During a 10-day visit to South America, Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson and Primary General President Susan H. Porter ministered to Church members and met with government leaders to discuss issues impacting women.
They traveled to Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay Sept. 9-19. A summary of their ministry was published in a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org on Sept. 23.
Ministering to Church members
President Johnson and President Porter, who served together in the Primary general presidency for one year before beginning their new callings Aug. 1, participated in a variety of meetings for members — a meeting for young parents, a devotional for single women, an interactive meeting for children and their parents, and training for ward and stake leaders.
They were accompanied by the South America South Area presidency, Elder Craig C. Christensen and his counselors, Elder Joaquin E. Costa and Elder Alan R. Walker, all of whom are General Authority Seventies, and their spouses.
In a meeting for children and their parents, President Porter invited the children to share how they could bring others to Jesus Christ. She also encouraged them to reach out to Heavenly Father in prayer. “Our Heavenly Father loves you. He knows your name and what your challenges are. He needs you,” she said.
In another meeting, President Porter shared her experience of assisting her husband, Elder Bruce D. Porter, amid his serious health challenges for many years before he died in 2016. “Many times, what we do is not seen or known by others. However, God knows, and He blesses us when we serve in quiet, unseen ways,” she testified.
While President Johnson and her husband, Brother Douglas R. Johnson, were serving as leaders of the Peru Arequipa Mission, one of their sister missionaries suffered an unfortunate setback. President Johnson told the story of this missionary, and that her setback was later followed by unseen miracles.
“Faith in Jesus Christ produces miracles,” President Johnson said. “And many times, they are not the miracles we expect.”
While in South America, President Johnson reunited with this sister missionary, after discovering that the sister now lives in the area where President Johnson was assigned to speak.
President Johnson also taught local women leaders about the impact of Christlike love — what she described as a “circle of love.” She explained: “When you show love to your sisters, they feel God’s love. They love God in return and partner with Him to love His children, who then feel His love.”
Government outreach
Representatives from the Ministry of Women welcomed and hosted President Johnson and President Porter in Paraguay and Argentina.
“Our Church looks forward to working with you to improve the opportunities for education and self-reliance for women,” President Johnson said in a meeting with Minister of Women Celina Lezcano in Asunción, Paraguay.
Government officials expressed awareness of the Church’s engagement with women and their positive impact. Claudia Martinez, minister of women in Córdoba, Argentina, said: “We recognize the presence of your Church as a key player in our community. We look forward to this new opportunity to collaborate in efforts to assist and protect women.”
In Argentina, President Johnson and President Porter visited a resource center that helps women in domestic violence situations. It houses a secure area for women, immediate legal counsel, services for children and rehabilitation programs.
