Free resources about the New Zealand Auckland Mission:
- Mission address and phone number
- Mission map
- Video interviews with returned missionaries
- Missionary blogs
- Facebook groups
- LDS Mission t-shirts and gifts
- List of past mission presidents
- Cultural articles written by returned missionaries
- Survey with RMs
*Other Mission Pages: New Zealand LDS Missions.
NZ Auckland Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Auckland Mission. We try to keep this information up to date, but it’s a good idea to check the address with several sources, including your mission packet or the mission office.
New Zealand Auckland Mission
PO Box 33-840
Takapuna, North Shore City 0740
New Zealand
Phone Number: 64-9-485-3150
Mission President: President J. Alan Walker
New Zealand Auckland Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the New Zealand Auckland Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Auckland Mission:
Videos with Auckland RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Auckland Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews.
Videos about New Zealand
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about New Zealand. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about New Zealand, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
Auckland Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Auckland Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Auckland Mission Groups
Here are New Zealand Auckland Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Auckland Mission.
- Auckland Mission Pres. Benson L. Porter 2008-11 Group (383 members)
- Auckland, New Zealand Mission Facebook Group (236 members)
- New Zealand Auckland Mission Pres. Smibert Group (182 members)
- Auckland Mission (John R. Lasater) Group (154 members)
- Auckland Mission President Charles P. Lloyd Group (88 members)
- Auckland Mission (Polokalama Tonga) Group (60 members)
- Auckland Mission President Pedersen 1987-1990 Group (30 members)
- New Zealand Auckland Mission Carl B. Cool Group (23 members)
- New Zealand Auckland Mission Moms (LDS) Group (12 members)
Auckland Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the New Zealand Auckland Mission!
Shirt designs include New Zealand Auckland Mission logo/emblem shirts and Called to Serve shirts. The shirts make great gifts for pre-missionaries, returned missionaries and missionaries currently serving. LDS Mission shirts come in all sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, up to 4XL. The mission designs are printed on white shirts and are shipped to you.
*Simply click on a shirt design to view the details and submit an order. The designs on mission t-shirts may also be printed on other LDS mission gifts, including: Auckland missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Auckland Mission gifts
Auckland Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Auckland Mission.
- 2017-2020, J. Alan Walker
- 2014-2017, Frederick K. Balli, Jr.
- 2011-2014, Paul N. Lekias
- 2008-2011, Benson Lee Porter
- 2005-2008, Carl Bert Cook
- 1996-1998, Richard A. Hunter
New Zealand LDS Statistics (2016)
- Church Membership: 111,141
- Missions: 3
- Temples: 1
- Congregations: 222
- Family History Centers: 51
Helpful Articles about New Zealand
NZ Auckland Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from New Zealand Auckland RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
When did you serve?
- July 2010-February 2012 (Michalene)
- November 2013-April 2015 (Sarah)
- 2011-2013 (Keith)
- 2009-2011 (Chandler)
- 2009-2011 (Margaret)
- 2008-2009 (Frances)
- 2008-2010 (Ryan)
- 2010-2012 (Nick)
- 2010-2012 (Keenan)
- 2010-2012 (Michael)
- 2007-2008 (Jodi)
- 2006-2008 (Meliame)
- 2006-2008 (Joe)
- 2005-2007 (Crystal)
- 1982-1983 (Cherry)
Which areas did you serve in?
- Hamilton, Dargaville, Whangerei, Gisborne, Mangere, Papamoa, Hikurangi, and Papatoetoe. (Keith)
- Henderson, Papakura, Mt. Roskil, Hamilton. (Margaret)
- Auckland, Kaikohe, and Whakatane. (Michael)
- Papakura, North Shore, Otahuhu/Papatoetoe, Otara, Hamilton. (Jodi)
- Auckland. (Meliame)
- Auckland (North Shore and Manurewa), Hamilton, Rotorua. (Joe)
- Temple View, Deanwell, Raglan, Mount Maunganui, Takapuna, Hamilton. (Crystal)
- Mangaere, Rotorua, Whangarei. (Cherry)
What were some favorite foods?
- Fruits, Island food, fast food (Michaelene)
- Carl’s Jr.!! Chop Sui. Tarro leaves with meat and coconut milk. Wendy’s. Pork buns. (Sarah)
- Kina, fish and chips, sausage rolls, KFC, kiwis, and FEIJOAS!!! Loved those things. (Keith)
- Fish and chips, Polynesian ground cook sweet potatoes, apple pies, meat pies😋. (Margaret)
- Cookie Time Burger Fuel Memphis Cookies n Cream ice cream Island food but I grew up with that. (Frances)
- Raw Fish, L&P, Ice Cream. (Ryan)
- Otai Pauas and cream, Maori bread, Goody Goody Gumdrops ice cream, Chop Suey. (Nick)
- Taro, coconut buns, corned beef, tim tams, anything Cadbury, all New Zealand ice creams (the use a lot more cream than the U.S.), pineapple lumps, meat pies, anything found in the local dairies. (Keenan)
- Hangi, horse, taro. (Michael)
- Hangi, kumera, anything with fruit not typically found in the US, Milo, KFC (haha! No really!). (Jodi)
- Nand, chinken nipples. (Meliame)
- Meat pies, sausage rolls, taro and hangi. (Joe)
- Roasted Kumara (an indigenous vegetable much like a sweet potato. Ripe Golden Kiwi fruit, lamb, feijoas (an indigenous fruit), and the ice cream can’t be beat! (Crystal)
- Pavlova, chocolate, fish n chips, chop suey. (Cherry)
What was a funny experience?
- Tried speaking Chinese to some Chinese but they didn’t understand. (Michalene)
- An elder from another companionship kept eating all our best food when they’d come over, so I filled a Red Bull energy shot bottle with urine and put it in the fridge. Sure enough, next time they were over the bottle went missing and I later heard he’d drank it right before a lesson for a pick-me-up. (Keith)
- My companion and I were from the Philippines and were the shortest missionaries in the mission. One rainy night, we went knocking some doors, and as we were wearing a reflection heavy jackets and bike helmets, people made fun of us calling gangsters… even after the mission, people whom we baptized in some families recognized us as gangsters….😂😂 (Margaret)
- Living with other sister missionaries is an adventure of its own!! My favorite had to be the first time I trained after only 1 transfer out! My awesome companion and I got lost in the city on the way back from the transfer meeting. Then the following day, all 6 of us sisters went to work out and we all forgot our keys into the flat. After several attempts to break in, we had to call the zone leaders and district leaders and they came over and we were all sweaty in our workout clothes. We had to call a locksmith to break into our flat. Ahhh.. Good times lol. (Sarah)
- Stacking it on my bike at a main round- a-bout intersection (one of those “had to be theres”) Pranking the DL’s car. (Frances)
- I was a brand new missionary and my zone leader dared me to approach the next house with a Scottish accent. After 2 hours of tracting and no success, I figured it was a low risk. (Ryan)
- Talking to people on the street at night and guys wearing hang jackets would always tell us to be careful cause someone could try to hurt us… but I’m pretty sure those guys were the ones that were supposed to hurt us. People would get mad at us in the winter when it was dark really early if we knocked on their door after dark. They would be like, “What are you doing?! Do you know what time it is?!?!” and we would think… “Yeah… 530… Do you know what time it is?” (Nick)
- The constant struggle with understanding New Zealanders i.e. “did you read the Book of Mormon since we last met?” Response: “yea naw yeah, bro” “uhh….. ok” . (Keenan)
- An investigator that talked about how he circumcised himself. (Michael)
- Tracting on a door and turning to get chased by a peacock. Getting urinated on four times in one day by four different things: Bunny, dog, turtle and a baby. (Jodi)
- I trained a new missionary fresh from Samoa. One of his first days we went tracking and got caught in a rare snowstorm. He’d never been cold like that in his life. When we got back to the flat he kept running his hand under cold water to feel how warm it seemed. (Joe)
- The mission is as fun as you make it. I’ve had many laughs with my companions and investigators. (Crystal)
- My companion and I in Tiraue waiting for Branch President…instead he sent 3 huge Samoans. Scared us but they were the sweetest guys in the world. (Cherry)
What was a crazy/dangerous experience?
- Riding bikes at 9-9:30 pm (Michalene)
- Finding a dead person on trade off. He died of an asthma attack that morning and passed out in front of the pub so people just thought he was drunk until we checked. Not a fun time, but the spirit was there with us as we spoke with police and waited by this man’s body. (Sarah)
- My companion and I went downhill mountain biking on our junky bikes. I ended up entering a corner too fast, flying off the course and racking my nuts harder than I ever have in my life. Luckily there was no lasting damage. (Keith)
- Riding bike with skirt’s 😑. (Margaret)
- Walking through Mongrel Mob territory. (Frances)
- A drunk Cook Island man attacked my companion and punched him in the face. We pulled him back and got out. That was my companion’s 3rd day. (Ryan)
- Biking down a big hill with a curve at the end and there was gravel at the bottom. Didn’t realize it and hit the brakes because I saw my companionships ahead of me wobble, bike fell over and I had to get 8 stitches on my eyebrow. (Nick)
- Not really anything! Nothing poisonous is found there, most natives love you! (White people on the other hand… ), and to top it off the big gang that could cause harm to you actually look out for the missionaries because the crime lord is a less active so you will never run into danger because the most dangerous people want to protect you. (Keenan)
- It’s Auckland, you’re never in danger. (Michael)
- Nothing too exciting. Maybe riding my bike home at 9:30pm in a pouring rain storm and losing my companion. (Jodi)
- I ran afoul of a gang leader who didn’t want us teaching his daughter. He may or may not have put a hit out on us. (Joe)
- My companion and I were attacked by a gang in training. A few days later, we were downtown and the Montel Mob leaders made them apologize. (Cherry)
What was a spiritual experience?
- Double shift to an area and set someone to get baptize on that same week, accepted the invitation and was baptized. (Michalene)
- Looking into the eyes of an investigator and bearing testimony. It felt like electricity!!! I knew, they knew, we all knew what was being said was true. (Sarah)
- We were teaching the 9 year old daughter of a less-active family. We could tell the family didn’t really want to return to activity, so we made it a point to incorporate the whole family in our lessons. We were teaching the plan of salvation when I asked the daughter if she’d like to return to Heavenly Father. She said yes and then a thought popped into my head. I told her that as much as she wanted to return to her Heavenly Father, He wanted her to see her even more. The Spirit flooded into the room and the whole family was crying. They ended up returning to activity and I’ve loved the opportunity of being an instrument in the Lord’s hands in that moment. (Keith)
- I truly gained a strong testimony of the gospel and going to the temple often. (Margaret)
- Seeing the family I “baptized” with my trainer, hearing that my trainee reactivated the father when she transferred down there and seeing that family get sealed in the temple the weekend before I came home – my trainee and I were back in Hamilton together so was able to trade off and see the sealing unfold. (Frances)
- The whole thing. Where do I start? (Ryan)
- Going on a mission. (Nick)
- The. Whole. Dang. Mission! Non stop. (Keenan)
- The whole mission. (Jodi)
- The Spirit led us to a less-active woman’s house and we taught her (of all things) about the word of wisdom. She asked, “Does God want me to stop smoking?” We said, “Yes.” She went upstairs, gathered all her drugs and drinks, and gave them to us. Last I heard she was a primary president. (Joe)
- We were starting the first lesson with a new investigator. I explained the Spirit can be felt during this lesson and what it feels like. Just then the investigator was so delighted because he felt it. He said he could feel the warmth in his heart. (Crystal)
- Showing the First Vision to a family we were teaching. Even though I’d seen it 25 times, I prayed I’d have a spiritual experience. As tears streamed down my face, I had one of the strongest witnesses of the truth of Joseph Smith’s experience and that he was a true Prophet of God. (Cherry)
What are some interesting facts about the Auckland Mission?
- Smallest New Zealand mission. Lots of islanders!!! Lots of food!!! (Sarah)
- I do not doubt the place I was called to serve. It was meant for many reasons. First, people were prepared to receive the gospel at the time I went to share the gospel in the family as many times they had been visited by the missionaries. Second, mission led me to choose the right person and meet my eternal companion after Mission. (Margaret)
- Take your shoes off at the door always unless they tell you to leave them on. NEVER EVER sit on a bench top or table – it’s where you put food/work on – no one wants to be eating or working off a bench you had your bum on. Beware of fleas in South Auckland. (Frances)
- Unless you are in the country, you are going to meet way more islanders than Kiwis. It is the best mission in the world. (Nick)
- The Maori (New Zealand natives) prayed for the true church and his answer was “they will travel in pairs and carry the book of our genealogy”. The people there are prepared. The island is a tropical paradise, it is the best mission to ever serve in. You are one lucky Elder/Sister! (Keenan)
- Melting pot for culture and religion. You knock one house and they are Muslim and then the next is Church of England and then the next are Jehovah’s Witnesses and so on. (Jodi)
- Lots of immigrants from the Polynesian islands. Lots of emigrants to Australia. All Blacks (rugby) are king. They play “netball,” not basketball. And they’re tired of hearing about Lord of the Rings. The Auckland Mission includes the island of Niue (or at least it did). (Joe)
- Most of the mission is in cars because we cover a lot of territory. Sometimes we have bike days to help us contact more people on the street. Sister missionaries who are called to the visitor’s center will only be in the VC for an unknown portion of their mission. You will always be a full-time proselyting missionary, but if you can, serve four-hour shifts, three days a week at the VC. This allows time for meeting travelers, inviting your investigators to the VC to feel the Spirit, and even time to meditate and prepare for future investigators. (Crystal)
- I was 23 when I went and it was the most rewarding and yet hardest experience I’ve ever had. (Cherry)
What was the weather like?
- Always sunny. (Michalene)
- Poured down one moment only to be hot as the next moment! (Sarah)
- Really sunny and warm summers, overcast and rainy winters. No snow at all though. (Keith)
- All four seasons in one day. Loved the greenery. 😍😍. (Margaret)
- Lots of rain in the winter. Lots of sun in the summer. Summers are warm (85 F is a hot day). Winters are mild (50 F or so) with cold nights. (Chandler)
- Cold – even in summer I was still sleeping with flannelette sheets. (Frances)
- 4 seasons in one day. (Ryan)
- Very area dependent. Sometimes foggy in the morning, can be quite rainy, never super cold, but the winter is often cold enough for a sweater. (Nick)
- Quite humid. It’s either warm (never too hot) or wet with the piercing rains. (Keenan)
- Summer was hot, winter was rainy but manageable. Generally fairly temperate. (Michael)
- Rain. So much rain. (Jodi)
- Temperate, but on the warmer side. I hear the South Island gets cold, though. (Joe)
- Rainbows and puffy clouds are a daily sight to see. It’s much like southern California weather. Warm, hot, cool winter. No snow. (Crystal)
- Gorgeous but rainy, sunny, too hot and too cold. (Cherry)
What do you like about the place/people you served?
- Friendly. (Michalene)
- They were so warm and willing to give! They always wanted to feed you and make sure you had all you needed to feel as at home as possible. (Sarah)
- I was lucky to be a “country elder”, I served outside of Auckland for 3/4 of my time. I loved seeing the actual country I was serving in rather than the same old city day in and day out. (Keith)
- I met people from all over the world. I had companions from 6 different countries, and I met people from 80+ countries. It was awesome to see that people are pretty much the same wherever you live. (Chandler)
- About the place-it’s very beautiful. Loved the people because they loved the Gospel and respected missionaries, and because they loved Christ. I loved serving them. (Margaret)
- Very humble people until you go into the city and “they’re fine”. Very green. Food is very rich so not for the weak stomachs. People greet each other once eye contact is made. (Frances)
- Polynesian Faith is something else. Amazing. (Ryan)
- Just about everything except Samoan pridefulness. Kind, loving, respect missionaries, beautiful country everywhere you go. (Nick)
- Everyone /everything. Too much to write! (Keenan)
- Everything. They have the biggest hearts in NZ. And most church services are amazing with the singing. (Jodi)
- I love the people for who they are. (Meliame)
- The Maori and Polynesian people have a long, rich history with The Church. Everyone is related to at least one member. And they tend to be very faith-driven people. (Joe)
- I love their accent, I liked learning how Polynesians are very giving and non-materialistic, there are many cultures in this country so you learn a lot about diverse places and how they resolved to come to New Zealand for peace. It’s a very peaceful country. (Crystal)
- They are the most humble and beautiful inside and out. Their talent of harmonizing and their native dances and customs. (Cherry)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Prepare for the winter. (Michalene)
- Warm clothes! And waterproof clothes. Bring money for blankets. It can be cold all year round if you’re not used to the cool weather. Bring a good side bag! You’re biking and need one for all weather. (Sarah)
- I packed way to much. Bring only one suit, one long-sleeve white shirt and maybe three pairs of pants. Load up on a ton of socks, garments and short-sleeve white shirts. Also bring a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce, the good people of New Zealand have no pride in their BBQ sauces. (Keith)
- Slip-on shoes only. It’s customary in New Zealand to take off your shoes when you enter a house. Having to tie your shoes all the time is not fun. Make sure that you have a way to keep yourself and your things dry. It is really wet in the winters. (Chandler)
- Carry rain jackets, umbrella. (Margaret)
- Pack warm. Have thermals handy. No snow in Auckland but cold in the winter mornings. (Frances)
- Go light. Bring a sturdy suite that you don’t care will be ruined by the end of it. (Ryan)
- Bring a sweater! It still gets cold in the winter. Bring card games to play on P-day. (Nick)
- Summer/ spring clothing. (Keenan)
- Bring good shoes and gloves. (Michael)
- Rain jacket. Multiple pairs of shoes because they will get wet and ruined. Warm jacket for winter. Warm pajamas for winter because there is no central heating there, so it does get cold. Leggings to warm under skirts. At least two pairs of preparation day clothes. (Jodi)
- Pack pants for walking. And shoes. (Joe)
- The seasons are the opposite down there. So, I left here in the fall, I packed summer clothes only so I could pack light. I arrived in New Zealand in the spring. When winter in NZ came, I bought some sweaters, a coat and long socks there. (Crystal)
- Don’t pack clothes you just got out of the dryer. Those wrinkles are almost impossible to remove. (Cherry)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- Spiritual growth, Meet new people, Save many souls. (Michalene)
- I know who I am and what I am capable of because of the Savior. My testimony was deeply rooted and I let the Atonement change me. Plus, I’m getting married next week to a very worthy priesthood holder ;). (Sarah)
- Stronger faith which is what’ll carry you through the rest of your life. Also an idea if the type of person I wanted to be, sincerely obedient and strong. (Keith)
- A respected and loved the priesthood and my husband. A beautiful family unit. Knowledge to keep serving and education in USA. (Margaret)
- My dad is still up and well at 85 years of age. Most of his friends have passed away but he’s still quite healthy. He is also a non member. (Frances)
- They haven’t stopped. (Ryan)
- Widened my perspective, Prepared me to be a husband and father, Strengthened my testimony, Helped me gain Christlike attributes, Taught me how to teach, Opened my world to other cultures, Strengthened family relationships, Taught me how God works and what he cares about. (Nick)
- Too many to name. Stronger conversion, eternal friendships, burning for the Gospel and so much more. (Jodi)
- I can’t explain but I’m so grateful for that 18 months. (Meliame)
- I learned to follow the Spirit. I learned the value of service. And I gained a wider worldview. (Joe)
- First, I have a great husband and we got sealed in the temple. We both talk fondly of our missions. I have a love for missionary work and I help our local missionaries a lot. My less active family hasn’t changed much… but my sister now knows The Book of Mormon is true. That’s more than I expected. (Crystal)
- I learned humility and compassion that I’d never known. Even though I’d been a member all my life, I was truly converted. (Cherry)
What are some skills you gained on your mission?
- Meeting people and learning languages. (Michalene)
- Quick problem solving. Leadership abilities. How to love people for their differences. How to be a sister! (Sarah)
- Patching bicycle inner tubes, talking with people, loving strangers. And most importantly, I learned to be Maori hard. (Keith)
- Being confident, bold, teachable, obedient. (Margaret)
- Study skills, people skills. (Frances)
- I’m more social. I’m better at reading and understanding people. I’m a good biker now. (Ryan)
- Teaching, Patience, Understanding others needs and perspectives, Compassion. (Nick)
- Interpersonal skills, teaching, preparing for presentations, etc. (Michael)
- Getting over fear. Being able to strike up a conversation with complete strangers about a topic that is hard to bring up. Self-reliance. (Jodi)
- I learned to speak off the cuff and get to know people. I learned not to judge people by their circumstances. (Joe)
- People skills. I’m not afraid of talking to people, talking about church. Also the scripture study from the mission has helped me remember scripture mastery. That helps me with current callings. (Crystal)
- Cooking, hanging clothes on a line, people skills. (Cherry)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- The native language. (Michalene)
- I loved how little I knew because it made me humble quickly. For some, it might be different but it was perfect for me haha. (Sarah)
- I wish I’d initiated talking with random people earlier in mission, I ended up struggling with that the whole 2 years. (Keith)
- Don’t be afraid to open your mouth. (Chandler)
- It was hard to live the Gospel teachings, as I was the only member. (Margaret)
- Nothing. Everyday is a learning experience. You know some things but always good to keep learning new things…you go in with humility and pray that you have an awesome trainer. My trainer was awesome. (Frances)
- Nothing, really. At least there was nothing that I could have known beforehand. (Ryan)
- There are people who are prepared, and that’s who we are there to find. Many distractions will keep us from them, even people that come to the brink of baptism but can’t let go of one thing, but the elect are out there and if you have the faith to let your non-progressors go you will find them and miracles will abound. (Nick)
- How to be comfortable approaching people. (Michael)
- I wish I knew the Bible better. (Jodi)
- Other missionaries won’t always follow mission rules. Follow the rules, stay focused on The Work, and you’ll feel much better at the end. (Joe)
- To let go of my pride. It crept up on me and I wanted to be stubborn in certain ways. Trust that if you let go of YOUR ways and just DO what you’re asked, you will find a whole new righteous you that you never knew. Then, you just keep being that new better you. Lose yourself in the work! It’s a fantastic experience! (Crystal)
- Taken more pics and known how important it was to stay in touch with people. (Cherry)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Auckland?
- Obedience brings blessings but exact obedience brings miracles. (Michalene)
- Love the people. Be obedient…obedience brings blessings! Put it ALL on the altar of sacrifice!! The more of yourself that you give, the more of yourself you will find. Remember, perfection is NOT required, only your sincere efforts. (Sarah)
- Study topics in your scripture study rather than cover-to-cover reading. Memorize the general idea behind each of the examples in the “how to begin teaching” section of Preach My Gospel. (Keith)
- You get fed a lot. Learn how to control your portion sizes if you don’t want to gain heaps of weight. (Chandler)
- Being obedient will bless your entire life and family. (Margaret)
- Be an awesome trainee. Be assertive but not overbearing particularly when asking people to be baptized. Build a relationship of trust and people will feel your genuine spirit. Follow the promptings of the spirit… Be nice to the members and they’ll be nice to you. Use your time wisely when doing member visits. (Frances)
- Forget yourself. (Ryan)
- Love the people and they will love you, no matter how skilled or non-skilled you are. (Nick)
- This mission will change you for the best if you allow it. In addition to teaching, take time to learn the culture and make it yours. This is God’s work, make it all count. (Michael)
- Go hang out with the missionaries in your area a few times and see what it is really like. (Jodi)
- Don’t try to “pick up the accent.” To the locals, it just makes you sound like a tool. (Joe)
- Resolve issues and relationships at home before serving. The emails from home can be emotionally distracting if they are painful. That pain can also drag down your work and affect your companions mission. So be sure you’re ready. Ready to listen to others A LOT and take on their loads to pray about. Listening is the first key to loving others but you can’t if your thinking of your life at home. (Crystal)
- Enjoy every single minute. Learn from every experience good or bad. (Cherry)
What was a funny language mistake your or another missionary made?
- A companion trying to speak another language but instead of asking them to come and play with us, she asked them to marry her. (Michalene)
- A Samoan sister missionary told me “have a blessed evening” was “manuia le povi”. I went around saying that to all the Samoan people I found. It actually means “have a blessed cow”! (Keith)
- Ranui (West Auckland), Pukekohe, Otara (South Auckland), Cambridge, Dargaville, Hamilton, Manurewa (South Auckland), and Panmure (East Auckland). (Chandler)
- My English is improved now. One day on a preparation day I said,”oh sh*t”. At that time I didn’t know the meaning but thought it’s a cool way of speaking English. Later after that, I learned the meaning of the word and decided not ever say. (Margaret)
- I called a Samoan man Ufa (a swear word), thinking that that was his name. (Ryan)
- Non-natives don’t know the word “fake.” (Nick)
- In New Zealand, they ad ‘as’ to everything. It is ho as, the meal was good as, sweet as….. and for the longest time, I thought they were saying something crude or vulgar. (Jodi)