Six new missions, to be created July 1 in Europe, Mexico, Central America, the Philippines and Texas, have been announced by the First Presidency, bringing the Churchwide total to 228.

The new missions are France Bordeaux, Germany Leipzig, Mexico Queretaro, Panama Panama City, Philippines Naga, and Texas McAllen. The Leipzig mission is the first to be created in the German Democratic Republic. The Queretaro mission is Mexico's 15th.Also created this year was the Utah Provo Mission, announced Jan. 14, and which began operation Jan. 20.

The new missions are evidence of continuing success in missionary work. The new missions are:

The number of full-time missionaries at the end of 1988 was 36,132, of whom 10,667 are from countries outside the United States and Canada, according to the Missionary Department.

France Bordeaux - Created from a division of the France Paris and Switzerland Geneva missions. The new mission will include 2,529 members in the Bordeaux, Languedoc and Limonges France districts, which encompasses a non-member population of about 8.6 million people.

The Paris mission will have a non-member population of 23 million, and 4,337 members living in the Paris France Stake and Rouen and Nantes France districts.

The Switzerland Geneva Mission will have a total population of 13.3 million and 4,949 members in the Geneva Switzerland and Nice France stakes, and the Dijon and St. Etienne France districts.

Pres. James T. Johnson of the France Paris Mission reported the new mission will be created from the previously largest geographical mission in Europe and will "be much easier to administer by dividing." Now, both the Geneva and the Belgium Brussels missions also have about two-thirds of their territory in France, he added.

The France Paris Mission had a significant increase of 29 percent in baptisms last year. Much of the increase was due to "more member involvement, and the use of members in teaching," said Pres. Johnson. Also, missionaries are coming to the field with better skills, and that enables mission leaders to place more emphasis on mastering the French language.

The city of Bordeaux has three strong branches and three meetinghouses, strengths that may pave the way for eventual stakehood, said Pres. Johnson. In the area, missionaries conduct street surveys and receive member referrals that account for much of their success in finding contacts. In addition, direct gospel message advertising in newspapers is bringing about significant increases in missionary work.

Germany Leipzig - Created in an area where no mission has been organized for many years, this mission will have 3,600 members in the Freiberg and Leipzig stakes. The area covered by the new mission has an estimated population of 17 million.

The mission was created following an announcement Nov. 12, 1988, by President Thomas S. Monson that the German Democratic Republic had granted the Church the right to conduct missionary work in that country, and permit Latter-day Saints from the DDR to serve as missionaries both in their native country and elsewhere in the world.

President Monson met with top officials of the country Oct. 28, 1988, including Erich Honecker, Chairman of the State Council, who is the chief government leader in the nation; and Kurt Loeffler, state secretary for religious affairs. Both leaders said that allowing missionaries from other countries to serve in the DDR, and allowing Latter-day Saint missionaries from that country to serve elsewhere will strengthen friendship among nations, said President Monson at that time.

Mexico Queretaro - Created from a division of the Mexico City North mission, the Queretaro mission will have 8,249 members in the Celaya, Leon, and San Luis Potosi stakes. About 5.9 million people live in that area.

The Mexico City North mission will have 16,756 members in the Mexico City Camarones, Industrial, Lindavista, Arbolillo, Zarahemla and Tlalnepantla stakes and the Valle Dorado district. The population of this area is about 6.7 million people.

The Queretaro mission will be the milestone 15th mission for Mexico, and represents division of one of three Mexico City missions.

Panama Panama City - A mission in Panama will result from a division of the Costa Rica San Jose Mission. The new mission will have 10,422 members in the David, Panama City and San Miguelito Panama stakes and the Chitre, Colon, and San Blas Panama districts. About 2.1 million people live in Panama.

The Costa Rica mission will have 6,735 members in the Managua Nicaragua, San Jose Costa Rica, and San Jose Costa Rica La Sabana stakes, and the Guanacaste and Guapiles Panama districts. About 2.5 million people live in the country.

Pres. Randy H. Bowler of the Costa Rica San Jose Mission said that ongoing problems in Panama have resulted in strengthening of the Church. When the North American missionaries left the country last year, stake leaders called many young men as stake missionaries, and they taught and baptized many people.

"Now we are reaping two-fold from that," said Pres. Bowler. "Those young men are being called to full-time missions, and they already know the discussions; they are seasoned missionaries. In the long run, this has been a real blessing. The Lord is preparing this country for miraculous things to happen."

Philippines Naga - The new mission resulted from a division of the Philippines Cebu Mission. The Naga mission will have 9,000 members in the Legaspi and Naga stakes and the Daet, Lopez and Sorsogon districts, an area with a population of some 4.6 million people.

The Cebu mission will have 11,000 members in the Cebu City and Cebu City South stakes and the Calbayog, Catarman, Ormoc, Tacloban and Tagbilaran districts, populated by 3 million people.

Pres. C. Elliott Richards said the Cebu City mission was created just two year ago, and 90 percent of its 232 missionaries are Filipinos. He said the new mission will include a beautiful geographic part of the Philippines.

In areas of the mission where the members and missionaries have built up trust and confidence, referrals are coming in rapidly.

In other locations, missionaries tract, but "because of the friendliness of the people, and their willingness to listen, it is easier to place copies of the Book of Mormon here than in other countries," he said.

"We are now beginning to have returned missionaries take their place in the presidencies of branches and districts. This strengthening is really beginning to show itself. These Filipino missionaries are a wonder to behold."

Texas McAllen - To be created from a division of the Texas San Antonio Mission, the McAllen mission will have 8,238 members in the Corpus Christi, Harlingen and McAllen stakes. The area has a population of about 1.3 million.

The San Antonio mission will have 17,076 members in the Austin, Killeen, San Antonio, San Antonio East and San Antonio West stakes. About 2.7 million people live within mission boundaries.

Pres. Dale J. Huntsman of the Texas San Antonio Mission said member missionary work is outstanding in the three stakes of the new McAllen mission. Stake leaders and members "are so very supportive of missionary work," he said.

"In the McAllen area, about 60 percent of the baptisms are through member referrals." He said that the direct gospel messages through the media have also brought substantial success, and missionaries are baptizing third-generation referrals. Third-generation referrals, he said, are referrals from people who were referred by the original converts of the media efforts. He said about 80 percent of the converts remain active. "Members are making the difference," he said.

Pres. Huntsman said missionaries "are talking to everybody they meet about the gospel. Whenever they go inside a store, before they leave, they've got somebody committed to have missionaries."