Last Friday, 70 missionaries in the Mexico Torreón Mission were attending a zone conference when two armed men burst into the meetinghouse, demanding they hand over their cell phones, tablets, and wallets. An official statement from the Church said missionaries have been removed from the area and that a counselor is traveling to Mexico to assist with emotional needs. But that isn’t the only help these missionaries will be receiving.
Fox 13 News published a video on Sunday sharing one elder’s response and how other members of the Latter-day Saint community are reaching out.
Following the terrifying ordeal, missionaries were encouraged to contact their families. Fox 13 spoke with Brian Trotter, who received a call from his son Elder Elijah Trotter, one of the missionaries at the zone conference. Elder Trotter told his parents that men burst into the meeting yelling profanities and loading bullets in their guns. While some missionaries were kicked or hit, Elder Trotter said the mission president and his wife, Alfredo and Guadalupe Zanudo, took most of the beating as they attempted to protect the missionaries.
But after explaining the experience to his dad, Elder Trotter didn’t want to stay on the phone for much longer—he had a baptism for an “amazing guy” he wanted to go prepare for.
“He’s like, ‘You can’t stop hope. We have to move forward,’” Brian Trotter reported his son saying.
The families of the affected missionaries are working to send their sons and daughters replacements for the items stolen from them. And now a small business has stepped up to help: Mission on the Fly hand delivers packages to missionaries across Central and South America. And this year, they are offering to deliver Christmas packages to the missionaries in Torreón for free.
“In a time of need, look for those that are helping,” Brian said. “There’s always those that are helping, and this is no different. Lots of people are stepping up to hug and love these missionaries.”
Watch the full video with Brian Trotter and learn more about Mission on the Fly at Fox 13.
