Couples Conference in St. Lucia

On Carnival weekend in Trinidad, Robert and Raylene Bush (Grenada), Douglas and Valerie Salmon (Martinique), Kendrick and Rose Benn, Gary and Florence Ricks, Lynn and Sharon Angus (Humanitarian Services), Larry and Karen Harris (CES) and Verrol and Helen Young (all from Guyana); Ronald and Rosella Boman (Barbados), Willie and Julie Ann Gibson (St. Lucia), Dallas and Sharon Stevens (St. Maarten), Clive and Arlene Henderson (St. Vincent), Jean and Gertrude Drolet (French Guiana), Peter and Ina Jansen (Suriname), Doug and Jean Clarke (Tobago), Robert and Susan McIntosh (Guadeloupe), and missionaries from the West Indies Mission Office, including Diane Ellison, Ralph and Paulette Childs, James and Joey Luster and Ed and Linda Sappington gathered in St. Lucia with President and Sister Gamiette for spiritual feasting and socializing.

During 3-days together, President Gamiette spoke of mission goals and shared his knowledge of Jacob 5 and its importance in reactivating members. President Ricks spoke of shadow leadership and the role of couples in helping branch leaders and new members gain understanding. President McIntosh shared the value of the Couples Area Book, encouraging couples to create this resource for themselves and those who will follow them. Elder and Sister Jansen enthusiastically shared their experience organizing a Young Adult Center in Suriname. President Ricks added his direction on helping prospective missionaries through the application process. A brisk question-and-answer session provided information to those seeking answers to their inquiries. After dinner sessions included health and wellness taught by Sister Ellison and Sister Gamiette. Elder and Sister Boman taught a short session on temple preparation; then Sisters McIntosh and Young spoke of the culture of the islands. Elders Luster and Sappington updated missionary couples on managing mission finances; Elder Childs spoke on auditing and record keeping and CES was covered by President McIntosh and Elder and Sister Harris before President Gamiette’s final thoughts ended this amazing and helpful time together.

These outstanding senior couples are young in spirit, wise and willing to "lengthen your stride" or “hasten your shuffle” to serve the Lord and strengthen the lives of the Lord’s children in the West Indies Mission. Even those who may not know the local language, their accomplishments are great and their spirit of sacrifice is praise worthy. Thanks to all willing to leave home and family for 18 months to 2 years to enjoy the sweet spirit and satisfaction that comes from giving full-time service together in the work of the Master.

The Couples Conference in St. Lucia by the numbers:
- 19 couples and 1 wonderful senior sister
- 113 children
- 323 grandchildren
- 4 greats
- 34 church missions plus one sister who spent 3 years in the Peace Corps and one couple who taught English in China for 2 years

Meet the Sappingtons

Elder Edward (“Ed”) and Sister Linda Sappington were initially called by letter from President Thomas S. Monson to the Jamaica Kingston Mission. Four days later they received a phone call from the Missionary Department noting a change had been made to the West Indies Mission where they would help build the PEF program, particularly in Guyana. During 3 weeks in the Provo MTC and 3 days in the area office in the Dominican Republic, the Sappington’s received training on nearly every Church program in which missionaries might serve (PMG, CES, ERS, PEF, welfare, and humanitarian service). However, upon arrival the Sappingtons were assigned to work in the West Indies Mission office . . . the only training they didn’t get! Elder Sappington, a former banker and investment counselor, is the WIM Finance Secretary, at the Trinidad office, making certain bills are paid and missionaries receive their monthly subsistence. Sister Sappington, the former Director of the Five County Volunteer Center Network, is the WIM Office Manager, with particular responsibility for immigration.

The St. George, Utah residents are the proud parents of six and grandparents of 13 of the world’s most beautiful and intelligent grandchildren.

Who Does What in the WIM Office?

Missionaries – the young and not-so-young – have asked what those in the West Indies Mission office do every day. Here is a basic overview:

Elders Ipson and Gilley are the current AP’s helping President Gamiette, President Ricks and President McIntosh, administer the mission. Together these two fine young leaders complete reports (i.e., baptisms and other data), notify missionaries of changes to their assignments (called “transfers”), assist in the organization of zone and district meetings. . . and “other duties, as assigned.”

Prevention and referrals for treatment are the primary responsibility for Sister Ellison, the WIM Nurse. Her day-to-day assignments involve referring missionaries to appropriate medical care, educating about and encouraging good health habits, informing missionaries on how to use proper first aid to manage simple health issues and educating them about what is in first aid kits in each apartment throughout the mission. Sister Ellison and her assistant Sister Luster also work together to keep the young elders and sisters, as well as Mission President Gamiette flying around the West Indies. Their job is to arrange air flights to and from the mission and to meetings on various islands . . . and “other duties, as assigned.”

Sister Childs is the office receptionist but has lots of other assignments as well, such as referrals (people who have expressed an interest in knowing more about the church), first and last wills and testaments (transcribing notes made by young missionaries at the beginning and the end of their mission), recording baptisms into the Church’s official database. . . and “other duties, as assigned.”

Elders Luster and Sappington share responsibilities for the expenditure of the Lord’s sacred funds. Their job is to pay bills, provide a monthly living allowance for young missionaries so they so they can eat and put gas in their cars, balance petty cash on 11 islands, make sure the mission stays within budget. . . and “other duties, as assigned.”

Sister Sappington is responsible for making certain all missionaries and couples are in each of those 11 countries legally (all the countries have their own requirements and regulations which must be met one-by-one), applying for visa permits, keeping track of missionaries coming and those going home; ordering materials and supplies (water filters, teaching supplies, missionary nametags, etc.) . . . and “other duties, as assigned.”

Everyone in the mission office is here to help in your efforts to bring souls to Christ.

Leadership Conference

Leadership training took place in three locations around the West Indies Mission during the month of February when zone and district leaders and trainers gathered in Guyana, Trinidad and St. Lucia. On February 15, President Gamiette met with missionaries leaders from Georgetown, Lagrange, Linden, and Canje Zones in Patentia, Guyana. On February 22, they gathered in Trinidad from Suriname, Trinidad North, Trinidad South, and Barbados Zones, where President Gamiette taught and celebrated his birthday with the missionaries, as well as with his family. Missionaries from the Island North, Island South, and French North Zones met in St. Lucia on February 23.

As they counseled together, missionaries and mission leaders discussed a variety of leadership topics including:

• Teaching Key Doctrine
• Helping others gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon
• Helping others meet the criteria for Baptism
• Better planning and preparation
• Trying new techniques with faith
• Search for revelation and opportunities to strengthen the vision for the area
• Working with members
• Creating and maintaining unity
• Enthusiasm
• Firm in Faith

Catching Up: Christmas in the West Indies Mission

In Paramaribo, Suriname, 16 Elders - along with Elder and Sister Jansen - spent their Christmas Day singing, visiting and eating with 14 residents of a local retirement home. These elderly men and women had already received wheelchairs from the Church in early December as part of a Humantiarian Service project orchestrated by Elder and Sister Angus, but had not visited the church which had provided this wonderful gift. A visit from the missionaries was a delightful – and unexpected - pleasure on this special day . . . and the Elders were deeply impressed by their loving responses.

Christmas Day 2010 in Trinidad dawned clear and warm. There were no halls decked, no turkey in the oven, no gifts stacked under the tree, but there was no shortage of Christmas spirit as missionaries - young and not-so-young - gathered at President and Sister Gamiette's home to celebrate the Savior's wondrous birth in a lowly manger in Bethlehem. The festivities included a delicious enchilada dinner prepared by Sister Wheeler.

Dessert involved feasting on Sister Gamiette's amazing brownies which include a secret ingredient she has mailed to her all the way from France. The day also included socializing and a lengthy, but fun, talent show. Elders Park, Hicken, Lake, Ackerman, Free, Dyson, Brague and Call sang, danced, played guitar or piano, performed a few back flips and entertained with a skit entitled "Purple Pancakes."

Christmas Day 2010 was beautiful and memorable, the food delicious and plentiful and the Spirit was in rich abundance.

Meet the Hendersons

Elder Clive and Sister Arlene Henderson, newly arrived from the Provo MTC, were not so much called “out of the blue” as “out of the family.” Over the past several years, Elder and Sister Henderson have enjoyed hearing the success stories of the West Indies Mission, so when the couple decided to put in their papers, her first cousins - former President Reid and Sister Diane Robison - told them there was nowhere else on earth they should serve.

The Henderson’s are the 18th and newest missionary couple currently serving in the West Indies Mission. Parents of six and grandparents of 11, both are former educators. She taught 2nd grade for more than 23 years. He taught high school math and science for 13 years, then established a successful cleaning and restoration business in his hometown. Together these residents of Idaho Falls, Idaho will spend the next 17 ½ months serving the saints on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, where they will provide shadow leadership, fellowship to reactivate and strengthen new members, organize at least one annual temple trip and 1-2 humanitarian service projects on the island while also acting as an extension of the mission office and, as all other senior missionaries before them, performing “other duties as assigned.”

Meet the Gibsons

It was in the middle of an early February downpour when Elder Wilburn Charles (aka “Willie”) and Sister Julie Ann Gibson from Alamosa, Colorado, stepped off the plane and got their first look at Trinidad. His grin grew wider as the rainfall increased. The supersized elder with his characteristic wide suspenders felt he had finally come home after two bitter cold weeks at the Provo MTC and a few more – “trying against all odds” - to learn Spanish in the Dominican Republic. Their original call was as Humanitarian Service missionaries, but their new assignment on St. Lucia will find them providing shadow leadership, fellowshipping to reactivate and strengthen new members, organizing at least one annual temple trip and 1-2 humanitarian service projects on the island while also acting as an extension of the mission office and performing “other duties as assigned.”

Within an hour of their arrival on St. Lucia, the Gibsons had the remarkable experience of attending their first West Indies baptism.

In their working lives, Elder Gibson was a general contractor and Sister Gibson was the owner/manager of the Greyhound Bus station in her hometown. The 17th senior missionary couple currently serving in the West Indies Mission are the proud parents of six and even prouder grandparents of 19 (“with 2 more on the way”).