Elder Soares Ministers in the Dominican Republic

An Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traveled to the Dominican Republic to minister to Church members and meet with local leaders, including Vice President Raquel Peña.

During a meeting on Friday, February 11, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, accompanied by several Church leaders, presented Vice President Peña with a donation of 250 neonatal cribs for 30 hospitals in the national public health system.

“This is a donation that we receive with much love and gratitude, recognizing the great work that the Church has carried out for many years, and at the same time guaranteeing that this generous donation reaches those who need it most with all transparency, honesty and justice,” said Vice President Peña, who stood alongside members of the Ministry of Public Health.

The project, which Elder Soares referred to as “the first of many others,” is the result of a previous meeting held with the vice president in August 2021. At that time, both sides agreed to identify projects to improve the social good. The vice president’s team recommended the donation of the cribs to improve neonatal care for thousands of mothers and their babies.

“Not surprisingly, the first in a series of projects focuses on the needs of women as mothers and children at the beginning of their earthly lives,” Elder Soares said. “For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, life is the greatest of all God’s gifts. When this miraculous event begins with dignity and with the hope of a good life, it is easier to approach our journey on earth with optimism and encouragement to move forward.”

Elder Soares said the donation was on behalf of more than 143,000 Church members in the Dominican Republic, via Latter-day Saint Charities, and the faith’s First Presidency.

Elder Soares and the Cuban Ambassador to the Dominican Republic

Elder Soares met with the Cuban ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Milagros Carina Soto Agüero, in a private lunch on February 11.

“Madam Ambassador, it is a pleasure to meet with you to share as friends and have a closer approach, through you, with the courageous Cuban people,” Elder Soares told her during the luncheon, which was held at the Church’s Caribbean Area Office Building in Santo Domingo.

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Also participating in the meeting were Elder Brent H. Nielson of the Presidency of the Seventy and members of the Caribbean Area Presidency. They spoke with the diplomat about the progress of the Church in Cuba, the affable reception of the people and the good disposition shown by the state to guarantee Church operations in that country.

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After lunch, the Church authorities accompanied the ambassador on a tour of the Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple gardens. The Church leaders shared the sacred meaning of temples for Latter-day Saints. They spoke of the Church’s doctrine of the eternal nature of the family and the importance of living a life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel.

The ambassador said she was pleased to receive, as a souvenir of her visit, a statuette symbolizing family unity.

“We hope that this humble reminder of your visit on this day is also a symbol of the importance of the family in God’s plan, as well as the great need we have to safeguard it as a fundamental element in the development of people in the society, which is why it is so sacred in nature to us,” Elder Soares concluded.

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The ambassador expressed her desire to continue strengthening the friendship and respect between the Church and the Cuban people, as well as collaborating in different areas of mutual interest. For their part, Elder Soares and Church leaders said they hope to visit Cuba in the future.

The meeting was a way to strengthen ties of brotherhood with the Cuban people, promote the growth of the Church and preach the gospel in the largest island in the Caribbean. Currently, the Church has one district and four branches in the towns of Havana, El Cotorro, Holguín and La Portada.

Elder Soares is the third member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to make official contact with Cuban authorities. The first was Elder David A. Bednar, who dedicated the nation for the preaching of the gospel in 2012. He was followed in 2014 by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.

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Ambassador Agüero first met with Church leaders in December 2021, when she visited with Elder Eduardo Gavarret, President of the Caribbean Area, at the Cuban diplomatic headquarters in the Dominican Republic.