Missão Brasil Recife
Here are free resources about the Brazil Recife Mission:
Aqui estão alguns recursos gratuitos sobre a Missão Brasil Recife:
- Mission address and phone number
- Mission map
- Missionary blogs
- Facebook groups
- Mission t-shirts and gifts
- List of past mission presidents
- Cultural articles written by returned missionaries
- Survey with RMs
*Other Mission Pages: Brazil Missions.
Brazil Recife Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Brazil Recife 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.
Brazil Recife Mission
Rua João Fernandes Vieira 80
Boa Vista
50050-215 Recife – PE
Brazil
Rua João Fernandes Vieira 80
Boa Vista
50050-215 Recife – PE
Brazil
Phone Number: 55-81-3223-9262
Mission President: President Richard M. Houseman
Mission President: President Richard M. Houseman
Brazil Recife Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Brazil Recife Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Brazil Recife Mission, simply
Brazil Recife Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Brazil Recife Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
*Download free app for LDS missionaries learning Brazilian Portuguese
Brazil Recife Mission Groups
Here are Brazil Recife Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Recife Mission.
- Missao Brasil Recife Facebook Group (1,275 members)
- Missao Brasil Recife Facebook Group (424 members)
- Presidente Emerick (Missao Brasil Recife) Group (410 members)
- Missionarios Pres Duarte (Missao Brasil Recife) Group (351 members)
- Missao Recife, Presidentes Clark e Gollaher Group (185 members)
- Warriors of Brazil Recife Mission Facebook Group (181 members)
- Missao Brasil Recife – Presidente Hollaher Group (172 members)
- Missao Brasil Recife – 82 a 87 Facebook Group (138 members)
- Missao Brasil Recife Facebook Group (134 members)
- Missao Brasil Recife 1987-90 Facebook Group (71 members)
- Brazil Recife Mission Moms and Friends (LDS) Group (8 members)
- Recife Brazil Mission Facebook Group (4 members)
Brazil Recife Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Brazil Recife Mission!
Shirt designs include Brazil Recife 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 Recife missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Recife Mission gifts
Brazil Recife Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Recife LDS Mission.
- 2017-2020, Richard M. Houseman
- 2014-2017, Rory Christopher Bigelow
- 2011-2014, Rubens C. Lanius
- 2005-2008, Mark Ballif Woodruff
- 2002-2005, Saul Rodrigues Duarte
- 1999-2002, Ross Martin Madsen
- 1996-1999, Joao Roberto Grahl
- 1993-1996, Greg Gollaher
- 1990-1993, Donald L. Clark
- 1987-1990, Antonio Jose Mendoca
- 1982-1985, Paulo Puerta
- 1979-1982, Harry Klein
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 Recife Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Brazil Recife RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission. Coming soon..
When did you serve?
- January 2012-December 2014 (Andy)
- 2011-2013 (Austin)
- May 2010-May 2012 (Bruno)
- 2010-2012 (Meg)
- 2009-2011 (Eric)
- 2007-2009 (Tom)
- 2006-2008 (Ryan)
- February 2006-2008 (Adam)
- 2004-2006 (Greg)
- 1999-2001 (Alexandre)
- 1995-1997 (Ari)
- January 1989-December 1990 (Ronald)
- 1983-1984 (Lyle)
- No date (Rafael)
Which areas did you serve in?
- Recife, Curado, Vasco Da Gama, Boa Viagem, Candeias, Abreu e Lima, Jardim Atlantico. (Eric)
- São Lourençao da Mata, Olinda, Limoeiro. (Ari)
- Afogado, Guabiraba, Em Recife. Passei em Rio Doce, Caruaru, Abreu e Lima, Jaboatão dos Guararapes. (Rafael)
What were some favorite foods?
- Açaí na Tigela, Arroz e feijao,cuz cuz. (Andy)
- Feijoada, lasagna, brigadeiro, coxinha, acaí. (Austin)
- In Recife: Boi na Brasa, Habib’s, Subway, Macunaíma. In Garanhuns: Don Pastello. (Bruno)
- Stroganoff, feijão de coco, pão de queijo, and the plethora of fresh fruits. (Meg)
- Feijoada, mouse de maracuja! All of the fruit juices. (Eric)
- Cuzcuz com charque. Pão de queijo. (Tom)
- Beans and rice, acai, guarrana dos Amazonas, macaxeira. (Ryan)
- Feijoada, arroz e feijão perto, galinha frita, pão de queijo, guaraná, suco de lima, suco de acerola, suco de graviola, e quase tudo que os membros cozinharam para nós (somente não gostei de coisas de peixe e sharkee mas tudo era bom de mais!) (Adam)
- Feijoada, churrasco, all of the many varieties of delicious fruits and fruit juices. (Greg)
- Em casa gostava de comer panquecas no desejum, janta empanado de frango. (Alexandre)
- Macarrão, arroz com feijão. (Ari)
- Cuscuz, feijoada, coxinha, carne asada, maracuja, goiaba, pāo doce, camarão. (Ronald)
- Churrascos, Guarrana, Fruit. (Lyle)
- Cuscuz com charque. Pão Doce. Sucos de Graviola e cajá. (Rafael)
What was a funny experience?
- I was training someone from Argentina and we could hardly understand each other. But we became really good friends during that time. 🙂 (Andy)
- A stray cat crawled into our apartment and started meowing very loudly. We lived with our District Leader and he got up out of bed to get it out. When he left the room the cat stopped meowing. It was very dark and he couldn’t find the cat, so he made his way back to the bedroom. On his way there, the cat sprinted behind him and leaped out the window. The noise the cat made scared the District Leader so much, he yelped out a scream of terror I have never heard before or since! My companion and I cracked up laughing and imitated his scream for weeks! (Austin)
- Riding in a bus with the windows open, enjoying a moment of cool air on my face open when the driver hit a pot hole that sent a tidal wave of a puddle through the window onto my companion and I. We showed up to district meeting looking and smelling like wet rats, who knows what was in that street water. (Meg)
- One hot, muggy day I really had to go to the bathroom way bad, number 2, and we were very far from home or the chapel. There were several members nearby so I thought I wouldn’t have a problem using one of their bathrooms. After running around for 10 minutes and asking several members we finally got into one apartment. I ran in the bathroom and the second I pulled my pants down I lost control and didn’t make it to the toilet… It was all over the floor, my clothes, the walls, and even the light switch.. Even worse they had no running water that day. It was a disaster! (Eric)
- Any time one of my American greenies got Montezuma’s Revenge before getting home for the night. (Tom)
- Fitting 21 people in a combi bus. (Ryan)
- We lived with another companionship in my first area and it was one of their birthdays and we all took shots at egging him (some kind of weird Brazilian missionary tradition “so they said”; still not sure if it really is). It’s was pretty funny and fun plus we filmed it! (Adam)
- When I was at my first meal at a members house, the missionaries I was with told me that if I was full I should say that I was “grávido”; which means pregnant, not full. (Greg)
- O RAPAZ quw cuidava de nossa casa viajou por uma semana, pediu quw cuidasse bem daa casa e para alimentar os beija-flor só que não sabia como fazê alimentos deles quando chegou encontrou vários beija-flores mortos. ..e gritava elder você matou o beija-flor. ..eu sem reação vendo o bichos em agonia de seus últimos suspiros…ouvi ele contar os bichos mortos: 1, 2, 3,…9 agora vai ser perduado se batizar 9 pessoas essa semana. (Alexandre)
- Qdo meu companheiro caiu no rio em são lourençao da mata. (Ari)
- Too many to list. Just know that the people are open and honest and mean no harm by speaking observations. (Lyle)
- Eu e E. Demille fomos convidados a comer buchada de bode. Porem era muito forte e 1 hora depois todos os missionarios estavam na casa com dor de barriga. So que so tinha 1 banheiro. (Rafael)
What was a crazy/dangerous experience?
- I was robbed in an alley towards the end of my mission. (Andy)
- A man threatened to stab my companion and I to death after a rumor circulated that we hit his young daughters. The daughters cleared our names by admitting it wasn’t true after an afternoon-long exchange with the Mission President (who had complete confidence we were innocent). I was very scared that he was going to hunt us down or that the Mission President would be convinced we were guilty and I’d be sent home for a crime I didn’t commit. It was only my second transfer. (Austin)
- Being locked inside an investigator’s house while their neighbors had a cocaine deal outside the front door. (Meg)
- We were teaching a lesson at night in a favela right in the middle of Sao Joao and thought we heard lots of fireworks outside when the investigator told us those were gun shots! He hurried and shut his door. It was scary! We never taught lessons there at night anymore. (Eric)
- My greenie and I got mugged at gunpoint in Igarassu. Those lucky devils got away with all 12 of my reais (about $7 at the time). (Tom)
- I saw a guy thrown out of a taxi and shot less that five feet from us. (Ryan)
- I witnessed a shooting/death on the way to church one Sunday morning (with investigators). My companion and I were held at gun point in an alley because we were late getting home by 9:30 pm and took a shortcut home (it ended up being a bad idea). So make sure you are always home on time (I was never late again after that). (Adam)
- We had a SWAT team searching through the streets of a bad neighborhood for a robber. We just stayed inside. (Greg)
- Esta andando atravessando im grande avenida quando de repente o sinal abre. ..e carro me bate de tal forma que voei atrás do carro em pé…o elder que estava comigo perguntou cadê seu óculos eu não sei …ele à vista meus óculos no meio da avenida todo amassado..vai la e pega e me diz está bom elder ..colocando o que restava do óculos no meus rosto. ..só comprar as lentes. (Alexandre)
- Qdo uma pessoa nos parou em frente a uma igreja universal e falou que eramos anjos….(Ari)
- I was hit by a car going 10-15 mph. Also had a kidney stone while on my mission. (Almost got sent home because of the stone). (Ronald)
- Being hit by the buses after exiting, and having some late night entries by thieves. (Lyle)
- Enquanto estava em afogados com E. Woods e E. Burocker tinha um bairro onde fomos ameaçados de morte e por isso tivemos que ficar 6 meses sem ir la. Porem a ameaçada foi devido ao E. Fontoura junto com E. Neuman ter corrido atras do bandido que roubaram sua bolsa e o cara foi preso porem os parentes dele era da nossa area. (Rafael)
What was a spiritual experience?
- Baptizing my first investigator family on the mission. (Andy)
- During the last month of my mission, I was teaching the mother of a part-member family that was being reactivated and that I had grown to love very much. The mother was all that was left to be baptized. She had her doubts though. One night, after our second time teaching the Restoration, I was filled with the Holy Ghost and He was putting words in my mouth and I was speaking them. The moment I began speaking there was a presence in the room that not one soul in the room wasn’t feeling. My bosom burned. It felt like I had a blanket of warmth all around me, different from the hot Brazilian air I was used to. It felt exactly like the description found in Doctrine and Covenants. The mother agreed to baptism without another word of doubt. I burst into tears. I wasn’t sobbing, but the tears had a continual flow as God made possible what I alone could not do. At that moment, she had gained a testimony that stuck with her and motivated her to work for the seven months she had to wait to be baptized after that night (for complex reasons). So no, I didn’t get to see the baptism because I was already home from my mission when she was baptized. However, it was that night I gained an undeniable testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His divinity. (Austin)
- Hearing an investigator try to explain how the Book of Mormon had changed her entire perspective on life. The light that radiated from her was almost palpable. What I felt in my heart, at that moment, will forever be a reminder to me of the power of the Holy Ghost. (Meg)
- My “son” aka my trainee and I were teaching an 18 year old for the first time. The lesson was going very well. He was so ready for the restored gospel! I felt inspired to ask him to be baptized, that night in like 3 hours! I’d never done anything like that before and battled the inspiration in my mind while my companion taught. All of he sudden he tells the guy that he felt the Holy Ghost tell him that he should invite the investigator to be baptized tonight. He said yes! I called the zone leaders and mission president and got the okay. He got baptized that night! He was confirmed the next day and I learned that the Holy Ghost really inspired me and my companion. (Eric)
- An investigator showed up at church on his own accord and said he immediately wanted to be part of the church. He went on a mission and got sealed in the temple to his wife. (Tom)
- Baptizing and healing the sick. (Ryan)
- I was able to serve 6 months in a city where missionaries had never lived, the church was not present, and we were able to see the church grow from it’s beginnings of two members to nearly 20 members by the time I left. (So many great experiences, it is hard to choose just one.) (Adam)
- Realizing the reality of the atonement as I helped people to repent and be baptized. There are too many examples to name just one. (Greg)
- Batendo portas encontramos uma família ensinava, uma jovens senhora e seus netos. ..porém da sala dava pee vê uma porta aberta la nos fundo da casa …lá víamos uma pessoa deitada sobre uma cama.. Demos a primeira palestra não perguntamos sobre a pessoa que viamo no quarto la no fundos. Segunda palestra perguntamos. . A jovem senhora responde que era filha dela mãe e tia das crianças… nos fala que ele tem câncer. .que não pode se levantar. ..resolvemos que falar do poder do sacerdócio. ..apos isso foi ao quarto e perguntou da filha se podíamos da uma bênção de saúde. Aceitou. .demos a bênção. . Em nosso próxima palestra esse mulher chamada Ruth ja estava de pé ouvido nossa palestra…disse que graça nossa oração ficou melhor. ..antes de termina nossa palestras ele refez os exames. .estava totalmente curada. ..esse fato foi conhecido na missão…e todos missionários queria saber quais foram os missionários que fizeram tal bênção. .olhavam com dúvida ou não acreditando para mim e . meu companheiro E. Nielson ..uma dupla simples missionários de poucas palavras. .com poucos batismos. …mas sentimos o poder de Deus, sentíamos um estrumento na mão de Deus…O sacerdócio é real ele muda vidas w poder de Deus na Terra. . .sei disso não porque alguém me disse ou ouvir falar , muito menos estudei pra isso. ..simplesmente sei…sentir e sinto esse poder aqui na terra. ..Não tenho dúvida disso Essa experiência que deixo com vocês. .. Em nome de Jesus Cristo Amen. (Alexandre)
- Todos os dias de batismos. (Ari)
- A woman that we taught indicated that she had had a vision the night before where two young men had come to her home. It was to us that she had referred. (Ronald)
- Many. After contracting parasites, I had a few days in the hospital. Struggles bring us closer to our Heavenly Father if we are prayerful. (Lyle)
- Eu e E. Woods encontramos uma familia e ensinamos durante 6 meses isso foi na minha primeira area porem o marido nao queria que a mulher se batizasse. Na minha ultima transferência nao sabia o motivo e tinha ate ficado chateado foi quando encontrei essa familia para batizar reencontrei ela quase dois anos depois e foram batizados. (Rafael)
What are some interesting facts about the Recife Mission?
- We have a temple in our mission, and we have our own mission song. (Andy)
- Although everyone there speaks Portuguese, Recife was actually originally settled by German and Dutch settlers. Recife means reef in Portuguese. Off the coast of the city lies a giant reef on the ocean floor. (Austin)
- It is home to one of Brazil’s oldest cities, Olinda. (Meg)
- It was the best mission in the world. FACT! (Eric)
- It was really long and narrow. Some elders thought driving north or south for an hour was far, but they never traveled to Araripina, an overnight bus ride across the state the long way. (Tom)
- Led the nation in baptisms, lots of shark attacks. (Ryan)
- During my time, we were one of the most successful missions in Brazil for number of baptisms per month. Several new areas 15+ hours away from the mission home were opened while I served. Missionaries had never been that far into the interior of Pernambuco. (Adam)
- Recife has a temple in it (1 of 6 in Brazil). It is a very old mission and used to cover much of the north east. (Greg)
- O tempo as vezes passava rápido, principalmente nos últimos meses da minha missão. ..era um tempo de está sentir os braços de nosso Pai Celestial. .que era um conforto nos momentos difíceis. Ao falar do clima era instável dias sol dias chuvas. ..dias quentes. .mas nada disso atrapalhava o serviço de Deus, a obra missionária. (Alexandre)
- Durante toda minha missão, sentia que estava em uma luta espiritual. Que o inimigo e suas hóstia estava contra mim. ..porém sentia o Senhor do meu lado sentia o poder de Deus mana e reger meu corpo e minha língua. (Alexandre)
- Eu estava lá. (Ari)
- At the time, the mission covered four states. Since then, many areas have their own mission and now there is a temple in Recife. (Ronald)
- I loved the fruits and the people were very open and friendly. It’s a beautiful country. (Lyle)
What was the weather like?
- It was about 110 degrees all year round. (Andy)
- There are two temperatures in Recife: hot and very hot. There are two seasons: dry and wet. When it rains, it pours. But it is still hot outside, so don’t bundle up. Just bring an umbrella. (Austin)
- Hot! (Bruno)
- Akin to the surface of the Sun. (Meg)
- Always the same. 75-88 and humid. It would rain a lot at times and we got flooded at times since we were technically under sea level. (Eric)
- The locals would say there were two seasons: verão (summer) and inferno (hell). (Tom)
- Hot always hot. But in the rainy season, we’d get foot of rain every day. (Ryan)
- Hot and humid or rainy and warm/hot. I was only in one area that actually got cold at night and we had blankets. (Adam)
- Hot and humid. (Greg)
- O tempo as vezes passava rápido, principalmente nos últimos meses da minha missão. ..era um tempo de está sentir os braços de nosso Pai Celestial. .que era um conforto nos momentos difíceis. Ao falar do clima era instável dias sol dias chuvas. ..dias quentes. .mas nada disso atrapalhava o serviço de Deus, a obra missionária. (Alexandre)
- Do tempo em que servi, eu era útil. (Ari)
- Hot and humid. When it rains, it can be a downpour. (Ronald)
- You can feel the air. It is heavy and humid, warm and rainy. Perfect! (Lyle)
What do you like about the place/people you served?
- I love how humble the people are and how accepting they are to listening to you. (Andy)
- They are the friendliest people around. They are not hard to have a conversation with. They are very willing to hear your message, it’s getting them to commit that’s the trick. They are very polite about it, however. Even if they don’t agree with you, most of them live by their good Christian values and will take care of you, if you need it. They have a great sense of camaraderie. A ward united in the Brazil Recife Mission is a force to be reckoned with and can accomplish mighty works in the Lord’s Kingdom. (Austin)
- They are very warm and receptive, even in the rich areas. (Bruno)
- Pernambucanos know how to do two things exceptionally well: love and have a party. (Meg)
- They always listened and gave me a lot of help when I was sick. (Eric)
- Complete strangers were willing to invite you in and give you food. They were the nicest people ever. (Tom)
- The people were amazing, very kind. (Ryan)
- Brazilians are very laid back and friendly for the most part. Religion is just part of their culture and being. They were easy people to respect and love! (Adam)
- They are so kind and caring. They will invite you into their homes and genuinely want to make you happy. (Greg)
- Fisicamente não muito diferente de minha terra natal. ..mas via lugar de pessoas guerreiras, lugar de pessoas a procura de felicidade, não vou mentir vi pessoas a atrapalha o crescimento desse lugar w pessoas. Via o inimigo trabalho arduamente contra eles. ..mas via o senhor por suas mãos. (Alexandre)
- São pessoas maravilhosas. (Ari)
- Loved the people, language and culture. (Ronald)
- The people are humble. The culture is colorful. They love to talk. (Lyle)
- O local e lindo porem desafiador para ensinar , as pessoas sempre dispostas a abrir as portas para voce entrara porem tinha muitas dificuldades em assumir compromissos devido a cultura e para guardar alguns mandamentos. (Rafael)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Pack plenty of shirts and don’t pack many ties. You get a lot on the mission. (Andy)
- You will wear short-sleeve white shirts every day. You will never have to worry about it getting too cold to wear one. It never will be. Bring a sweat rag so that you don’t have to use your tie, because beads of sweat are going to get in your eyes and it will be uncomfortable. Guaranteed. (Austin)
- Cotton garments, not nylon, please… (Bruno)
- The lightest clothes you can find and really comfortable, mold-resistant shoes. (Meg)
- Get luggage with wheels, but be sure they’re really durable wheels. I brought bags that had cheap plastic wheels, which didn’t last long on the cobblestone streets. Also, if the list doesn’t say a fitted sheet, get one anyway. (Tom)
- Short sleeve shirts, good shoes, gold toe socks. (Ryan)
- Don’t take Gold Bond for rashes, it doesn’t work; it actually makes things worse. (Adam)
- Short sleeves. I hand washed most of my clothing so bring durable clothes. Bring good thick soled shoes and padded socks. (Greg)
- Short sleeve shirts, slacks, no silk ties (the colors fade). (Ronald)
- They have all the things you need there. Just stick to packing list. (Lyle)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- I received many great friends and I gained family on the mission. (Andy)
- The two biggest blessings I have received from my mission are wonderful friends I have made that are such a great influence in my life and motivate me to continue to choose the right. The other is the clarity I have of the eternal perspective and because of that, I have trust in the Lord for guidance in things such as career choice. (Austin)
- First of all my wife, then my son, then my job, college, etc. And spiritual blessings and experiences, of course. (Bruno)
- A billion, including: a strong testimony of God’s love for all of His children, including me; a deeper gratitude for Jesus Christ and His role as my Savior; amazing friendships; etc. (Meg)
- I saw miracles that I will never forget that will stay with me to build my testimony. (Eric)
- What blessings DIDN’T I receive? Being there bringing Heavenly Father’s children to the Gospel was enough of a blessing. (Tom)
- Everything I have. The job I received when I got home that led me to where I am. I met my wife though a mission companion. (Ryan)
- A stronger testimony of God’s love for ALL of his children, a greater testimony of the priesthood of God, improved studying skills which applied well to college, improved interpersonal speech skills, improved public speaking skills, improved knowledge of the English language because of learning Portuguese, and all the awesome people I got to meet/associate with/befriend and share that special bond of time with! (Adam)
- Countless. Literally. I feel that all I am blessed with can be traced back to my service as a missionary. Most of all I know that my Savior directs this work. I have a beautiful family and a good job (that even involves translating Portuguese for some Brazilian clients). (Greg)
- Conhecer um povo maravilhoso uma terra de grandes surpresas e bênção. .criei amigos e irmãos pra toda eternidade. (Alexandre)
- It was one of the best experiences I have ever had. (Ronald)
- I owe my life to my mission. My mission and my wife have been the most important decisions in my life. (Lyle)
- Muitas , as pessoas que pude batizar 5 foram para missao e tive a oportunidades de velos como missionarios isso foi a maior bencao. (Rafael)
What are some skills you gained on your mission?
- I learned a new language. I learned leadership skills and how to talk to people well. (Andy)
- The ability to communicate. I had a hard time carrying conversations before my mission, so just the nature of my calling helped me overcome that. Put having to learn another language on top of that, crippling the little ability I already had in communicating- so it was a humbling experience starting from the ground up, beginning with the basics. (Austin)
- My leadership developed a lot! Patience, comprehension, etc. (Bruno)
- Learned what it means to work hard. (Meg)
- Compassion, listening, and hard work. (Eric)
- Learning Portuguese and budgeting. (Tom)
- Time management, planning, leadership, and a foreign language. (Ryan)
- Speaking, studying, confidence in myself, better understanding of what culture means, learned how to truly love and serve without expecting something in return (other than joy). Knowledge of the gospel. (Adam)
- Hard work. Planning. Tracking, reporting and improving progress. Learning a second language. (Greg)
- Empatia, sempre se colocar no lugar do seu próximo, aceitar humanos que somos. (Alexandre)
- Language. How to teach. How to interact with people. (Ronald)
- People skills. (Lyle)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- I wish I knew how to be able to do contacts at the beginning of my mission. It would have made it a lot easier. (Andy)
- I wish I had made the decision to obey with exactness right off the bat. I was under the impression that following the mission rules would be easy, since I would have a companion with a common goal and the fact that knowing it was my duty would be enough. I was wrong. The adversary will throw everything there is to throw at you in order for you to slip up. You will save yourself so much anguish if you just follow the mission rules, and even more so if you help your companion do the same. If your companion is doing anything out of line, please address it. You never completely know what’s going on in that Elder’s life. If it is serious enough, tell the Mission President. You will feel better about yourself knowing you did the right thing. Cutting the drama speeds the work. You need all the help you can get and doubting yourself does not help at all. (Austin)
- I wish I knew that missionaries are not perfect. Even if one falls, you make your mission. Also, people can choose not to follow Christ, even knowing the Church is true. (Bruno)
- I wish I had studied more about Christ’s life and ministry. (Meg)
- Portuguese. (Eric)
- I needed more patience with my companions from day 1. I would have done better if I learned to be more patient. (Tom)
- How to live with someone else. (Ryan)
- Involved the member more in the missionary work (which I did once I was senior companion and it made the mission that much more fun and we experienced greater success). (Adam)
- Just keep going. You will hit a point where you want to quit. Just push through and it will all work out. (Greg)
- Better journal writing. (Lyle)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Recife?
- Read the scriptures, and also read Preach My Gospel. (Andy)
- I know that if you will be bold enough to invite people to baptism in the first lesson, you will bring so many more people to Christ. That is the whole purpose of missionary work. When you invite people to baptism in the first lesson, even if they say “no” to the initial invitation, you will increase your investigator’s faith and bring them closer to repentance. Baptism and confirmation will shortly follow. I promise you. Invite to baptism as often as you can!!! (Austin)
- Prepare yourself! Listen to your first companion, help him to train you. Obey, love and trust your Mission President. If you do so, you are obeying, loving and trusting Jesus Christ. Be loyal to them, not to your companions, if they do something wrong. Do not ask perfection, because you’re not, and will never be on this life. And, never forget, you’re there to BAPTIZE!!! BAPTIZE AND BAPTIZE! The greatest demonstration of love for the people is invite them to be baptized, no matter what. (Bruno)
- Missions are incredibly difficult but there is nothing more gratifying in the world than to assist a brother or sister learn more about Jesus Christ. The greatest lesson I took from my mission is that Christ is real, He lives, and His Gospel is all that He promises it is. (Meg)
- Read your scriptures every day, especially The Book of Mormon! It is true and it will help you to get through just about anything! (Eric)
- Everyone says it’s the best two years of your life. That’s true, but it’s also the saddest. Be prepared emotionally to handle anything thrown at you. I saw a lot of missionaries go home simply because they couldn’t handle it. (Tom)
- Study and learn preach my gospel. (Ryan)
- Study Preach My Gospel as much as you can, it really is a perfect/tested guide of how to be a more effective missionary. Just serve the people and show them that they are important and needed. (Adam)
- Recife é nossa missão! Work as hard as you can, humble yourself, and the lord will sharpen you into an efficient and sharp tool. He will then use you the rest of your life to do his work. (Greg)
- Não ha experiência melhor ao um jovem do qie servir um missão, Recife é uma terra de pessoas guerreiras, seja obediente trabalhe arduamente na obra do senhor. ..a missão não é sua É do Senhor! Sabendo disso Será grandemente favorecido nessa obra. .. Aprenderás que és um peça fundamental na vidas de muitas pessoas, Amigos, companheiros; líderes e irmãos. (Alexandre)
- Make sure you have a testimony of Jesus Christ and his role as our Savior and redeemer; also, of the restoration of the gospel, of Joseph Smith and his role in the restoration. Study the scriptures and have a testimony of them. (Ronald)
- You will encounter experiences and challenges specifically designed for you. Have faith and you will overcome them. (Lyle)
What was a funny language mistake your or another missionary made?
- One time I was talking to my companion saying that I wanted coconut milk and instead I said poop milk. Haha (Andy)
- Coconut and feces are very similar words. The only difference is intonation. One time, while at a coconut water stand, I asked for fecal water. Let me tell you, that was embarrassing. My companion calmly corrected me. Luckily, my water tasted like coconut. (Austin)
- I’m Brazilian, so I never made a funny language mistake, but my North American companions did it tons of times…It’s hard to choose one…LOL (Bruno)
- It would be remiss to repeat my Portuguese blunder. (Meg)
- I accidentally mixed someone’s name with the word for pumpkin and called a young woman in the ward pumpkin. (Eric)
- I tried to tell my greenie that if someone giving you lunch asked if you wanted more, just say “no thanks, I’m grávido (pregnant)”. Unfortunately, he was too smart for that. (Tom)
- I was trying to say coconut but I said poop instead (very common mistake). I heard some guy call a girl a “vagabunda”; and the girl laughed, so one time a teenage girl, who was going to an investigator lesson with us, met up with us, and I wanted to be funny; so I said, “E aí, vagabunda! Como vai?!” She didn’t find it too funny because I guess she interpreted it as me calling her a prostitute (it can mean slacker though… I think.) ha ha my Brazilian companion thought it was pretty funny though. (Adam)
- Once at lunch, I told a member I was pregnant when I meant to say full. (Ryan)
- Many words are similar in sound. Make sure you learn to enunciate. It can make all the difference in the world. 😊 (Ronald)
- There were many. Have a sense of humor about it and don’t be shy. (Lyle)
- Bem tive apenas 1 companheiro braileiro os demais americanos. Tive a oportunidade de aprender a lingua e numa dessas conversas em ingles meu companheiro estava falando do peitos de um Homen que era grande porem tudo em ingles e ele entendeu. Isso foi constrangedor. (Rafael)