Here’s Who Really Runs the Mission Office!

Three senior couples in the West Indies Mission office put on a good show of running the business of the mission, but the real "go to" guys in the mission office are Elders Johnson and George who generally have the answers to mission-related questions and can solve almost any computer problems and Elders Ipson and Hicken, who travel with and provide support to President Gamiette.

Elder Johnson (left), at somewhere between 6’3” and 6’4” is a whiz at keeping everyone’s technology working as it should. The 7th missionary in his Green River, Utah family of 8 boys and 2 girls, loves sports and being outdoors so Elder Johnson never imagined himself as a “computer geek” in the mission office. However, he has great faith in the Lord’s plan for him and has happily served more than six months in this assignment.

Elder George has only been in the mission office for about a month, but has already risen to his full stature in service to the Lord. This avid soccer player and Eagle Scout, who is about ½” taller than his companion in his stocking feet , is one of four siblings in his Yuba City, California family. Elders Johnson and George spend their days in the office tracking investigators’ progress toward baptism and other mission goals, collecting data from call-in-summary reports and creating key indicator reports for the president and for church headquarters in Salt Lake City.

Elder Hicken (on the right), who is the newly called Assistant to the President, is a distance runner which sport has prepared him to work in the mission office where he works alongside Elder Ipson on Zone Leader reports, companion evaluations, relays information to Zone Leaders, helps to plan councils and conferences and travels with the president. His only complaint about this new calling is a loss of sleep due to the President’s preference for early morning flights around the mission!

Few in Number, but Strong in Faith

The March 2011 transfer brought the West Indies Mission only 3 new missionaries from the MTC, but while they are small in number, each has a mighty testimony, a great love of the Lord, and a huge desire to bring His children in the Caribbean unto Christ. On the French side, Elder Matthew Garlick, from Alpine, Utah and Elder Paul Makanani from Long Beach,California will serve in Guadeloupe and Elder Adyen Jensen from Salt Lake City will serve in St. Vincent to help bring to pass the prophecy “in that day, the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people . . . from the islands of the sea.” (Isaiah 11:11)

Home with Honor

An even dozen of the Lord's finest will return to families and hometowns in Utah, Idaho, Arizona and American Samoa on March 24 after two years of fulltime service in the West Indies Mission. These outstanding elders, who have served worthily among members and investigators in the islands of the Caribbean and in parts of South America, are Kip Clawson Gilley, Phillip John Peterson, Daniel Gordon Christensen, David Blake Lish, David Eugene Gaddy, Donald Caleb Powers, Jacob Wenlock Free, John Luke Jarvis, Jordan Brent Clark, Preston Kim Manwill, Quinton James Montgomery and Von Shumway Hill. Elders, you will always be sons of the West Indies!

Meet Elder and Sister Bush

Elder Robert and Sister Raylene Bush were recruited by caring WIM missionaries for service in the West Indies Mission. Thanks to Elder and Sister Harris who planted the seed of service in the West Indies and to this exceptional couple who followed the promptings of the Spirit to act on this invitation.

Though both are native Utahns, they have lived 22 years in the nation’s Bible Belt, rearing their family of 7 children in Warner Robins, Georgia (grandchildren now number 23 with one more due in August) where Elder Bush was the Chief of the Multimedia Services Division, Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command. While rearing her large family, Sister Bush was employed in the Human Resources office of the local hospital doing payroll and “other duties as assigned.” In their church service, the Bush’s served in numerous leadership roles, including Elder Bush’s duties as a Bishop. Together, they served two years as their stake’s Employment Resource Advisors.

In their service in the West Indies Mission, the Bush’s will spend their time serving the saints on the Caribbean island of Grenada, 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.”

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.