Missionary news from around the world: Japan and the Ivory Coast

The Church posted two news stories recently about missionary service in Japan and the Ivory Coast.  Here are brief excerpts and links to the stories.

Japan

We previously posted about missionaries in Japan and how they were affected by the earthquake and tsunami and associated problems at nuclear plants (here, here, here, and here).  In a recent story, the Church reports that some missionaries will return to areas of Japan that had been evacuated:

Six weeks after a 9.0 earthquake and devastating tsunami hit Japan, some missionaries that were previously removed from the Japan Tokyo and Japan Sendai Missions will return to areas now considered safe within those missions. These missionaries will be transferred in the near future, with other missionaries likely returning as conditions continue to improve.

Missionaries will return to areas located a significant distance from the region most affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Those returning to the Japan Tokyo Mission will be serving in areas to the south and west of Tokyo, while those returning to the Japan Sendai Mission will be located at the northern tip and western side of the island.

We're sure those missionaries will be glad as their missionary service begins to return to normal.

Ivory Coast

The Ivory Coast has been hit with political strife in recent months, leading to the suspension of all missionary activities in the country.  The Church reports:

A disputed presidential election has led to widespread violence in the Ivory Coast during the last few months, leaving hundreds of people dead. There are no reports of deaths or injuries among Latter-day Saints in the country, and all missionaries are reported safe.

The Church moved all missionaries who are not native Ivorians out of the Ivory Coast in December. Non-Ivorian missionaries have been evacuated to the nearby countries of Benin and Togo, with the mission president operating from Togo. Ivorian missionaries have been given temporary leave to return to their homes or to stay with local members until it is safe to resume missionary activities. 

We're glad to hear all the missionaries are safe and will watch for further developments on this story.