Au revoir to WIM's First Family

President Claude and Sister Delphine Gamiette return to their home in Guadeloupe on July 1 after three years of outstanding leadership and spiritual service to the Lord and His children in the West Indies Mission. 

Life in "Chez Gamiette" will be much different than life in the Mission President's home in Trinidad - in part because their busy schedule will likely slow somewhat and because Corilee, Jenifer, Tom, Terry and Amy have grown from the little children they were when Daddy was first called to serve 36 months ago. 

Post-mission, Brother Gamiette will return to his responsibilities as the Caribbean Area CES Director, so will continue to play a role in building the kingdom of God in this part of the vineyard.  Thank you, President Gamiette for your steadfast leadership, your unfaltering testimony and your amazing insight into the scriptures - and to the entire Gamiette family - for your contribution to the future of the Lord's kingdom in the Caribbean.  You and your entire family are loved by all of us!!!

WIM Welcomes President and Sister Mehr

Incoming WIM President Daniel Stanley Mehr II and Sister Rebecca Olpin Mehr are no strangers to service in the Caribbean.   Before their call to serve 3 years as the WIM's "first couple," President Mehr and his wife served as Caribbean Area Public Affairs missionaries.
 
"We are excited to serve the Lord again in the Caribbean.  We love the people and are anxious to get started," states the President.

His history of service in the Church includes callings in several bishoprics, the stake high council, and as bishop of the Highland 23rd Ward in Salt Lake City. 

The California native, and 3rd of four children in his family, served a mission in Argentina (1973-75), then studied business at BYU where he also played basketball as a freshman. He married Deborah Lucille Petersen and together they reared six children (four sons and two daughters) while he created several companies in his business career.  She passed away in 2007 after a nearly 3-year battle with leukemia.

Rebecca Olpin, daughter of WIM missionaries Elder Jay and Sister Linda Olpin (Barbados), met and married Daniel Mehr the same year.
 

Sister Mehr was raised in New York and Maryland, served a mission in Bordeaux, France and graduated in computer science from BYU with a minor in music.  From there, she worked as a marketing executive in the computer industry for such companies as Hewlett Packard, Novell and 3Com.  She also served on the international Boards of Directors for the Bluetooth and USB industry standards.  After 20 years, she left her high-tech career behind to work as Director of Audience Needs for Church History and for 8 years she also sang soprano in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

In a side note and in anticipation of the arrival of the new mission president on July 1, the mission office in Trinidad got a face lift including a fresh coat of paint, new carpeting and some new framed pictures.  The general consensus among office missionaries is “Wow, what a change!  It doesn't even look like the same place.”

Bye, Bye, Bushes

Elder Robert and Sister  Raylene Bush complete their mission on 5 July when they will fly home to their eagerly awaiting family and new home in Pleasant Grove, Utah. 

We have certainly enjoyed the relationships we have made with the wonderful Saints as we have served, both in Grenada and St. Lucia. We are in awe of them as they do without so much and remain faithful to the Gospel. We know that is very trite but it happens to be true. As with so many other missionaries, the hardest thing will be to leave these beloved brothers and sisters, most of whom we will likely never see again in this life.

Equally enjoyable has been associating with the terrific young missionaries who have been an example of dedication and service to us. We have loved going out with them to visit members or teach investigators or just sitting in with them at District Meetings and watching them teach and encourage each other.

We definitely will not miss the mosquitoes, the humidity, the bad roads, the impossible task of finding where people live, and not finding things we would like at the “super market”. We will miss walking on the beach and seeing so many rainbows.

Some of our assignments have been very challenging for us; they have stretched us and helped us grow. It has been a great and rewarding experience. We have learned a great deal about ourselves. Our love for the Savior has grown as we have loved and tried to serve Him and our brothers and sisters.

We look forward, when we get home, to spending time with our fantastic and supportive family. We have two new grandchildren to meet. Our new adventure will be to adjust to a new home in Utah where we want to find ways to serve there.  We were living in Warner Robins, Georgia for the 22 years before we came on the mission but had decided we would move back home to Utah when our mission was finished. Last January one of our sons and a son-in-law went out and moved all of our belongings back to Utah so we wouldn't have to deal with it.   But, first we are going to Georgia for two weeks to say goodbye to all of our friends there before we will fly west.

May God be with you, Elder and Sister Bush . . . and we hope to meet again! 

Hendersons Say Farewell

Elder Clive and Sister Arlene Henderson return to their home and family in Idaho Falls, ID on July 25 after 18-months on the beautiful island of St. Vincent. 

“We most enjoyed the experience of starting a YSA Center where we got to work closely with these wonderful young single adults.  We were excited when one of our YSA’s received her mission call and are almost as eager as the two young men who are currently waiting to hear where they will serve,” notes Elder Henderson. 

“We were stretched beyond what we thought were our capabilities while our understanding of the gospel has been expanded as we learned to love the beautiful Saints here in the Caribbean,” adds Sister Henderson.

Other happy experiences were the result of being approved for a Foods Initiative – which included seeing members and non-members plant gardens and raise chickens.  The Foods Initiative in St. Vincent also involved three schools – each receiving equipment and nutrition books for home economics classes, along with seeds and tools for gardening. 

“This project has provided a great deal of positive recognition for the Church and the schools are grateful for the humanitarian service efforts on their behalf,” notes Sister Henderson.

The couple will miss all the wonderful friends they have made in St. Vincent, but will definitely not miss “the steep, narrow roads with huge potholes and deep gutters.”

The Henderson’s next great adventure is certain to include “travel and serving in whatever way we are needed in our community.”

May our Heavenly Father be with you ‘til we meet again, Elder and Sister Henderson.  You will be missed!

Gibsons Say Goodbye

Elder Wilburn (aka “Willie”) and Sister Julie Gibson will complete their 18-month member support mission on Grenada on June 28 when they fly home to the arms of friends and family in Alamosa, Colorado.
 
Their mission actually began in the Dominican Republic where they were called to help manage the distribution center  . . . but quickly recognized Spanish was not going to be something they wanted to add to their skill set!   A move to the neighboring West Indies Mission found them on the beautiful island of St. Lucia where they served for a period to ten months, before they were transferred to Grenada.

Sister Gibson calls seeing two sisters from Vieux Forttravel to the temple “an experience we will never forget.  We were not able to go with them, but when Sister Baptist came home her countenance had changed.  She was glowing with the light of Christ.  We were only able to teach the Temple Preparation class and help them fill out the application for financial assistance, but it was a wonderful experience for them – and for us – as they shared their excitement.”

What will they miss most? Like most couples, "what we will miss most is interacting with our brothers and sisters we will probably never see again in this life.  They have been such an example to us as they strive to live the gospel.  They are happy and very humble children of Heavenly Father.  We have grown to love them all. We are also going to miss daily interaction with young elders and sisters who bring such a great spirit and love of the gospel,” notes Sister Gibson.

Their advice to other senior missionaries is “to be flexible and not try to make things work here like they do at home.  You have to just do what works best for the branch, then enjoy the love the members so freely give to the couples,” states Elder Gibson.

The only big plans these hardworking and dedicated missionaries have for their future is “to spend time catching up with our family.  Elder Gibson has several grandsons waiting for Grandpa to take them camping and fishing. I can’t wait to hug and play with my grandchildren, then be there to welcome the newest one arriving in October.”

The Saints in Grenada will surely miss this vibrant couple.  The love and best wishes of those with whom you have served in theWest Indies Mission goes with you!

Farewell to Eleven WIM Sons

Rodney

Eleven of the WIM’s best arrived two years ago as spiritual infants filled with faith, hope, genuine charity – and with love in their hearts for the Savior and His children – and with this transfer return with honor to home and family as mature adults, ready to face life head-on!

Farewell to the following sons of the West Indies Mission:  Kyle William Dyson (Salt Lake City, UT), Mark Rodney (Linden, Guyana), Milton Stephen (Georgetown, Guyana), Jens Dallin Howe (Ephraim, UT), Nathan John Nielson (Stansbury Park, UT), Franklyn Joel Smith (Nassau, Bahamas), Melvin Ricardo Hoepel (Paramaribo, Suriname), Johan Andres Sujilio Damaso (La Romano, Dominican Republic), V Wallace Nolan Nonumaefele So’Oto (Carlsbad, CA), Stephen Hurt Lundgren (Sandy, UT) and Michael James Jordan (Beaver Dam, AZ).

Thanks for your dedication and hard work among the Lord’s children in the Caribbean.  You have truly changed lives!

Farewell to the Benns

Elder Kenrick and Sister Rose Benn will complete their mission on June 27, but as the first Guyanese couple to serve as senior missionaries in their native land, their return home will not require airfare or hours of travel. 

The retired police officer and his companion consider theirs a rather eclectic mission – serving first in the mission office in what Elder Benn describes as “total immersion in office work!”  When another couple arrived to assume their responsibilities in the office, the Benns moved to Linden as member and leader support missionaries followed by several months in that same assignment in Berbice.  The last six months of their mission found them back in the mission office.  Along the way, he served as a branch president and finished his mission as President of the Georgetown Guyana District!  “Even now, after more than a year in the office, we are still struggling to understand some of the Church internet systems, including iMOS,” states Elder Benn with his characteristic big laugh!
 

Aside from office work, Elder and Sister Benn found the most challenging part of their mission “was making members understand the doctrine and what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is all about – that things are done differently than in other churches.  We worked hard to make them understand basic principles including the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity.  We had some interesting discussions helping members understand why they had to get married when they had been living together for a number of years and had parented several children.”
 

Interacting with the young missionaries has been both fun and interesting, say the Benns.  “We have heard hilarious stories relating to lost cell phones or the ones which were baptized by accident then 'put into a microwave oven to dry' . . . how car accidents occurred and the reasons why apartments need repairs done!  We have also heard about some creative foods these young people have prepared.”
 

Their advise to couples considering a fulltime mission together:  "insure you and your companion are in agreement with what you want to do.  If not, take more time and invite the Lord to help because you will be together twenty-fours a day. That is tough!"

The Benns have plans to take a much-deserved holiday after they are released.  Sister Benn will spend some time helping her elderly mother. They also have plans to serve again!  “We are willing to serve the Lord in any way we are asked and have enjoyed our service to the Church in Guyana, but both of us look forward to serving a ‘real’ mission where we have the opportunity to bring souls to Christ.”
 

This amazing couple has huge shoes to fill!  They will be missed tremendously!