The Newsroom Blog

Showing Grit in the Wake of Cyclone Gita

'The cyclone has done us a favour'

Like so many other Tongans in the aftermath of the cyclone, Mateo Lautaimi, lost his home to Cyclone Gita. Garrick Parr, Manager of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ service centre in Tonga, reported, “Many of those we spoke to have begun rebuilding already; picking up what was left of their homes where possible and starting (to rebuild) with those materials.”

                

Lautaimi’s attitude is like that of so many of his fellow Tongans. “Our home was very old anyway. We can now rebuild it so the cyclone has done us a favour!”

In this article at stuff.co.nz, read other accounts of the fortitude of Tongans as they recover from one of the worst storms ever to hit the country.

Browse the Blog

About The Blog: This blog is managed and written by staff of the Public Affairs Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The information here is reliable and accurate but should not necessarily be viewed as official statements from the Church. The purpose of this blog is to provide journalists, bloggers, and the public with additional context and information regarding public issues involving the Church. For official news releases and statements from the Church, visit MormonNewsroom.org.

Style Guide Note: When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online Style Guide.