Craig Pickup

I have just been looking over your CWM site. It has brought back some good memories.

I served in the mission from 1979 until 1981. I was one of 6 British missionaries that served while I was out there. I now live in London and serve on the High Council here. I am married with two children and run my own Internet Constancy. I would be please if you were to add me to the list of missionaries on the site.

I noticed on the site that you appear not to have the mission president for this period which was T Lavoy Esplin who served from Jun 1979 until Jun 1982. Before that was President Howard L Lund who served from 15 Feb 1976 until Jun 1979. The mission was organized on 15 Feb 1976 from a combination of Canada Calgary and South Dakota Rapid City missions.

Sister Esplin died a few years ago and I have not had any news about President Esplin for sometime. They came from St George Utah where he served for a while as temple president I believe. I have attached a photo of them taken the day I arrived in the Mission Field in case you are interested in putting it on the site.

I began serving in Winnipeg and arrived in the mission field on the 17 Jan. After a brief induction in the mission office my companion and the Zone leaders arrived to collect me. My companion had not expected to be affected by transfers that month and had an appointment that night that he had been unable to cancel. As a result we put my bags down unpacked in the apartment picked up the projector and flip chart and headed out.

Having just arrived I had left buying some of my winter clothes until getting to Canada including a hat and gloves. My companion not thinking gave my the projector to carry. We rode the bus as far as we could and had another 20 minute walk to make. How I avoided getting frostbite that night I do not know.

I also served over in the States in International Falls. International Falls was an interesting experience as we lived and worked on the US side of the border but went to Church on the Canadian side. Coming from Britain I should have checked in with immigration when moving into the Falls but at the border crossing we were just waved through because they were used to seeing the missionaries cross all the time.

After a week of crossing the border a couple of times a day without anyone asking for my passport I decided one day to leave it at home. Having crossed over to the Canadian side during the day we were returning late afternoon when would you know it for the first time I was asked for my passport. On discovering I did not have it I was put under arrest and my companion had to return to the apartment to get it for. The immigration control were also quite upset to discover that I had not registered when moving into the Falls as that had made me an illegal alien for the week. Fortunately we were able to sort it all out.

While in the Falls another of the British Elders in the mission had come down to Fort Frances for a Zone Conference. Being right on the border the other Elders who traveled down with him understandable wanted to cross over into the States. However the British Elder had forgotten his passport so the others in the car smuggled him across the border in the trunk of the car. Fortunately they were not caught.

I also served in Thompson and in the Mission Office. Both of these assignments had some very interesting experiences and there are many tales to tell but I best not otherwise I will be here all night.

Anyway keep up the good work on the site. It would be great to see some more names from the early era of the mission but perhaps in time.