Watch out Africa - our 33nd Group Just Left and They are Ready!

Here is a Fun Look At During the Mission and Then After the Mission Photos

Elder Cotton-Betteridge is the red-headed Elder in this ordination photo during his mission

Elder Cotton-Betteridge and his wife continue to do missionary work.  This is a convert baptism and they are not yet old enough to serve a senior couple mission.

Elder Joel Cotton-Betteridge proves that you do not need to wait to baptize with your eternal companion until you are retired. He sent me a great letter with the above picture of a convert baptism.  Made my day. Hurrah for Israel!

He called it his Weekly Success Story - remember those (West Indies Missionaries)?

Do You Ever Wonder What Missionaries Looked Like Before Their Missions?

Meet Elder Frédéric Ratsimbazafy from Madagascar:

 

A year prior to serving, he was baptized.

The MTC Missionaries Left for the Field This Morning

First Day in Sierra Leone

We are so excited to have Sierra Leone and Liberia opening up again and hope to have missionaries in both of those countries very soon.  This is a photo of missionaries arriving in Sierra Leone when we had missionaries there. It features Elders Guymon, Pearmain, and Cottrell. While they were called to the Sierra Leone mission, this photo was taken on their first day in Liberia, where they spent their missions until the August 2014 evacuation. They were all transferred to missions in Ghana at that point. Elder Cottrell went to the Accra mission while Elders Guymon and Pearmain finished up in the Cape Coast mission. 

Can you imagine the excitement when the missionaries come back?

But this scene is taking place over and over through Africa today as missionaries arrive from the Ghana MTC.

Area Devotional Features Elder and Sister Vinson

Elder and Sister Vinson visited the May 1st Group at the Ghana MTC today and engaged them in a learning activity. 

Relief Society Speaks A Common Language - The Language of Sisterly Love

Sisters From the Ghana MTC with BYU Group Sisters - May 3, 2015

Carlson & Clawson Called to Preside over Liberia and Sierra Leone Missions

Two new mission presidents and their wives for the Africa West Area have been called by the First Presidency. They will begin their service in July.

Arvid Alan Carlson, 62, and Kelly Lynn Lilly Carlson, five children, Wasatch Mountain Ward, Midway Utah Stake: Liberia Monrovia Mission. Brother Carlson serves as a young single adult adviser and is a former stake presidency counselor, district president, branch president, branch presidency counselor and missionary in the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission. Retired physician, United States State Department. Born in Oakes, North Dakota, to Carl Alvin Carlson and Gloria Mae Widmer Carlson.

Sister Carlson serves as a young single adult adviser and is a former district Primary president, ward Young Women president, branch Primary president and seminary teacher. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, to Morgan Eldon Lilly and Peggy Joyce Christy Lilly.

Kevin Harold Clawson, 58, and Toi Lyon Clawson, five children, Fairport Ward, Palmyra New York Stake: Sierra Leone Freetown Mission. Brother Clawson serves as a stake presidency counselor and is a former bishop, stake mission president, high priests group leader, area public affairs co-director and missionary in the France Paris Mission. President and chief executive officer, Reach the Children. Born in Landstuhl, Rhineland Pfalz, Germany, to Robert Marion Clawson Jr. and Elizabeth Silver Clawson.

Sister Clawson serves as a multi-stake public affairs director and is a former Hill Cumorah Pageant and area public affairs director, seminary teacher, and Primary music leader. Born in Salt Lake City to David Reed Lyon and Cherie Deanne Moss Lyon.