Honduras Tegucigalpa Mission Alumni Directory

President Samuel and Sister Amanda Flores

Served: January 1980 to July 1982
Current Residence: 1825 New Mexico Ave.
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001
(505) 523-2615

Biography: Opened the Honduras Tegucigalpa Mission in January 1980, after the Presiding over the El Salvador, San Salvador Mission since July 1979. The new mission included the countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Belize.

President VerNon A. and Sister Mary B. Bingham

Served: July 1982 to July 1985
Current Residence: Lima, Peru
Home Address: 4361 Catalina Circle
Mesa, AZ 85206 Biography: New presidents for missionary training centers in South America, Japan and Samoa have been called by the First Presidency. Called are Vernon A. Bingham, succeeding Rex N. Terry in Buenos Aires, Argentina....Pres. Bingham, 63, of Liberty, Idaho, a retired high school teacher, was president of the Honduras Tegucigalpa Mission from 1982-85. He and his wife, Mary Bernice Powell Bingham, have five children. (LDS Church News, Saturday, January 14, 1989)
Update! President Bingham was called to serve with Pres. J. Marlan Walker in the Lima, Peru, Temple presidency beginning on December 10, 1998. He will serve for eighteen months as second counselor and Sister Bernice Bingham will be assistant matron for the same period of time.

President Manuel Najera Jr.

Served: July 1985 to July 1988
Current Residence: 1409 Summer Court
Harlingen TX 78550
Biography: "A creative way for local members to become involved in missionary work has been developed in the Honduras Tegucigalpa Mission. Members volunteer to wash clothes for the missionaries, and the payment they would receive goes instead toward purchasing copies of the Book of Mormon for missionary work. Mission Pres. Manuel Najera estimates that this program alone will make 30,000 additional copies of the Book of Mormon available for placement during the year." (LDS Church News, Saturday, March 12, 1988)
Update! President Najera was recently called to be the Stake President of the Harlingen Texas Stake.

President Lehi and Sister Mirthala Gracia

Served: July 1988 to 1990
Current Residence:
Biography: Former regional representative of the Mexico Puebla Region. "Transferred to preside over newly formed Honduras San Pedro Sula Mission in 1990. The new Honduras San Pedro Sula Mission will divide the country north and south. The northern part, to be included in the new San Pedro Sula mission, will have three stakes and four districts within a population of about 2 million. This mission will also include the country of Belize with its single district of about 1,100 members, to bring the total membership to about 11,600. The realigned Tegucigalpa mission will have two stakes and four districts with about 14,600 members in a population of about 2 million. Pres. Lehi Gracia of the Tegucigalpa mission said some 3,200 people were baptized in the northern sector of the mission during 1989. ``More people are converted in the north than in the south,'' he said, explaining that the north is an industrial area where the people appear to be more open to change. ``They accept the gospel a lot quicker.'' The northern stakes are also able to send about one and a half as many missionaries to the field as their southern counterparts. Three-fourths of the missionaries in the country are Hondurans, and about half of those are converts of about a year. ``They are first-generation members,'' said Pres. Gracia. ``Five years from now they will be a tremendous leadership force in this country. The area presidency has asked us to train them in administering the Church while they are on their missions. As soon as they are home and are married, they will become bishops and high councilors and branch presidents.'' (LDS Church News, Saturday, February 3, 1990 )

President Pres. Luis A. and Sister Ruth N. Amado

Served: 1990 to July 1993
Current Residence:
Biography: Called as a Regional Representative in September 1993. "Luis A. Amado, 43, Vista Hermosa Ward, Guatemala City Guatemala Stake; to serve in Guatemala City West Region; former mission president, temple recorder and sealer, stake president's counselor, stake executive secretary, high councilor, bishop, and seminary teacher; real estate manager; earned translation degree from Education Ministry; born in Guatemala City, Guatemala; married Ruth Nohemi Gamez. " (LDS Church News, Saturday, September 25, 1993)

President Salomon and Sister Bertha L. Jaar

Served: July 1993 to July 1996
Current Residence:
Biography: "Salomon Jaar W., 31, to serve in the Honduras Tegucigalpa Mission; Barandillas Ward, Valle De Sula Honduras Stake; stake president, former mission president's counselor, stake president's counselor, high councilor, and elders quorum president; earned bachelor's degree in elementary education and also did post graduate work; Church Educational System coordinator; born in Potrerillos, Honduras, a son of Salomon Jaar and Elena del Carmen Welchez Vasquez Jaar; married Bertha Lucia Bueso R., three children. She is a seminary teacher, former Relief Society president and Primary president; attended the Academy of Art; born in Macuelizo, Honduras, a daughter of Augusto Cesar and Bertha Lidia Regalado Bueso." (LDS Church News, Saturday, April 24, 1993)

Called as an Area Authority in August 1996. "Salomon Jaar, 34, Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Church Educational System coordinator; former Honduras Tegucigalpa Mission president, stake president, mission president's counselor, high councilor; married Bertha Lucia Bueso." (LDS Church News, Saturday, August 24, 1996)

President Kim B. and Sister Elizabeth S. Beckstead

Served: July 1996 to Current
Current Residence: Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Biography: Kim B. Beckstead, 48, Honduras Tegucigalpa Mission; Randolph Ward, San Antonio Texas East Stake; Young Men president; former mission president's counselor, stake president's counselor, high councilor, stake Young Men president, bishop, ward Young Men president, and missionary in the Southeast Mexico Mission; owner of real estate brokerage company; received bachelor's degree in accounting from BYU and master's degree in international management from the Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management; born in Kirtland, N.M., to Cloyde Holt and Rhea Elizabeth Stolworthy Beckstead; married Ginger Adams, five children. She is Young Women president; former stake seminary supervisor, stake Primary president, Young Women president's counselor, seminary teacher, Sunday School teacher, and Cub Scout den leader; received bachelor's degree in Spanish education and theater from BYU; born in Big Spring, Texas, to Harvey Lee and Wilma Faye Mitchell Adams. (LDS Church News, Saturday, April 27, 1996)

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