September 22, 2025, 12:20pm MDT
This month, the Church of Jesus Christ for Latter-day Saints for 10 days in the northwest of South America, sister Tracy Y. Browning, the second counselor of the major president, and sister Andrea Munoz Spannas, the second counselor of the young female general president, saw the faith, love and unity of members of the churches of Bolivia, Peru, and Equadore and Colon.
Starting on the weekend of September 6th and 7th in the cities of La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia, officers held conferences for children and young people, training for local youth and key leaders, and dedication with women in the aid of society.
La Paz is located at an altitude of nearly 12,000 feet, the world’s highest capital. El Alto is over 13,600 feet above sea level. This made the sisters brown something to contemplate.
“I was here and in one of the highest places on the planet, so President Russell M. Nelson taught us, and I realized I was thinking of Celestial,” she said in La Paz. “The people here have so many faiths, seeking a higher and sacred way of life, and want to know Jesus Christ in a special way.”
The main leaders are “trying to bless others through their service to God and His Church,” she said.
“I know that the people of God’s covenant are being discovered in Bolivia. I am very excited about all the houses of the Lord that have been announced and built on this beautiful land,” Sister Browning said.
The Spannaus sisters also looked at two new homes: the La Paz Bolivian Temple, which was announced in 2021, and the La Paz Bolivian Temple, the Santa Cruz Bolivian temple, which is currently under construction since June 2024.
“What a joy,” Sister Spannaus said. “The members are very excited and have a beautiful spirit of love and unity. We had leadership meetings and prayers with youth leaders. The young people were very excited to participate in the dedication. Every time they asked questions, they were filled with beautiful examples of the faith and faith of the general members of Bolivia.”
Sunday, September 7th was Bolivia’s National Pedestrian and Cyclists Day. Every year on the first Sunday of September, Bolivians are encouraged to leave their cars behind and walk or ride bikes to their destinations.
Sister Browning thanked the church members who walked to the Chapel of La Paz despite the distance and weather, and made sacrifices to attend their meeting.
Sister Spannaus said, “For me, it was a beautiful example of how much they loved the Lord and want to be there on Sunday.”
That night, sister Spannaus and sister Browning met with the women for a scheduled prayer at 7pm, as pedestrian days ended between 5pm and 6pm, public transport was minimal and many participants began to arrive on time by walking at 4pm. The church’s Bolivian newsroom reported that a woman said:
Meetings in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia
After time in Bolivia, the two general officers were held with members of the Vallezagrado Peru district, dedicated members of the focus groups, training, meetings for children, youth and leaders in Ecuador, Colombia, Ecuador, and Urubamba, Peru.
During the children’s prayers, the Browning sisters gave each child a piece of paper and a crayon so that they could write the good deeds they would do that week.
The children wrote things like, “I pray for my parents and siblings,” “I fast,” “I will pay a ti minute,” and “I will be faithful to the Lord.”
Sister Spannaus spoke about helping young people become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, and taught them about repentance and change in order to head in the right direction.
One of the meetings in Colombia was a prayer for young people aged 11-17 on Sunday, September 14th.
Bogota-Colombia stake president Edgar L. Vargas told church news about what the young people in his stock learned.
“Some young people have expressed that they have focused their lives on Christ, have the courage to not be influenced by the world, and have learned the importance of using the strength principles of youth guides to do so,” he said.
