Free resources about the Mexico Guadalajara East Mission:

Aquí están algunos recursos gratuitos sobre la Misión México Guadalajara Este:

• 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: Mexico LDS Missions.

Guadalajara East Mission Address

Here’s a recent address for the Guadalajara East 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.

Mexico Guadalajara East Mission Map

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

1. Log into your LDS account here.
2. Click here.

Videos with Guadalajara East RMs

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

LDS-Friendly Videos about Mexico

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

Guadalajara East Missionary Blogs

Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Guadalajara East Mission. This 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.)

Guadalajara East Mission Groups

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

1. Guadalajara East Mission- Jesperson 2009-12 Group (268 members)
2. Mexico Guadalajara East Mission Facebook Group (196 members)
3. Mision Mexico Guadalajara Este 2012-2015 Group (136 members)

Guadalajara East Mission T-Shirts

Here are T-shirts for the Mexico Guadalajara East Mission!

Shirt designs include Mexico Guadalajara East 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: Mexico Guadalajara East missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.

*Click here to browse Guadalajara East Mission gifts

Guadalajara East Mission Presidents

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

1. 2015-2018, Jack B. Egginton
2. 2012-2015 Luis F. Camarillo

Mexico LDS Statistics (2015)

• Church Membership: 1,368,475
• Missions: 34
• Temples: 12
• Congregations: 1,998
• Family History Centers: 268

Helpful Articles about Mexico

Coming soon..

Guadalajara East Missionary Survey

Here are survey responses from Mexico Guadalajara East 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?

• 2015-2017 (Jenna)
• February 2014-August 2015 (Dolores)
• 2014-2015 (Mariah)
• January 2011 – January 2013 (Spencer)

Which areas did you serve in?

• Guadalajara, Jalisco & Morelia, Michoacan. (Jenna)
• Guadalajara, Zamora, Ajijic, Morelos. (Mariah)

What were some favorite foods?

• Carne en su Jugo, Chiles rellenos, Chilaquiles, Enchiladas Verdes, Tacos al pastor, Chapalitas nieve (you’ll find this in Tlaquepaque), Mango y piña fresco. (Jenna)
• Pazole, tacos, casi toda la comida. Seria mas facil para mi decirle cual comida no me gusto. No me gusta menudo. (Dolores)
• Tamales, Tacos de pastor, Tinga, Tortas, Posole, and Pambazos. (Mariah)
• Tacos al pastor. Mole. Chiles rellenos. Pan dulce. Choco flan. (Spencer)

What was a funny experience?

• You’ll find critters and insects in places you’d prefer to never encounter them, but learn to joke about it! One companionship I know had a competition to see who could kill the most cockroaches in 24 hours. Exciting! (I think the sister who won killed 30+, but they were smaller than average so don’t get too worried!) Or you may even experience random dreams of yourself eating the fresh fruit of Mexico, and wake up only to realize you were about to take a bite of your companion’s foot. Gross! (Jenna)
• When I said esta casada instead of esta casada. (Dolores)
• Me and my companion left one morning to go teach and we accidentally forgot our umbrellas. Later that day it started pouring to the point we couldn’t see that well. Our plan since we had left our umbrellas was to wrap ourselves in giant black garbage bags provided by a member we were visiting. This was just a temporary solution so we could get to our apt where we could get our rain gear. However the garbage bags we were using went over us with just one hole at the top for our heads so it didn’t allow for our arms to be free. Me and my companion then left for our apt and at some point I slipped and not being able to catch myself fell in the street in a puddle and one of my shoes fell off and began floating down the street. My companion quickly grabbed it laughing historically at the situation. Then after a moment of putting myself back together we headed home, tired, scraped up, and me sopping wet. My companion later described me looking like a penguin waddling then falling over. (Mariah)
• My companion once used a kids slingshot in the street (from some kid) and when he tried to shoot it at the pole, he held it wrong and the rock nailed his hand. He didn’t break anything, but it left him a nasty bruise. (Spencer)

What was a crazy experience?

• Learn which areas of your area are okay during the day, and which should be avoided once the sun goes down. If there’s no way around visiting a sketchy area after its dark, make sure to have a member with you (hopefully you’ll have one for each lesson, ideally). If you feel bad about going somewhere, there’s no harm in canceling the appointment. Your safety is priority! My companion and I were chased through a maze of streets in a darker neighborhood for a solid 5 minutes and managed to find safety in a brightly lit tienda on the corner of a street (another benefit to having small stores literally at every corner!). (Jenna)
• Well if you’re not dumb you’re not going to be put into danger but there were a few close calls when men would follow us and we had to go a different way home. (Dolores)
• Me and my Comp were eating dinner at a members house and my comp accidentally ate shellfish which she is allergic to. So as we were eating she started going into anaphylactic shock and we had to rush to he hospital so she could get meds. We were at the hospital for 3 hours as she had to be on an IV and wait for the swelling to go down. (Mariah)
• We heard gun shots at night when we were sleeping. (Spencer)

What was a spiritual experience?

• My zone had a goal to find 20 new investigators each week, so each companionship worked until their very last ounce of energy was used to accomplish it! Many a time we would be 4+ individuals short of reaching our goal, and miraculously after praying before leaving the apartment, throughout the day, etc we’d “happen” upon the Lord’s elect. It was never by our doing that we’d find these people, but we created a plan, worked tirelessly, and trusted the Lord would work a miracle. And He always did. Those months were some of my very favorite because of the amount that my faith grew, and the unity in heart and mind that my companion and I experienced. (I won’t even get started with specific names of investigators/converts, because their stories are far too amazing to compile in a few words!) (Jenna)
• When the area was completely dead and when my companion and I arrived we were lead by the spirit and we started contacting and working with the members. We found sooo many people. (Dolores)
• The baptism of my first convert Benjamin. He was the cutest old man in the world and his wife was a member. The baptism went perfect and the spirit just touched my heart so much. During his immersion in the water I had a great feeling that I had known Benjamin before this life and that he had been waiting for me to find him. (Mariah)
• Reading The Book of Mormon with investigators was always spiritual. (Spencer)

What are some interesting facts about the Guadalajara East Mission?

• Guadalajara is the heart of all Mariachi music! It is also the heart of Catholicism, so I hope you paid attention in seminary when you studied the Bible! 😉 Morelia is one of my favorite cities because it is one of the best conserved, colonial cities in all of Mexico (or so I’m told). You’ll only find Carne en su jugo (delicious!) and tortas ahogadas (you can decide how you feel about them) in Guadalajara! The mission presidents are always wonderfully sweet and loving, and their wives even more so. You won’t ever feel unloved serving as a missionary in Guadalajara east! (Jenna)
• I forgot them all. (Dolores)
• Everyone walks a lot. The mission covers a huge area so sometimes it can take a day to travel on exchanges. The weather is hot which means you need to drink a ton of water. In every area there is some amazing thing to do on Pday. Either an amazing lake, Mountain View, or shopping markets that go on for miles. You can also almost always find amazing fresh fruits and veggies at the local markets. (Mariah)
• Morelia has more Spanish architecture outside of Spain than almost any other city in the world. (Spencer)

What was the weather like?

• Honestly, the weather is pretty temperate. Some spots in the mission get hotter/colder than others, but a typical summer in Guadalajara can range between 85-100 degrees for weeks (okay, after a while that’s REALLY hot), and it dips slightly cooler in Morelia, and gets hotter and more humid the closer you get to the coast. (I never served in Lazaro, but oh the stories I’ve heard. Just make sure you purchase a handy rag to wipe your sweat and you’ll be fine! You think I’m kidding, but I’m not.) As for the winters, they can actually get pretty chilly (as in maybe 45 degrees minimum, not including the rain factor, which can chill you even further). Don’t automatically assume that because it’s Mexico, it won’t be cold–bring a raincoat and a few sweaters and you’ll be set! (Jenna)
• Warm. Hot. Really hot. You feel like your cooking hot. (Dolores)
• Hot in most areas but if you’re at a higher altitude you can get some serious rain fall. (Mariah)
• Eternal Spring. (Spencer)

Any things you really like about the area/people?

• I think this is true of all Mexico, but everyone is so GIVING. certain areas (like urban Guadalajara) are more difficult than others because they are more career-oriented/fast-paced, but for the most part you will find truly amazing people who are willing to give so much of themselves when they have so little. I love that to them, family is so much more than just their immediate parents and siblings, but extends to their neighbors, friends, etc. As for the location, hands down this mission is one of the prettiest in Mexico (not biased, promise haha). It’s large geographically speaking, and so it covers nearly all types of land regions–desert, hills, tropical, city, etc! It’s beautiful! (Jenna)
• Well my first area I loved the members. They would always be willing to accompany us to our lessons. My second area I loved the recent converts because they had given up so much to follow Christ. I also loved the less actives…they were more willing to come with us to our lessons than the members. My last area, I really loved the youth…they had such good testimonies and the bishop was amazing. (Dolores)
• The people are amazing and for the most part very accepting of the gospel. Also missionaries are respected so no one really worried too much about our safety. Unless it was the president. 🙂 (Mariah)
• Super friendly. Very funny. They know how to spend time with people they love. (Spencer)

Any packing/clothing advice?

• Don’t overpack! You easily acquire WAY more than you need during the mission from other missionaries/cheap street purchases/members, etc. Bring the basics, and invest in some good walking shoes. The majority of the injuries missionaries experienced stemmed from the bad quality of their shoes–make sure they have a good sole so you’re not walking on flat ground, and break them in beforehand! No one likes blisters! (Jenna)
• Not really. I guess just bring good shoes. (Dolores)
• Bring extra garments the heat gets pretty intense and you’ll find that garments don’t last as long as you think. Most of the time you have to wash them by hand and that wears them out. Bring comfortable shoes!! Blisters are not fun when you walk 5-10 miles a day!! Bring good socks too. (Mariah)
• Wear long sleeves. I got less sunburn and felt cooler in long sleeves. (Spencer)

What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?

• Where to even begin??? Literally I’m still noticing and discovering the blessings today. It’s blessed my family, my testimony, my personality, my knowledge of the scriptures, helped guide me to what I’m currently studying in school, etc etc etc. The blessings of your mission will continue to reveal themselves for years down the road. It all depends on HOW you serve, so you decide what you want to give. (Jenna)
• Learning that my discipleship is forever. (Spencer)
• My faith increased by 100% and I learned so much about listening to the spirit and how it can bless you. I also had many moments of personal revelation in regards to my life, the mission, and afterwards. (Mariah)

What are some skills you gained?

• One of the biggest is a people skill–I learned how to engage in a conversation with people I don’t know (or multiple at a time), get out of my comfort zone and notice others who may need the attention/love. My listening skills were also honed as it became easier to discover other’s needs, etc. The list could go on! (Jenna)
• Not really. I guess just bring good shoes. (Dolores)
• Spanish!! It took me about 5 months to get the gist of it and then I tried to perfect it the rest of the time. Practice practice practice. I feel pretty comfortable speaking it now with strangers and at the work place. (People Pay you more if you can speak another language.) (Mariah)
• Learned how to talk with people and listen to them. (Spencer)

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

• Don’t sweat. (At least metaphorically speaking haha). Missionary work takes practice, and learning a language takes practice. Don’t get frustrated with yourself when you mess up. One of the hardest things for me to overcome was my fear of doing/saying something wrong. If you don’t know Spanish, don’t let that stop you from engaging in the conversation! It will come the quicker you show your vulnerability (aka humility and malleability), and it will touch others when they see just how hard and genuine you are about trying! Another thing I wish I would have known is just how important it is to find balance. Live an obedient, consecrated missionary life, but don’t let that make you a robot. I’ve seen too many missionaries who could not enjoy their missions because they were too worried about not being enough. Let the desire for improvement propel you, but don’t ever forget that the Lord needs your personality, He needs your qualities, He needs YOU! so be you, be obedient, and be happy! (Jenna)
• I don’t regret anything I did. If I made a mistake, it was because of lack of knowledge. (Dolores)
• Work Work Work. Sometimes I feel like I could have done more and wish I could turn back the clock to help more people. Do not waste a minute of your mission worrying about yourself of your life afterwards. You are here to do the Lord’s work, so do it! (Mariah)
• I wish I has been more humble and gotten along better with companions. (Spencer)

Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Guadalajara East?

• Read the Book of Mormon and study Preach My Gospel. (Dolores)
• If you are struggling to learn the language don’t give up keep trying it will come. Pray and study the scriptures in Spanish and you will learn the language faster. Also don’t be afraid to speak the language your first weeks out in the field most people are so kind and feel so happy that you are trying to learn their language. The people will help you so don’t worry or get embarrassed. (Mariah)
• Pray hard and love the people you serve. (Spencer)

What was a funny language mistake?

• I always tripped up and said “hombro” in place of “hombre” so rather than say man I’d be talking about your shoulder. It wasn’t terrible, but it did detract from the spirit we had during some lessons haha, but they were always great learning experiences! (Jenna)
• Well I kind of already told you one but here’s another one. In the middle of a meeting with our missionary leader, a missionary said “ella esta bien buena.” HAHA It was so funny that my companion and I started cracking up until the elder’s companion explained to him what it meant. (Dolores)
• I don’t want pulp in my orange juice so instead of saying no pulp (no pulpa) I said No pulpo which means no octopus…. which was a pretty easy mistake but my companion couldn’t stop laughing. (Mariah)
• I would ask if Salsa Valentina was Spanish Gatorade. (Spencer)