Church News - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

New mission presidents

Published: Saturday, June 7, 2008

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Four new mission presidents and their wives have been called by the First Presidency. They will begin service about July 1.

Yapo and Josiane Ayekoue
Yapo Ayekoue, 46, Ivory Coast Abidjan Mission; Quatre Etages Ward, Abobo Cote D'Ivoire Stake; stake president; former counselor in a stake presidency, bishop and branch president. Country director, Church Educational System. Born in Akoupe, Cote D'Ivoire, to Ayekoue Marc Kouadio and Apie Aseu Koudio. Married Koqcaudh Aimee Josiane Amon, three children.

A stake Primary president, Sister Ayekoue is a former counselor in a stake Primary presidency, counselor in a ward Young Women presidency and Relief Society teacher. Born in Abengourou, Cote D'Ivoire, to Kouassi Daniel and Assetou Julienne Kesse Amon.

Jannilyn and Kent K. Nelson
Kent Kruger Nelson, 60, Canada Vancouver Mission; Kaysville 20th Ward, Kaysville Utah Crestwood Stake; ward Sunday School teacher; former bishop, high councilor, stake mission president, stake Young Men president and missionary in the Canadian Mission. Associate Partner, Hendricks & Partners. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Rene Ensign and Ruth Mary Kruger Nelson. Married Jannilyn Dickey, four children.

A ward Relief Society teacher, Sister Nelson is a former ward Young Women president, counselor in a ward Primary presidency, ward Sunday School teacher and gospel doctrine teacher. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Myron Leolin and Mary Christine Calcote Dickey.

Jannilyn and Kent K. Nelson
Gennady Nikolaevich Podvodov, 42, Russia St Petersburg Mission; Petrovsky Branch, Donetsk Ukraine District; former district president and counselor, counselor in a branch presidency, seminary teacher and branch Sunday School president. Unit manager in a private enterprise. Born in Polyanovka, Melitopol district, Zaporozhe region, Ukraine, USSR, to Nikolay Ivanovich Podvodov and Pelageya Stepanovna Podvodova. Married Tatyana Anatolyevna Bakovskaya, two children.

Sister Podvodova is a former district Primary president, district family history center director and family history missionary. Born in Vladimirovka, Volnovakha district, Donetsk region, Ukraine, USSR, to Anatoly Petrovich Bakovsky and Nina Petrovna Bakovskaya.

Gordon and Madeline Smith
Gordon Coombs Smith, 60, Philippines Naga Mission; Cascade 2nd Ward, Orem Utah Cascade Stake; missionary in the Philippines Naga Mission; former counselor in a stake presidency, branch president, counselor in a bishopric, temple ordinance worker, high priest group leader, gospel doctrine teacher, high councilor, stake and ward clerk and missionary in the Great Lakes Mission. Retired business manager. Born in Soda Springs, Idaho, to Max E. and Eileen Coombs Smith. Married Madeline June Smith, six children.

A missionary in the Philippines Naga Mission, Sister Smith is a former ward Relief Society and Primary president, counselor in stake Relief Society and Young Women presidencies, ward Relief Society teacher, and ward Young Women secretary. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to Sloan Alma and Alberta Elizabeth Mitchell Smith.