WIM Couples: Elder and Sister Gibson

The West Indies Mission is considered the most difficult mission in the church, so senior couples are of particular value. Currently, there are 19 couples (counting President and Sister Gamiette) serving on 11 islands and South American Countries, including Elder Wilburn Charles (aka “Willie”) and Sister Julie Ann Gibson from Alamosa, Colorado. We first met the supersized elder with his characteristic wide suspenders and his quiet, softspoken wife at the MTC, where together we endured two bitter cold weeks and a few more days together in Dominican Republic where we were learning about service in the mission office and they had just arrived to serve as Spanish speaking Humanitarian Service missionaries. Unfortunately, they didn't speak Spanish and it quickly became evident they needed to be assigned elsewhere. The "elsewhere" selected for them was St. Lucia, in the West Indies Mission, where they are now providing shadow leadership, fellowshipping to reactivate and strengthen new members, organizing at least one annual temple trip and 1-2 humanitarian service projects on the island while also acting as an extension of the mission office and performing “other duties as assigned.”

In their working lives, Elder Gibson was a general contractor and Sister Gibson was the owner/manager of the Greyhound Bus station in her hometown. The 17th senior missionary couple currently serving in the West Indies Mission are the proud parents of six and even prouder grandparents of 19 (“with 2 more on the way”).