around the city. The situation here is devastating: as you walk through the affected areas, what you see does not seem real, it is hard to believe that this could have happened. The death toll is already very high and is rising dramatically as aid reaches all the affected areas. Many people were outside at the time, not expecting such a sudden and disruptive flood. As of now, it is impossible to predict when it will be possible to repair the damage. It is shocking to look around because everything is the same color, you cannot make out what is on the ground. While trying to help, we walk for hours with mud up to our ankles. In the face of all this many questions arise for us, “Where is hope?”, “Where is Christ?”.

During these days, we have been surprised by how our friendship with our CLU companions (the university students of Communion and Liberation) sustains us in the face of this harsh reality. Not only with those present here, but everyone who has written to us from other parts of Spain and from Italy. As you know, the community of university students in Valencia only started a year ago, and many of us have only known each other for a couple of months. Despite this, we can say with certainty that we do not want anything different to deal with this situation. As we work these days, it is evident that God is using our friendship to build. Friends are what allows despair not to have the last word. For example, yesterday all volunteers were asked to leave a street we were clearing of mud so that a garage could be emptied. They did not want anyone to see what was inside. At that moment, it became clear that no one can face this alone, but only within this friendship could we continue to help while remaining fully ourselves.



Another aspect that has struck us is the number of volunteers who are helping every day. Thousands of people come from the city to reach the affected areas. It is impressive to see how this solidarity and need to help are innate in everyone. Mercy works through all the faces that have this desire in their hearts. On the other hand, we are moved by the faces we have met, filled with pain but not utter despair. Quite the opposite: people full of hope and gratitude for all the help they receive. For example, yesterday we were helping out in a family’s house and it was amazing to see how grateful they were that we had cleared the mud from the street. They invited us to have lunch together because it was the only way they could thank us. It was clear that we were receiving more than we could offer with our help.

Also on Thursday, as we were cleaning the church in a village, surrounded by people doing the same. A woman approached us, surprised that she had never seen our faces in that parish before. She was impressed that we there to help without knowing anyone. She asked us, “Where did you come from, Heaven?”

Being here, seeing how much there is to do, it may feel like our help is not much. However, everything changes when one realizes that the gesture they are doing is much bigger than cleaning a street or removing furniture from a house. You understand that your work is small, but also that it contributes to building more than you can realize. We have discovered that we are instruments in the hands of Another and that all we have to do is surrender ourselves completely, and then God will build with that. Yesterday we cleared a street, and while to us it seemed like the same work as we had done in previous days, for those who live there it was a great grace to be able to see and walk on the sidewalk. A friend told us, “You are the Lord's caress for those who have lost so much and there are many signs of His presence.”


Faced with the questions that arise from pain and so much misfortune, questions that seek the meaning and understanding of what has happened, the only thing that comes to mind is the image of Christ on the cross, of God who does not abandon His people, who accompanies them in their suffering and at the same time is the foundation of their hope. We are very grateful that we can recognize the Lord so clearly and evidently in the facts we have told you about. It seems strange for us to say this and we still may not fully understand it, but we cannot help but affirm it after these days. This does not take away the suffering and sadness in the face of reality, but today we can cry out louder that Christ is the only answer.

Please continue to pray for the victims, those affected, the volunteers, and all those working to improve the situation. We are very grateful for your closeness, we feel very much accompanied.

The CLU community of Valencia