BOLIVIA, Nov. 15, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Friday that it is pulling 63 missionaries assigned to the Cochabamba Mission, in central Bolivia, out of that country.
Daniel Woodruff, a spokesman for the LDS Church, released the following statement:
“The Church is in the process of transferring 63 missionaries from the Bolivia Cochabamba Mission,” the statement says. “This is due to growing political unrest as well as the U.S. government’s recent decision to pull non-emergency workers from that country. The missionaries — who are all from North America — are being temporarily reassigned to other missions. A few who are nearing the end of their missions will return home.”
LDS missionaries assigned elsewhere in the country will remain, for now.
“At this point, in coordination with security professionals, all other missionaries throughout Bolivia are remaining where they are and will continue with limited missionary work in those areas where it is safe to do so,” Woodruff’s statement says.
“The safety of our missionaries is our highest priority, and we will continue to carefully monitor developments in Bolivia and make further adjustments and decisions as circumstances require. We pray for the people in Bolivia as they navigate this difficult time in their country.”
In Bolivia, the LDS Church has 207,000 members, more than 250 congregations, five missions and one temple, according to supplied information.
That one temple, pictured at the top, is in the city from which the missionaries are being evacuated.
