New Location: Trinidad Assignment

Our location has changed. On March 12, 2008, we were transferred from St. Maarten (at the northernmost point in the Mission) to Trinidad (at the southernmost point in the Mission). In St. Maarten we made some wonderful, lifetime friends. And we miss them very much.

Our work in St. Maarten revolved around re-activating members and supporting the four Elders working on the island. We found so many wonderful, dedicated and FAITHFUL Saints. Elder Coleman was the Branch President and I taught Seminary.

Our duties in the office and our role in Trinidad is totally different. We arrived in Trinidad the evening of March 12th. On March 13th we went into the office at 8:30 am. For the next 3 weeks we underwent extensive training by our predecessors, the Lockharts from Idaho. They taught us how to manage the financial and immigration functions for the entire mission; 136 in-the-field missionaries and 26 senior couples. In this Mission, there are 3 languages, 13 countries, and 6 different currencies. Each day of training was a 9-hour day and even at that, we still had a lot to learn. The training has proven to be excellent. The Lockharts are now home and we are still working the 9-hour days – six days a week. Now that we are a little more familiar with our work, we are able to take Saturday’s off.

Our Mission President, Reid Robison and his wife Sister Diane Robison are both truly inspired. The Lord has blessed this Mission. Last year there were 1000 baptisms in this mission. Just an incredible accomplishment. Currently, this mission baptizes more souls than any other mission in the world. And the goal this year is 2008 baptisms for 2008. To date this year we are at nearly 600 baptisms. As if all of this wasn’t enough, in Trinidad, Guadeloupe and Guyana, the church is near meeting all the requirements to have a stake. That would mean 3 new stakes in the West Indies. The work that gets done in this Mission is unprecedented. And President Robison attributes much of this to having senior couples on nearly every island in the Mission. President and Sister Robison travel around the Mission and hold four (one in Dutch, one in French and 2 in English) different zone conferences every 6 weeks. In most cases, when an Elder gets transferred, it means he ‘flys’ to his next assignment. Another senior couple in the office make all the travel arrangements and maintain baptism records for the entire mission – that’s a full time job for the two of them. And there are always emergency transfers; that means making travel reservations in the middle of the night. President and Sister Robison have a little more than a year left in their mission – we can’t wait to see what’s coming!

President Robison puts ALL the senior couples to work. On each island or in each assignment, couples are given the opportunity to create miracles in their midst. Although as an office couple, we do not have as much direct involvement with investigators and members, we know we are making it possible for all the young elders to do what they do best—TEACH--because we see that rent and utility bills are paid and they have legal documentation in the countries where they serve. The work we do is sometimes complicated, takes many hours and IS ALWAYS MEANINGFUL. How often in our retirement do we get the opportunity to actually have meaningful work in our lives. This Mission values it’s senior couples. And we always need more senior couples. Just let us know and we can be 99% sure you serve in the Caribbean, the exciting WEST INDIES MISSION.

WE LOVE IT!

ELDER AND SISTER COLEMAN

p.s. We are just getting to know the branch members here. And we have made so many senior couple friends that we can visit in nearly every state in the union (well not really – but lots of states!) and Elders have invited us to Canada, France, Ireland and New Zealand. What a deal!