It’s been very tender to be in this area which has been so devastated by floods.

Most of Brazil was impacted by catastrophic rains that came at the end of April and left a wake of devastation, displacing around 600,000 people.

No more so than in Porto Alegre, one of Brazil's most beautiful and majestic cities, the Taquari and Kahe rivers overflowed their banks by more than 17 feet, the worst in 80 years, flooding the state capital city center and roadways, leaving thousands homeless.

On Thursday, June 13, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reached out to flood survivors to give comfort and solace.

We this morning had an opportunity to visit with those who have been displaced, who are not in homes now, with those who have been volunteers.

In the hardest of times, the Lord is with us and He helps us and He blesses us and we do it together.

To help, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter_day Saints opened the doors of its chapels to those seeking shelter, and gave refuge and life-saving sustenance to those in need. I hope when the children wear them, they will feel loved. We've been greeted by senior government officials who have been very appreciative for the wonderful cooperation as neighbors and friends and community members, as brothers and sisters with our Church members and our Church leaders.

We're just very honored to be able to come and be with you today. Elder Gong's ministry included outreach to organizations and people in Sao Paulo too, accompanied by his wife, Susan, and other Church leaders. This was a very special day because we had the opportunity to meet with one of our humanitarian outreach groups. I think you bring big smiles to many people. Operation Smile Brazil was the first stop, an organization that has a long association with the Church and its members in helping hundreds of children each year, more than 800 this year alone, who suffer from cleft palates. We have been working in two main pillars. One of them is the grant that we receive from the Church, and that we respect a lot because we know that it comes from the donations of all the people around the world. The second pillar: volunteerism. We believe in the power of volunteerism, in the power of love, of compassion. This is how we work together and we are really proud of it. As part of the visit, Elder Gong presented the organization with a plaque of appreciation. We just thank you for all that you are doing to bless God's children in such a remarkable way. You are good friends and we are very honored to be with you. A poignant moment occurred when Elder Gong met with Marcos da Costa,

the Secretary of State for the Government of Sao Paulo, who oversees the rights of the disabled. Now we we have a specialty in wheelchairs,

and walkers and mobility. The Church produces and donates thousands of wheelchairs around the world every year.

We're going to explore ways to specifically see if there aren't peoples and projects that can be worked on together, because this is his area of expertise that might help bring freedom to somebody who can have a mobility device, maybe for the first time.

At the Church offices in Sao Paulo, Elder Gong and local Church leaders welcomed John Izard, president of one of the largest communication groups in Brazil,

who once produced a documentary about the Church that was viewed by 50 million people.

He, of course, is very interested in all kinds of communication. He said I want to help make sure that your message gets out because we're concerned about the same things about society being open and fair, and so we’re delighted to have that

wonderful conversation with him today. To mark the occasion, Mr. Saad was presented with a statue representing the family and a personalized copy of the Book of Mormon at the foot of the Christus in the Sao Paulo Brazil Temple Visitors Center. His arms are always stretched out to greet us.

You know, it’s very tender, sacred to stand with someone who says I believe families are meant to be forever and to be there at the feet, the base of the Christus statue, and to be reminded that He has marks in His hands and His feet. He’s the resurrected, the living Christ. To have that sacred kind of moment is just a very special thing.