Asia Area Leaders Visit Nepal Devastation
 

People around the world have expressed concern for the residents of Nepal following that country’s destructive earthquakes, and many relief organizations have provided assistance. Elder Randy D. Funk, member of the Asia Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Peter E. Sackley, and Sister Kelly Sackley from the Church’s India New Delhi Mission carried the Church’s love and concern to church members and others in Nepal over the May 15th weekend. They were joined by Elder and Sister Jim and Chris Valentine who had been serving there as humanitarian missionaries until their evacuation to Thailand a few days after the April 25th quake.  

The group met with several of the Church’s humanitarian partner organizations to survey damage, assess the status of relief efforts, evaluate rebuilding needs, and convey their love and respect for the people of Nepal. For the Valentines, the return visit brought poignant memories of the earthquake, both good and bad.

Sister Valentine recalled her harrowing experience which came after she had left church services to prepare food for a special “missionary dinner” for those preparing to serve missions for the Church outside of Nepal. “It hits. I have the choice to go down the stairs, out an outdoor escape, or under the table. I chose to run down the stairs. Things were flying off the walls. Plaster, tiles, and glass were flying. I made it to a rail and watched a young lady get thrown from one landing to another. She didn’t fall; the earthquake just picked her up and threw her down one whole landing. Holding the rail, I made it to the bottom of the stairs as quickly as possible.”

The Valentines also recounted their experience after returning to where church members had gathered after leaving the meetinghouse, and finding them crouching on the grounds outside. With violent aftershocks occurring every few minutes, it was difficult to stand. The youth started singing, “The Spirit of God,” while neighbors in the area mingled with them. Sister Valentine remembered, “One woman just put her hand on my shoulder—sharing comfort.” The couple also remembered the local church leaders pulling out their phones and quickly determining the status of missing church members.

The visiting church leaders were able to survey devastation in the hard-hit areas of Bhaktapur and Durbar Square. In addition to the “Great Quake” on April 25th, a second major quake of 7.4 on the Richter scale occurred on May 12th, causing additional damage and loss of life.

On Saturday (the Sabbath in Nepal), the group met with the local “branch council” to discuss members’ needs. Then at sacrament meeting the Valentines bore their testimonies followed by President and Sister Sackley. In his remarks, Elder Funk reminded the congregation of parallel scriptures in the Book of Mormon. A group of people described in these scriptures also experienced earthquakes and other devastations and were able to maintain hope by looking to Christ. Elder Funk’s message was that they could also find hope in Christ.

Elder Valentine recalled the impact of that meeting on church members saying, “They were really uplifted by that. I think that was a wonderful thing, to let them know that the church cares about them; people care about them. I think it was huge.” During Sunday School, Elder Funk held an open discussion to hear members’ stories and updates on the impact of the earthquakes in their lives.

When asked about their homes, one church leader responded, “Though we have lost our homes, no one was hurt, so we are happy.” He continued, “We have really been blessed and guided as we’ve followed the Spirit.”

Following the Spirit was a common theme among church members. Ajay Shrestha, a young science teacher and leader in the church, told of his experience the day of the quake. He had left church early to pick up his aunt. She had plans to go to a museum in Patan and wanted him to accompany her. However, he remembered the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy and realized going to the museum was not the best thing for him to do, so the museum trip was cancelled. He returned to church instead. After the earthquake, he had a chance to see the

Patan area and discovered the museum had collapsed. Ajay’s life and his aunt’s life had been saved because he had listened to the Spirit.     

From this fact-finding trip and ongoing work with humanitarian partners, the Church will continue providing assistance to the local branch and its members, as well as many others in Nepal. A great deal of effort is still needed to provide relief as the season’s monsoon rains begin to affect the area. Local church members, however, are in good spirits and are resilient and faithful.