Celestin and Wanda Lucas have served in the Tahiti Papeete Mission for the last 15 months.
They serve under the direction of President Steven R. Fox with his wife and companion, Debbie Fox.
“Senior missionaries from French Polynesia help the mission by adding the dimension of wisdom that comes with age, Church leadership experience, and knowledge of the culture,” says President Fox.
Elder Lucas grew up on Raiatea Island – a leeward island about 40 minutes away by plane from Papeete, Tahiti. He became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was nine-years old. Circumstances did not allow him to serve a mission as a young man, but he waited, worked, and prepared for the opportunity that he hoped would come later on in life.
Sister Lucus was born into the Church and is from Papeete, Tahiti.
Celestin and Wanda married, raised their family and after retiring from his job as an airplane mechanic, made the necessary preparations to serve a senior couple mission.
Elder and Sister Lucas are assigned to look after and maintain missionary apartments or homes in the mission.
They enjoy their assignment and have several times gone out in the night to fix a problem for the young missionaries.
They love these young people and feel they are mentors to them and do all in their power to lift and motivate them in their service.
Their goal is to help prepare the young missionaries to become firm in the faith and look to their future as leaders in the community and in the Church.
They feel they have received “joy, peace, and love” from their missionary service. They also know that their family has received additional peace in their lives that has come from parents who made the commitment to spend their time and talents in the service of the Lord.
Their advice to potential senior couples is, "Be prayerful and have faith. Don’t let the worries of financial burdens hold you back. You can serve the Lord and live in your own home."
Elder and Sister Luas have expressed the desire to serve another mission when their current mission is complete.
Mormons believe that we should sacrifice our time and talents to serve those who might be in need. The Savior said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35).