'Have faith and be brave' — Young adults, teens reach out
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SANTIAGO, CHILE
" 'Helping hands' is more than a slogan — it's a reality," said Barbara Corro, an elementary school teacher and institute student in Santiago, Chile.
"It was really frustrating to see people in pain, so we put together a service project so we could do something for them."
Sister Corro joined 30 other young adults to assemble 10,000 hygiene kits following the massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake just one month ago. I was there to help document members' recovery efforts after the Feb. 27 earthquake. I had no idea that I was about to discover that amidst the tragedy and upheaval, members of the Church in Chile responded so quickly and effectively and sacrificed much to bless the lives of their neighbors in central Chile.
At a member's house in the foothills above the sprawling city, Relief Society sisters and young women made desperately needed blankets. Some measured and cut sections of polyester fleece from large rolls. Others hemmed the edges and embroidered the words ten fe y se villience — "have faith and be brave."
"We made 64 blankets in four days," said Jessica Marchesedepierettini, Relief Society president of the Santiago Chile La Florida Stake. "Our Laurels, who will be going into Relief Society soon, helped with the project."
Following our visit to the capital city, we drove south toward the quake's epicenter.
In San Clemente, a few days before the quake, Adrian Hernandez helped his youth group plan a service project. Little did he realize the project would end up rebuilding a house for his family. When his home was damaged beyond repair during the quake, the young men and their priesthood leaders helped Brother Hernandez build a modest new home in less than three weeks.
Heading west to the coast, we arrived at Constitución. The serene sights of this seaside village quickly turned to vast areas of destruction caused by four explosive forces — the earthquake and three tsunami waves up to 66 feet high. There, we saw three large fishing boats precariously resting in streets a quarter mile from the river — on the inland side of three-story buildings. Train tracks disappeared into mounds of dirt and rubble. Hundreds of buildings and houses were in ruins.
"The morning after the earthquake, one of the first things that came to my mind was, 'How is the Church?' " said Sister Kory Williams, a missionary from La Jara, Colo. "So we checked and saw that it was perfectly fine. But the adobe buildings in front and to the side had crumbled to the ground. I thought about when we build upon a firm foundation like it says in the scriptures — build upon a foundation of Jesus Christ — we won't fall. When torments or earthquakes come, we're going to be firm if we have that solid foundation."
The Church building in Constitución is a half-mile from the coast. The day after the tsunami, however, fish were found swimming in puddles on Church grounds. While cracks appear in one corner of the chapel, otherwise the building seems relatively undamaged.
"Ever since the earthquake, I've realized we need to prepare now," said Sister Amanda Leggett, a missionary from North Carolina. "If we do all the things that Jesus Christ has asked us to do, we'll be ready and we'll have the strength to pull through."
We followed six sister missionaries and two hard-working sisters from the Constitución Ward as they picked up bundles of food and hygiene kits and went to visit members and others in devastated areas. Our first stop was the Rodriquez home.
This modest home had been destroyed and filled with silt, but the family was unhurt. Brother Manuel Rodriguez showed the missionaries the high water mark — nearly eight feet up — on a leaning exterior wall. Even with this level of destruction, the full force of the tsunami had passed around his home. Further inland, several buildings had imploded into thousands of pieces when struck by the waves. The missionaries handed the family some food packets and blankets, then walked two miles to a more exposed area of the beach.
One of three remaining homes on the oceanfront was nearly 30 feet above sea level. Around it, other houses, buildings, light poles and the road had been destroyed. The day after the tsunami, these same sister missionaries had visited the area to offer help. The five members of this family had no water, so the missionaries found buckets and walked a mile to a paper mill to get water and bring it back. As we visited, the family's love and appreciation overflowed for these missionaries from an unknown church and the supplies from unknown donors.
"I've only been here for three months," said Sister Beth Jarrett, a missionary from Roosevelt, Utah. "The most important thing is to share this gospel, serve people, and always obey God and keep His commandments. If I were to die in this moment, would I be able to face God like it says in Alma, chapter 5 and say that I have done all I could? I want to say, 'Yes, I did.' "
We then drove to the top of a hill overlooking the city — the same hill on which the missionaries and other villagers had taken refuge the night of the disaster. In the blackness of the night, the missionaries had heard the tsunami waves wreak destruction on the city below.
"I look at life differently now," said Sister Abigail Billin from Meredith, N. H. "I look at my mission differently now than I did before the earthquake. President Oscar W. Chavez [Chile Concepción Mission] has tried to help us have a vision — a reason for doing the work we do. Now, when we serve people and talk to them about Jesus Christ, I feel a greater love for each person instead of just trying to do my normal missionary routine."
"The missionaries were so wonderful — they just wanted to help," said Jorge F. Zeballos, second counselor in the Chile Area presidency. "They were so happy doing that, even though they were in areas where the quake had the main impact. In many places they were combining their missionary efforts — proselyting and teaching — with helping to clean the streets and houses. They set a wonderful example. I think the chapels, our missionaries, and our youth have been three symbols of help, hope and happiness in the earthquake's aftermath."
Much-needed supplies shipped by the Church from the United States arrived in Concepción during our visit. Paid for by private donations to the Humanitarian Fund and through LDS Philanthropies, tents, tarps, blankets and hygiene kits will provide better shelter for families who have lost their homes and have nowhere else to go. We met missionaries, members and youth of the Concepción Central Ward to transfer supplies from large trucks into smaller trucks for delivery to devastated areas like Dichato on the coast.
"I have been helping for two weeks, working day and night," said 17-year-old Felipe. "Since I was a little child, my father taught me that we need to serve each other. He established a family motto, 'I and my house will serve the Lord.' That is why the desire to serve has always been in my heart. I hope youth around the world serve, not desiring any kind of reward, and always remember that many others face worse conditions than ours. Charity never fails."
"President Gordon B. Hinckley said that this is the best generation in the world and we believe it," said Elder Carlos H. Amado, Chile Area president. "We were so happy with the quick response, the enthusiasm, the strength, the power and the decision of the youth to be part of the positive action during the earthquake. In reality they pushed the leaders, requesting, 'Give us something to do.' They were 100 percent dedicated to doing something for these brothers and sisters who needed help."
As we left Chile, we observed how the youth, young adults and missionaries had been "true to the faith that their parents had cherished."
