Jungle Visitors

Jungle Visitors

On Monday 11th June 2012, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 2nd Counsellor to our Prophet, President Thomas S Monson, visited the jungle city of Iquitos, which is in the Lima North Mission.  He was accompanied by his wife and Elder Quentin L Cook and his wife.  The Area Presidency and their wives plus President Lawrence Blunck (Lima North Mission) & his wife were also there.  Since we work on the same floor as the Area Presidency we learnt about this historic visit about 10 days before it occurred.  Brian’s imput was to give them a list of the possible illnesses they might catch, and how to treat them.  Unfortunately it wasn’t necessary for the Area Medical Advisor & his wife to also attend!!  The nearest we got to Iquitos was last November when heavy rain prevented us landing in Tarapoto, near Iquitos, when we were with Pres. Blunck hoping to visit and teach missionries in Tarapoto and Moyobamba.

The Area Presidency met the visitors on Monday morning, and escorted them on a trip up the Amazon.  Along the way they saw piranha and aligators being fed on a farm.  President Uchtdorf likes  his freedom, so when they returned to Iquitos, he & his wife jumped in a motor taxi to return to their hotel.  Their 2 security guards had to follow as best they could.  Iquitos is the largest city in the world with no access by road, only by boat or plane.  There are 3 Stakes (like a Diocese) with 9,000 members in a population of 400,000.   When one of the Stake Presidents went to the main Chapel before 8am, there were already loads of people lining up to go in, sitting on chairs & having picnics.  They had started arriving at 6am for the 7pm meeting.

Years ago, when President Uchtdorf was a pilot for Lufthansa, he flew from Caracus, Venezuela to Lima, Peru, and saw the jungle area of Iquitos below.  He often wanted to go there. On 9th & !0th June, President Uchtdorf & Elder Cook were in Manaus, Brazil to dedicate the Temple there.  Wanting to make the most of their time, several times President Uchtdorf looked at maps of the cities nearby.  Each time Iquitos stood out.  They made the decision to go, and knew it was the Lord’s will.  The Area Presidency had just over 3 weeks notice.  You can imagine how excited the members must have been!!!

As President Uchtdorf walked along the streets in Iquitos, he had such charisma, and a presence about him, that people flocked around him.  Some, seeing the security guards, thought he was a film star, and asked who he was.  Two buses brought 84 members from Nauta, one of the few accessible cities 2 hrs away.  Arriving at 4pm, they thought they’d be near the front, but were disappointed to see  hundreds ahead of them.  But - the good members of Iquitos ensured they were seated in the middle of the Chapel, so they could see well.  There were 1,600 in the main chapel and a further120 in a nearby chapel watching by satelite.

President Uchtdorf told the members of the time after World War 2, when he was living in East Germany, missionaries came to their home.  Their message transformed their lives.  He spoke about the importance of education, families and Temples.  He told the members they would find answers to their problems hidden in the scriptures.  He told them they live in paradise, a blessed place on earth, so they’ll get opposition.  They must be faithful and repent.  One day, in the future, they’ll get their own Temple.  Now, unless they can afford to fly, it takes members 7 days to travel to the Lima Temple - 5 by boat, and 2 by road.  When the Trujillo Temple is built, it’ll take 1 day by boat and 2 by road.  We just don’t know how blessed we are in England, having 2 Temples, for us it’s a 90-minute journey from Essex.  Right now, we only need to walk 2 blocks then cross the main road (Javier Prado Este) to reach the side entrance of the Lima Temple.

President Uchtdorf wanted to hug and shake hands with all the members, but with 1,600 he just couldn’t do it.  He told them to consider themselves hugged.  Most of them lined the corridor and streets, to wave goodbye and shed tears as the two Apostles left.

President Christopher Waddell, Second Counsellor on the Area Presidency, gave us this account on Thursday 14th June.  He also wrote an account for the Church News, which I’ll post on a following Blog, in case some of you would like more details.

About a month ago, there was a Fireside in Lima, where the youth were told that the age for starting a mission was lowered to 18, to fit in better with the University requirements in South America.  As a result of that and the historic meeting in Iquitos, missionary applications have increased from 212 for the 5 countries in the South America North West Area (107 of which are from Peru) in the month of May to 237 from the Area (122 from Peru) in June.  We think that’s only the start of it!