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SALT LAKE CITY — Following the worst storm recorded in the Southern Hemisphere, members and missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are offering assistance to those affected by Cyclone Winston in Fiji.
The storm hit Fiji Feb. 20. There are thousands currently living in temporary shelters, and 12 LDS meetinghouses have served as refuge for more than a thousand people, according to the LDS Church.
In conjunction with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, LDS Church leaders are helping provide food, water, tents, hygiene packs and additional emergency supplies to needy communities.
The Fiji island of Taveuni was severely affected by the storm, and the LDS Church is delivering emergency supplies, cleaning up debris and helping rebuild houses. Many houses were flattened by the storm, so temporary shelter and water are needed.
"There are around 9,000 people who live on the island — 1,900 of whom are Latter-day Saints," Sulueti Kama, Fiji national director of public affairs for the LDS Church, said in a statement.
Along with the Ministry of Health and UNICEF, the humanitarian arm of the church is making hygiene kits, washing kits, water purification tablets and school kits.
The Suva Fiji Temple was not damaged, but 24 church meetinghouses sustained minor damage.
LDS Face to Face
LDS Church leaders will answer questions posed by young single adults during a live social media forum at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The participating leaders include Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Sister Carole M. Stephens, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency and Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy.
The LDS Church has hosted five other Face to Face events, but this is the first that is specifically for young single adults ages 18 to 30.
Those who participate in the event can submit their questions before and during the forum either through social media or by commenting on the website.
To participate in the conversation around the event, use the hashtag "#LDSface2face" on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Face to Face event will be streamed on LDS.org, the LDS Youth YouTube channel and the Mormon Channel. Those who wish may view the conversation after the event on the church's Youth Activities website, the LDS Youth YouTube channel or the Mormon Channel.
