Final French Zone Conference

We love the French side of the West Indies Mission (President Robison served his mission in France)

Here are the missionaries from Guadeloupe and St Martin including the Collings and the Olivers



We continued our series of zone conferences on study

Elder Heiner shows how it's done:




The elders in Guadeloupe are a young group - but full of potential. Because of visa requirements all new French elders from the United States must start out in Guadeloupe and stay their until they get proper documentation - and that can take up to a year! Sometimes that means there are quite a few newer missionaries there. That is the case right now.

An example - Here are Elders Krause and Olsen each only out for two months, serving together. What an adventure!



They study plenty hard on the French side

















Role playing works!





Singing in French (the heavenly language)



The Collings and the elders organized a wonderful good bye gift for us - pictures and notes from each French missionary. What a treasure!



We will miss these fine missionaries


Elder Hill and Sylvester


Elder Vogel and Snow


Elder Cottam (not French but trying to be) and Kelley


Elder Krause and Olsen


Elder Lish and Ison


Elder Copa and Roberts
By the way - they taught a fine restoration lesson (in French) at a baptism last Saturday.


Elder Neff and Heiner


Elder Nelson, Jones, and Neff (again?)


Elder Julian and Wright

Final Island Zone Conference

Study!

We have been rotating through the Preach my Gospel topics of planning, study, finding, committing, and teaching during our entire mission. It was nice that this final tour's topic happened to be study. That is what President Robison and I like to teach the very best. We love the doctrines of the Gospel and feel that as the elders learn them and teach them, the work rolls forward rapidly.

I have a personal motto for West Indies missionaries - they can teach anyone, anything, anyplace, anytime!

The assistants (Elder Hamilton and Elder Jones) taught about studying the doctrines and using companion study time to role-play how to teach them in order to help people make and keep committments

President Robison and I purposely kept our time in zone conference open so that we could address the elders' most important questions and together as a group search for the doctrines in the scriptures, that if understood, would answer them.

It was a wonderful experience.

At the end of our discussion President Robison had each missionary bear his or her testimony.

We loved hearing from them. They are amazing!

Here are a few glimpses of our day in St Lucia with the elders from Grenada, St Vincent, St Lucia, and Martinique

We started with a picture of the entire Island Zone plus the elders from Martinique



Then they got to work - STUDYING









with a little help from their friends





This is for you - moms and dads - a picture of each missionary, nice and close


Elder Endemann and Moala


Elder White and Montgomery


Elder West and Anihia


Elder Tevero and Carlson


Elder Ash and DeMasters


Zone Leaders - Elder Fisher and Cronin


Grenada group - Elder Owens, the Rasmussens and Elder Sarager

We will miss the Hattons!


This is their last zone conference (but wait! they are our neighbors at home so we will see them lots :)

After the conference we had a fabulous lunch as usual



Can you believe how healthy these elders will be after eating the chef salads Sister Collins and Faux organized?





They just had to balance out all that good green stuff with naughty naughty cakes


Sister Collins


Sister Faux



Then it was time to say good bye to these wonderful missionaries

Farewell and Hurrah for Israel!

Goodbyes

Here's what President Robison's been doing a lot lately



Saying good bye

(Elder West)

On the (French) Road

We have been traveling for about a week now and internet access has not been good. We had great zone conferences in the islands (St Lucia) Wednesday and in Guadeloupe yesterday, along with a wonderful fireside last night. I took pictures, but just can't get anything uploaded. I'll keep trying!

Church in Grenada

We were in Grenada last weekend and I just now found time to upload some photos.

The church building there is in the most beautiful location in the entire mission.

It looks over gorgeous Grand Anse Beach



Here's a little tour:

Just outside the entrance - a nice big wrap around porch



In front - a basketball hoop of course - with an informative 'grass sculpture' underneath



Around the side, a view of the couple's and elders' apartment building (also looking over the gorgeous beach)



Now, around back



to the gate to the baptismal 'font'



and just a few steps down the hill and over some rocks, to the perfect spot to enter the waters of baptism



While we were there (actually the purpose for going), a new branch presidency was sustained:

Branch President - Angus Bonard Francis
First Counselor Matthew Noel Gellizeau
Second Counselor Mathew Charles Hatler

After church we had dinner at Elder and Sister Rasmussen's apartment next door along with new President Francis



and Elders Sarager and Owens



Showing they are the kind of missionaries their moms hoped they would be



Two fine missionaries