Germany Hamburg Mission

Free resources about the Germany Hamburg 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: Germany LDS Missions.

Germany Hamburg Mission Address

Here’s a recent address for the Germany Hamburg 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.

This mission does not currently exist.

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

Germany Hamburg Mission Map

Here’s a link to the mission map for the Germany Hamburg Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Hamburg Mission:

This mission no longer exists.

Videos with Germany Hamburg RMs

Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Hamburg Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews. Coming soon..

LDS-Friendly Videos about Germany

Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about Germany. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about Germany, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.

Germany Hamburg Missionary Blogs

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

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

Hamburg Mission	mission.net/germany/hamburg	2010
Elder Isaac Puriri	elderisaac.blogspot.com	2010
Elder & Sister Diederich	hugoandanina.blogspot.com	2010
Sister Christi Jones	christiingermany.blogspot.com	2010
Elder Chad Arnett	hotdawginhamburg.blogspot.com	2009
Elder & Sister Jones	jonesgermanmission.blogspot.com	2008

Germany Hamburg Mission Groups

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

Hamburg Mission, 2007-10, Pres. Thompson Group (286 members)
Hamburg Mission, 1989-92, Pres. Peterson Group (164 members)
Germany Hamburg Mission Group (90 members)
Hamburg Mission, 1989-1992, President Peterson Group (84 members)
Hamburg, Germany Mission President Hansen Group (3 members)

Germany Hamburg Mission T-Shirts

Here are T-shirts for the Germany Hamburg Mission!

Shirt designs include Germany Hamburg 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: Germany Hamburg missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.

*Click here to browse Hamburg Mission gifts

Hamburg Mission Presidents

Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Hamburg LDS Mission.

2007-2010, Wesley B. Thompson *Listen to an interview with the Thompsons
2004-2007, Lowell C. Barber
2001-2004, Lynn M. Hansen
1998-2001, Wayne Eric Kuehne
1995-1998, Duane Bullough
1992-1995, Charles W. Dahlquist II
1989-1992, Robert W. Peterson
1989-1989, Edwin Q. Cannon, Jr.
1988-1989, Wolfgang Paul
1985-1988, Elijah Cardon
1982-1985, Richard K. Klein
1979-1982, Harold Schreiber
1976-1979, Glen M. Roylance
1973-1976, Gary L. Schwendiman
1970-1973, Eugene Bryson
1967-1970, Stanley Rees
1966-1967, J. Peter Loscher
1965-1966, Myron O. Bangerter
1963-1966, Joel Tate

Germany LDS Statistics (2016)

Church Membership: 39,726
Missions: 3
Temples: 2
Congregations: 166
Family History Centers: 111

Helpful Articles about Germany

20+ Funny and Embarrassing German Language Mistakes Missionaries Have Made

Germany Hamburg Missionary Survey

Here are survey responses from Germany Hamburg 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?

1987-1989 (Sean)
1976-1978 (Dennis)
1990-1992 (Scott)
1979-1981 (Doug)
1976-1977 (Nancy)
January 1987-July 1988 (Ranee)
November 1994-November 1996 (Steve)
1998-2001 (Wayne)
1989-1991 (Harvey)
1988-1990 (Jeff)

What areas did you serve in?

Hamburg, Berlin, Braunschweig, Itzehoe. (Jeff)

What were some favorite foods?

Curry Wurst, Rouladen (rolled beef with vegetables inside), Spaetzle (a thick, chewy noodle), Pfeffernusse (a Christmas cookie), Spekulatius (a light gingerbread cookie), Bienenstich (honey and almond cake), Hefeteiggeback (Danishes) – (Sean)
Spaetzle, Rot Kohl, Those fabulous potatoes with parsley or especially nutmeg, Curry Wurst with Pommes Frittes, the cheese, the chocolate… What’s not to like?? If you don’t gain 20 pounds you’re doing it wrong! (Dennis)
Any kind of Wurst, Rotkohl, Spätzle mit Knodeln…Bismarks. The food was awesome. (Scott)
Just about everything. Sauer kraut didn’t like me initially but in time we became friends. (Doug)
Chocolate, rouladen, bread, yogurt, marzipan, bratwurst, pommes frittes. (Nancy)
Schnitzel with potatoes, fruit torte, German chocolate! (Cary)
Rotkohl. Quark. (Steve)
Schnitzel, Bratwurst, Rotkohl. (Wayne)
Good old roast and potatoes. (Harvey)
Rotkohl, Bratwurst, Vanilla Schnecken, Rum Kugeln, all pastries!! 🙂 (Jeff)

What was a funny experience?

Getting locked out of our apartment. We forgot to bring our keys. We went to the nearest missionary apartment and spent the night there until another missionary showed us how easy it is to break into our apartment with a credit card. (Sean)
Going to Zone Conference in Hamburg and then hitting the McDonalds (there were very few of them at the time) Talking to the family at Christmas, taking P-day to go see historical sites, too many to name. (Dennis)
Towards the end of my mission, I was asked to translate a General Authority’s talk into German for the members and missionaries in Hannover stake, I think it was. I was nervous and really just tried to keep up. At one point, he said, “…or maybe sometimes your companion gets on your nerves…” I was trying to catch up with the translation and about 4 different ways to say that phrase collided in my mind. I panicked and chose “manchmal geht Ihr Mitarbeiter auf den Socken…” It was a few seconds behind, but everyone with a headset laughed out loud! The GA paused, as he hadn’t intended any joke in English, and President Peterson leaned around the pulpit to give me a look. I shrugged and raised my hands a little from the back as if to say, “Hey, I’m doing my best!” It was funny. President Peterson was the best. (Scott)
Sitting on the last row of a bus chatting with my companion in English. Two teenage girls, obviously tilting their heads back to listen in on the conversation, leaned slightly forward, one saying to the other in German, “I can’t understand him. He’s speaking too fast.” I responded, also in German, “Should I speak slower?” The two very shocked but giggling girls quickly stood up and exited the bus. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t their stop but they were too embarrassed to continue the ride. (Doug)
Riding a bike in a skirt/dress. Plus, the first day I was in the field, we went to a baptism. The building was being remodeled and there were no signs on the bathroom doors. I could not tell which was the men’s room and which was the ladies room. I ended up in the wrong one! (Nancy)
Getting lost most times we rode through a big park in Hanover. So many trails! Spray painted the Berlin Wall. (Ranee)
I was only in Germany for 2 months, but was on splits with an Elder who was only out for one month, so my German was just barely better. An investigator was serving us this awful onion soup. After 2 bowls, the other Elder asked me how to say “no more please”. I responded “Noch Mehr Bitte” which he dutifully repeated to her. I said “nein danke”, then had to stifle my laughter as she brought him one more bowl full to the rim. (Steve)
Being so cold on the bike that we just started laughing. (Harvey)
Traveling over to the East on the Western S-Bahn with a video camera not knowing it was highly illegal to film over there. (Jeff)

What was a crazy experience?

We ended up in the middle of a nuclear protest in Kiel one time, everyone thought we were the police! (Dennis)
We had an appointment in a big asylum seeker housing project building full of mostly eastern Europeans and Gypsies. Our translator was a cool guy from Lebanon who was recently baptized. He was special forces in his country, but now had a thick curly mullet and big Rodney Dangerfield type eyes. His name was Manure, but we called him Marrow for obvious reasons. He was a very giving, funny guy. My companion and I were coming down a big staircase and had lost track of Marrow in the crowded bustle of people. Suddenly, I hear his voice shouting from up the stairs behind me, “Elder Eggenberger, get down!” I ducked and turned around to see him dive and tackle a woman who had a knife raised to stab someone! He disarmed her and shoved her away. I think she was intending to stab another woman, but Marrow didn’t take the chance and got me safe. He was awesome. (Scott)
Tracking treppenhäuser in Wolfsburg. Knocked on a door to the left and someone in the flat to the right opened the door. No one answered our knock so we knocked on the door to the right. No one answered but we could hear noises; besides we knew they were there – they knocked back after we knocked a second time. As we readied to move on I said through the door, “Wiedersehen!” My comp bounced down the stairs to the next landing and I was a few steps behind when I heard the door open. I looked up, happy that that they had decided to answer, only to see an old scruffy, scowling man with a cigarette dangling from his lips pointing a gun at me. Needless to say I didn’t ask him him if he wanted to learn more about the restored gospel. Instead I turned and flew down the steps and out of the building as fast as I could, my bewildered companion following as quickly as he could. No one pursued us. I did hear raucous laughter upstairs however. I have no idea if the gun was real and didn’t stick around to find out. (Doug)
Walking toward my bike with my companion, there were some boys trying to break the lock. I was only 3 days in the country. I started running toward them and yelling at them to get away from our bikes. I had no sense of danger, which I should have had! (Nancy)
My companion and I were talking with a couple on a sidewalk. The man was a little agitated, maybe had been drinking, and the woman was kind of shushing him, but I still tried to share a message. When we were done talking my companion talked about the gun the guy had pulled out. The woman when she was shushing him was actually telling him to put it away. I didn’t even notice. (Ranee)
Riding down a cobblestone hill in Flensburg on a borrowed bike without brakes. I had to stop by rubbing my shoe along the side of the front tire. (Steve)
Hard to name one. Being in West Berlin in May 1st. Riding bikes through traffic. Going door to door in some ugly neighborhoods. (Harvey)

What was a spiritual experience?

I gained a full testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel while sharing Joseph Smith’s experiences. I personally witnessed the gift of tongues given to my companion. We blessed a member of the church who felt he was being tormented by demons. We felt an evil presence there, but it dissipated after the blessing ended. (Sean)
Watching my Golden companion Elder Pickett perform his first baptism, that was amazing! (Dennis)
It’s hard to choose one. Two of my favorite experiences though would be Gisela Wedemeier and Julia Laube. They both became converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, received a testimony, and their lives were blessed. Elder Sargent and I really witnessed the influence of the Holy Ghost with them both and we were all strengthened. (Scott)
Dreamt that we were visiting with one of our investigators, a sweet older woman who had visited with many missionaries over her lifetime. The dream was very explicit and detailed. The following afternoon we met her at the previously scheduled time and soon she started sharing a concern she had regarding the Book of Mormon and mentioned that her sister expressed some concerns. I looked at her and stated her concerns with the book as well as her sister’s concerns. Of course she was surprised and asked how I knew. I said simply, “I saw this discussion in my dream last night. God is aware of you and the message we bring is true.” (Doug)
Zone Conferences with President Roylance. (Nancy)
A young lady we taught was going to have her interview with the District Leader before her baptism but started to have some doubts about whether she should go through with it. We all took turns praying together then I felt impressed to share Joseph Smith’s experience about the 116 pages of the Book of Mormon translation that Martin Harris wanted to borrow to show his family. Joseph Smith had prayed about this several times and gotten his answer. When he prayed again the Lord basically told him to do what he wanted to do. The young lady recognized that she had already received her answer too and decided to be baptized as she’d already planned. (Ranee)
Being ready to give up on doors for the evening, only to pray and get a witness that we would find somebody to teach that evening. Two houses down the street, we were let in and able to teach which resulted in 2 baptisms. Same investigator as in the funny experience above. (Steve)
Teaching and baptizing two men from Ethiopia. One was a Muslim and the other an Ethiopian Orthodox. Only the Holy Ghost can do that. (Harvey)
We met with an ‘anti-God’ person on the street that was bashing religion, God, and all things spiritual. My new companion, fresh out of the Mission Training Center, bore witness of Jesus Christ and the plan and we were absolutely enveloped in the Spirit…and shut that person down (was speechless.) It was absolutely amazing! (Jeff)

What are some interesting facts about the Hamburg Mission?

During my time, the first missionaries were selected from the German-speaking missions to go to East Germany. Soon afterward, our mission president Elder Wolfgang Paul served as the first mission president for the Germany Dresden Mission. It was also during that time that then Elder Thomas S. Monson met with Erich Honecker, the president of East Germany to arrange for missionary work and temple work to go forward. The Berlin Wall fell within one year of that visit. (Sean)
My Grandfather served in Germany in 1910, so that was pretty cool. And some of my ancestors were among the first converts in Germany. But the most amazing thing happened years later, I remember standing at the Berlin wall and thinking of all the people behind it that didn’t have the gospel, then years later sending my son to the Ukraine, it was an incredible feeling. (Dennis)
I don’t really remember any facts really, except we worked at least 70 hours per week and I think Hamburg was the first foreign speaking mission for the Church. (Scott)
I served in nine cities, 16 companions, closed a city, knocked on doors on average 40 hours a week, used the “rainbow” discussions, had a month shaved off my mission due to an unusually large group of missionaries arriving a month before I was to go home and no incoming missionaries a month later, and didn’t baptize, although several whom I had taught earlier in my mission did get baptized. (Doug)
I was in Berlin before the Berlin Wall came down. (Nancy)
Berlin Wall went down the year after my mission. Lots of Evangelist church members, while more south had more Katolisch. Beautiful gardens and tierparks. Memorials from WWII. Lots of people from different countries – the Book of Mormon is a good communication tool for all languages! (Ranee)
We started the first International Branch in West Berlin. We experienced the opening of the Berlin Wall, reunification of Germany and the fall of communism in Europe. (Harvey)
I was there when the first missionaries got to go to the Eastern sector of Germany, when the wall came down, and the reunification of Germany. (Jeff)

What was the weather like?

Four seasons, cold and wet winters, hot and damp summers, fall and spring were great. We were allowed to take off our suit jackets when the temperature was above 25 C. (Sean)
No big surprise since I’m from Utah, Kiel was brutal though because it’s on the North sea and the cold and humidity were brutal! (Dennis)
Kind of humid, but not overly. Summers could get a little muggy and winters could get bone cold. Mostly sunny. Rained a lot. Northern Germany is marine west coast, so kind of like Seattle, but less frequent rain and a little more sunshine. Is that clear? Haha (Scott)
Aside from being humid it was very similar to the northern US and Utah where I was raised. Sun in the summer, rain in the spring, cool in the fall, cold and snowy in the winter. (Doug)
Cold, rainy, sunny. (Nancy)
Rained a lot, which made it schön and grun. A little snow in winter. Mild summer. (Ranee)
Hot and humid in summer, freezing and icy in winter. Spring and fall are nice though. (Steve)
Hot and humid summer. Cold winter-a lot of rain! (Harvey)
Cold in the winter – bitter cold when close to the Northern Sea – and plenty warm in the summer (only time I’ve ever dealt with heat rash was in Berlin summer.) Rained enough to keep everything very green/lush. (Jeff)

Any things you really like about the area/people?

The Germans can be standoffish at first, but once you have made a friend there, they will stand by you no matter what. They cherish personal relationships, so be sure to cultivate those even if they may reject the message of the Restoration. Many people respected what we did although they did not want to hear our message. (Sean)
I remember walking down the streets and realizing that these buildings and streets existed before Columbus sailed! Seeing towns like Hameln that I had heard stories about all my life, but the people were amazing! Hard headed and very traditional but loving and giving when you got to know them. (Dennis)
The food, the culture, the language, generosity, and steadfastness. Nice mixture of people, too, from all over the world due to their immigration policies. I met people from Africa, Russia, Asia, South America, all over. (Scott)
The precision of the trains and people in general, their kindness toward us once they discovered we were not CIA, and the architecture. They are good wholesome people who love their families and want to excel in all they do. They work hard and have wonderful traditions and festivals. And the scenery is magnificent. (Doug)
Germany is a beautiful country with proud, intelligent, hard working, loving people. The food is great! (Nancy)
Treated you like family, with openness, bluntness and great love. Industrious, clean and strong. (Ranee)
I loved the members. They were so friendly compared to people we met on the street. (Steve)
Beautiful cities and countryside. Dedicated members. (Harvey)
Good solid people with good hearts. Just need to ‘crack’ through the tough exterior. (Jeff)

Any packing/clothing advice?

Good shoes, a heavy coat for the winter and a lighter coat for spring and summer rains long and short sleeved white shirts tennis shoes for p-day. (Sean)
No big deal there, you can get anything there that you can get there. I’d stock up on the Seidenstecker shirts though, they look really sharp. I was told that the General Authorities wear them, I’m sure Elder Uchtdorf does! (Dennis)
Buy as much stuff over there as you can. You’ll look more natural and fit in a bit more with their style and climate. I ditched my trench coat pretty fast for a more German style coat that was warmer anyway. I had to have all my pants tailored/tapered once I got there, too. Should have just bought it there and had less to pack/carry. Also, try to minimize luggage, as transfers were usually by train and it could be a mess sometimes if the train were full. We went alone, but now I think your companion accompanies you during transfers, so maybe that’s a bit easier. (Scott)
Follow the guidelines you receive in your mission packet. (Doug)
Bring clothes that don’t need ironing if at all possible. Above all, bring good walking shoes. Layer, layer, layer! (Nancy)
Skirts for riding bikes. Sturdy boots and shoes. Not much that needs a lot of ironing. (Ranee)
Trench coats are dumb. Buy a smaller overcoat in Germany. (Steve)
Clothes for rain-summer and winter. Follow the instructions from the mission. (Harvey)
For the cold…layers! (Jeff)

What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?

Seeing daily life from another perspective; learning German, which has helped me in many other countries besides Germany; realizing that I liked the challenge of living in other countries; a deeper appreciation for the Restored Gospel–when you preach the Gospel in the country where the Protestant Reformation happened, you get a greater perspective of what Joseph Smith went through. (Sean)
It set the tone for the rest of my life. Things that seemed really hard at the time turned out to be huge blessings later on. The Lord recognizes the sacrifices and pours out blessings. For example loosing the girlfriend, Tja! The girl I met and married after I got home is beyond compare. The profession I have now, my home, I truly believe I was led and inspired, even in ways I don’t really know, because I served a mission. (Dennis)
Too many to count! Although, I did gain a testimony and learned to serve others. I developed a love for the scriptures and the Church in general. Whenever doubts creep in, I always return to my little apartment in Hamburg where I received my testimony early on in my mission. I was sick and recovering with a companion who had knee problems, so we read a lot. I was reading “A Marvelous Work and Wonder” when it really hit me. I prayed and received confirmation the Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God and therefore everything else thereafter was true, too. (Scott)
It changed my life and gave me a world view of life, issues, and perspectives. I developed a deep love for the Lord and His work, and a deeper appreciation of The Plan. The people of the world are all God’s children and He sent His Son for redeem them and show them the way back. (Doug)
As a new convert, I gained a much greater knowledge of the gospel. The life lessons I learned on my mission have been a blessing my entire life. I have formed eternal friendships with the others I served with. (Nancy)
Experiences that I can fall on throughout my life to help in so many situations, a knowledge of the Spirit I didn’t fully have before, preparation for being a wife and mother to my 9 children. (Ranee)
I learned I can put up with a lot for two years. (Steve)
Strengthening of my testimony. (Harvey)
Too many to list. (Jeff)

What are some skills you gained?

Language skills (obviously), the ability to listen deeply to someone share personal feelings and a greater ability to eat meat (no options there). (Sean)
The language of course. I still read a lot in German and speak it when I can. I’m pretty rusty but love the language. Leadership skills that have helped me in Church callings, people skills, so many useful things I learned on my mission. (Dennis)
Wow, tons. Confidence that I could survive with strangers for 2 years! Sewing, laundry, ironing, cooking, bike repair, learned a foreign language, people skills, networking, conflict resolution, prayer, diligence, work ethic, and how to serve. (Scott)
Speaking to strangers and in large public gatherings, developing honest and genuine relationships, working hard and staying focused on what matters most. And remaining optimistic – however long and hard the road. (Doug)
1. A new language. 2. Better people skills. 3. Better teaching skills. (Nancy)
Since one of our apartments didn’t have an oven and no microwave and some ingredients we have in America weren’t readily available, I got really creative with cooking. I also gained a self-confidence I didn’t have before my mission that made it so I was less shy and could talk to more people. (Ranee)
German of course, but also being able to relate to individuals and root out their concerns. (Steve)
Speaking to all kinds of people. Independence and patience. (Harvey)
Mastery of the German language/ability to speak confidently in front of others and groups. (Jeff)

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

Germans like to discuss topics, but it takes the Spirit to change hearts. Through the Spirit all language difficulties are quickly cleared up. I had a companion who had a difficult time speaking German. By the time I was called, I had already studied the language for four years intensively. I let him speak and bumble his way through a lesson. he always asked me for feedback on his German. At one appointment, it was his turn to bear his testimony. The Spirit entered the room and he began to speak the most perfect German I had ever heard while he bore testimony of the truth of the Restoration. I had heard of the gift of tongues, but when I actually saw it, it was very moving. After that, he still made similar mistakes, so I knew that it was divine intervention that allowed him to speak so clearly. Let me be clear. He studied and practiced every day. Through the influence of the Spirit, all of his knowledge came together and he was blessed. (Sean)
Don’t worry, trust in the lord and everything will be for your good. (Dennis)
Learned the scriptures more, as well as Church history. (Scott)
Recognize and reflect more on the unwritten order of things, the power of and need for well-established goals, and what we do and what we have become is more powerful than what we say. (Doug)
I wish I had better language skills at first. They came, but it was very hard at first. (Nancy)
My Mission President would’ve appreciated it if I didn’t cry so much during our interviews 🙂 He compared it to a soccer game, where you didn’t cry on the sideline before, during or afterwards but took it all in stride too. (Ranee)
How hard the language would be and how different it is in different parts of the country. Especially east versus west. I wish I would have studied more in the Mission Training Center. (Steve)
Studied German more. Relaxed. (Harvey)
Not be hung up on a relationship back home. Know that it will all work out with your significant other if it should – have faith in that and just focus on the mission! (Jeff)

Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Hamburg?

Be prepared to deal with a very logical people. The best response to negative talk about the Church or any other aspect of the missionary life is to bear a simple testimony that you know Jesus is the savior of the world and that he leads this Church. Be familiar with the scriptures, but do not expect to “win” a Bible bash. There are no winners in such a circumstance “contention is of the devil” Be prepared to eat a lot of meat. Germans are definitely meat and potatoes kind of people. Sometimes that is all you may get: meat and potatoes. Just eat what is in front of you. (Sean)
Love the people, love the country, love the culture. You are so privileged to serve in this amazing place. It’s said by every missionary but it truly is a privilege to serve in Germany. Trust in the lord, trust in his servants, work hard and it will be a blessing to you, your marriage, your children, and for generations to come. (Dennis)
Take a lot of pictures, keep a good journal, do less door to door and more service (I probably only did 2 weeks of door to door. Member work and service opened more doors), study the scriptures, immerse yourself in the language, keep a perspective, have fun. The Spirit can work easier through you if you have a positive, happy countenance, and you’ll enjoy your mission. Pray a lot and take it easy on yourself. Allow/expect others to make mistakes, too. We’re all learning! (Scott)
Put down your game controls and sell your video games. They will not help you in any way to teach the doctrine with power or bear a sweet and humble testimony of the resurrected Lord and His divinely restored Church. Look for the good in all you meet and pray to see others the way God sees them, His children. With the increased time available because you sold your game game console and video games, seek to understand the talents you’ve been given and develop them as much as possible before entering the MTC. Read The Book of Mormon many times before visiting with the bishop about your desire to serve. Graduate from seminary and learn your scripture mastery verses. I have always been able to identify – as a missionary then and working with missionaries today – those who took seriously their seminary experience and worked hard to memorize and locate at minimum 100 scriptures in the Standard Works. They teach and preach with greater power, conviction, and confidence. (Doug)
The first Sunday I was in country, a family invited us to come over for dinner at 17:00. In my less than complete knowledge of the language, I “heard” 7 p.m. We showed up two hours for dinner late in a country that prides itself on punctuality, and I promptly apologized because I thought we were 10 minutes early. The family invited us in to eat the leftovers, while watching us as we took every bite! (Nancy)
Go on splits with the missionaries in your area. Study your mission language, using new words every day as much as you can. Study the scriptures and they will come to your mind and heart when you need them. Pray always! Your mission, if served faithfully, will bless you and your family forever! (Ranee)
Get a solid testimony of Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon before you go. Once in Germany, there is no time and you will need it when teaching right away. The gospel is the same everywhere, but members of the church aren’t. Don’t judge them for worshiping slightly different than you are used to. (Steve)
Just work hard. Understand the importance of your calling. Don’t allow another missionary hamper your work just to get along. Pray hard and rely on the Spirit. It was the greatest experience of my life. (Harvey)
Gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon thus, the church before you go. That strength will carry you through the difficult times knowing that what you are doing is true/right. (Jeff)

What was a funny language mistake?

Pronunciation mistakes: Maedchen (girl) versus Menschen (people) “Wir moechten mit den jungen Maedchen sprechen” We want to talk with the young girls (oops!) Weak “ch” versus “sch” die Katholische Kirche (the Catholic Church) may sound like the Catholic cherry; Ich glaube an die Kirche (I believe in the Church) may sound like “I believe in the cherry” (Sean)
The most horrendous was one of my district leaders, when we went on splits, when we were tracting, he would introduce me as his “Begliter”, which translates to companion, but means more like girlfriend. Another time after we had a meal at a members, someone asked how it was, The correct response would be “es hat Lecker geschmect” which means it was delicious, the same guy replied “es hat leckerlich geschmoken”. Leckerlich means ridiculous, and geschmoken is a congegation of schmecken (to taste) that doesn’t even exist. The meal was ridiculous tasting, I guess. (Dennis)
My two favorite language jokes were the ‘noch mehr’ and the ‘Kaiserschnitt.’ We’d tell new missionaries to say ‘noch mehr, bitte’ when they were full. It sounds enough like “nicht mehr,” so you could get them pretty easily. They’d get so stuffed! Also, the Kaiserschnitt was the ‘missionary style’ haircut. My German was pretty good going to the field, so I was wise to this one. We’d tell Golden missionaries that when you asked for a haircut, you asked for the Kaiserschnitt, as it was the style of the Kaisers of old to have it cut a certain way acceptable for missionary standards. Well, Kaiserschnitt is slang for C-Section…the hair stylists were always amused, too… (Scott)
In my second area, the lady of the house was serving us dinner and told us what the food was but I didn’t quite understand. When we left my companion tells me “I can’t believe you ate that horse!” It wasn’t bad. (Ranee)
Too many to mention. (Harvey)
When I first arrived, I used to say ‘Ich weiB ein kleine Deutsch’ instead of ‘ein bission’ – so, I know a little German language. (Jeff)