Misión Guatemala Ciudad de Guatemala Norte
Free resources about the Guatemala Guatemala City North Mission:
Aquí están algunos recursos gratuitos sobre la Misión Guatemala Ciudad de Guatemala Norte:
- 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: Guatemala LDS Missions.
Guatemala City North Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Guatemala City North 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.
Guatemala Guatemala City North Mission
Not a current mission
Guatemala City North Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Guatemala City North Mission (LDS). Coming soon..
Videos with Guatemala City North RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Guatemala City North Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews. Coming soon..
LDS-Friendly Videos about Guatemala
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about Guatemala. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about Guatemala, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
Guatemala City North Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Guatemala City North Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Guatemala City North Mission Groups
Here are Guatemala City North Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the mission.
- Guatemala Guatemala City North Mission RM Group (676 members)
- Guatemala City North Mission Moms (LDS) Group (38 members)
- Guatemala Guatemala City North Mission Group (28 members)
- Guatemala City North Mission- Pres. Harris, Coleman Group (1 member)
Guatemala City North Mission Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Guatemala City North Mission!
Shirt designs include Guatemala City North 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: Guatemala City North missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Guatemala City North Mission gifts
Guatemala City North Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Guatemala City North LDS Mission.
- 2011-2014, Edward D. Watts
- 2008-2011, David Torres
- 2005-2008, Thomas R. Coleman
- 2002-2005, Randy J. Harris
- 1999-2002, Cliff Potter
- 1996-1999, Alan J. Parry
- 1994-1996, Andres R. Ramos
- 1993-1993, Jose M. Jimenez
- 1990-1993, David L. Frischknecht
- 1987-1990, Gordon Wilson Romney
Guatemala LDS Statistics (2015)
- Church Membership: 255,505
- Missions: 6
- Temples: 2
- Congregations: 421
- Family History Centers: 0
Helpful Articles about Guatemala
- Recipe: Guatemalan Pupusas
- Overview of languages in Guatemala by Larry Richman
- Problems of a Divided Society: The Conflicting Cultures of Guatemala, by Larry Richman
- History of Cakchiquel Translation in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).
- List of Church translations into Cakchiquel
- Culture for LDS Missionaries: Guatemala Indian, pages 1-50, 51-102, 103-130, acknowledgments.
Guatemala City North Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Guatemala City North RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
When did you serve?
- 2010-2012 (Christa)
- 2010-2011 (Amanda)
- 2008-20010 (Eric)
- 1997-1998 (Becky)
- 2002-2004 (Tatton)
- 2002-2004 (Jared)
- 2001-2003 (Michael)
- 2000-2001 (Kristine)
- 1998-2001 (Matthew)
- 1998-2001 (Jonathan)
- 1997-1999 (Pablo)
- 1997-1999 (Raul)
- 1996-1997 (Michelle)
- 1995-1997 (Erick)
- 1993-1995 (Kendall)
- 1992-1994 (Jeremy)
- 1991-1993 (Lee)
What areas did you serve in?
- El Estor (Christa)
- La Capital, Alta Verapaz, Peten. (Jared)
- San Antonio Zona 6, San Pedro Ayampuc, Tac-Tic, El Limon, Martineco Zona 2. (Michael)
- Coban-San Marcos, Coban-Los Campos, Quintana (and the office) and Pinares del Norte. (Kristine)
- Paraiso 3, San Cristobal, Teleman (twice), Senahu and many surrounding villages, Sacsuha. (Matthew)
- Marti 1 (Zone 2), Palencia, San Jose del Golfo, El Fiscal, Coban 2, Colonia Quintanal (Zone 6), Teleman (Polochic) and El Estor (Polochic). (Pablo)
- Reformista, La Democracia, Escuintla, Chimaltenango y San Felipe, Reu. (Raul)
- Zona 6, Santa Elena (Peten), San Jeronimo (Baja Verapaz). (Michelle)
- Zona 6, Las Victorias, Poptun Peten, Proyectos, Canlun, Senahu, Seamay, El Estor, Panzos y Tucuru. (Erick)
- Poptune, Benque Viejo Belize, Zone 6? 18, La Leyenda, San Cristobal area. (Kendall)
- Guatemala City, Senahu, Tucuru, Coban, Sacsuha, La Tinta, Santo Domingo, El Estor. (Jeremy)
- Guatemala City (zones 18 and 6), Coban, Polochic (Teleman, Chulac, El Estor, Seamay, Sacsuha, Santo Domingo Actela). (Lee)
What were some favorite foods?
- Churrasco, pupusas, papas fritas con chile. (Christa)
- Tortillas, Beans and Caldo de Rez. Basically anything a humble family was willing to share. (Amanda)
- Huevos, frijoles, pan francés, y crema. (Eric)
- Beans and tortillas, papaya & mangos. (Becky)
- Churascos. (Tatton)
- 95% of our meals were beans, rice, “creama” and eggs in a variety of assortments. Our utensils were fresh tortillas. I still miss it. (Jared)
- Fried platanos, frijolitos (black bean chips), black beans blended with some queso fresco. (Michael)
- Rice, beans, corn tortillas, taquitos. (Kristine)
- Pineapples, Caldo spicy. (Matthew)
- Eggs and black beans. (Jonathan)
- Fiambre, Torrejas, Champurradas, Tostadas, Kak’ik, Kem ha’, tortillas con crema. (Pablo)
- Rice and beans. (Raul)
- Tamales, tamarindo, bollitos, hot and fresh tortillas with a little butter and salt (they tasted just like movie popcorn), arroz con leche. (Michelle)
- Kak’ik Atol Kem haa. (Erick)
- Black beans and eggs, day old tortillas, fresh cheese, tamales of all kinds, the nightly street food, Choco banano and other fruits, liquados of all kinds, pollo campero, holiday fruit cider, fresh pan, Carne asada. (Kendall)
- Tortillas hot off the comal. Chijolom Caldo, Tamales. (Jeremy)
- Mostly fresh fruits like pineapples and oranges. (Lee)
What was a funny experience?
- Bus drivers screaming the names of the buses. (Christa)
- Getting stuck in the mud. It would rain so much that your shoes, sometimes up to your calves would get stuck in the mud. Monster feet or monster shoes is what the people would say as your feet were so caked in mud. (Amanda)
- Goose attacked us. (Eric)
- We got chased by a bull. We almost drowned in the middle of Lake Itza with a wedding cake! (Becky)
- Being bit by a dog my fourth day in the field. (Tatton)
- Funny/gross…While tracting the slums, I fell into a river of sewage up to my waist. Thankfully, a lady who lived in a tin hut close by had a laundry machine and dryer. I had to only wear a towel as my clothes were cleaned. (Jared)
- When Elder Bodily put firecrackers in the neighbor’s room and the guy ran out in his underwear. (Michael)
- Carrying a huge VCR up and down muddy hills. We fell almost every day while carrying it. (Kristine)
- Push starting a school bus. (Jonathan)
- We went to visit a Sister and she gave us two Tamales, but not too tasty, so, after I ate my whole tamale which tasted like dirt and when I was about to stand up and thank the Sister for that meal…my companion said really fast “Thanks Sister for the Tamale” he just placed his whole Tamale on my plate so he made look as if he ate his and I still had mine there without trying it… so I had to eat it too. HAHAHAHA. (Pablo)
- When it would rain, we would wear our backpacks in front to try and keep them dry. We were once offered a ride because the driver thought we were pregnant women caught in the rain. We also had a lot of funny miscommunication experiences. The “gringa block” is a real thing. You can say something to their face but if you are a gringa (blue eyes and blonde hair), they won’t understand a word you say because their brains can’t compute that a gringa can speak Spanish. (Michelle)
- Ir a las cataratas “El Salto”, compartir con mi comañero de mision, buenas experiencias espirituales, con los investigadores, y enseñar el Evangelio restaurado. (Erick)
- Purchasing a satchel to carry my scriptures and extra copies of The Book of Mormon and not knowing the word for it and calling it a man purse. (Kendall)
- Funny, but not funny. After a child was scared just seeing us at the door his mom asked for some of my companions hair. The family thought fear brings evil spirits and burning the hair of the offender scares them away. (Jeremy)
- Once when we were served cold boiled pork fat for dinner, I happened to have a bag from our latest trip to the panaderia with me. We slipped the stuff out and made a dog very happy. (Lee)
What was a crazy/dangerous experience?
- Climbing a mountain to a hidden cave for preparation day. I face planted. (Christa)
- Attempted kidnapping of my companion and I. We were emergency transferred that day and a few weeks later put in remote areas. While serving in a remote area and tracting, some people followed us and threatened to slash our wrists like they did to others if we ever came back. (Amanda)
- Getting robbed twice in the same area. (Tatton)
- Being the first on the scene of a rape/murder victim. Having our apartment ransacked and robbed while tracting in the morning. Hitching rides on top of a logging trucks and open bed pickups. Cutting out my ingrown toenail with a hot knife then going to a rural “hospital”. Showering with an electric heating unit connected to the shower head. I was electrocuted several times. Surviving a 104 fever after a mosquito bite. Tracking Zona 18 in general….to the sound of gun shots (Jared)
- When walking a dog snuck up and bit my pant leg, almost got my leg. Or the time when I had my watch stolen by a group of thugs in El Limon. (Michael)
- We had a guy chase us and try to lift up our skirts. There were lots of drunks on the streets too. (Kristine)
- Living in Paraiso 3 the first 3 months, lol. (Matthew)
- People trying to rob me, we declined their invitation. (Jonathan)
- We were chased by a drunk guy with a machete on his hand.. he did not even get close to us as we ran like crazy… but it was scary when we saw him coming toward us. (Pablo)
- We had someone drive by us with a machete out their window. Luckily, we felt to move right before they drove by or they would have chopped our heads off. (Michelle)
- Viajar en camion en la carrocería, colgando o hasta arriba de la misma, en los caminos de las riveras del Polochic. (Erick)
- Proselytizing in Zona 18 at night 7pm and having a gun pointed at my head. I turned around and walked the other way. (Kendall)
- We checked in on a house after other missionaries had been told not to come back under pain of death (unknown to us). A man came out with a machete yelling death threats as we talked our way out of the mess. (Jeremy)
- In the dry season, people always closed the bus windows to keep the dust out, but that made it stiflingly hot. We rode up in the luggage rack for the fresh air. I wasn’t paying attention and ran into a tree limb. On a positive note, the mission nurse said the doctor in El Estor was great at making stitches clean and even. (Lee)
What was a spiritual experience?
- The baptism of two children. And then the baptism of their mother 6 weeks later. (Christa)
- Seeing a family transform with the help of the gospel, re-activated, children baptized and families sealed. (Amanda)
- Getting robbed twice in the same area and not dying. (Tatton)
- Tracting at night in the mountains of San Cristobal. It was hard to tell heaven from earth where the stars and the glow of the fireflies met. Sunsets in the countryside of Alta Verapaz. Feeling the humble kindness of people who were willing to feed me their last meal. (Jared)
- Teaching Santiago, in San Pedro Ayampuc, the gospel was always spiritual, I was sad that I was not there for his baptism, but could tell he was a great man! (Michael)
- We contacted the town drunk and were able to teach his whole family the gospel. He stopped drinking cold turkey. We had some issues with marriage documents that required a lot of faith that they would arrive before their scheduled baptism. The arrived about 30 minutes before. Just enough time to get married before heading to the church for their special baptism. (Kristine)
- The whole thing! (Matthew)
- TeachIng a Bible study group the resena. (Jonathan)
- While teaching a lesson, in Teleman, Polochic, we showed the image of the “First Vision” and the Lady started to cry and when she was able to speak..she said once she was bitten by a snake and she was so scared to tell her Dad that she went to bed knowing she’d die as it was a poison snake.. while suffering the effects of the bite…she saw a guy with white clothes who came to her room and placed his hand on her wound and heal her.. that person she saw was the same on the image we showed her (Jesus Christ). (Pablo)
- Singing hymns to a very old woman (who was a member) after she had a stroke and feeling her spirit even though she couldn’t talk to us. (Michelle)
- Enseñar el evangelio, y ver la conversión de muchos, en especial el Hermano Bol, de Canlun. (Erick)
- Watching one of my first baptisms go through the temple for his mission while I was on my mission. (Kendall)
- While giving a discussion during a torrential downpour I felt the need to pray that the rain would stop so we could hear each other. Just as I finished my silent prayer, the rain stopped completely. The storm wasn’t even moving on through the hills. It just stopped. The gospel needs a voice. When it needs silence, it gets it. (Jeremy)
- We gave a blessing to a boy who was sick. Blessings happened a few times a week. This boy was clearly much more ill than anyone I had seen. I determined to finish the blessing, wash my hands so I didn’t get what he got, and head to the pharmacy and ask what to get. When I put my hands on his head, he had a blazing fever. The blessing was short and I basically said this: because of the faith of your parents, you will be healed. At the amen, his head felt cool and he had fallen asleep after not sleeping the night before. I made a point of NOT washing my hands because I knew the sickness was gone. A few days later, he was running around at church with the others. (Lee)
What are some interesting facts about the Guatemala City North Mission?
- Large. They speak both Spanish and Q’eqchi. (Christa)
- 5+ dialects alone in that area, from the city to remote villages, there was no guarantee the people spoke or understood Spanish. (Amanda)
- One of the few (if not only) missions where a native Mayan dialect is the primary language for teaching investigators. (Tatton)
- Guatemala has a huge native population of indigenous people. (Jared)
- It included Peten where Tikal is located, it also had some mountains that looked like the background of the picture where Jesus is visiting the people of the Americas in Tac-Tic. (Michael)
- It was Spanish and Kekchi-speaking. We got to wear hiking hooks because of all the hills and walking we did. The people were so poor, but the most generous and loving people I have ever met. (Kristine)
- In my time if you were sent from the Capitol to Polochi, you would end your Mission in that Zone. We also had a Zone Conference in which we were instructed by Elder William Bradford that we had to teach Spanish to the Kekchi people.. that was challenging. (Pablo)
- We had better Spanish than most of the natives because Spanish wasn’t their native tongue either. (Michelle)
- Que es un lugar, muy bonito, considerando de que son las tierras que se hacen mención en el Libro de Mormon, pero mas importante la gente que es receptiva, al Evangelio restaurado y que en sus raíces llevan su historia. (Erick)
- Belize was a part of our mission. (Kendall)
- Q’eqchi’ is the only Lamanite language outside of Polynesia with the full scriptures translated. (Lee)
What was the weather like?
- Hot and humid in El Estor. Temperate in all other areas. (Christa)
- Hot, rainy and muggy. (Amanda)
- Hot; humid; rained like crazy for part of the year. (Eric)
- Hot and rainy in the summers, warm and dry in the winter. (Tatton)
- Hot/Tropical in Peten Temperate/Misty/Rainy in Alta Verapaz Hot/Dessert Baja Verapqaz, Eternal Spring en la Capital. (Jared)
- It ranged from hot to mildly cool to rainy up in those mountains. (Michael)
- Warm, humid, lots of rain. (Kristine)
- Hot and humid. Did I mention that it was hot and humid. (Matthew)
- In the Capitol it was good.. with two seasons.. rainy and sunny.. in Polochi the same, but twice as hot as in the Capital. (Pablo)
- Hot, humid, muggy and rainy. (Michelle)
- Muy bueno, es un clima variado, rico en lluvia, calido y hace un calor humedo, que si se aguanta. (Erick)
- Always warm regardless of rain. It was predictable without watching the news. (Kendall)
- Generally warm to hot, cooler in the mountains. A drier season and rainy season mix things up. (Lee)
What do you like about the place/people you served?
- Their humility. (Christa)
- Love of God. You could have an earnest Gospel conversation with a stranger about God and His plan, and the spirit was powerful. (Amanda)
- Humble people. Beautiful country. (Eric)
- They (generally speaking) are genuinely interested in you and are never “too busy” to listen. They are absolutely the most humble and amazing people. (Tatton)
- The entire experience. To live and serve people of poverty changes your perspective on life. I am humbled for the rest of my life to know how fortunate I am. (Jared)
- I loved how humble the people were. I loved living among those hard working people, and loved the beauty of the country. (Michael)
- They were very spiritual. They were loving, generous, humble. (Kristine)
- Humble, kind, loving. (Matthew)
- Their humility!!! (Pablo)
- I loved that they were so welcoming and loved us no matter if they accepted what we were teaching or not. (Michelle)
- Que es receptiva, al Evangelio restaurado y que en sus raíces llevan su historia. (Erick)
- They were always friendly and willing to give of whatever they had to you. (Kendall)
- The people of the Coban Region were humble and hard working. When they made the decision to convert, they gave their all. They also were great at humor. Joking and sarcasm were common. (Jeremy)
- They accept their circumstances well, and they like it when you live and work like they do (instead of the backpackers trying to “find” themselves). (Lee)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- No coats, rain boots are helpful. (Christa)
- Shoes!! Buy 2-3 pairs of awesome shoes… You will walk the soles right off. The wet will ruin your shoes as well. Don’t take anything expensive, it will be lost- backpacks, watches or ipods. You can find tons of second hand clothes in Paca’s. Cheap and all American sizes. (Amanda)
- Pack waterproof boots. Anything that is on the mission list you should make sure to bring. (Eric)
- Short sleeve shirts only. Don’t take anything that you won’t want to leave behind when you come home. By the time you’re done you will have found a better home for any article of clothing because there will always be someone who needed it more than you. And you’re gonna want to buy souvenirs. (Tatton)
- Bug repellent… the fleas are mean! Raincoat, umbrella, hiking boots instead of dress shoes, dark khakis instead of dress pants, short sleeved shirts. I packed a water filter. Plan as if your where going hiking for two years. (Jared)
- Don’t pack too much, you can buy things there from the pacas (thrift stores), which are mostly from the USA and have some nice clothing. (Michael)
- Bring thin, easy to wash and dry clothes, things that don’t need much ironing. Bring hiking boots. Bring cute clothes for preparation day just so you feel like a normal kid sometimes. (Kristine)
- Light clothes, it’s very humid in Polochic. (Matthew)
- Don’t bring anything not on the list and half of what is on the list. Believe it or not they have white shirts in Guatemala. One small suitcase is plenty. (Jonathan)
- If in Polochi.. get waterproof boots!!! (Pablo)
- You need really good, sturdy shoes that will dry quickly. An umbrella is a must- rain or shine. I actually used my umbrella more during the dry, hot days so I wouldn’t sunburn. Dresses that are hand washable and won’t come back 4 inches longer. Sturdy clothes because they don’t use washing machines. You can purchase things at stores so you don’t need to pack a two year supply of toilet paper. (Michelle)
- Para todos los climas, mejor para la lluvia. (Erick)
- Pack light, you can have a suit made and tailored to your size for cheaper than the US. Buy a good pair of shoes/ boots. You can have the shoes re-soled with tire tread which will give you at least another 10,000 miles of walking 😆. No need to buy pretty, expensive ties. You’ll use them as sweat wipers when it gets hot. (Kendall)
- Polyester ties can be thrown in the wash with the rest of your clothes. Bring a sleeping bag that unzips into a bedspread–those with mummy bags got jealous of mine. (Lee)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- Too many to enumerate. (Christa)
- Humility, ability to cope with any trials. A testimony of Christ in the Americas. The ability to change. Progress and desire. (Amanda)
- Innumerable blessings. (Eric)
- I have 12 nieces and nephews and 4 kids of my own who admire and respect me for my service. I hope that if nothing else, I inspired my family to serve. (Tatton)
- I still speak Spanish every day. Guatemala changed my life. (Jared)
- Learning Spanish had helped a ton, learning how to teach others the gospel, how to not be scared of rejection, understanding the “Hispanic” culture, knowing what talents I have been blessed with, a love for the gospel. (Michael)
- I learned that Heavenly Father loves me and all of his children. He is constantly molding and shaping me into the person He always knew I could be. (Kristine)
- Changed my life forever. (Matthew)
- I got a stronger testimony on my mission, got back to my country (Costa Rica) and found a faithful, amazing, hard working and beautiful wife and now we have 4 kids and I am still serving the Lord in my Branch. (Pablo)
- There are too many to list! The main thing I learned is that I can do hard things and be successful if I rely on the Lord. By myself, I am nothing. But if I am doing what He wants me to do then I will be blessed even if it is something hard or out of my comfort zone. (Michelle)
- Paciencia, amor al projimo, perseverancia en el servicio y caridad hacia los hermanos, miembros o no miembros. (Erick)
- Learned a language that I still use today in my profession. (Kendall)
- I deal with strange events, unusual circumstances, and limited resources better. I use Spanish with the parents of my students almost daily. Q’eqchi’ provides some impossible-to-crack passwords. (Lee)
What are some skills you gained on your mission?
- Fluency in Spanish. (Christa)
- A second language. Leadership skills and working with a partner. Listening to the Spirit and recognizing it. (Amanda)
- Learned to love people. (Eric)
- The ability to learn two languages. Teamwork, confidence, leadership, humility, and the desire to do hard work. (Tatton)
- Hard work ethic. Spanish language fluency. (Jared)
- Spanish, knowing how to live on a budget, how to stay safe. (Michael)
- Patience, humility, better speaking skills, less of an introvert. (Kristine)
- Humility, Long Suffering, Patience. (Matthew)
- Public speaking, capacity to prepare talks and class lessons in a few minutes and teaching skills. (Pablo)
- Language skills, being able to talk to anyone. (Michelle)
- Speak a little English, other things for my life. (Erick)
- To communicate, to get around in a foreign country and survive. (Kendall)
- Spanish, leadership, improvisation, direction finding on a mountain trail. (Lee)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- Accept where I was and what I was doing more quickly. (Christa)
- Pack less clothes and “stuff.” Trust my companions and study more. Being prepared is an art form and must be practiced, especially language skills. (Amanda)
- Missionaries are people; they can be disobedient; don’t be a disobedient missionary. (Eric)
- Don’t try to do everything perfect. Teach from the heart. In order to do this, I think my testimony could have been beefed up before heading out. As it was, with a temporary language barrier I had to teach a lot from memory. Had my knowledge of the gospel been stronger I think the language barrier would have been only secondary. (Tatton)
- How hard it would be. How fast it would go by. (Jared)
- I wish I had tried to speak Spanish more, I wish I had read and prayed more for the people in my area and to have the Spirit guide me and my companions. I wish I would have worked out more. (Michael)
- Trusted the Lord completely. Worried less about my failures and shortcomings with speaking Spanish. I wish I had spoke more even if it meant I made mistakes. (Kristine)
- How to forget oneself and go to work. (Matthew)
- The first month is the hardest. Dealing with a new culture, language, and getting sick. But once you work through the month it will be the greatest adventure you ever experience! (Jonathan)
- How to work with members getting refferals and work with my brain instead of my feet. (Pablo)
- That it is really hard but that it should also be fun. Man is that he may have joy. The Lord wants us to be happy. Make sure you laugh every day, even if you have a rough companion. I will forever be grateful to my trainer who made things fun even when they were such a struggle. She taught me to work hard but to enjoy the journey. You will only be a young missionary once and you want good memories. Play with the kids, laugh when they pee on you, roll your eyes at the crazy excuses people give you, and make up silly songs. But make the mission fun…while working really hard! (Michelle)
- Bautizar mas. (Erick)
- Even though we know what our goal for missionary work is, there may be some days that don’t meet those expectations. Even if it felt like you didn’t do anyone any good that day, you did yourself some good, and that patience and effort prepares you for another time, place, and soul to save. (Lee)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Guatemala?
- Always have a prayer in your heart. (Christa)
- Have a testimony of The Book of Mormon (Eric)
- You will never be able to get through to people if you don’t love them first. Never, never look down on them because they have less than you. They are only in their circumstance by God’s design and not by happenstance or poor decisions. They have so much to offer you and always take the opportunity to listen. By doing so, you will learn who they are. By knowing who they are and where they come from, it will allow you to access their spiritual side that is already burning to hear the gospel that they once knew. (Tatton)
- Know why you are going. Be committed. (Jared)
- Work with the members!! They know who has been baptized, and what is the current situation in the area. (Michael)
- Guatemala is an amazing country with a beautiful culture. I think one of my greatest strengths was just learning to love the people. I may not have been able to communicate well always with speech but I know that they knew I loved them because we spent time serving them and learning about them and their family and their culture and beliefs. (Kristine)
- Forget yourself and go to work. (Matthew)
- This mission is not a sacrifice, but a blessing. You gain so much more then you will give. It is an adventure, a fun adventure full of wonder and excitement. But best of all you have the opportunity to be a representative of Christ and have the blessing associated with carrying this mantle. (Jonathan)
- Going on a Mission is by far THE BEST decision you can make, you will learn sooo much about the Gospel and about how much we all need to change our hearts. It’s worth it to put on hold ANYTHING so you can go on a mission. (Pablo)
- Love it because it is the best mission in the world. We are relying on you to continue the legacy we began. Some of you will be interacting with our new converts or finding those we planted a seed into. You are there to finish what we began and start your own seeds. Please look for those who we loved. (Michelle)
- Que sean fieles, a los mandamientos, las y que presten servicios a todos los hermanos que encuentren, sean amables, pacientes y muy corteses, sin discriminación, para servirle mejor a nuestro Padre Celestial. (Erick)
- Pray always. Listen to the spirit. It’s ok to have disagreements with your companion, as long as you respect each other and remember why you are there. Find happiness in serving others regardless of past history. Don’t judge! And give of your substance freely to the poor and afflicted. Remember the Lord always provides. (Kendall)
- Love the people and understand that they will give you the last of what they have even if they have to go without. Once truly converted they will give any sacrifice asked of them. The members watch what you do and they will think the same of any following missionary. (Jeremy)
- Be sure you learn to read aloud in Spanish. Sometimes that’s your only contribution, but the people love it when you try to meet them where they are. (Lee)
What was a funny language mistake?
- I think this is the story of my whole mission. After climbing a huge hill to get to an investigator’s house, the pretty young lady looked at the car ring on my finger and asked if I was casado. Me, thinking she said cansado I exclaimed “oh yeah!!” Look it up to get the joke… (Tatton)
- Our mission president made some pronunciation errors that involved human anatomy. We all blushed. (Jared)
- There is a word that sounds very similar to donuts, but means ladies/women. I was asked if I liked women, but thought they said donuts. (Michael)
- One time the mission president’s wife told us to wash ourselves with Jamon (ham). She meant to say Jabon (soap). Our mission president also told us he wanted hot, on fire missionaries but the way he translated it came out as turned-on missionaries. Definitely not what he wanted us to be. (Kristine)
- Not appropriate for this forum, lol. (Matthew)
- Quek’chi, English. (Erick)
- Giving counsel to a parent and using the word rabbit instead. (Kendall)
- A sister missionary told a Guatemalan Elder “Estoy Caliente!” (I am in the mood) and when he looked confused she attempted sarcasm, which is not understood by the Spanish speakers, and said “Te amo tambien!”( and I love you too!). Needless to say the nervous laughter got us all laughing. Neither the sister or the Guatemalan Elder understood the joke. (Jeremy)
- Every Polochic missionary has a moment when they get so confused they accidentally speak English to someone. It happened to me too. After that though, things get better, and your mind sorts things out. (Lee)