BANDO ARMADO ASSALTA A CASA DA MISSÃO EM MAPUTO – MOÇAMBIQUE.

TUDO ESTÁ BEM E O PRESIDENTE PACKARD ENVIA UMA MENSAGEM AOS MISSIONÁRIOS.

Quando Élder Nelson e esposa estavam a jantar com Elder William W. Parmley do Quórum dos Setenta e esposa Shanna Lee, bem como o Presidente da Missão Moçambique Blair J. Packard e esposa Priscinda, foram surpreendidos por um bando de 4 homens armados.

Os assaltantes tinham já neutralizado o guarda, amarrando-o.

Ao entrarem, sister Packard reagiu, tendo corrido para pedir socorro. Um dos malfeitores empurrou-a tendo a irmã Packard torcido um braço, mesmo assim conseguiu chegar ao exterior da casa e gritar por socorro.

O presidente da Missão Moçambique enviou já uma mensagem aos missionários conforme reproduzimos a seguir.

Gil Huo

Correspondente GIA (Grupo Informativo Alaum)

Dear Former Mozambique Missionaries,

We know our experience of Friday evening has made the news in the US. We’re sorry for the shock and concern that it obviously has caused with so many. We have been particularly concerned about the parents of our missionaries and for our former missionaries who served so faithfully here in Mozambique. We want to assure everyone that we are fine, that our missionaries are fine, and that we are moving forward in constructive ways to complete our assignment in the next month.

The news reports from KSL and Deseret News were mostly accurate about the incident. We were just completing dinner in our home when four armed gunmen overpowered our one guard and entered our home. We were threatened verbally and physically. Cindy was roughed up but finally did get away to warn other guards and neighbors who came to our assistance. She suffered a fracture in her left elbow (not the same arm she broke last year). She is sore with other bruises and skinned knees from being accosted. Elder Nelson was accosted as well but he is fine with minimal injury. Throughout the ordeal all commented on how we felt calm and guided in the things that we were prompted to do and not to do. Angels were with us. We are grateful for the unseen help we received. Elder Nelson and his wife, Wendy, are remarkable. At the end of Friday evening, before our guests returned to their hotel, Elder Nelson gathered us for prayer. We knelt in our living room with him as he blessed us all and blessed our mission and all of our missionaries. We continued with a great missionary and district conference weekend. During the meeting with all the missionaries Elder Nelson emphasized that this type of thing happens all over the world. It is not unique to Africa as some might assume. He cited the incident that happened with President Hunter in the Marriot Center with a gunmen many years ago and other incidents in Central and South America. Elder and Sister Nelson left Sunday afternoon on schedule to return to the US. We, and the entire Maputo District and Mozambique Mission, were blessed immensely from their visit, example, and teaching.

Lindy, our 9-year-old daughter, is fine. She and Henriqueta (our home assistant) and her baby boy, Nathan, were all here at the time but were kept safe throughout. Lindy took Nathan and hid in a closet. We have beefed up security at the mission home as a temporary measure and the head of security for our Area arrived in Maputo on Sunday morning and will be here for several days before also traveling to Beira and will evaluate and take steps to further assure the safety of our missionaries and Mission facilities including the Mission home. Petty crime is common here, even burglaries. Home invasions and armed confrontations are not common. We have had one missionary apartment burglarized in recent weeks but have had no other incidents involving missionary apartments in over a year and a half. My feeling is that Elder & Sister Nelson were not specifically targeted or that this was any act against the Church. This was most likely an isolated armed robbery and we happened to be their target this particular night. The fact that we had a rental van parked in front of our house that evening with our guard outside the gate keeping watch may have been a contributing factor. We’re not sure. Our guard that night, Kennedy, although threatened with a gun and roughed up badly and very scared that night, is also fine. Some have speculated whether our guards were involved. They were not. With the Area and Church security personnel we will be reviewing all security and safety procedures and working to make things even more secure and avoid these types of things in the future.

We appreciate your love and concern for us and for the other missionaries serving here in Mozambique. We are fine. Thank you for your love and prayers for us and for all the missionaries. We have all felt that love and support. With every new missionary who arrived in Mozambique, during orientation and right after talking about health and safety precautions and the need to use common sense in following all these guidelines, we remind them of this promise of the Lord from Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 – “And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” We are grateful for these blessings. They are real.

With our love from Mozambique,

President & Sister Packard