Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission

Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission

Here are free resources about the Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission:

*Other Mission Pages: Brazil LDS Missions.

Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission Address

Here’s a recent address for the Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission. We try to keep this information up to date, but it’s a good idea to check the mission address with several sources, including your mission packet or the mission office.

This mission does not currently exist.

Phone Number: N/A
Mission President: N/A

Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission Map

Here’s a link to the mission map for the Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission

*Mission does not currently exist. (Browse LDS.org mission maps)

Brazil Belo Horizonte West Missionary Blogs

Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission. This blog list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their mission blog was updated.

*Send your missionary a gift (mission-specific shirts, ties, Christmas stockings/ornaments, pillowcases, etc.)

None found yet.

Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission Groups

Here are Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the mission.

  1. Melhor Missão do Mundo: Brasil Belo Horizonte Oeste Group (109 members)
  2. Missao Brasil Belo Horizonte Oeste Group (27 members)
  3. Missão Belo Horizonte Oeste (Pres. Saraiva e  Woffinden) Group (3 members)

Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission T-Shirts

Here are T-shirts for the Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission!

Shirt designs include Brazil Belo Horizonte West 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: Brazil Belo Horizonte West missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.

*Click here to browse Brazil Mission gifts

Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission Presidents

Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Brazil Belo Horizonte West LDS Mission.

  1. 1994-1997, Expedicto J. Saraiva

Brazil LDS Statistics (2016)

  • Church Membership: 1,326,738
  • Missions: 34
  • Temples: 6
  • Congregations: 2,038
  • Family History Centers: 341

Helpful Articles about Brazil

Coming soon..

Brazil Belo Horizonte West Missionary Survey

Here are survey responses from Brazil Belo Horizonte West RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.

*Click here to take a survey to help pre-missionaries going to your mission.

When did you serve?

  • 1994-1996 (Chad)
  • 1994-1996 (James)

What areas did you serve in?

  • Monte Claros, Vargina, Ribaro Dos Neves, Sete Lagos, Curvelo, Progresso, Alvarado (Chad)
  • Divinopolis, Patos de Minas, Venda Nova 4, Campo Belo, Betim, Varginha, Barreiro. (James)

What were some favorite foods?

  • Rice, beans, green pumpkin, cheese bread (Chad)
  • First..read from this website, these are all awesome and will save some typing 😉 http://www.buzzfeed.com/gabrielakruschewsky/traditional-brazilian-foods-you-need-to-eat-right-now#.hgYnO0KVNo Stroganoff-this is not exactly like ours..it’s better!! http://gshow.globo.com/receitas-gshow/receita/strogonoff-de-mignon-suino-538be1fb4d388519f3000047.html feijao tropeiro http://www.tudogostoso.com.br/receita/19543-feijao-tropeiro-mineiro.html Bacalhau (cod stew)http://ninacozinhasimplesmente.blogspot.com/2012/07/bacalhau-nordestino.html#!/tcmbck rabanada-http://www.tudogostoso.com.br/receita/32427-rabanada-tradicional.html frango com quiabo While I am NOT a fan of Okra (texture) THIS was worth it and you’re in Minas..get used to it..embrace it..depending on the ward/city, you’ll have it a LOT. (Chicken and okra)http://vivomaissaudavel.com.br/alimentacao/receitas-saudaveis/frango-com-quiabo-e-outros-4-pratos-que-so-mineiros-entendem/ Acai is awesome..but it is a bit hit/miss…most people LOVE it…but some think it tastes too earthy. You’re in Minas..pao de quijo (cheese bread/cheeseballs ) and pretty much ANYTHING cheese is awesome…so since it is the Wisconsin of Brazil, expect it! Pizza is pizza, but Brazil, depending on the region takes it to the next level in a VERY GOOD WAY..some pizzarias can have as many as 60 different varieties and there are SWEET pizzas also…the dessert pizzas while initially confusing to many Americans…well…let’s just say that it’s a paradigm shift you’ll NEVER regret. except they close on Mondays due to working the weekend (barbers do the same thing btw which explains why most missions have wednesday P-days..haircuts on mondays are akin to winning on a lottery ticket..and since we don’t DO lotteries…you get my drift! 🙂 Finally, avocados, FIRST…some fruits like Papaya and Avocado are HUGE..not a soccer ball but definitely as big or bigger than a grapefruit bordering a small cantaloupe… this is a whole new idea and when you treat avocados as the FRUIT that they are..https://youtu.be/I1n_EUqIA3g (James)

What was a funny experience?

  • I was having a bad day, was still a newbie, was talking bad about the people and country. All of a sudden, a car drove by and lost its hubcap. It flew across the road, bounced off the curb, and hit me in the leg. I took that as a sign that I need to be more Christ-like and remember why I was there. (Chad)
  • I think we owe a debt of gratitude to the United States Postal Service or the Correios mail system of Brazil. The amount of information to get the mail RIGHT ..so as missionaries, we had to go on faith that the addresses we received were accurate. Most were, but many also were not. In the first few months, it was amusing, but by the 2nd or third area, you realize that YOU’RE not the first missionary to talk to them and they’d give random numbers and phone numbers to give you the run around. What they didn’t know is that it also provided an opportunity for us to do cold contacts in that area!! 😉 always look to the silver linings you’re given! 😉 (James)

What was a crazy experience?

  • My companion and I watched a mother and her 3 month old baby get hit and killed by a dump truck an hour before church. (Chad)
  • We had a service project in Patos de Minas and honestly today, I can’t even recall what the goal was..apparently at the moment I didn’t know either…I hit a main water line…wow..see Old Faithful does it’s thing every 70-75 minutes roughly….this was going on for at least 30 minutes before that 35 foot geyser was shut off. The neighbors LOVED the missionaries that day..lol..pretty sure we hid ourselves and ate the other Elder’s house on the other side of town. (James)

What was a spiritual experience?

  • Knocked on a door and gave the first discussion to a mother. Left with an appointment to come back a few days later. Nothing really spiritual about the discussion. When we returned she had read almost a third of the Book of Mormon. We challenged her to give up coffee and cigarettes and to be baptized. She stood up, dumped her coffe out, tore up her cigarettes and agreed to be baptized in 3 weeks. That was the most spiritual experience of my mission. (Chad)

What are some interesting facts about the Brazil Belo Horizonte West Mission?

  • When I got my call (one of the VERY few by President Hunter, yes I am dating myself..) on June 29th 1994…the mission was STILL just one mission led by then President Millward. The mission was due to split 3 days later. It would remain split until my brother went to the SAME side of the split mission from 2008-10, MBBHO and in his mission, the 2 missions became one again. So you could say we were bookends..but that is just ONE interesting part of the mission. (James)

What was the weather like?

  • The weather was always warm. But when it would rain, it would start fast and rain hard. (Chad)
  • http://www.brcactaceae.org/climate.html Resources are better than anecdotes. I just remember VERY HOT days with a LOT of rain ( I went through 8 UMBRELLAS…and lost a good pair of shoes immediately) and VERY COLD mornings during the dry season (we call it winter, but you’d never know the difference until ..maybe 2-4 am..then you’ll understand)..remember that all you KNOW about Fahrenheit..is gone. Your smartphone and forecasts are gone. You are in the world of Celsius and the metric system..so enjoy 😉 hehe actually though..you’ll get good at it after a while but don’t make THAT your focus obviously. Drink water continually..this is NOT the time to worry about fasting..I I know, I was a missionary too and with the 5-8 miles you’ll cover..it is just not the time. It will exhaust you physically to the point where any spiritual prowess you might have is lost on the physical side of things. (James)

Any things you really like about the area/people?

  • All of the people always went out of their way to make you feel welcome, even if they had no desire to hear the gospel. (Chad)
  • Patos de Minas was a CLEAN city (might explain their disdain with the water main)…honestly though, overall it was a beautiful city with a lake in the middle of the city and the branch and people in general were very kind. Divinopolis was my first area and I adored that city. When I arrived, Sister Evangelista did a huge favor for me. It was raining and she HAPPENED to be near the old bus terminal downtown…she hailed a cab and sent me to my new apt.. as I arrived without notice..I had to yell at roughly 11:30pm for ANYONE to wake up and buzz the door open ( I was ALREADY hated…nice)..but beyond that, the apt was fabulous, the branch at the time was great, good rotation for lunches throughout the week including Sister Evangelista. All of the families were fabulous and their dedication to the work is why they have 2 wards there. When I was in the city, we had 3 duplas there…about 3-6 months later there were over 5 pairs there and the city exploded..a branch became 2 wards and a chapel was built. I wasn’t there very long though and was transferred to Varginha. In Varginha, I trained a “verdinho” and he was awesome. I learned a LOT about how to properly train and be trained concurrently. We met a young man named Leandro and taught him for about 3 months. When he heard I was being transferred to Barreiro at the end of the mission, he made it a point to be baptized in AUGUST (cold cold cold) water in the above ground plastic pool they had there. The water was cold enough that when Leandro and the Dare’ family were baptized..all of their eyes were like silver dollars! 🙂 We got them towels and that night I was transferred. (James)

Any packing/clothing advice?

  • Short sleeve shirts…Belo and Minas are not AS cold, but in the winter..I was wearing a LOT of clothes for lack of a strong blanket (edredom=comforter) but they are rather pricey and with the dollar equaling roughly 3.68…inflation is hard core and you may not have the funds for that…so..either save up for winter or ask the mission what usually happens come May through August at night..the days are STILL hot though..you’re land locked so..some wind, but usually just HEAT..so many short sleeve white shirts..MAYBE one long sleeve for Sundays, but that is it. SUNSCREEN, get it in Brazil…go to a pharmacy but USE IT…that sun is NOT the same as what you THINK you’re used to..I’m from Southern California..trust me..it’s different. Have fun shirts for Preparation days and not too exaggerated ties. (James)

What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?

  • My family is probably MUCH more Brazilian than yours ever will be. I don’t say that to brag, it’s just a truth. My dad served in Porto Alegre when there were 4 missions, my brother and I served in the same mission some years apart. My wife is Brazilian as are my kids. Portuguese has been a part of my life for over 20 years and I am currently attending a Brazilian ward here in Utah County. I am registering for a Portuguese class at the local University…while I speak and read Portuguese quite well, writing can be a challenge at the academic level since most Return Missionaries don’t study Portuguese at that level. Get in the habit of writing in a journal even if it is once weekly, you owe it to your kids and grand kids to understand what the Spirit is and how it works THROUGH us as missionaries and is NOT OUR work..if we were inspired to go down this or that street or talk with this or that family..the skills gained have also served as blessings…I also lived and worked in Sao Paulo from 2011-2015. Brazil is much different as a regular member than as a missionary! 🙂 I smile because there ARE benefits on both sides. (James)

What are some skills you gained?

  • Diplomacy, Tact, How to Read People, Gratitude (that lunch meal as fabulous or bland as it may be…might be your last of the day..EAT!), Appreciation for what I have BUT empathy also. Don’t make fun of your surroundings-especially not in English. I am not speaking from my own experience but MANY Brazilians understand more English than you might expect. (James)

What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?

  • I wish I had known more about the culture of the mission prior to arriving there. The missionaries that were there, were very loyal to the previous President and when it came to their conduct, the previous President while not completely relaxed, was ready to go home and that had a TRUE effect for the missionaries who were with him from the beginning but also knew they would have to finish with a new President. How could you ever be prepared for a new President, BUT also..how can a rookie Elder really prepare for something you just cannot prepare for.  So I focused on what I COULD control. I read my scriptures, studied my language, and focused on the good that I might be able to contribute. But my situation was less than optimal, much was out of my control. I had a companion who was 7 weeks from going home, my OTHER companion (yeah man..trio) was a few more weeks than the other. The rest of the district was rather young and energetic but again, transfers happened and whatever animo or desire/will power that was there..was TOUGH to maintain. DO WHAT YOU can do. Your ability to change a missionary, is VERY much like a GIRL with her heart set on CHANGING YOU..as if you were a service project…the feeling is much the same and that Senior (trunky maybe) Elder who is stubborn will be hard to persuade that his actions are misguided..especially in my circumstance, where they were Zone Leaders…pode crer. (James)

Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Brazil Belo Horizonte West?

  • Doc Martens…get 1 or 2 pairs..they’re pricey but they will hold up to the rain come the rainy season..Minas is just that way from November through March (Aguas de Marco by Jobim). Which brings up the idea of music…1) Brazilians play music ALL DAY LONG and if it’s good, into the night..the idea you might have of silence…that’s pretty much gone. You’ll get used to it, but the first weeks are challenging. 2) As long as it is NOT Funk Brasileiro (hardly music)..YOU WILL hear songs in English and Portuguese that you love. Write it down and ignore it, when you get home get those notes and figure it out then.. Don’t worry though, you’ll hear that song again..inevitably…over and over again. I still have Florentina by Tiririca and Pipoca by Xuxa in my head-not all of it is something you’d pick on your own. OK enough on music…meals are precious in Brazil, I said it before, you might be in a ward that has a good set up ..OR..get used to ramen..a LOT…missionaries just don’t get much money so we’re frugal and meager..but it still doesn’t replenish or provide the energy you need for over 5 miles of walking (you read that right!), YOUR days are numbered! Your parents know this as does your family and they CANNOT WAIT..BUT for you…your job is to make EVERY day count..especially the preparation days and the days around Carnaval or holidays…cities completely shut down. In Divinopolis, over 10 buses of people went to Rio, not counting all the people who had their own cars. Brazil IS a 3rd World Developing Country and while things are not always great, the biggest thing I can tell you is this. DON’T COMPLAIN OR DISCUSS YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT POLITICS, SPORTS OR make derogatory comments about what is wrong with Brazil. THEY KNOW THIS and if they hear you, it is the same as immigrants coming to the United States of America who refuse to speak English and rip on Americans for this/that..we typically hate that..funny nothing changes overseas. There is A LOT of soccer, it will kill proselytizing at least a dozen times over the 2 year span if you are lucky..food textures are interesting there..besides a LIFETIME’S supply of iron via beans and rice, some foods you will LOVE and others you WILL eat quietly and VERY slowly or VERY quickly BUT either way careful of comments..again. English is not spoken there..but MANY know what you’re saying and say nothing…that’s not good for you. It can become gossip in the ward like a fire…many Elders suffer that mistake..AT LAST THE END OF MY EPISTLE OF JAMES: Don’t bash, it is a worthless idea and you DO lose more than you win..even IF YOU WIN..you alienate that person and everyone they’re about to talk to..remember there are TWO names on that name tag and one is NOT you…it’s your Savior..so you represent him and your WHOLE family. (James)

What was a funny language mistake?

  • I called a woman a “chicken” thinking I was telling her she was scared. Come to find out I actually called her a whore. That didn’t translate correctly! (Chad)
  • I was in Divinopolis at a lunch with Jussara’s family and she had made a lunch called Feijao Tropeiro (Bean Stew) . I enjoyed it but didn’t really hear the actual or correct title..so when I returned a few weeks later, I asked if she had made my favorite “feijao tropecado” (tripped beans)… I am pretty sure that if I made my way to Divinopolis today…she’d be very nostalgic about Elder Tropecado..kkk (ahh also Brazilians don’t “hehehe” they don’t “lol”..they laugh: “kkkk” and a smile is (or was) abbreviated as : rsrs (rs=riso or laugh)… many MANY moons later, I am an ESL/EFL teacher and understand why we speak the way we do…I will give you a fun game to play BUT..YOU have to subject yourself to it also or it is pretty lame to do to others… Brazilians have a problem with some words…especially those which are based on what we call a digraph or a 2 letter combo such as “rl” so words like girl, world, pearl, etc are challenging .. the word “actually” can sound like “ashley” to the Brazilian ear and there are whole songs where the chorus is rather different …such as Billy Idol’s hit “Eyes without a Face” is understood by Brazilians as Ajudar o Peixe (help the fish) https://youtu.be/FfpuZvq_XsA