The Church of Jesus Christ Helps Amidst Volcano Eruption in Saint Vincent

With the La Soufrière volcano still erupting and keeping its pattern of seismic activity over the last few days, the Kingstown meeting house of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Saint Vincent, one of the official shelters, is providing refuge for 46 islanders, including members of the Church.

“In the last 24 hours, only a few long-period, hybrid and volcano-tectonic earthquakes have been recorded and there was no further tremor. Probable continued growth or formation of a lava dome following the explosions of last week with accompanying ashfall, of similar or larger size, can restart with little or no warning. The volcano is at alert level Red,” indicated the local emergency authorities in a recent report.

Refugees have been at the shelter for more than two weeks at this point. A series of in-shelter activities are being implemented to satisfy the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of everyone. Daily prayers, Gospel study, exercise, and gatherings three times a week at 7:00 pm (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday) are some of the regular events happening at the Church building.

Two containers with tents, blankets, flashlights, towels, water, rice, and other food supplies, arrived last week from Puerto Rico to be distributed among members of the Church and other refugees. Ten wheelchairs and three nebulizers are part of the donations that Latter-day Saints of the Church of Jesus Christ.

This Wednesday, leaders of the Church will deliver 1000 hygiene kits to the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) in Saint Vincent. The kits were sent from Grenada, where Rotary and Church members packed them to help alleviate the situation for the citizens of this beautiful island as they are currently going through this emergency.

During the last Friday devotional, full time and returned missionaries from Barbados, joined as guests. The people at the shelter decided to sing the National Anthem of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “One part that impressed the attendees were the words Our faith will see us through. It was a wonderful devotional, and we all were happy to be a part of it,” said Ronique Forbes, Church Director of Communication in Saint Vincent.