Meet the Bennions

Richard and Linda Bennion, who are serving as Member and Leader Support Missionaries on the island of Guadeloupe, arrived in the West Indies Mission in early December.

Elder and Sister Bennion are from Wenatchee (the Apple Capital of the World), a town on the banks of the Columbia River in north central Washington State. The Bennions are the proud parents of 6 children – 5 boys and 1girl – all who have served missions and are fully supportive of their parents desire to do the same! The Bennions also have 9 grandchildren – 8 boys and 1 girl!

Elder Bennion served a full-time mission to the Franco Belgian Mission in the late 60’s. Sister Bennion joined the Church in 1972. Elder Bennion has been a member of a Stake Presidency, a Bishop, a Scoutmaster and an active member of the Scouting Community in the Pacific Northwest. Sister Bennion has been a Seminary Teacher, a Stake Young Women’s leader and has worked in the Primary.

They have been planning and preparing to serve a Senior Couples’ mission for several years. Elder Bennion retired from his practice as an Ophthalmologist in June of2011. He and Sister Bennion sold their home and packed up 37 years of family life, put it in storage and waited for their call to serve. They say that all of the planning and preparation and every box that was packed and loaded into the moving truck was worth the great blessing of serving a full time mission. They love the great leaders and members of the Church in Guadeloupe and are inspired and uplifted by the courage and faith of every young missionary with whom they serve.

Goodbye to the Harrises

Elder Larry and Sister Karen Harris return to the arms of their family and friends in Layton, Utah on January 12.

“Our mission has definitely been life changing. Our appreciation and love of the gospel, family, friends and America have grown to a new level. We feel very blessed. We loved serving the saints of the West Indies. Even though we saw many needs among the people of Guyana we realized the greatest help we can give was to help them grow spiritually. We can’t help them financially but we can give them hope of a better life through the gospel of Jesus Christ. What a privilege it has been to serve the Lord and see his tender mercies working in so many lives. In seeing the difference the gospel has made in the lives of the saints here, we realize more than ever the gospel really is the solution for a happy and productive life.”

The Harrises were originally called to Trinidad to supervise Seminary and Institute in four countries – Trinidad / Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and Barbados, but after two months, they were asked to make Guyana their home base. They loved the saints in Guyana as well as the lush green country side as they traveled to different assignments. Learning how to dodge animals on the road – cows, horses, donkeys, pigs, sheep and goats was a challenge for Elder Harris at times. “There is never a dull moment in Guyana!” states Sister Harris.

The Harrises feel very fortunate to work with exceptional S&I supervisors and teachers in some of the most beautiful places in the world. States Elder Harris, “We are grateful for their dedication and testimonies of the gospel . . . and we love hearing their conversion stories. Growing up in Utah and Arizona, we were always surrounded by members of the Church and had little opportunity to rub shoulders with converts. It has been one of the greatest blessings of our mission.”

Sister Harris calls watching the yearlong S&I process from enrollment in September to graduation in July and August “a thrill. We have a firm conviction that S&I is having a huge impact on the lives of young people throughout the West Indies and are grateful to have had a part in it.”

Their greatest challenge? “CES reports! It isn’t that they were difficult . . . just time consuming and take us away from our work with members. We will always hold the names and faces of the Saints we have worked with, dear to our hearts.”

Their plans for the future will first include time with their 7 children and 13 grandchildren. Elder Harris looks forward to spending time fly fishing with his sons and both former missionaries desire to spend time with family at their cabin. Sister Harris is excited to get back to her family history research and both plan to visit the temple often as well as do some traveling.

Their work among the Saints in the West Indies has been appreciated by so many. Elder and Sister Harris will be greatly missed - by those in the S&I community and by the missionaries and members with whom they have served for the past 18 months!

WIM Welcomes the Browns

Richard (“Dick”) and Helga (“Hazie”) Brown, of Sterling, VA, found a need for an Assistant Area Auditor on the Church’s “blue sheets” for senior missionaries. This assignment was a good fit for their experience and background, but they were surprised to discover the assignment in Trinidad was actually in the West Indies Mission.

Although Hazie Brown knew she would need to retire to serve a mission, she feels she will still be settling benefits claims for employees of the U. S. Forest Service where she is under contract until a week before they board the plane for the West Indies Mission! She has stepped down from her position twice, but continues to be “talked into coming back” – the last time in 2008 when the USFS convinced her to sign a contract. In her limited spare time, Sister Brown enjoys scrapbooking, photography, cross stitching and helping her husband with tiling and other handy-man jobs.

Dick Brown was employed by the U. S. Internal Revenue Service, the U. S. Navy and spent over 30 years with the United States General Accounting Office. At GAO, he was managed their internal finance, IT and administrative operations. Toward the end of his working life, he provided consultation and assistance to Congressional Appropriations and Oversight Committees where he directed financial management activities in the Legislative Branch of the Federal Government.

Elder Brown is a graduate of Weber State in Ogden, Utah “just shortly after Noah landed the ark,” he jokes. From Weber State, he attended law school, and did post graduate work at American University, the University of Maryland, Harvard, and Princeton, though “I never practiced laws – choosing instead a career in public service” where his legal training served him well in writing legislation for Congress. Despite osteoarthritis – which makes it difficult – Elder Brown still enjoys playing the piano and woodworking.

Although they are finding it difficult - as all senior couples do - to say goodbye to their 4 children and 7 grandchildren – including their oldest who is currently serving a mission in Malaysia - the Brown’s agree, “We look forward to a wonderful experience. We are excited about meeting new friends and learning new cultures. We want to use our experience and background to help in the West Indies Mission while we bear our testimonies and teach others the gospel .”

Transfer Means Goodbye

At transfer time, there is almost always an equal (or similar) number of incoming and outgoing missionaries. The January transfer is no different as we welcome four new faces and say “goodbye” to Elder Phillip Laurence Helms, returning to his home and family in West Point, Utah; to Elder Caldy James Buhler who departs from the WIM to travel back to his future in West Jordan, Utah and to Elder Abraham Austin who, next week, will be welcomed into the arms of his friends and family in Lehi, Utah. Elders, you have left an indelible mark on the Saints in the West Indies Mission. Thank you for your devotion to the Lord and His children in this part of the world.