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Mormon missionaries return to Caribbean after devastating hurricanes

Posted at 10:10 AM, Dec 08, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-08 13:08:36-05

SALT LAKE CITY — Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be sent back to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands after they were transferred in September due to Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

A statement from the LDS church said 14 young elders will soon return to Puerto Rico and two senior couples will return to St. Croix and St. Thomas.

“Decisions about the return of additional missionaries will be made at a later date,” the statement said.

Twenty-three missionaries who had been serving in Puerto Rico flew to Salt Lake City International Airport on September 27, and they were temporarily assigned to missions in northern Utah.

After the hurricanes swept through the Caribbean, the LDS church shipped building materials, water, non-perishable foods, hygiene kits and cleaning supplies to Puerto Rico. The church also coordinated with the Red Cross and other relief agencies to distribute food and other essential items to the ravaged areas.