(See an updated release on Newsroom posted 15 March)
Church leaders confirmed this morning that all missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in Japan are safe and accounted for. The Church had been working diligently to make contact with missionaries in Sendai despite difficulty with communication systems and traveling in and around the city. Families and friends of the missionaries in the Sendai area had been anxiously awaiting word that their loved ones were safe. The Church released a statement yesterday saying, "our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan following the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami."
The Church is assessing the needs of its members and others in the communities impacted by the earthquake. Hundreds of individuals have been confirmed dead and tens of thousands have been displaced. Hundreds of homes and buildings have been destroyed and strong aftershocks continue to shake the area. The 8.9 magnitude quake was the strongest quake on record in Japan.