When the Sessions family left Guam in 1973, 17-year-old Randy Sessions departed with a heavy heart. Guam had been his home for years. He had to leave behind close friends, ward members, and classmates along with wonderful memories that would influence him for good throughout his life. “Leaving Guam was terribly difficult for me, especially since it happened at the beginning of my senior year of high school,” he stated.
This July 2024, over 50 years later, Brother Sessions, along with his wife Linda, returned for a visit to the beautiful island that had played such a pivotal role in his early years, most especially in the establishment of his foundation of faith in the Savior Jesus Christ.
In the 1960s and 70s the Sessions family had been pioneers helping to establish the Church in Guam. Randy Sessions and his three sisters were the children of William and Terry Sessions. William worked on Guam as a civil servant for the Department of Defense and had previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps and as a merchant marine.
They were members of the Guam Branch, established as part of the Japanese Mission, when church meetings were held in two Quonset huts which had been acquired from the U.S. Navy. Brother Sessions remembers meeting for primary in an uncovered area between these buildings, and how the unpredictable Guam rains sometimes required quick changes to drier meeting places.
Members of the growing branch worked toward the goal of building a new meetinghouse. In those days local members themselves were required to raise a significant portion of the building funds needed to construct new buildings, even contributing actual physical labor. “My father and I installed the original sound system in the Barrigada Building,” said Brother Sessions.
When the new Barrigada Building was completed, Elder Ezra Taft Bensen of the Quorum of the Twelve came to Guam to dedicate the building and to create the new Guam Ward in the presence of an overflowing congregation. Brother Sessions still keeps a copy of the Pacific Daily News, which featured a front-page article about the new building and Ezra Taft Benson’s visit.
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In July, 2024, as Randy returned and introduced Linda to Guam, she was profoundly moved by the island’s beauty and immediately fell in love with the people and the beautiful beaches, skies, and landscapes.
The story of how Linda and Randy came together is intriguing.
Through the years after leaving, Randy continued to treasure his memories of Guam. He served in the U.S. Army for almost 10 years, over four of those years on Okinawa due to the love of the Pacific Islands that living on Guam had instilled in him.
Eventually he met Linda Wright while working together as trainers in the Boy Scouts of America in Kansas. Both had been married previously and both had children from those marriages. They met, fell in love, and were married.
As they began their new life together, Linda expressed her desire to join and attend a church together. Her only stipulation was that they choose a church “that is centered on Jesus Christ.” Her initial idea was that they would investigate different churches and then choose one that both she and Randy felt good about.
Randy’s unexpected response set her back: “There’s only one church I’ll go to,” he said matter-of factly. She knew what this meant – that “one church” was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – “the Mormons,” the church he had grown up in. In Linda’s life she had been more acquainted with Protestant faiths, so she was a bit skeptical.
But she loved Randy and agreed to give the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a chance. Randy had not been attending church meetings for some time, but the foundation of his faith had been set during his years growing up in Guam. They began having discussions with the missionaries and attending their local ward.
During the first discussion after teaching the Joseph Smith story, the missionaries eventually closed the discussion by teaching and testifying of Jesus Christ . . . “So they were allowed to come back,” explained Linda, smiling, “because they taught about Jesus Christ.”
Six months and several missionary lessons later, Linda was baptized and since then the couple has been serving in the Church in Kansas. She treasures her memories of learning the gospel from Elders Michael Matthews, Kurtis Wankier, John Lanier and others and the happiness they helped bring into her life.
While on Guam, the Sessions were able to schedule a special visit to the Yigo Guam Temple. For pioneer members like Randy, the dedication of a temple in Guam is a dream come true. While in the temple, they performed proxy sealings for Linda’s parents and sisters, a sacred event which capped off their wonderful visit to the island.
As Brother and Sister Sessions visited and interacted with members and senior missionaries serving on the island during their visit, “It got us thinking,” Linda reported. They would love to return to Guam on a more permanent basis to serve in this special place they love so much. So keep an eye out for their return!