Senior Conference in Trinidad

All the Senior Couples met in Trinidad for our Senior Conference.

Here I am with Sister Carter

The couple at Norma's Bed and Breakfast who took care of us.

Sister ? and Sister Jenkins

Elder and Sister Belgrave who live on Trinidad

Elder and Sister Bird who were public relations missionaries.

President and Sister Goodluck, our good friends from Guyana.  Her name is Vo Nella and he says he is Chocolate.

Elder and Ray, Elder and Sister Olpin, and President and Sister Mehr

September 16 to the 21, 2013
We loved the mission conference in Trinidad.  We were surprised to find that we were on the list of departing missionaries.  All the missionaries that would be gone before the next conference were on the list, so even though we had nearly six months left we found ourselves on that list.  It made us realize how fast the time is going.  
We arrived in Trinidad from Tobago and the AP's picked us up at the airport and took us to Norma's Bed and Breakfast where we stayed.  It is close to the mission office.  We got organized and they picked us up again to go to the Mission Home for dinner and a devotional.
I took a few notes of the messages we received.  Here are some of the things that were discussed: 1.  Write mission experiences in a journal or blog.  Our priority is the Work of Salvation: 1.  Baptism, 2. Reactivation, and 3. Retention.  Sacrament meeting attendance shows real growth.  Real growth is our main focus.  Every new member needs a friend, a job, and nourishing by the good word of God.  
In the West Indies Mission we have 5 Areas of Focus:
1.  Obedience, eye single to the Glory of God.  Preach my Gospel was written in Heaven and compiled on Earth.  Help the missionaries to be obedient.
2.  Preach my Gospel
3.  Book of Mormon and the Spirit - the greatest tools for conversion.  A man can get nearer to God by reading the Book of Mormon than any other book.
4.  Standards of Excellence.  We need to set goals.
5.  Member Work - branch council, home teaching and visiting teaching.

We enjoyed our association with the other missionaries and Pres. and Sister Mehr.  We learned so much.  Now is the time of the Hastening of the Lord's work.  We need to be patient and kind and teach the leaders with love.  We need to help bring the Church out of obscurity.  "Starve our problems, and feed our opportunities", and look at our challenges as opportunities.
We received new assignments to help with the Caribbean Cultural Celebration which will celebrate the Church being in the Caribbean 25 years in 2015.  All the Senior missionaries are now humanitarian missionaries, and we need to write projects that will influence for good the leaders of our countries and bring the Church out of obscurity.  We also need to help coordinate and support the Hearts and Hands International Day of Service on Nov. 2.

We were taught in the mornings, and had a few hours in the afternoon for relaxing activities, and then dinner and devotionals in the evenings.  Here are a few pictures from the conference.

In this picture we have the Wrights, Beechers, Carters, Samaroos, Belgraves, Esplins, and Jenkins.

Here we are at the Bamboo Cathedral.  It was so peaceful and nice.  We are with Elder and Sister Bennion, Elder and Sister Bird, and Elder Monson.

We loved the afternoon outings.

Elder and Sister Bird, who serve on St. Vincent.

Elder and Sister Bennion, who speak French, and serve on Guadaloup

Elder Carter.  He and Sister Carter serve in Berbice.

This picture was taken at our place in Georgetown.  The Mehrs returned to Guyana with us after our conference, and the next day, Sept. 22, was President Mehr's birthday. We conspired with Sister Mehr to see what he would like for his birthday dinner and we served his favorite meal; beef hotdogs, canned baked beans, applesauce, jello, and german chocolate cake.  He was surprised:)

Elder and Sister Samaroo