WIM Celebrates Thanksgiving

Families at home can rest assured their missionaries were well-fed in the company of their mission family on Thanksgiving Day. Even though Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, elders and sisters throughout the islands of the Caribbean and countries in South America gathered for a day of prayer and thanksgiving and traditional and not-so-traditional feasting.

In the mission office in Trinidad, more than 40 missionaries – young and not-so-young – as well as Trini members working nearby enjoyed a huge traditional Thanksgiving dinner . . . even including beautiful centerpieces – one for each of 8 tables - made by Sister Andrus from flowers, leaves and dried palm fronds she had collected for more than a week on her early morning walks.

On the island of Grenada, a Thanksgiving dinner was served after zone meeting on Tuesday. According to those who enjoyed the gathering, “The Elders made the pies and the Sisters made the cornbread muffins. It all tasted very delicious!”

In Georgetown, Guyana a dozen missionaries and two senior couples sat down to dinner following the zone meeting on Thanksgiving Day. The meal included turkey and gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, cook up rice, two desserts and homemade root beer.

In Guyana's Canje area, missionaries and senior couples also shared a pleasant afternoon and lots of good food.

To quote one enthusiastic missionary, the day - whether Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday - “was SO much fun! The missionaries just loved it and had such a good time seeing each other in a non-meeting setting and just visiting. It was great!”

Ten "Return with Honor"

It is time once again to say “goodbye” to ten dedicated missionaries who have completed fulltime service to the Lord and His children here in the West Indies Mission. As you return to the arms of friends, family and a bright future, we pray – in the words of President James E. Faust – “you will always honor four sacred principles: reverence for Deity; respect and honor in family relationships; reverence for and obedience to the ordinances and covenants of the holy priesthood and respect for yourself as a child of God.”

We wish you well (from the upper left): Jordan Matthew Groff (Kaysville, Utah), Santakumar Pitamber (Georgetown, Guyana), Weslande Olysse (of the beautiful island of Martinique), Tyler Murphy White (LaVerne, California), Triston Leandro Murray and Premchand Bharat (both of Georgetown, Guyana), Clayton Jones (Beaver, Utah), Hayden George VanMeeteren (Ogden, Utah), Ted Spurgeon Bushman (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Christina Jaipaul (Georgetown, Guyana).

WIM Welcomes the Lindorfs

The West Indies Mission is the third foray into the Lord’s service for Elder Paul and Sister Kristene Lindorf of Prospect, OR (near Crater Lake) who have previously served together in Thailand and Slovenia. “We have a goal to serve 18 months on – then 18 months off,” states the senior missionary who hopes he will be able to regain some of his French language skill learned when he served a mission in France as a young man 40 years ago. “I’m hoping it will come back to me as we are immersed. I guess we'll see.”

With a BS degree in Marketing and Accounting from BYU, Elder Lindorf was employed in the Marketing Division of Shell Oil Co. in several states for 16 years in Marketing and later as the CFO of Western Wats Center in Provo, UT for 10 years. He retired at age 50 to care for his aged parents with plans to serve missions after their demise.

Calling himself “a jack of all trades, master of none,” Elder Lindorf likes computers (especially Macs) and has written an e-book.

Sister Lindorf, who loves music, plays the piano, organ, guitar and enjoys conducting, hopes to give lessons here in the WIM, if the opportunity arises. A fulltime wife and mother to the couple’s six children, became a “computer devotee” in self-defense in her family of computer geeks. As such she maintains regular communication with their large family – including 17 grandchildren – through blogging and newsletters. She also enjoys healthy cooking and sharing her testimony of the Gospel through updates on their mission activities to hundreds of family members and friends.

“Mostly, I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” says the incoming sister missionary. “My love for the children of our Heavenly Father increases each year I am in their service. I can't imagine a more delightful retirement! I'm humbly thankful for this small way of showing my gratitude to God.”

Welcome to the WIM, Elder and Sister Lindorf.