Southwestern alumnus leads relief, provides ministry in wake of devastating Spanish floods

Joel and Angela Jolley grew up as missionary kids, and as adults felt led to go into the mission field themselves. After Joel graduated from Southwestern in 2014 with a Master of Arts in Missiology, and the couple spent some time planting churches in Irving, Texas, they moved in 2019 to Valencia, Spain, as missionaries with the International Mission Board.

The Jolleys spent the first five years planting churches and performing community service in Spain. They moved to Valencia shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, a time that they said tested their resilience and adaptability as they navigated lockdowns and worked to build a community of faith under the circumstances. But in 2024, they found themselves facing another tragedy that resulted in their assisting the community in a way they had not imagined.

In late October of 2024, Valencia experienced one of the worst flooding events in its recent history. Torrential rains overwhelmed rivers, causing levees to break and sending walls of water rushing through towns on the outskirts of the city. The sudden surge of water destroyed homes, businesses, and infrastructure, leaving entire communities stranded. Cars were swept away, streets turned into muddy waterways, and residents found themselves clinging to rooftops or struggling to escape the floodwaters.

While the city of Valencia itself remained largely untouched due to its natural barriers and systems previously put in place, the towns just outside its borders faced catastrophic losses. Many of these communities were unprepared for the overall severity of the flooding, which left thousands without shelter or food. As government response efforts lagged, volunteers and independent organizations rushed in to provide critical aid, and the Jolleys found themselves on the front lines of recovery.

“It was surreal,” Angela recalled. “It wasn’t even raining in the affected towns. The rivers just overflowed, and suddenly people were floating down the streets. We watched it unfold like something out of a disaster movie.”

Their initial response was simple, wanting to help in any way possible. As soon as they could access the hardest-hit areas, they began walking through knee-deep mud, offering help wherever it was needed. They reached out to members of their church who lived in the flood zones, ensuring that families had a way out and a safe place to stay. The need was overwhelming, but the Jolleys were determined to do what they could.

Joel and Angela quickly connected with relief organizations, including Samaritan’s Purse, and began coordinating efforts with local churches.

“People kept passing along our contact information because we spoke English, knew the area, and could help bridge the gap between international aid groups and the local community,” Joel said.

In collaboration with Samaritan’s Purse and volunteers from across Spain and the United States, they established systems to distribute food, water, and essential supplies. They helped clear debris from homes, assisted in setting up emergency shelters in local gyms, and provided emotional and spiritual support to those who had lost everything. The outpouring of help from volunteers across the world was deeply moving.

“There were teams from Ohio, Louisiana, and Madrid,” Angela said. “Some of them were retired police officers and firefighters who had come all this way just to lend a hand. The locals couldn’t believe it. They kept saying, ‘Why would strangers travel across the world to help us?’”

Angela recalled a story of a young woman whose cleaning supply store had been destroyed. She had been trapped inside as the water rushed in, forced to climb onto a high shelf in her storage closet, where she remained with her head just above the water for seven hours before being rescued. Angela was moved by the way her positivity remained intact despite the trauma. Joel and Angela, along with a team of volunteers, helped the woman clean out her store and get back on her feet. In the process, she connected with their faith community and even joined a leadership development course at their church.

“She asks about our church all the time now. She wants to know how she can help,” Angela said. “Sometimes, it’s just about being there for people.”

Another moving encounter was with a man who owned a local gym. During the flood, he and several others had to break a hole in the wall to escape. When volunteers helped him rebuild, he was overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers.

“‘My own family hasn’t even called me,’” he told Joel. “‘But here you all are, helping me like I’m one of your own.’”

Moved by the experience, he vowed to dedicate his gym to the name of Jesus once it reopened.

Now that the initial damage has been addressed and the time has come to deal with the aftermath, the Jolleys are looking toward long-term recovery efforts.

“The trauma doesn’t go away once the mud is cleaned up,” Joel noted. “People are dealing with nightmares, anxiety, and the loss of everything they built. We’re trying to figure out how best to support them moving forward.”

One of their main goals is to establish a dedicated space in the affected towns where they can offer counseling, support groups, and a continued presence for those in need.

“We don’t just want to help and then disappear,” Angela said. “We want to build relationships and continue to serve this community in a meaningful way.”

Joel recalled some lessons he learned from his missions professors at Southwestern, crediting them as being helpful in their pursuit to continue spreading the Gospel effectively and truthfully, throughout their continued effort.

“My time at Southwestern was truly a blessing. As I look back, I am deeply grateful for the wisdom and experience shared by my missions professors, many of whom served on the field themselves.” Joel said, “Their teaching impressed upon me the importance of contextualizing the Gospel without compromising its message and the necessity of truly living it out in daily interactions. This has been invaluable in our calling to Spain, especially as we minister in challenging times.”

The Jolleys also hope to leave a lasting impact on the communities through helping to teach and establish new church leaders who can further grow their mission work.

“We’ve been a part of multiple church plants, and now we see our role shifting toward investing in younger leaders.” Angela said, “We want to equip others to carry on the work and reach even more people.”

The flood in Valencia was a devastating event, but for Joel and Angela Jolley, the experience reinforced their commitment to bring the Gospel to those impacted even while they help meet their physical needs.

“We’ve had more meaningful conversations with people in the past few months than we could have imagined,” Angela reflected. “In the midst of tragedy, doors opened that we never expected. And we’re going to keep walking through them.”