New presidents of seven of the Church's Missionary Training Centers have been called by the First Presidency.
The new leaders and their wives began training at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, Jan. 11 and most will begin their two-year term of service about Feb. 1.The new presidents and their wives are R. Raymond and Chloris Barnes, Chile; Val H. and Elsie Carter, Brazil; Arnold B and Janet Gilbert, New Zealand; Ryo and Yoshiko Okamoto, Japan; Alejandro and Beatriz Portal, Peru; Won and Young Seo, Korea; and Milton and Rhea Wille, Guatemala.
R. Raymond Barnes, 66, was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Ralph Arundel and Hettie Dredge Barnes. He married Chloris Bowman. They are parents of six children and are members of the Moraga Ward, Oakland California Stake. He is a patriarch, former mission president, regional representative, member of the Priesthood Missionary Committee, stake president and bishop. He graduated from the University of Utah and is executive vice president of a business insurance service company.
Sister Barnes was born in Kanab, Utah, to Othello Conrad and Grace Woolley Bowman. She graduated from the University of Utah and is a former ward Relief Society president and counselor, Young Women president's counselor and board member.
Val H. Carter, 65, was born in Henefer, Utah, to Henry Samuel and Edna Irene Dearden Carter. He married Elsie Hermine Eckersley and they are the parents of two children. They are members of the Morgan 5th Ward, Morgan Utah Stake. He is an ordinance worker in the Ogden Temple and former mission president, stake president's counselor and mission president's counselor. He graduated from Utah State University and is a retired team leader of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projects.
Sister Carter was born to George Teasdale and Elsie Rose Hollermann Eckersly in Loa, Utah. She attended BYU and Arizona State University and has served as a temple ordinance worker, stake Relief Society president and counselor, record extraction trainer and auditor, and mission Primary president.
Arnold B Gilbert, 65, was born in Yost, Utah, to Leon and Rosetta Tracy Gilbert. He married Janet Jones, and they are members of the Brigham City 10th Ward, Brigham City Utah South Stake. They are parents of six children. He is a former mission president, regional representative, stake president and stake executive secretary. He graduated from the University of Utah Medical School and is a physician.
Sister Gilbert was born to William Lunt and Claire Bennion Jones in Cedar City, Utah. She graduated from Utah State University and has served as stake Relief Society president and counselor, and counselor in ward Relief Society and Young Women presidencies.
Ryo Okamoto, 51, was born to Tetsu and Miyoko Sasaki Okamoto in Songjin, Korea. He married Yoshiko Matoba and they are the parents of four children. They are members of the Kamagaya Ward, Tokyo Japan East Stake. He is a former regional representative, mission president, stake president and branch president. He graduated from Kyoto University and is physical facilities manager in the Church's Tokyo area office.
Sister Okamoto was born to Asajiro and Hanae Oshawa Matoba in Kyoto, Japan. She served as branch Relief Society president, stake Young Women president, and on the stake Primary board.
Alejandro Portal C., 62, was born to Pedro Alejandro Portal and Luisa Teresa Campos de Portal in Caracas, Venezuela. He married Beatriz Del Carmen Vargas and they are parents of six children. They are members of the Maracaibo Central Ward, Maracaibo Venezuela Central Stake. He served as mission president, regional representative, district president and bishop. He attended several universities, and is director of the Maracaibo Institute of Religion.
Sister de Portal was born to Jose Agustin Marin and Ana Maria Vargas de Marin in Trujillo, Venezeula. She served as stake and ward Primary president, and ward Young Women and Relief Society president.
Won Seo, 52, was born to Bong Sok and Ko Boon Woo Seo in Sungju-gun, Korea. He married Young Ok Lim and they have four children. He has served as president of the Korea Missionary Training Center since January. They are members of the Nok Beon Ward, Seoul Korea North Stake. He is a former mission president, stake president, stake president's counselor, stake mission president and bishop. He graduated from Kunkook University and will continue to serve as the Church's area office finance and records manager.
Sister Seo was born to Song Chang and Duk He Hong Lim in Seoul, Korea. She has served as ward Relief Society and Young Women president, and teacher in Relief Society and Sunday School.
Milton G. Wille, 63, was born to Frank George and Mary Kapsa Wille in Milwaukee, Wis. He married Rhea Baird and they are parents of six children. Members of the Fallon 3rd Ward, Fallon Nevada South Stake, they were serving as full-time missionaries in the Uruguay Montevideo Mission until their recent call. He served as mission president, bishop, branch president and Young Men president. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and was a professor of mechanical engineering at BYU until retiring in 1993.
Sister Wille was born to Everett and Marie Bassett Baird in Cowley, Wyo. She attended the University of Wyoming and has served as temple ordinance worker, and as ward Relief Society, Young Women and Primary president.
