Couples Conference

The West Indies is a unique mission.

We knew that when we received our call to serve. That is why my husband started, even before we arrived in Trinidad, to recruit missionary couples.

Missionaries and members are spread across the Caribbean in eight different countries and speak three different languages. We knew that we would need HELP. When we got here there were five couples, now there are twenty-three!

What does that mean to this mission?

Everything!

The work here has accelerated at an amazing pace, the young elders are fantastic, and the branches are growing stronger.

We held a couples conference this week so that the specialist couples could train all the rest of us on CES, humanitarian, family history, record keeping, finance, etc. It was fabulous!

Sister Myers was a professional conference planner in her 'former' life. She made it perfect for us.


The couples had an optional free day before the conference started and had the perfect tour of Trinidad.

It started with a drive through the rain forest...


...to gorgeous Maracas beach



With a few refreshment stops, of course

This is a favorite - Richard's Bake and Shark


with, of course, fresh coconut water


After the beach they toured some gorgeous old mansions in downtown Port of Spain


And then went on a boat tour of the Caroni Swamp where they got to see hundreds of the national bird of Trinidad - the Scarlett Ibis



plus some other, not so pretty, creatures


OK - enough play - time to get to work

The conference started Wednesday morning and we finished Thursday night.

What did we do?

Sing


Learn


Chat


Cook



Eat


Eat more


Clean


Sing again


Learn more


Teach


Sing again and again





Laugh


Listen to music

Steel Pan - Trinidad's national instrument


Sister Oliver (serving in St Martin) who has a PhD in piano performance

Have fun being taught how to proselyte by the 'gray power' elders





And so on and so on...





At the end of the conference....

there were bonds of friendship that will never end


Here they are - the energetic and powerful West Indies Mission Couples


Hurrah, Hurrah, for Israel!

Gray Power

Here is something interesting about the West Indies Mission:

Most young elders go home planning to serve a couple mission

Why?

They see the blessings (and fun) that comes into the lives of senior couples as the serve missions.

We have wonderful senior missionaries in the West Indies Mission. They find, teach, and baptize just like the young elders and also do so much more - like mentor young elders, spoil young elders (appropriately), welcome new members, find those who are lost, train branch leaders and teachers, love the little children and on and on and on...

They elders call senior missionaries 'magic' or the 'secret weapon' because of the way their life experiences and deep testimonies help investigators progress in testimony and conversion.

We had a couples conference this week and I made this slideshow to honor the tremendous work they do.


To see this video full screen just click on the little square screen in the lower right hand corner of the video window

Please forward this to anyone who is 'on the fence' about serving a couple mission.

The couples here would say, "Get going! It is the greatest thing you can do for yourselves and your families!"

If you want to serve in this mission, email me at dfrweb@gmail.com

Hello and Goodbye to Trinidad Couples

We gathered in Trinidad last night to welcome the Barnes and Palmers and say goodbye to the Farrers who leave Monday morning and the Colemans who leave December 16th.

How do we cope with change?

We chat


We eat


and eat


We celebrate a birthday


We enjoy making new friends

Palmers (Auditing and Training)


Barnes (South Trinidad)


And appreciate the blessings of serving with old friends

Colemans (St Martin and office)


Farrers (St Lucia and South Trinidad)


And then we shout

"Hurrah for Israel!!!"

Into the Water

Sister Sherwood made this beautiful slideshow about the baptisms she and Elder Sherwood saw while serving in St Lucia (to see full screen click on the lower right corner icon.

This will give you just a glimpse of the joy that comes to those who serve couple missions



Feel free to share this with anyone who is thinking about serving a couple mission.

Farewell to the Sherwoods

It is hard to see missionary couples complete their missions and return home.

We will miss the Sherwoods!

They have done a great work building the church in St Lucia spiritually and physically!

Elder Sherwood was the driving force behind getting a new building for the Castries branch and a fabulous extension that will hold the large group of Saints that gather every Sunday - and most other nights of the week too!

Here he is showing off his 'baby'


We captured them for a few minutes tonight for a quick meal. They wanted to sneak off home through Trinidad with no fuss but we just had to see them one last time. I figured some homemade lemon meringue pie might entice them to stay awhile (it did).


Elder Williamson served in St Lucia with the Sherwoods - they love him!


Apparently last week was non-stop farewell partying in St Lucia. Here are the beautiful young women all dressed up after performing St Lucian dances for the Sherwoods


I am continually amazed and impressed when I see the impact couple missionaries have on the sweet saints of the West Indies.