earthquake update

23 August 2011

Dear Parents,

Sorry for the delay with this message, your e-mail addresses had not been updated on our emergency list so it took me a little time to collect all your addresses. Below is a message I sent out to everyone after the earthquake today. I have added you to the list, but you may also want to check out the facebook page that I keep with pictures of our missionaries. It is a page just for pictures. We don't do much communicating on it as we don't have time. And we ask that you please don't post personal information including last names especially of our investigators or recent converts for privacy reasons. Also, we ask that you not use the information on the page to put together E-mail lists of missionary parents etc., as our church leaders have asked us to refrain from doing so. Information on the internet can so quickly get into the wrong hands or be used in ways that are inappropriate so we ask you to please respect our efforts at privacy. If problems arise from it's use we will have to take it down.

We also use this page to update parents when things happen such as the earthquake today or the hurricane that could be headed our way (you have probably been following the news -- it's never boring here!). We find that it works almost better than our E-mail list. The page can be found by searching for Virginia Sara Perry. It is named that so that there is no confusion that it is not a church affiliated page - just a personal one I keep updated with pictures from transfers, mission conferences, and incoming and outgoing missionaries. Send us a friend request and we'll get you on board.

Thanks for all you do to support your missionary -- we love them all!

Kind regards,
Sister Perry

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Hi Everyone,

Just a little update on the earthquaking in Virginia. President and I were in the middle of a Zone Conference in Newport News this afternoon when the earth started to move! Now I have to admit that President is a great speaker and teacher but really!!

Thankfully it was a big rumble and not much more. We have little damage in Virginia at least as far as we can tell and all of our missionaries are safe. The phone lines, cell and otherwise, have been completely jammed so communication has been slower than normal. I hear there was a little damage up in the DC area to some historical buildings and a pipe broken in the Pentagon. The epicenter was near Louisa, halfway between Richmond and Charlottesville - but I personally talked to Elder Stoddard and his companion in Louisa and they were calm and happy, although a little shaken (just a little joke there). He said they haven't been back to their apartment yet but will let us know if anything is amiss. I have heard on the news that some tremors were felt as far north as Canada - wow! Evidently it was one that spread out quite a ways even though it wasn't too severe. We are very grateful that everyone seems fine.

So, all is well, all is well.

Kind regards,
Sister Perry