Missão Brasil Juiz de Fora
Here are free resources about the Brazil Juiz de Fora Mission:
Aqui estão alguns recursos gratuitos sobre a Missão Brasil Juiz de Fora:
- Mission address and phone number
- Mission map
- 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: Brazil LDS Missions.
Juiz de Fora Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Juiz de Fora Mission. We try to keep this info up to date, but it’s a good idea to check the address with several sources, including your mission packet or the mission office.
Juiz de Fora Mission
Av. Barão do Rio Branco, 3053,
Ed. Blue Tower – 9º Andar-Salas 901 e 902,
CEP 36010-012 –
Juiz de Fora – MG – Brasil
Phone Number: 55-32-3025-4146
Mission President: President Fábio Lacerda
Brazil Juiz de Fora Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Brazil Juiz de Fora Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Juiz de Fora Mission:
Brazil Juiz de Fora Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Juiz de Fora Mission. This blog list includes the name, blog URL and when the mission blog was last updated.
*Download free app for LDS missionaries learning Brazilian Portuguese
Brazil Juiz de Fora Mission Groups
Here are Juiz de Fora Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Juiz de Fora Mission.
- Brazil Juiz de Fora Mission {LDS} Group (36 members)
- Missao Juiz de Fora – MG Facebook Group (6 members)
- Missao Brasil Juiz de Fora Facebook Group (3 members)
Brazil Juiz de Fora Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Brazil Juiz de Fora Mission!
Shirt designs include Brazil Juiz de Fora 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 Juiz de Fora missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Juiz de Fora Mission gifts
*Click here to see our new shirt design for the Brazil Juiz De Fora Mission:
Brazil Juiz de Fora Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Juiz de Fora LDS Mission.
- 2016-2019, Fábio Lacerda
- 2013-2016, Luciano Cascardi
Brazil LDS Statistics (2016)
- Church Membership: 1,326,738
- Missions: 34
- Temples: 6
- Congregations: 2,038
- Family History Centers: 341
Helpful Articles about Brazil
Brazil Juiz de Fora Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Brazil Juiz de Fora RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
When did you serve?
- 2015-2016 (Benjamin)
- 2013-2015 (Katie)
What areas did you serve in?
- Viçosa, Conselheiro Lafaiete, Queluz, Nova Era, Juiz de Fora, Varginha, Três Corações. (Benjamin)
- Leopoldina, São Lourenço, Resende, Teresopolis. (Katie)
What were some favorite foods?
- Rice and Beans. Feijoada. Various juices – guava, mango, acerola. Local treats, like Doce de Leite, Ituzinho, cheese. (Benjamin)
- Rice and beans!! Garlic bread. Rabanada. Chicken Salad. Pão de queijo Stroganoff. Literally everything. (Katie)
What was a funny experience?
- There was once a time where an investigator mistook our prayer “Pai Celestial” for “Pai Sebastião,” meaning ‘Father Sebastian’. (Benjamin)
- My companion and I got lost trying to take a shortcut in the tall grass and we lost the path and ended up having to jump this school fence in our dresses and walk through the playground during recess. The kids were so confused and the teachers just stared at us. (Katie)
What was a crazy experience?
- There are very few reported robberies in the mission. I served as the secretary, and during that time, no one in the whole mission was robbed, except for two missionaries who left their window open all night. (Benjamin)
- When the sister we lived with saw a “demon” and kept hearing and seeing things in our apartment. (Katie)
What was a spiritual experience?
- When I didn’t speak Portuguese very well and I was inspired to tell this investigator about my mom’s conversion story and how she was kicked out of her family for getting baptized but she did it for Christ. He wanted to get baptized but was afraid it would be hard. The Spirit was so strong and just flowed through me, I didn’t even feel like it was me saying the words. (Katie)
What are some interesting facts about the Juiz de Fora Mission?
- The Juiz de Fora Mission is one of only 2 missions in all of Brazil where the mission headquarter’s city has only 1 stake. The Juiz de Fora Mission contains some of the oldest and historical cities in Brazil, like Ouro Preto, and São João del Rei. The Juiz de Fora Mission is tied with several others as the youngest mission in Brazil. The Juiz de Fora Mission has created two additional districts since its creation in 2013. (Benjamin)
- Petrópolis is in it, which was the original capital of Brasil. (Katie)
What was the weather like?
- There was a rainy season starting in January and lasting til around May or June, but for most of the year, it rarely rained. The weather was nonetheless humid, and constantly sunny, riding around 85 degrees consistently, though it would feel hotter to most Americans. (Benjamin)
- HOT. Especially in Resende and Leopoldina. Got up to about 110 degrees some days. In Teresopolis, it was actually pretty cold (like 60) and since I was used to the heat it felt FREEZING. (Katie)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- I really enjoyed serving in smaller branches, because it felt like the work we did was really necessary in order to keep the church going and help it grow. I came to know more members personally when I served in these areas. There are areas where the church is stronger, and the work becomes more enjoyable because it’s easier. (Benjamin)
- They are the most giving people I have ever met. You like their shirt? They will offer it to you. They don’t give you things they don’t want, they give you things they love and use because they want you to know that you’re worth more than the material items to them. They are very loyal and amazing friends. (Katie)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Fair-skinned missionaries should definitely wear sunscreen, as there is usually very little cloud cover during the dry season. Pack many short-sleeved and several long-sleeved shirts with a front pocket, and wash them after one use. Only one (black) suit needed. Sewing kit is useful. Some items they don’t have in Brazil that many Americans would miss would be Peanut Butter and Root Beer. (Benjamin)
- Definitely pack comfortable shoes that can get wet (I found that plastic ones with little holes in them worked the best). Bring shirts and dresses that don’t require undershirts because it gets too hot. (Katie)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- The blessings are really too many to count, but the ones I cherish most are the attributes of Christ that I sought to develop, especially humility and patience. (Benjamin)
- I was blessed with an understanding that people mean more than anything else in my life and that I should always make them a priority. I learned to open my eyes to service opportunities all the time. I was blessed with amazing friends and a closer relationship with my family that helped me through college. I was blessed with amazing friends from Brasil that are still close to me. (Katie)
What are some skills you gained?
- I served as the mission secretary, so I gained clerical skills. Also, I learned how to solve a Rubik’s Cube, cook simple meals, and various cleaning tips and tricks. (Benjamin)
- I learned how to wash clothes by hand and how to cook different foods. I learned how to take public transportation everywhere and how to make phone calls. I learned how to walk up to people I didn’t know and ask them questions and talk to them. (Katie)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- Looking back, at the beginning, I probably would have sought to keep a daily journal throughout the entirety of my mission. In the beginning, I wish I had the notion in my head that everybody really wants to come closer to Christ, but they don’t know how, which is something we offer. (Benjamin)
- I wish I let myself make mistakes with the language right away without feeling embarrassed. I wish I were more patient with myself as I learned how to be a missionary. I wish I knew that numbers don’t mean anything. (Katie)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Juiz de Fora?
- I would say to all missionaries coming in that the most important thing to remember is always be obedient, diligent, and bold, even if (or especially if) others you see aren’t doing the same. In dutiful service and trying to develop the attributes of Christ, you will build character that will last an eternal lifetime. (Benjamin)
- Just trust God. Sure things are hard. And it’s hot. And you’re tired. And maybe you and your companion don’t get along. But all of these things will work together for your good. (Katie)
What was a funny language mistake?
- Oh, there were several. One story is that a missionary asked his Brazilian companion the word for toothpick, and his companion told him the word for marijuana, so the American asked the member for marijuana after their meal together. Me, personally, there’s a very formal word for joke called ‘chiste,’ that apparently nobody knows. I once told a joke, but the person didn’t get it. I remarked that my comment was a ‘chiste,’ but this seemed to make them more confused. My companion explained that it was a joke, but the person said, “It must be a good joke, because it stumped me!” (Benjamin)
- I was trying to ask an investigator if he drank alcoholic beverages (bebidas alcoólicas) but I asked him if he drank (cólicas). (Katie)
Parker (Brazil Juiz De Fora Mission)
–Paraphrased from Parker’s mission interview–
Mission Details
Before getting to Brazil, I thought that everyone would get baptized there, but I was wrong. The church is pretty small there in the mission. It was created in July 2013. The Juiz De Fora mission covers the border between two states. There is a big culture difference there too. The church is generally stronger in Rio because that’s where there have been more missionaries. Ward size is generally smaller. My first ward had about 100 people and that was a strong ward. I was also in a branch that had 120 people come once, but that was in a district so it couldn’t become a ward. The members are really strong and they want to help.
Religious Influence
There is a lot of Italian influence and it is very Catholic there. There are saints and statues and whatnot. The Evangelical aspect is very strong also. A lot of those churches are very charismatic and you can see them in garages just filled with chairs sometimes. In the state of Rio there is kind of this dark magic thing where they sacrifice animals and call upon spirits. Some practice it for good and some for bad. You just stay away from those situations. One day I was walking down the street and there were these wicker baskets with hens in them with their throats cuts and the blood dripping down the street. The people are afraid of it so they didn’t touch it and they just stayed there for a month.
The people there are very friendly. It’s a very different culture. You clap in front of a door and the people will come out and offer you water right away. They are very friendly.