Where did you serve a mission?

[pam]

I'm just curious as to where people from this forum site served a mission.  If you did serve one, where did you go and what language, if any, did you have to learn?

[NeedleinA]

9 minutes ago, pam said:

I'm just curious as to where people from this forum site served a mission.  If you did serve one, where did you go and what language, if any, did you have to learn?

Spanish speaking, Chile. Yes, had to learn the language.

[pam]

4 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

Spanish speaking, Chile. Yes, had to learn the language.

Mi espanol es muy poquito.    Even though I grew up less than 5 miles from Tijuana, Mexico, I learned a lot of words but never how to put them together in sentences.  But I can understand a lot.

[mirkwood]

Pennsylvania Philadelphia.

[Guest]

I married at 20 years old, back in the day when you had to be 21 to go on a mission. So I didn't get the opportunity to go. But my husband did, and he went to the San Francisco Oakland mission. He did not learn a foreign language, but encountered all kinds of different cultures.

[askandanswer]

I started my mission in the Philippines Cebu Mission but while I was serving, the mission was split and I finished my mission in the Philippines Cebu East mission, At that time, all the missions in the Philippines were classified as English speaking even though many of the people where I served could not easily understand English. I learnt little bits of several regional languages - Illongo, Cebuano and Wary Wary, but never mastered any of them, and almost nothing of the national language.

[anatess2]

6 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

I started my mission in the Philippines Cebu Mission but while I was serving, the mission was split and I finished my mission in the Philippines Cebu East mission, At that time, all the missions in the Philippines were classified as English speaking even though many of the people where I served could not easily understand English. I learnt little bits of several regional languages - Illongo, Cebuano and Wary Wary, but never mastered any of them, and almost nothing of the national language.

Waray-waray....

You were stomping around my neck of the woods... have you been to the Cebu Temple?  It's gorgeous.

[askandanswer]

I missed out on the opportunity, but my wife and daughter attended the dedication. I thought you were from Northern Luzon?

[pam]

6 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

Waray-waray....

You were stomping around my neck of the woods... have you been to the Cebu Temple?  It's gorgeous.

I think he went on his mission before the Cebu temple was there.

[anatess2]

6 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

I missed out on the opportunity, but my wife and daughter attended the dedication. I thought you were from Northern Luzon?

I travelled a lot - spent some time up north.  But I grew up Bisaya - through and through.

You should definitely check out the Cebu Temple on your travels.  The church is expanding very fast in your old mission!

Edited September 12, 2016 by anatess2

[askandanswer]

We had our honeymoon in our mission area, only four months after my wife finished her mission. Her last companion was still in my wife's last area when we passed through. 

[askandanswer]

25 minutes ago, pam said:

I think he went on his mission before the Cebu temple was there.

True - I served in the mid 80's and the temple was dedicated 2011 I think.

[Guest]

I served in the Arizona Phoenix Mission.  I was called to speak English.  Half way through, they switched me to the Spanish speaking areas.

 

[pam]

17 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

True - I served in the mid 80's and the temple was dedicated 2011 I think.

2010 but close enough.

[Windseeker]

Japan Okayama Mission (Hiroshima) early nineties. Yeah I learned Japanese and actually went back pretty often for the next 10 years which kept my Japanese up. It's fading now, unfortunately. 

[mordorbund]

California Anaheim. I spoke English and bad English.

[estradling75]

Washington DC North (Covered DC and southern Maryland)  English speaking

[Traveler]

 

Growing up I idolized Germany and Dr. Wernher von Braun and thought sure I would go to German so I learned German and served my mission in the Great North Western States Mission late 60’s.  One area, the try cities (Richland, Kennewick and Pasco Washington) I wrote to my mission president that we needed more missionaries in the area.  Before I was transferred the area was expanded from two to 4 sets of missionaries.  My old area is now a mission.

Some of my baptisms have turned from the church – One was arrested one day after his baptism during a crime for which he served most of the rest of his life in prison.  Others have remained active and at least one has served as a Stake President.  I am still trying to figure out if I was lucky, blessed and honored to teach those I had opportunity to teach or if they were blessed to have me as the missionary that prepared them for baptism.   I consider my mission second only to my marriage and raising a family as the defining and worthwhile commitment and influence of my life.

 

The Traveler

[prisonchaplain]

Taejon, Korea--English-speaking (1987-93).  I did learn some Korean, but my campus ministry involved using English instruction and English Bible studies (in a college club context) for university students.  It was not an LDS mission, of course. In fact, I started as an exchange student, then became a school teacher, and finally a university instructor. This type of works sometimes gets called bivocational missions, or "tentmaking." (a reference to the Apostle Paul, who made tents to support his ministry work)

Edited September 16, 2016 by prisonchaplain
Add years served

[Sunday21]

31 minutes ago, prisonchaplain said:

Taejon, Korea--English-speaking.  I did learn some Korean, but my campus ministry involved using English instruction and English Bible studies (in a college club context) for university students.  It was not an LDS mission, of course. In fact, I started as an exchange student, then became a school teacher, and finally a university instructor. This type of works sometimes gets called bivocational missions, or "tentmaking." (a reference to the Apostle Paul, who made tents to support his ministry work)

Seriously Cool!

[Anddenex]

Mission: San Antonio, Texas
Foreign Language: Yes, Texan (especially small towns) -- I be like, "What did you say?" 

[mrmarklin]

Bolivia, southern Peru and northern Chile. This was in 1967-1969. 

I learned Spanish. I speak with no discernible accent. When in Spain a few years ago I was asked by the hotel manager at the front desk where I was from. He was surprised when I said I was American, since I hadn't any accent but my appearance is very Nordic/Anglo. 

Edited September 13, 2016 by mrmarklin

[beefche]

Bulgaria, Sofia 1993-94. I learned Bulgarian. I've lost so much of the language. My dad is from there and he is talking about going back next year which means I'll go too. I'll have to do some online lessons to bring back my vocabulary.

I only served in 2 areas for my whole mission. We had about 7 areas that were opened (the mission was opened in late 1991--I was in the second group of sister missionaries called to the mission). I served 11 months in one area--wow, it was hard to leave it, felt like home.

One fun memory from my mission: my companion and I were teaching 2 women. As we were telling them about our life, I stated I was from Indianapolis which is near Chicago (Bulgarians only knew New York and Chicago as far as US geography). One lady said that her best friend's family moved to Indy several years before so he could serve as the priest in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Since the only Bulgarian Orthodox church in Indy is just a few blocks from my home, I found out he is the same Father Boris who baptized me as a baby (my father is not LDS, but my mom was, so I was baptized as a baby per the Orthodox religion). Such a small world to know this man in Indy who knows this lady I just met in Sofia. 

[classylady]

Germany, Duesseldorf mission. German speaking. 1976-1977.  Duesseldorf Mission is along the Rhine and Ruhr rivers. The area was pretty much totally bombed during WWII.  It was one large rebuilt factory city after another. This small-town girl was a little overwhelmed by all the people. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to serve a mission. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, but so rewarding. My testimony was solidified and where I learned to truly love my Elder brother Jesus Christ.

Edited September 13, 2016 by classylady

[curious_mormon]

9 hours ago, askandanswer said:

I started my mission in the Philippines Cebu Mission but while I was serving, the mission was split and I finished my mission in the Philippines Cebu East mission, At that time, all the missions in the Philippines were classified as English speaking even though many of the people where I served could not easily understand English. I learnt little bits of several regional languages - Illongo, Cebuano and Wary Wary, but never mastered any of them, and almost nothing of the national language.

Kumusta ka? Taga asa ka? Ang astig mo, nag serve nang mission sa pilipinas!