A massive 8.1 earthquake rattled much of southern Peru on June 23, claiming the lives of more than 100 people, injuring hundreds of others and destroying the homes of tens of thousands Peruvians.
A young LDS girl was killed when a wall collapsed on her. Four other Church members were seriously injured during the quake. All missionaries were reported safe.
While casualties were relatively few among Church members, the disaster has severely impacted the lives of hundreds in Arequipa, Moquegua, Tacna and neighboring communities. More than 130 member homes were destroyed, while another 175 homes were severely damaged, said Elder David R. Stone of the Seventy and the South America West Area presidency.
"We also had one chapel in the city of Tacna that was damaged to the point that it cannot be used," Elder Stone said. The Arequipa Peru Mission office was also severely damaged and is not currently being used. Many meetinghouses are doubling as temporary shelters for displaced members.
President Miguel Angel Gonzalez of the Arequipa Peru Central Stake was in his home with his wife, Aida, when the quake hit.
"The rumbling lasted so long that we did not know when it was going to end," said Sister Gonzalez. "My husband and I just began singing a hymn to calm our 4-year-old son; it brought the Spirit to us."
Church meetings in some units ended early Sunday so members could check on those not in attendance.
Bishop Ricardo Jimenez of the Belen Ward of the Moquegua Peru Stake said he is grateful that no lives were lost from his congregation. Still, the quake has exacted a heavy toll.
"The members of the Church here are poor to begin with, now I fear things are going to get worse," Bishop Jimenez said. "No one is working. Everybody is outside helping to clean the streets."
Several members of Bishop Jimenez' ward are sleeping outside in the cold Peruvian night, fearful yet another aftershock will collapse their homes. Others are staying at the local chapel. Many are helping where they can.
"They are trying to keep the faith and keep one another hopeful," Bishop Jimenez said.
Moquegua, he added, is near several volcanos, and many worry that the ongoing seismic activity could trigger eruptions and further destruction.
Missionaries in the respective areas are being enlisted to help with the clean-up and the area presidency has authorized humanitarian assistance for affected members and congregations in the form of water, food, blankets and tents, Elder Stone said. With nighttime temperatures dipping into the 40s, blankets and tents remain in high demand.
Interim Peruvian President Valentin Paniagua declared a state of emergency in the region and visited many quake-hit towns, including Moquegua, where he said the situation was "heart-wrenching." In Moquegua — which means "silent place" in the indigenous Quechua language — residents stretched their hands out to Paniagua, begging for help against a backdrop of destruction, according to Reuters news service.
Peru's worst quake ever in 1970 registered a magnitude of 7.9, killed 70,000 people and left 600,000 homeless.
A natural disaster is also impacting the lives of Church members in the Philippines.
Mount Mayon, a volcano on the south end of Luzon, recently erupted, forcing the evacuation of 30 LDS families. No members or LDS missionaries were killed or injured.
The volcano spewed lava 800 meters into the air, prompting more than 30,000 people living around the eruption to leave their homes. Many who were evacuated have since returned to their homes because conditions in shelters were unsatisfactory, according to the Church Welfare Services.
The volcano is expected to erupt again in the near future. Local LDS leaders have assisted affected Church members.
E-mail: jswensen@desnews.com
