Senior Missionary Couples

(Elder and Sister Owens - Guyana)

Let me start by sharing a comment from this blog that delighted me:

"Today as we were watching the slideshow my 10 year old son said “I want to go on a couples mission to the West Indies.”

I don't know what that 10 year old saw or felt - but he got it right! Couple missions are special.

One of the key 'secrets' to success in the West Indies Mission has been the senior couple missionaries.

When I say success I refer to all aspects of missionary work:

Finding - they do it all the time as they go about their daily activities. Over and over again I have watched couples strike up conversations with someone in line, or next to them in a restaurant and invite them to hear more about the gospel.


(Elder Bullock - Guyana)

Teaching - the elders call them 'gray power' as they come to lessons and testify from years of experience about the blessing of living the gospel.


(Elder and Sister Naegle - Trinidad)


(Elder and Sister McGhie - Trinidad)

Baptizing - we had a weekend in the West Indies where almost every senior brother baptized. Investigators grow to love 'their' senior couples who friendship and teach them during the conversion process.


(Elder Wood - Grenada)


(Elder Sherwood - St Lucia)


(Elder White - Guyana)


(Elder Colling - Guadeloupe)


(Elder Hymas - St Lucia)


(Elder Larsen - Guyana)


(Elder Leishmann - Trinidad)


(Elder Hatton - St Vincent)


Retaining - a key responsibility (and joy) of senior couples is to find the 'lost sheep' and then love them back into activity. They also watch over new members and make sure they find friends in their new branches.


(Sister Lockhart - Guyana)


(Elder and Sister Collins - Trinidad)


Establishing the Church - in a mission made up of mostly districts mentoring, shadow leadership and training is desperately needed. Senior couples are able to drawn on their years of experience to strengthen branches. Senior sisters do a great work in helping their local sisters strengthen Relief Society, Primary and Young Women programs. They have learned that the auxiliary programs of the Utah Church cannot and do not need to be exactly replicated in the little branches so they work creatively to help organize the essentials and leave each branch stronger then they found it.


(Elder and Sister Langford - Guyana)


(Elder and Sister Platt - Guyana)


(Sister Stauffer - St Vincent)


(Sister Leavitt - Trinidad)


(Sister Hymas - St Lucia)


(Sister Bullock - Guyana)

Conducting the affairs of the mission - maybe not the most fun part of the work, but so essential in the success of the West Indies Mission. Senior couples are able to free up the elders to do what they do best - teach and baptize - by handling many finance, legal and health issues. They act as an extension of the mission office - particularly essential in a mission as spread out as the West Indies.


(Elder Collin - mission office in Trinidad)


(Elder Dunn - Guyana)


(Elder Palmer - training clerks in Trinidad)


(Elder Hymas - St Lucia)

Blessing the lives of elders - almost every missionary in the West Indies takes home a few extra sets of 'grandparents' who have watched over and counseled them during their service. The couples refer to these missionaries as 'our elders' and will stay connected to them all their lives. During the mission they keep an eye on health, apartment cleanliness, emotions (counseling many a homesick elder) and their progress in learning to be great missionaries.


(Elder Malmrose - Guadeloupe)


(Elder and Sister Leavitt - Trinidad)


(Elder Hymas - St Lucia)


(Leishmanns and Barnes - Trinidad)


(Elder and Sister Bullock - Guyana)

They also have a lot of fun and adventure!


(Elder and Sister Platt hunting alligators with Guyana elders in the middle of the night - really!)


(Sister Bullock - being pulled out of a Guyana trench where alligators live - really!)


(Elder and Sister Green competing in sports day - Trinidad)


(Elder and Sister Owens at District Meeting in Guyana)


(President Robison and Elder Wood - working hard in Grenada)


(Elder and Sister Platt - St Martin)


As we gathered with returned elders and couples during the past week I was able to see vividly the bonds of love that had developed during missionary service. There is something indescribably special about working side by side to bring souls to Christ. Age differences disappear and those connections become eternally embedded.

Here's a little peek:

Guyana - Excerpts from a Letter

Elder and Sister Hymas are a senior missionary couple who started their mission about six months ago in St Lucia. They were just transferred to Guyana this month so that Elder Hymas could serve as a counselor in the mission presidency with the special assignment to help prepare the Georgetown, Guyana District to become a stake.

They sent an email to family and friends today describing their experience and gave me permission to share a few excerpts.

What we knew about Guyana, was that is was like being on an extended camp out. That there were snakes, little alligators, heat, humidity, lots of cement, cheep stuff, brown dirty trenches, boils, bugs, dead dogs and ohh so much more. We were told not to judge it until after our first week or two here. So I am here to give you the report....

While it is true that all the above is here, the positives far outweigh the negatives. We were told that the people here are terrific. I didn't think they could be as good as my lucian friends, but I think the saints here can hold their own in my heart. We have been warmly greeted every where we have gone. There are about 8ish branches close to us and about 6 or 7 a two hour drive from us. We have been able to meet 6 of the other couples, that work so hard to serve in their different capacities. We have been a part of calling a new district presidency (like a stake presidency) made up of all powerful, young, local returned missionaries. One of whom is married with a baby. That in and of itself is history in the making. They are great....

I am here to say that while it is true that there are snakes, alligators, bats, bugs, boils, a brown ocean, dirty mud trenches, lots of busy city, poverty, theiving, burgler bars on all doors and windows, strange music... that the lines for a drivers licence and anything else are hours long, that the air conditioning in the car doesn't work, the shopping limited and ineffecient, that we share the road with dogs, horses, donkeys, horse driven carts, cows, smoking trucks, and crazy honking drivers, That the only fast food places are all fried chicken places, that our large spacious home is sterile and colorless, that we have been warned to either give the police a bribe when pulled over or face the stinky lock up jail for 48 hours, that the missionaries are all attempting to be here legally, that my oven both burns and leaves raw the brownies at the same time, that I have to hand filter the water for each cycle of my clothes washing, and with all the other little challenges of daily life, We are glad to be here.

We are so glad to be a part of the growth and development of the church here. We are thrilled to sit in a 6x6 living room singing songs to children at their request, while their mom is interviewed for baptism. We are thrilled to see that the members here know the hymns of the church without a CD player or piano. We are thrilled to see men of the priesthood biking to their meetings, 10 miles away with their ties flapping in the wind. We are thrilled to see the priesthood of God in action as deacons pass the sacrament. We are thrilled to hear the primary songs ring out the windows onto the loud and hopeless streets. We are thrilled to see the saints walk, bike, taxi or bus to church in an attempt to worship our Heavenly Father and be edified by His gospel. We are learning to appreciate sitting in a building where you can see the dirt on the ground through the wood slats of the floor, with open windows and chipping paint. We are thrilled to share our growing testimony that this work will roll forth and change the lives of so many humble and prepared people. There is no greater joy. Our perspective is forever changed. Our love for the sacrifices of those who have gone before us is forever deepened. Our love of the gospel is more complete. This is an amazing church to be apart of. The Lord surely does have his hand in His church. Like a mighty army moves the church of God.


Here are some pictures of Elder and Sister Hymas's Guyana experience (so far)






(new District Presidency)

We may be old, but we're not dead yet!

(Sister Leishman, who impressively made today's trek despite rebuilt knees, named this blog post)

The Trinidad senior couples of the 'O'zone of Trinidad went on a journey today

Last Monday the Trinidad (younger) Elders came to Maracas Waterfall for a fabulous zone meeting. You can read about it here.

Not to be left behind - the senior couples decided to make the same hike - actually more of a mountain climb, but the reward was sweet.



"That will be $100 tt please" - Elder Coleman


Up we go


Elder Collins, our nature guide


First we climbed up to the large upper waterfall

A stunning sight


Who is that man? (oh - it's President Farrer)


He is having too much fun


We know where he learned to have fun - Sister Farrer!


Hurrah - we made it!



Next we climbed halfway down and detoured to a gorgeous series of waterfalls and pools


A couple of (intentional?) slips led to a few splashes

This particular splash was made by an (unnamed) senior missionary complete with shoes and missionary tag


Another unnamed senior missionary (last name begins with 'C' and ends with 'man') crept up behind President Robison to give him a little scare and just he was about to pounce, slipped and landed in the water. Lesson learned - don't ever try to startle a mission president

We returned to find the mission van had been broken into but oddly enough, everything was found piled by a nearby rock minus $100 tt (about 17 USD) and one towel. All charge cards, cell phones, and the rest of the money were untouched.

The angels must have been kept extra busy watching over us today