Nearly 1,700 Saints Left Homeless in Nicaraguan Earthquake

When 450,000 people evacuate an earthquake-devastated city, how do you contact some 1,700 Latter-day Saints in the unorganized, frantic exodus?

This major problem faced President Quinten Hunsaker of the Central America Mission when, two days before Christmas, Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, was almost totally demolished by a massive earthquake.

As the earth tremors continued to shake the city, and as the government ordered complete evacuation to prevent the spread of disease in the hot climate, President Hunsaker journeyed twice to the stricken area to locate the Saints and to carry in supplies from neighboring Costa Rica.

Following his second visit he had this story to tell the Ensign.

“The earthquake came about 12:30 A.M. on the Saturday before Christmas, and the majority of our members lived right in the center of Managua where the quake hit. We also had missionaries there, but we brought them out and they are being reassigned throughout the mission.

“The central city was completely demolished; there is nothing there. Overall, probably 80 to 90 percent of the city was destroyed, and the remainder of the damaged area is being razed by demolition crews.

“If you can imagine a city almost the size of Salt Lake City being hit by an earthquake, with the buildings to the ground and all the survivors trying to locate their loved ones and friends as well as find food and water, then you may have some idea of what it is like.

“In the suburbs where some of the better homes are, the buildings were not destroyed by the earthquake, but they were badly damaged. But in the metropolitan downtown area where people live thousands to a city block in adobe buildings, the walls crumbled and the roofs fell in. This is why so many were killed and injured, although we probably will never know for sure just how many.

“As far as we know there were no deaths or injuries among the members, though one missionary cut his toe when he got out of bed and stepped on a piece of glass.

“We evacuated the 28 missionaries there; in fact, I had to go in myself to get them out because they could not get any transportation. They called and reported that they were all safe, and we told them to try to get out if they could, but then they couldn’t call back to us and let us know that they couldn’t get out of the country. The border was closed to people trying to go in or out of Nicaragua. By Sunday morning when they hadn’t come, and we hadn’t heard from them, I knew I had to go and get them. I drove into Nicaragua and had to have a military escort from the border into the city, where I found the missionaries at the chapel. We chartered a plane out of Costa Rica to evacuate them.”

President Hunsaker said that plans were formulated on Christmas day to take supplies into Nicaragua. By Monday night, approximately 20 tons of supplies, including food, water, and canvas tarpaulins, were ready for shipment.

“We drove all night to the border and then spent all day getting permission to leave Costa Rica and enter Nicaragua. We never would have made it without the Lord’s help. Then we faced another problem because in Nicaragua the officials were confiscating all supplies so that they could distribute them themselves. But finally we got special permission from the vice-president of Nicaragua to enter the country and set up our own supply centers.

“We got our supplies into a little branch at Masaya, about 25 miles outside of Managua, and made that our supply headquarters. We are giving consideration now to establishing a tent community as a place for the Saints to live. I think the city would let us have the land for it, and it would be on a temporary basis until more definite plans can be made.

“When we went in with the supplies we took along four missionaries to help in the distribution. Two of them are with the supply headquarters and the other two are traveling in a small van to take food to members who may have gone to other areas outside the capital. We are hoping that the members, as they leave the city, will make contact with the local branches.”

President Hunsaker said that the Church building in Managua was destroyed.

“The chapel was not completely destroyed but it can’t be used, and it will be torn down with all the other buildings in the city. We had plans underway for a second chapel and already had the site purchased, but luckily we hadn’t started work on it.”

Looking to the future, President Hunsaker said that the Saints from Managua will have to be supplied with food almost indefinitely until they can get back on their own feet. “At the present time they have no homes, no food other than what we have taken in, and no belongings. Some just had the shirts on their backs or were only wearing their pajamas. We are trying to contact all the members through the local Church leaders and the four missionaries who went back, to determine what they need and how much they need in the way of supplies and clothing and housing.

“They have nothing, but it hasn’t shaken their faith. The only hope now is the Church, and they know it. I think they will come out of this stronger.”

President Hunsaker said that the prayers of Saints around the world for the well being of the members in Nicaragua are still needed, and those offered have already been felt. “There could have been no way to get the missionaries out and the supplies in without the prayers of the Saints. The Lord just opened the way.”

Shells of buildings are all that remain in Managua, Nicaragua, where some 1,700 Saints were driven from their homes by earthquake and aftershock tremors in December.