Free resources about the North Carolina Raleigh 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: North Carolina Charlotte Mission.
Raleigh Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Raleigh 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.
North Carolina Raleigh Mission
5060 Six Forks Road
Raleigh, NC 27609-4428
Phone Number: 1-919-876-2091
Mission President: President Dennis James
North Carolina Raleigh Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the North Carolina Raleigh Mission (LDS). To access the official LDS.org map for the Raleigh Mission:
Videos with Raleigh RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Raleigh Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews.
Videos about North Carolina
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about North Carolina. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about North Carolina, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
Raleigh Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Raleigh Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Raleigh Mission Groups
Here are North Carolina Raleigh Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Raleigh Mission.
- North Carolina Raleigh Mission (NCRM) Group (810 members)
- LDS Raleigh Mission Share Facebook Group (623 members)
- Raleigh Mission (Pres. Welch, 2000-03) Group (244 members)
- North Carolina Raleigh Mission Facebook Group (170 members)
- Raleigh Mission President Stokes Group (82 members)
- Raleigh Mission Moms and Friends (LDS) Group (7 members)
Raleigh Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the North Carolina Raleigh Mission!
Shirt designs include North Carolina Raleigh 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: Raleigh missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Raleigh Mission gifts
Raleigh Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Raleigh Mission.
- 2015-2018, Dennis Roland James
- 2012-2015, Marc A. Bernhisel
- 2009-2012, Dirk Cotterell
- 2006-2009, W. Budge Wallis
- 2003-2006, I. Daniel Mabey
- 2000-2003, Garth Welch
- 1997-2000, Max Esplin
- 1994-1997, Arnold Christensen
- 1992-1994, Robert O. Hickman
- 1989-1992, Robert D. Rowan
- 1986-1989, Neil Lambert
- 1983-1986, Deloris Stokes
- 1980-1983, Joel N. Gillespie
North Carolina LDS Statistics (2015)
- Church Membership: 82,162
- Missions: 2
- Temples: 1
- Congregations: 154
- Family History Centers: 46
Helpful Articles about North Carolina
Coming soon..
*Are you interested in becoming a lawyer in North Carolina? Learn all about the North Carolina bar exam
Raleigh Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Raleigh 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?
- 20115-2017 (Cassie)
- 2014-2016 (Austin)
- August 2013-2015 (Kristen)
- 2000-2002 (Jed)
- 1993-1995 (Gabriel)
- 2006-2008 (Nathan)
- 2001-2001 (Kari)
- 2000-2001 (Heather)
- 1999-2001 (Jacob)
- 1999-2001 (JT)
- 1998-2000 (Daniel)
- 1994-1996 (Tim)
- 1993-1995 (Kerry)
- 1993-1995 (Todd)
- 1993-1994 (Sarah)
- 1992-1994 (Matt)
- 1987-1989 (Rocci)
- 1981-1983 (Doug)
- 1990-1992 (Fred)
- 2012-2014 (Adam)
- 1979-1981 (Michael)
- 1976-1978 (Ned)
What areas did you serve in?
- Durham, Raleigh, Clinton. (Cassie)
- Henderson, Cary, Southern Pines, Durham, Raeford. (Austin)
- Whiteville, Shallote, Raleigh, Greenville, Durham. (Heather)
- Fayetteville, Rockingham, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, Greenville. (JT)
- Jacksonville, Fayetteville, Durham, Roanoke rapids. (Daniel)
- Wilmington, Havelock, Goldsboro, Durham, Rockingham, Kinston. (Tim)
- Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Spring Lake, Lumberton, Raeford, Fayetteville. (Kerry)
- Chapel Hill, Rockingham, Durham. (Sarah)
- Whiteville, Leland, Roxsboro, Raleigh, Wallce, Southport, Fayetteville, Mt. Olive. (Matt)
- Raleigh, New Bern, Duke Campus. (Rocci)
- Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Jacksonville, Chapel Hill, Wilson. (Doug)
- Kinston, Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Wilmington, Dunn (Fred)
- Durham, Sanford, Albertson, Goldsboro, and Kinston, North Carolina (Adam)
- All over. (Michael)
- Rocky Mount, High Point, Greensboro, Ashboro, Southern Pines, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Henderson, Fayetteville. It was the North Carolina Greensborough Mission when I was there. (Ned)
What were some favorite foods?
- In the south their fried chicken and barbecue are amazing!! Cookout is a popular fast food barbecue restaurant and they have super good hush puppies and the best shakes I’ve ever had in my life. The Hispanics we taught also made amazing food native to their country like baleadas, papusas, authentic tacos, pozole, arepas, enchiladas, empanadas, so many delicious things! (Cassie)
- Hush puppies and North Carolina BBQ. (Austin)
- Mac and cheese. (Kristen)
- BBQ, hush puppies, hamburgers with slaw on them, banana pudding, chili dogs from that trailer in Smithfield, and homemade fried chicken. (Jed)
- Hush puppies. (Gabriel)
- Fresh country vegetables. Chicken. Fish on the coast (Spots). Okra, grits, butter beans, collard greens, string beans, baby peas. (Nathan)
- Fried shrimp and hush puppies with honey butter. (Kari)
- Grits, chicken, fried turkey. (Heather)
- North Carolina hot vinegar barbecue and grits with lots of butter. (Jacob)
- Southern BBQ. (JT)
- Hush puppies, dried parka, collard greens, road kill. (Daniel)
- Pig pickins, Slaw, Fried chicken, Nanna pudding. (Tim)
- Fried Chicken, Pork BBQ, Okra, Collard Greens. (Kerry)
- BBQ, fried chicken. All of the southern classics. (Todd)
- Hush puppies, collards, great northern beans, pulled pork, vinegar bbq. (Sarah)
- Pulled pork BBQ, pig pickins. (Matt)
- Grits and Gravy, Pig Pickings and eating tons of pork skins. (Rocci)
- Cajun & Seafood. (Doug)
- Grits, hushpuppies, Sister Smiths fried chicken (Fred)
- Carolina-style Barbecue, Fried Chicken, Tacos, Arrepas, Pupusas, Tamales (Adam)
- Everything. (Michael)
- Stamys BBQ. (Ned)
What was a funny experience?
- One time my companion and I were on a bus and we were both sitting by different people and telling them about how we were serving a mission for the LDS church and sharing with them our message, and when my companion told this sweet African American lady she was sitting next to that she was a missionary the lady said “I knew you worked for Jeeeesus.” (Cassie)
- While tracting, we knocked on a door and the man saw us through the glass door and shook his head then flapped his arm like wings and walked backwards down the hallway. (Austin)
- When a guy in a robe answered the door. (Kristen)
- We visited a Pentecostal church one evening, and we were two out of three white guys in the congregation. The nice elderly gentleman I sat next to leaned over to me, and I could barely hear him because the music was so loud, and he said, “you know, it doesn’t matter what that our two skin colors are different, because what is the color of oxygen?” I didn’t know where he was going with this, so I said, “what?” And he said, “Take a breath, and you’ll see.” (Jed)
- I think the funniest experience was when I ran into a speed limit sign on my bike. Yes it was humiliating but in hindsight I laugh about it. (Gabriel)
- One of my companion’s claimed that he could handle any hot sauce and that he liked hot foods. We were invited to dinner with a member family from Mexico. My companion asked for the hottest sauce the family had. The Dad brought it out and all of the kids begged him not to give it to my companion, except one of the the kids ran and grabbed the video camera. My companion proceeded to douse his tacos in this insanely hot hot sauce, and then shove the whole taco into his mouth. He turned bright red and began to sweat profusely, then began to cry. He claimed that it wasn’t actually that bad, and not wanting to spoil food, he ate the three other drenched tacos that he had, which only made things worse. The whole family was quite amused by the whole thing. As dinner went on his reaction became more and more amusing. He tried his best to say that it wasn’t that spicy, but his tears and sweat told a different story. He finally asked for some milk, and drank nearly a gallon. We had to ride our bikes back to our apartment, and he conducted a fairly loud porcelain orchestra for the rest of the night. (Nathan)
- “— nah boy … De ain’t nuttin bout Je Chris you cn til me dat I don-oh-ready-know. I got saved 42 yiz ago. But– see dat gur oh der on da corner? Dat gir id a prositoot, does crack! She needa be saved. Go talka Her…” (Jacob)
- Pounding Krispy Kremes with Elder Eyring, Sister Mendenhall, and Sister Schmit. (JT)
- Being in Jacksonville with a snow storm. Shut down the town. (Daniel)
- Fayetteville; My very last tracting session, we we going through a suburban street, and as we were going we noticed, over time, that the same 60’s Camarao, driven by a 50ish lady. It must have kept going for more than a dozen laps, and it wasn’t long before we were waving at the lady as she passed by us, was going back and forth, end-to-end down this same street. She must have done it over a dozen times, and before long, we were waving to her as she passed (and she did wave back). Somehow in a way I can’t remember, we pinpointed which house was hers, so once we reached it we stayed at it’s porch, waiting for her to come by again. When we finally saw her coming, she had slowed to a snail’s pace and finally (presumably when she finally saw that we were at her door) she pulled off to the next turn street and parked at the curb. (Kerry)
- The day I was transferred to Rockingham, Taco Bell opened up. I have never seen so many people lined up for Taco Bell in my life and we lived on it in high school! (Sarah)
- Dealing with a companion who liked to sleep in until noon every day. This guy was so lazy he slept in every day until noon. Amazingly lazy. I did a lot of scripture study by myself. (Rocci)
- One time as my companion – who was slightly overweight – and I were tracting in a trailer park, we approached a trailer with a little boy out front. When the boy saw us coming to his door, he ran inside and shouted something in Spanish that translates to “Mom, a large man from the mission is coming!” (Adam)
- On bicycles in Greensboro a threesome. Elder Jones rides up and pulls my front brake that caused me fly over the handle bars with the film strip projector and tape player. The batteries flew out and rolled into the storm drain. We were headed to a teaching appointment on a Sunday so we pried the manhole cover off and I climbed down and retrieved them. We made it to the appointment on time and everything still worked. I have the picture to prove it. (Ned)
What was a crazy experience?
- I was there during a hurricane! Hurricane Matthew hit really hard about 1 hour from my area and our area was affected, we didn’t have power for 5 days and had to live off of sandwiches and granola bars for a few days. It was pretty exciting! (Cassie)
- We were tracting one afternoon and a drunk driver almost hit us, but instead he side-swiped a car that was behind us. (Austin)
- When we talked to scary guys. (Kristen)
- The most dangerous it got for me was being in a bike accident, but many kind people stopped to take care of me and get me to a hospital. There were also a couple of minor car accidents. (Jed)
- I think tracting though it was part of our efforts to find investigators was unnerving because you never knew what kind of mood the people on the other side of the door would be in. (Gabriel)
- Bicycle accident and spending the night in the emergency room, fearing that my mission had come to an end after crashing at 35mph. Companion started a wax fire in the kitchen and threw water on it not knowing it would react like grease. Woke up from a nap on the couch during lunch break to find a snake slithering out from under the couch, and my companion staring it down like a madman with a golf club. Burning of one year shirts, and the fire got a little out of hand… Breaking up companionship fights (not everyone always gets along). Calling 911 when a distraught investigator calls you in the middle of the night to say that her part-member husband may have overdosed. While training, my companion like to ride his bike really slowly. I would push him to go faster. If I went in front of him, he would take his time and I feared losing him behind, so I would often ride immediately behind him to try to encourage him to go faster. We were already late to an appointment so I was extra eager to get going. We were going down a long country road. I don’t know how I didn’t see it, but he swerved from in front of me quite quickly and I didn’t have enough time to react sufficiently to this massive white tailed deer roadkill directly in front of me. I attempted to bunny hop the bloated beast but my front sprocket tore through the stomach and the deer exploded. I landed and was able to pedal a small distance away before the smell got to me and I puked over my handlebars. So we were late to the appointment, stinky, and from then on I didn’t follow so closely behind my companion. The cops showed up looking for a break-in suspect and walked through our apartment in the middle of the night and asked if we had been robbed because we didn’t really have anything. We had a couch, a table and chairs, and a poster of Christ. My companion attempted to mace/pepper spray a chicken rooster that had previously attacked him, and he ended up spraying me instead. (Nathan)
- When the train creeps through down town Newbern, it’s almost 9:30, and we know it takes that train about 20 minutes to pass through town at that speed. It is also cutting us off from the car. Do we jump onto the moving train, climb between cars, and jump off the other side to so we can get to the car and make it home on time??? Yes! —- gotta obey those rules! (Jacob)
- Riding bikes at night in the rain. (JT)
- Biking to an appointment and being hit in the head with a beer bottle. (Daniel)
- I got a chance to meet Coach K while we are out tracting. (The Dukes basketball head coach). He wasn’t interested, but was nice. (Tim)
- Spring Lake; We were talking to a lady at the door. As we were finishing up her boyfriend came, pretty recklessly, onto the dirt lawn in his big, white, boat Buick, even backing fast enough that I had to jump out of the way to not get hit. Jumping out, he shouted, “I don’t want to see YOU or those BIKES around here again!!!” The lady tried to calm him down before he pulled out a revolver (standing right at her doorstep). He shot at an upward, diagonal angle, but it ricocheted off the door frame and got her in the chest. We consider it a blessing that she survived, but we hopped on our bikes, and put on the afterburners, and called 911 from the nearest payphone. We ended up at the police station, to file statements. No charges were placed, because she was too afraid to speak up. The next few days we got calls from all over the ward from members who read about the incident in the newspaper. (Kerry)
- While tracting we ran into a woman that yelled at us in tongues to get off her property. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was the most evil woman I have ever seen. (Sarah)
- Riding our bikes across the New Bern Bridge. The bridge was so narrow and one false move put you in the ocean or out on the road and crushed by cars. My companion would always say “Death by water or death by pavement,” and we would ride with our heads down and pedal like mad to get to the other side. (Rocci)
- Bike wreck that cut my chin and cut my finger. My finger dislocated through the cut skin. (Doug)
- Serving in any college town can be hazardous, particularly if close to the ocean. My companion was going home in about a week and wanted to see the ocean, so on one preparation day we decided to ride out to Carolina Beach so he could get a picture of the ocean. Not quite realizing how far it was, we rode and rode along the narrow NC backroads until we found the beach about two hours later. One quick ride on the beach itself, followed by a photo and then the ride back to Wilmington. Looking back it wasn’t the wisest of P-Day activities we could have done, and traffic to and from the beach area in the evening is quite heavy in the summer time. (Fred)
- While my trainer and I were knocking on doors in an apartment complex in Durham, NC, we saw a man sitting in a chair outside his apartment. As we approached him, he started making motions like we should leave him alone. My trainer being as stubborn as he was, insisted we talk to him anyway. When we got close, we saw that he was counting a large stack of dollar bills and had a tray table next to him covered in hypodermic needles. To this day, my trainer and I are convinced that the man was a heroin dealer. (Adam)
- Riding bikes on the edge of the highway that leads to the gate of Fort Bragg in Fayetteville and having half full beer cans thrown at us. Elder Love was hit with a blueberry pie. (Ned)
What was a spiritual experience?
- One of my most cherished experiences was getting to teach a convert family about the Plan of Salvation again and testifying to them of the blessing it’s been in my life of having eternal family. They expressed that that was something they wanted so bad. The Spirit touched all of our hearts that day and I could feel the veil thinning a little bit. (Cassie)
- While teaching an investigator about the word of wisdom, I felt inspired to ask him to make a list of pros and cons for quitting smoking. After making a long list of pros and no cons, he made the commitment to quit smoking that night. This man smoked more than two packs a day, and when there wasn’t a cigarette in his mouth there was an e-cig. But that night, he stopped all of it. I know that nothing I could have done could have convinced him or given him the strength to quit like that. Only the Spirit can do that. (Austin)
- My first baptism as a missionary. (Kristen)
- In my last area, I was contacted by two families from my first area that I helped teach and baptize, asking me to attend, and then actually being able to attend their sealings in the temple. (Jed)
- I had an opportunity to administer a blessing and see the miracle of the priesthood work in a man’s life that was experiencing sickness. (Gabriel)
- What wasn’t a spiritual experience? Daily seeing the Lord bless the lives of everyone I spoke with. Seeing miracles firsthand. Healing the sick. Serving others. Speaking with Elder Costa from the Seventy, and being promised that if you contact at least 10 people a day and share the gospel with them, that the gospel will spread like wildfire. (Nathan)
- After a promise from Elder Kendrick, that the Spirit could guide our every step, and, a period of fervent obedience, we were led from house to house. Starting with a woman crying in prayer to find truth, to the outskirts of town and into the swamp to stumble upon an investigator from another part of the country who had fled the missionaries, to a 70 year old man who was reading The Book of Mormon for the first time and we knocked in the middle of his study, to a Latin man who was arguing with his recently converted fiancée in Honduras about temple marriage and we knocked as he hung up the phone… Etc, all in one day and without tracting. The Spirit took us from place to place, and the labor of faith was exhausting and tenuous, but when we stretched our souls unto it, and had the faith to act and obey, the fruits were perfectly miraculous! (Jacob)
- Going to the temple open house with Dick and Joann Trueblood. (JT)
- Many baptisms. (Daniel)
- We blessed a brand new baby that was sick and needed to go to the hospital. You could tell that it was having breathing problems. By the time we finish the blessing it was healed. (Tim)
- Spring Lake; My companion and I were tracting down a main thoroughfare street, which brought on several drive-by hecklers. I promised my companion that we would be blessed for the persecution as promised in the beatitudes. When we got back to our car we saw a mysterious big, white, plastic bag. My initial though was that we were getting additional persecution via vandalism, but when we opened it we found 2 cases of KFC meals, 3 $20’s (donated to the local Book of Mormon fund) and a note saying, “blessed are they who do the work of the Lord”. (Kerry)
- We would sing to anyone that would let us. One time we were invited into a home and the wife was on oxygen. Her husband tried to make her comfortable the whole time. We asked if we could sing a song and sang “I am a Child of God”. As we ended, the wife said that was always her favorite hymn. She had calmed down and the spirit filled the room. Music had a more profound effect than speaking, on many people. (Sarah)
- The people you share the gospel with and you see them go from investigator to member. (Matt)
- Too many to list. The Spirit is the strongest when you serve a mission. (Rocci)
- We were teaching a wonderful brother in Kinston who was a single father of a teenage daughter. His brother was a member of the ward and brought us together to teach. There were some concerns, but they were alleviated when my companion (we were on exchanges at the time) Elder Woodruff (yes there is a direct relation) sang him I Am a Child of God. With the concerns addressed, we could see his testimony grow and then we knew that he was fully converted. He was baptized on a Sunday evening. The following Sunday, he was ordained a priest, called as a stake missionary, and then baptized his daughter that night. (Fred)
- One day while tracting, my trainer and I walked up to a man and woman who were talking on their front porch. We focused most of our attention on the woman because she seemed more talkative, but she didn’t appear very interested. We then turned to the man and asked him if he had faith in Christ. Instead of answering, he turned around and walked inside the house. We stood outside dumbfounded for a minute before he stepped back outside. When he came out he was holding tissues in his hand and had tears streaming down his face. He told us that he was telling his friend that he needed to get his life together and join a church the exact moment that we came up to his porch. We began teaching him and he was baptized just a few months later. (Adam)
- Baptizing the first person I helped teach with Elder Kelly R Strong from Washington State.Yes, it was my very first appointment in the mission field. It was in Rocky Mount. Elder Strong had tracted them out a few days before I got there and taught this young couple with their young son and taught them three concepts of the first discussion. And I thought this mission thing was going to be easy. Boy was I wrong. (Ned)
What are some interesting facts about the Raleigh Mission?
- North Carolina was the first state to reject the Constitution until there was a Bill of Rights added to it. Pretty neat! (Cassie)
- The areas are so big. (Kristen)
- I don’t really remember facts. I did serve in an area that covered the small town of Bath which is where the notorious pirate Blackbeard came in to port. (Gabriel)
- The hills are crazy on a bike. (Heather)
- It’s the best mission in the world. It has a massive military presence. There are 5 types of areas. Singles/Universities, Country, City, Military, and Coastal. The people speak differently depending upon the area. City people talk faster. Country people tend to talk slower and with more of a drawl. People on the coast, particularly in certain areas, talk like “pirates” or so they say. (No, not like, “Yarrrgh, matey!”, but more like, “Eee leaves ova air en Topesell Oil-end” — translation, He lives over there on Topsail Island.) The vast majority of pigs, turkeys, and chickens that are consumed in the US all come from Duplin County, which may also be the smelliest county in America. The Civil War is still a big deal, particularly if you ask the Mooneyhan’s in Rockingham. The hardest thing you’ll have to do is remove your name tag when you are released. (Nathan)
- It’s the best mission in North Carolina. (JT)
- Michael Jordan’s hometown, the birthplace of Pepsi, known for the research triangle and has good basketball. (Tim)
- At the time we had Harker’s Island, which is often called “Little Utah” for its large LDS population. (Kerry)
- When I served, there were only 16 sister missionaries. (Sarah)
- There are good people all over the world. (Rocci)
- I loved the friendly people. (Doug)
- Both the Virginia Chesapeake Mission and the North Carolina Raleigh Mission are home to several military bases. Mission areas vary from large cities to remote farmlands to wealthy beachfront property. North Carolina and Virginia have a surprisingly large Hispanic population. Most residents of North Carolina and Virginia belong to Baptist churches, though Hispanic residents are mostly Catholic. The North Carolina Raleigh Mission has a temple within its borders, but the Virginia Chesapeake Mission does not. (Adam)
- The whole state was our mission all except Ashville over by Tennessee. (Ned)
What was the weather like?
- Humid. The summers are pretty hot, it only gets to maybe 90 degrees but with the humidity it feels like 100+. In the winter it doesn’t get below 20 degrees usually but the humidity makes it feel colder, your jacket doesn’t really make a difference haha. It snows like one week out of the year. (Cassie)
- Hot and humid. Cold and humid. (Austin)
- Humid. (Kristen)
- Hot and humid for many months, then cold and humid (depending on where you are) and rainy at times, but really beautiful. (Jed)
- Summers could be very hot and humid. Winters were cold, when it rained, it poured. (Gabriel)
- Depends on where you live. Winters are very mild (maybe an inch or two of snow all season). Humidity is pretty universal and it’s really thick. Some areas are much hotter than others in the summer. It will be clear as day, and then within five minutes the skies are dark grey and it is pouring. Tornadoes are a possibility. (Nathan)
- Hot and humid, or freezing cold. And wet. (Heather)
- Cold humid winters and hot, humid summers with brief respites in spring and fall. (Jacob)
- I remember when we got 24″ of snow in Rockingham. (JT)
- Hot, cold with hurricanes. (Daniel)
- The tough days where what we called the 90/90 club . 90 degrees and 90% humidity. (Tim)
- Humid, which made it very hot or very cold. It’s the one place where I once experienced a storm where it was all dry before we saw a wall of rain approach us. We literally stepped right into a storm. (Kerry)
- Let’s just say that when it rains…you get wet. (Todd)
- Hot and humid summers, bone cold and humid winters. (Sarah)
- Muggy and hot in the summer; muggy and cold in the winter. (Matt)
- Hot, humid and when I got home, my skin dried up like a prune. I don’t miss the cold winter or the hot humid weather. I like where I live in California. (Rocci)
- Humid! (Doug)
- For the most part, weather was quite nice. Winter is damp. During the spring, summer and fall, the mornings are nice, followed by an increase in humidity and the daily afternoon rain shower. It normally rained while we were on our bikes, and not while we were inside teaching someone. (Fred)
- Summers are very hot and humid and winters are very cold. Spring and Fall are fairly temperate. Rain falls year-round and fairly frequently, especially during the summer. Expect only two or three snowstorms and/or ice storms in the winter time. On snow/ice days the mission president will likely restrict use of cars and bicycles due to hazardous road conditions. (Adam)
- Back to back ice storms a week apart. Took the power out for days and days. Other than that, it was just moderate to hot temperatures. (Ned)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- The Hispanics and southern people are both soo soo kind. They are so generous and will give you anything though they may not have much. Southern hospitality is real, people will really take care of you down there. I also loved how open they are about their love for Jesus. They aren’t afraid to publicly proclaim their faith. (Cassie)
- The people are, for the most part, nice and polite. (Austin)
- Their accents. (Kristen)
- The people are so down-to-earth, and there was always that good old southern hospitality. (Jed)
- I love the southern hospitality. On a hot humid day my companion and I were offered lemonade by someone even though they were not interested in what we had to say. (Gabriel)
- Nearly everyone wants to be your friend, if you’re willing, it’s that southern hospitality. The people have a deep reverence for God that seems to be dwindling in the rest of the world. The thunder and lightning storms are amazing. In the country, the stars in the sky are also amazing and bright. I saw the milky way for the first time. Each companion teaches you something different about yourself. (Nathan)
- How willing people were to help out and talk. Even if they weren’t interested in the church. (Heather)
- Wonderfully diverse and inclusive; Southern hospitality mixed with science and philosophy and great varieties of ethnicities. (Jacob)
- Super friendly, generous, and always willing to help. (JT)
- People. (Daniel)
- The people were amazing and so nice. (Tim)
- Southern hospitality. Some were narrow minded, “you’re not Christian”, but far more people were friendly at the door than those who weren’t. (Kerry)
- I served most of my mission in college towns, but spent five months in a small town. Those were good memories serving in the branch. We got the young women involved and had a great time! (Sarah)
- The people. They are friendly and cordial. You can be tracting and have a lemonade on someone’s porch. (Matt)
- The people in general were Christ-like and caring. Anti-Mormons were the worst. (Rocci)
- Genuine. (Doug)
- The friendliest people on the planet, and just a really good honest group of people to be with. The differences in religion sometimes caused some friction, but for the most part they were friendly and watched out for you, even if they didn’t like the church. (Fred)
- Beautiful scenery across the mission. College towns such as Durham, Chapel Hill, and Greenville have a wide variety of people to meet and activities to do on preparation day. People are generally very hospitable and kind. Hispanic people are especially inclined to treat missionaries nicely and often offer food or drink unsolicited. Church members love the missionaries assigned to their wards and it is not hard to find a member who can attend to any missionary’s need. (Adam)
- All very nice. (Michael)
- I had lots of relatives in a lot of the branches and wards my mother having been born in Nahunta close to Goldsboro. Her maiden name being Maples. (Ned)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Cotton shirts are awesome for both summer and winter. Wear lots of layers in the winter (tights, thermal garments, gloves, warm knit scarves saved me, a good coat, etc.) (Cassie)
- Winter: Thermals and a windproof jacket. Summer: Light and thin clothing that lets wind pass through it. (Austin)
- Lots of layers. (Kristen)
- Winters can be brutal so pack warm clothing. Summers are hot and muggy so you will want short sleeved shirts. (Gabriel)
- Learn to keep everything you have to within two suitcases. You don’t need anything more than that. Take good, lightweight shoes. Breathable garments are nice (I like the drylux). Polyester ties work the best because they last. Silk ties are nice, but don’t do well when you get rained on, and the colors can sometimes bleed onto your white shirts. Bring scriptures you have been using that are already marked, and that you know well. (Nathan)
- Roll stuff. So much more room when you roll rather than fold. (Kari)
- Things that breathe in the summer and layers in the cold. (Heather)
- Nah— bring what they tell you to. It’ll work just fine. (Jacob)
- Use a wool overcoat, you can have as much luggage as you can fit in a willing ward member’s vehicle. (Kerry)
- Breathable clothes that are flowy. (Sarah)
- My clothing list was good. I added a couple extra shirts and a couple extra pairs of pants. (Matt)
- Don’t use metal hangers for your white shirts!!! (Rocci)
- Cotton pants. Short sleeve shirts. Forget the three piece suits, and make sure you have rubber-soled shoes for tracting. (Fred)
- Stick to the packing instructions given with your mission call and in your letter from the mission president and you should be fine. I recommend good sweaters that can be worn under suit coats. (Adam)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- Too many to count. I was definitely refined during that time. It was such a sacred experience that helped draw me nearer to the Savior and reach outside of myself to love others. It helped me establish a firmer foundation for my testimony and prepared me for future opportunities and responsibilities. The blessings of dedicating part of your life completely to Christ are endless. I’m so grateful for what that time taught me about the Atonement and what it helped me experience with Christ. (Cassie)
- A testimony of the Gospel. A knowledge of the scriptures. (Austin)
- Understanding of scriptures. (Kristen)
- Too many blessings to count them all, but off the top of my head, I gained a very strong testimony, I learned how to love and care for people I didn’t really know all that well. I learned how to get along with/live with people that it sometimes felt was impossible to get along with/live with. I learned how sharing the gospel truly brings joy, and that it probably pales in comparison to the eternal joy that will come from living with Heavenly Father again someday. (Jed)
- I am sure I have had many blessings but I think one is that I have been blessed with a good work ethic. (Gabriel)
- I am still receiving new blessings every day from serving a mission, but I would say the greatest blessing is developing a strong and true appreciation for the love of God. (Nathan)
- My mom staying alive until I got home. (Heather)
- Testimony, charity, capacity, peace, brevity, validation, knowledge, and maybe even a bit of wisdom. — and joy. Good ole fashion joy! (Jacob)
- The humidity cured my life-long issues with nosebleeds. (JT)
- Too many. (Daniel)
- It has sustained me throughout my life spiritually. (Tim)
- Feeling the Spirit on a regular basis, every day. Learning to love the people for who they are and their potential. (Kerry)
- Coming to know my Savior better. (Sarah)
- Where do I start. I gained a knowledge that Christ and Heavenly Father are in charge. They know your name and are very aware of you. (Matt)
- Too many to count, still receiving them as I write…. (Rocci)
- Learning to get along with all types of people. (Doug)
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A love of the scriptures, a better ability to memorize scriptures, and a burning testimony that Christ lives. (Fred)
- The chance to bring many souls unto Christ Friendships that will last a lifetime A stronger conviction of the Gospel truth. (Adam)
- Learned how to talk to people and earn their friendship. (Ned)
What are some skills you gained?
- I learned to be more patient with others and with myself. I learned how to plan and become more punctual. I learned Spanish and increased my ability to work hard and persevere. One of the most important skills I learned, though, was how to repent and keep improving using the Atoning power of Jesus Christ. That’s a skill I’m still working to improve everyday. (Cassie)
- People skills, biking skills, bow staff skills. (Austin)
- Public speaking. (Kristen)
- Public speaking, biking, confidence, bravery, compassion, empathy, packing/moving people out of their homes, and service. (Jed)
- Well if you can call this a skill, I learned how to ride my bike without holding on to the handle bars. (Gabriel)
- Social skills. Further developed my personality and communication in all aspects. Conflict management. Team building. Cooperation. Risk assessment. Bike maintenance and repair. Through service, I learned how to build a house (framing, electrical, hanging drywall, etc.) (Nathan)
- Social skills. Being able to talk with anyone with no fear. (Heather)
- Passionate conversation, articulation, patience, courageous ambition, listening and recognizing and obeying the still small voice. (Jacob)
- Public Speaking. (JT)
- Talking to people. (Daniel)
- Knowledge of the scriptures. Ability to talk anywhere, anytime, to anyone. The power of fasting and prayer. (Tim)
- Analysis when it came to planning and approaching things. Biking. (Kerry)
- Speaking to strangers. (Sarah)
- Confidence in myself and leadership, people skills. (Matt)
- Communication, Leadership, Motivation, Marriage skills, Life skills, Spirituality… (Rocci)
- Communication & Patience. (Doug)
- I managed not to poison my companions with my cooking, but most importantly I learned great respect for other beliefs and an ability to communicate effectively. (Fred)
- The ability to speak Spanish. Learned to play a variety of sports and games. Better public speaking and interpersonal communication skills. How to cook – mainly Hispanic foods, but also pork barbeque. (Adam)
- Cooking, bicycle riding, patience, long suffering etc. (Ned)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- I wish I had known better how to utilize Preach My Gospel and started doing the study activities at the end of the chapters. I also wish I had known to just trust more in the Lord. Sometimes I worried too much about what I couldn’t control, but you just have to do the best within your control and trust that the Lord will extend His hand and consecrate your efforts. (Cassie)
- It’s important to teach in every contact. Don’t be afraid to bring up the gospel. (Austin)
- Easier on myself. (Kristen)
- I wish I knew that I could trust my trainer/companion more than I thought I could. I wish I knew that being home sick happens to almost everyone at the beginning. (Jed)
- I wish I caught the vision of this work sooner in my experience. I am sure that would have helped me with the trials that I faced. (Gabriel)
- It’s not your mission, it’s the Lord’s mission that you are fulfilling. It’s not about you. You will be blessed, but you’re there to bless others first. Give up yourself, give up your old life, be fully devoted to spreading the gospel. Don’t talk about what you miss doing, and don’t dwell on what you want to do when you get home. Focus on the present, and work. (Nathan)
- Not being so close minded and not being so judgmental. (Heather)
- I don’t know— John Bytheway taught me everything before I left— just kidding. (Jacob)
- Kept a better journal. (JT)
- Everything. (Daniel)
- Have a better understanding of the Plan of Salvation and the impact of the First Vision. (Tim)
- More information on different religions to understand other people’s mentality. (Kerry)
- Be yourself. Be genuine. (Matt)
- How to be brave and bold and not afraid to share the Gospel…..Courage, if I had more courage in the beginning, but it’s all good! I have it now! (Rocci)
- Knew the scriptures better. (Doug)
- More Southern terms and slang so I knew what a cow tipping was. (Fred)
- Developed better study habits Wrote in my journal every day Developed better exercise/diet habits. (Adam)
- The scriptures. (Ned)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Raleigh?
- My favorite scripture became D&C 123:17 “Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.” I learned so much on my mission but I think if I could narrow it down to two of the greatest lessons they would be: 1) It’s not about you! Forget yourself and go to work for others. 2) Trust in the Grace of Jesus Christ. If you put your trust in His power which is beyond your own, then you will have greater patience when things don’t go as planned, or when you or others around you fall short and don’t seem to measure up to your expectations. It will help you keep a greater perspective and see the tender mercies and miracles in every day, imperfect as that day may be. You will see how your small efforts are magnified and that by your small and simple works are great things brought to pass through the power of Jesus Christ. (Cassie)
- Don’t be afraid and don’t give up. It will be hard and frustrating and the best thing to ever happen in your life. You need to put in the work to get the reward. If you spend your mission being lazy or disobedient, you will not gain much from it at all. (Austin)
- You can do it. (Kristen)
- Do it. Live it. Love it. (Jed)
- Yes, work hard at memorizing scripture mastery and get fully certified soon after you enter the mission field, so that you can have a good command of the scriptures for the rest of your time serving. (Gabriel)
- Develop a habit of studying your scriptures before your mission. Practice the mission daily schedule before you go into the MTC. Be obedient in all things, love the Lord, love your companion, and love the people you serve. Do these things and you will have a prosperous mission filled with memories and love. The Lord desires to bless you, give Him a reason to. (Nathan)
- Be accepting of everyone and don’t hold grudges. Talk openly and honestly with everyone, no matter what happens. (Heather)
- All good things are gifts of the Spirit. Never glory in yourself, for in doing so, that which is bestowed, is decreased, but the problem is, someone who is constantly seeking validation by adding up their strengths will often labor under the delusions that they still possess that which has been taken away, and thus, are fools unto men and unto themselves. Give all credit to the most High. (Jacob)
- Memorize all the scriptures you can. (JT)
- Remember that you’re not serving your mission, you’re serving people. Put your heart into gaining the strongest testimony possible of The Book of Mormon. It will then become a powerful tool. Learn its passages well enough that when you’re reasoning with those who will listen, you can quote them to show how much it is a strong source for Christian doctrine. Encourage the people you talk to, to answer open-ended questions with the premise that it’s their finding testimony of the doctrines taught. (Kerry)
- Wear some sort of bug repellent every day and check for ticks when you get in. I got Lyme disease from my mission, but did not discover it until 20 Years later. (Sarah)
- Don’t under estimate the people. Just because they talk a bit slower doesn’t mean they are dumb. (Matt)
- Keep your head in a book. Especially reading scriptures and never be discouraged by those who hate the Gospel or speak ill will of The Church. (Rocci)
- You are about to begin the experience of a lifetime. Be sure to follow the good examples set by the mission president and more experienced missionaries. Always remember to obey the mission rules. (Adam)
- Make up your mind now that nothing will shake you or keep you from completing your mission. (Ned)
What was a funny language mistake?
- I told people for a couple weeks that I was from the “sol” (sun) of Utah rather than the “sur” or south. (Cassie)
- One missionary who was being trained was trying to say he was embarrassed in Spanish, but instead said he was pregnant. The investigator started laughing hysterically. (Austin)
- Messed up families name at first dinner. (Kristen)
- I made the mistake of even attempting to try to speak to someone in Spanish (I wasn’t called on a foreign language speaking mission, unless you count southern as a foreign language). (Jed)
- We spoke English mostly except for those that spoke Spanish but I would not have known if they made a mistake. (Gabriel)
- I developed a knack for Geechee (Gullah), a language spoke by some in the more southern part of the state, and would speak with the people there. My companion never picked up on it and would stand there, very confused. He thought we were just making up words to mess with him. (Nathan)
- I often stumbled in saying “gas up the car”, forgetting that it is not an expression accepted by Southerners. (Kerry)
- One of my companions once said that he had a hamburger when he meant to say that he was hungry. In an embarrassing moment, one of my companions told me that I had been pronouncing the Spanish word for “grateful” incorrectly for over a year. (Adam)