Free resources about the Ohio Cincinnati 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: Ohio LDS Missions.
Ohio Cincinnati Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Ohio Cincinnati 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.
Ohio Cincinnati Mission
PO Box 11671
Cincinnati, Ohio 45211
or
Ohio Cincinnati Mission
4610 N Bend Rd
CINCINNATI, OHIO 45211-1824
UNITED STATES
Phone Number: 1-513-389-1534
Mission President: President M. Tim Welch
Ohio Cincinnati Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Ohio Cincinnati Mission (LDS). To access the official LDS.org map for the Cincinnati Mission:
Videos with Ohio Cincinnati RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Cincinnati Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews.
LDS-Friendly Videos about Ohio
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about Ohio. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about Ohio, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
Ohio Cincinnati Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Cincinnati Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Ohio Cincinnati Mission Groups
Here are Ohio Cincinnati Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Cincinnati Mission.
- Ohio Cincinnati Mission Facebook Group (580 members)
- Cincinnati Ohio Missionary Families Group (329 members)
- Cincinnati Mission – R. Kirk & Paula Wilson Group (13 members)
Ohio Cincinnati Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Ohio Cincinnati Mission!
Shirt designs include Cincinnati 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: Cincinnati missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Cincinnati Mission gifts
Ohio Cincinnati Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Ohio Cincinnati Mission.
- 2016-2019, M. Tim Welch
- 2013-2016, John P. Porter
- 2007-2010, Gregory Van Robbins
- 2004-2007, Richard C. Bramwell
- 2001-2004, Robert Lee Gilliland
- 1998-2001, R. Kirk Wilson
Ohio LDS Statistics (2016)
- Church Membership: 60,971
- Missions: 3
- Temples: 1
- Congregations: 127
- Family History Centers: 46
Helpful Articles about Ohio
Ohio Cincinnati Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Ohio Cincinnati 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?
- 2014-2017, Not a full time Missionary (Colt)
- 2014-2016 (Alyssa)
- 2006-2008 (Josh)
- 2014-2015 (Beth)
- 2014-2015 (Mary)
- June 2013-May 2015 (Michael)
- January 2013-August 2014 (Chelsea)
- 2013-2014 (Heather)
- October 2013-April 2015 (Krista)
- January 2013-August 2014 (Kristin)
- November 2013-May 2015 (Julie)
- March 2014-September 2015 (Amy)
- 2013-2015 (Jordan)
- 2013-2015 (Spencer)
- 2013-2015 (Kevin)
- 2000’s (Nathan)
- 2014-2015 (McCall)
- 1999-2001 (Fred)
- 1997-1999 (David)
- 2000-2001 (Shanon)
Which areas did you serve in?
- Fort Wayne, Columbia City, Wabash, Peru, Huntington, Jeffersonville, Clarksville, (This is technically another mission, but) Louisville Portland, Louisville Crestwood, and Louisville Highlands/Downtown gave me a lot of great experiences as well. No matter where you are called to serve, or what you consider yourself able to do… Do it with your whole heart. <3. (Colt)
- Kendallville, Indiana; Montgomery, Ohio; and Hamilton, Ohio. (Alyssa)
- Miamisburg, OH; Montgomery, OH; West Chester, OH; Hamilton, OH. (Mary)
- Hamilton, OH; Miamisburg, OH; Decatur, IN; Wilmington, OH; Middletown, OH; and Eaton, OH. (Heather)
- All over the Fort Wayne stake, Richmond, Springboro, all over the Cincinnati Stake. (Kevin)
- Oxford Ohio, Hamilton Ohio, Paintsville Kentucky, Maysville Kentucky. (Nathan)
- Anderson, IN; Noblesville, IN; Middletown, OH; Hamilton, OH. (McCall)
- Adams County-Wilminton. (Fred)
- Cincinnati, Grayson, Batesville, Greensburg, Norwood, Amelia. (David)
- Milford OH, Burlington KY, West Chester OH, University (we covered the singles branch that many UC students attended), Batavia OH, Ironton OH, Ashland KY, Fort Thomas KY. (Shanon)
What were some favorite foods?
- If you’re in Indiana, you’ve got to try a tenderloin sandwich. Ask the locals for the best places to go. (Colt)
- Greaters ice cream, fried chicken, fresh corn, really any food from members gardens :). (Alyssa)
- Skyline chili, rallies, real cornbread, country cooking, la Rosas. (Josh)
- Some people really love Cincinnati chile. I personally loved Panera Bread and basically whatever the members fed us. (Beth)
- Fried chicken, hush puppies, mashed potatoes, and pork roast. (Mary)
- Arroz con leche. Tamales. Cincinnati chili. Graeters ice cream. Peruvian food. Colombian food. Tacos durados/flautas. Posole. (Michael)
- Cincinnati Chili (Skyline, Goldstar, or Blue Ash). Graeter’s Ice Cream. Guetta (German sausage thing). (Chelsea)
- Nothing unusual just good homemade food. And Graeter’s ice cream!! (Heather)
- Spaghetti with chili. (Krista)
- Cincinnati chili. Chicken noodle soup on top of mashed potatoes. (Kristin)
- Skyline Chili, Graeter’s Ice Cream. (Julie)
- Goetta and buckeyes. (Amy)
- Cincinnati chili. Goolosh. Chicken and dumplings. (Jordan)
- Skyline chili, Ralley’s, Dump cake, Chicken noodle soup over mashed potatoes. (Spencer)
- Transparent Pie (Kevin)
- Pizza, Cincinnati Coney’s, Grater’s Ice Cream. (Nathan)
- Skyline chili green beans cooked with bacon, or a bouillon cube chicken and noodles Lee’s chicken in Hamilton. OH: Jockos. (McCall)
- Shake and steak burgers!! (Fred)
- Derby Pie. Any dinner appointment. (David)
- UDF, Cincinnati style chili, Ale-8-1. (Shanon)
What was a funny experience?
- A guy who was visiting a couple we were teaching got all in his romantic feelings about a Sister Missionary. He was getting ready to put on all his best moves when we broke the news to him that she was off the market. I’m not doing the story justice, but it was hands down the funniest thing that has ever happened to me while in the field. It was great, too, because the guy agreed to meet with the missionaries again so he could learn how to become temple worthy :D. We went ahead and had the Sisters trade that one to the Elders ;). (Colt)
- We we trying to contact a referral and we knocked on her neighbors door and he talked a mile a minutes for a good 5 minutes, almost like a sales pitch, and then asked us to pray over him. (Alyssa)
- I was on an exchange in Oxford, which is a college town. Well there I was with my district leader and we knocked on this door that a bunch of guys live at. My district leader did the door approach and the guy that answered was still a little hungover from the night before. When he realized who we were he said “oh the Mormons? Don’t you have more than one wife?” And without even thinking my district leader said “yeah, I have 5 of them.” The guy looked at him and said “really?” Whereas my district leader told him “no man, it’s illegal!” (Josh)
- How can you pick just one? Basically anytime you bond with your companions :). (Beth)
- I had a ferret jump up into my skirt during a lesson, right before I started saying the first vision. (Mary)
- My companion went to kick a soccer ball that was bouncing in the gym and he jumped but missed it and fell on his knee. It was hilarious. (Michael)
- One time, we were teaching a lesson and our investigator’s dog (who usually hates everyone) decides to come and sit in my lap. I was honored that he suddenly loved me. He started to become a distraction during the lesson though so our investigator shooed him off my lap and as he was jumping off he PEED ALL OVER MY SKIRT. My companion took a picture of it JUST as it happened. I still have the picture and it’s PRICELESS. (Chelsea)
- We were with a member teaching the law of chastity to two investigators who were living together and we were under the impression they were romantically involved. During the lesson they stopped us and asked if we realized that they were only friends and roommates, not a couple. Awkward but funny. (Heather)
- My companion and I were without a car and we saw dark clouds above our heads, but we decided that we could make it to the next house before it rained. We were wrong. It poured down on us so crazy! When we got to our next appointment, we couldn’t go in the house because the man’s wife was not home, haha. So we taught him a lesson on his back porch while standing in the rain, while he had his back door opened for us so we could talk to him in the kitchen. (Krista)
- A random guy hitting on my companion and she continued to try to reach him. (Kristin)
- Once when I was overwhelmed, my companion threatened to sit on me. It was bed time, so I sleepily replied from my bed that she didn’t have the guts to do it. She suddenly sprung out of her bed as I leaped up and ran away. After a laugh, we were both in bed again. She promptly jumped up and sat on me for a minute. (Julie)
- People are hammered drunk on any given afternoon (let alone any given evening) so bring your street smarts with you. (Amy)
- We where biking around and I hit an ice patch and I went one way and my bike went another… and me and my companions. Like 19 invites laughing at how I looked sliding away…(Jordan)
- Meeting people. (Spencer)
- I was on a exchange with my Zone Leader. We went tracting in an area with a lot of kids out playing in the streets during the summer. The Zone Leader mentioned some of the kids just don’t listen in this neighborhood. We came across a young man rolling dice on the street corner. I asked him what he was doing. He said that he was practicing his dice rolls for a game of gambling that night. I asked what he was trying to accomplish. He told me he was trying to roll sevens. I made him a wager that if I rolled seven I could take up 15 minutes of his time and share a message of Jesus Christ with him. If I lost we left him alone. I rolled the dice and got seven. He agreed and he kept looking back to his watch to only give us 15 minutes. As our time was up, my Zone Leader wanted to finish teaching for 5 more minutes. We placed another wager that if we rolled seven again he would give us 5 more minutes. All of his friends gathered around as we rolled. Once again we rolled seven. The boy and all his friends were in shock. We finished out meeting and offered him a pamphlet. He said that he might if we rolled seven again. I got a huge grin on my face as we rolled seven for the third time. We left a pamphlet with him and said our goodbyes. I will always remember how we freaked that kid out with our “luck”. (Nathan)
- I always fell asleep at a 93 year old woman’s house…it was just the perfect temperature. Sometimes you fall asleep in apartments from exhaustion. (McCall)
- Elder Westover and the Googly eyed girl. (Fred)
- Mitchell Wolfley doing his Tommy Boy impersonation during the Zone Talent Show. (David)
What was a crazy experience?
- Oh, gosh. Well, once this guy ran up to us on the street, and started screaming profanities and anti-church stuff at the top of his lungs. He was so angry, and he ran at us waving his arms and everything… Luckily he didn’t attack. Another thing is, driving! Always take care while you’re driving. Nobody plans on being in an accident, but they do happen. (Colt)
- We we teaching some kids and the cops showed up and all the kids scattered and we saw to teenage boys pass off a drug needle. (Alyssa)
- We had a return appointment with a kid we met on the streets in the projects. We were already running late and when we got there. When we got off the bus, there were cops and news vans all over. Come to find out the kid we had an appointment with was standing next to his buddy when there was a drive by shooting and it hit his buddy. If we weren’t late, we would have been right there when it happened. (Josh)
- A great way to contact people is by asking to pet their dogs. Most of the time it led to wonderful conversations and return appointments but sometimes I got attacked by the supposedly friendly dogs. Just be careful :). (Beth)
- I watched a guy die during a church activity on a fast Sunday and passed out on my companion. Don’t worry, he was revived right after I fainted and the EMT’s came and picked him up. The next time I saw him was at a ward Christmas party, and that was kind of weird. (Mary)
- Getting hit by a car on my bike. (Michael)
- One time, my companion and I thought we were going to be sucked up into a tornado. Those things are no joke. Thankfully we got home safely but the nearest tornado was only a few miles away. I literally thought I was going to die–I don’t think anyone other than that companion ever saw me panic so hard. (Chelsea)
- We went to deliver something from the bishop to a do not contact and they weren’t home, but their giant protective dog was home and roaming free! We were fine but that was one scary dog. (Heather)
- One time, we were in the ghetto and someone came after us in the dark. We just drove away. (Krista)
- An angry dog was off his leash and was snarling at me and my companion he was about to charge when his owner came outside. (Kristin)
- Crazy: I was proposed to by a young man who wanted to marry a woman of God. (Julie)
- People are hammered drunk on any given afternoon (let alone any given evening) so bring your street smarts with you. (Amy)
- I had many guns pulled on me and the apartment building next to mine burned down. (Jordan)
- Helping a deer cross the road. (Kevin)
- We got shot at once. (Nathan)
- Missing being hit by a flatbed trailer by inches!! (Fred)
- Driving the car off the side of the road over a cliff with Scott Christensen. (David)
What was a spiritual experience?
- There are days that are just like a huge spiritual experience from (before) breakfast to bedtime. The Lord really does go with you when you serve. You’ll see <3. (Colt)
- We got to take a recent convert to the temple one week after her baptism. (Alyssa)
- I was able to give an investigator and good friend a blessing to quit smoking so he could get baptized. That night, in West Virginia, we had a snowstorm out of the blue and everything shut down locking him at his home with no way of getting more cigarettes and that was his last one he ever smoked. (Josh)
- I think the most Spiritual result of my mission was I learned not only how to teach people to apply the doctrine of Christ (faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, endure to the end) but I learned how to apply it myself. (Beth)
- We were in a lesson with our recent convert Rebecca right after her baptism, and we asked her what she has learned as she read the Book of Mormon, and all that she said was “that it’s true”. Considering that it was so hard to get any sort of response out of her, and she had some learning disabilities, knowing that she really was reading every day was such a tender mercy for us. (Mary)
- Being able to see the light of the Gospel enter into a family and them helping each other achieve the ordinance of baptism. (Michael)
- It’s incredible to see how easily someone can just be placed in your path. My companion and I were going to visit one of our new investigators, and for the millionth time, he wasn’t home like he said he would be. I remember standing there thinking, “why can’t we ever just find someone who’s a solid investigator?” Then as we were getting back into our car, my companion suggested we go talk to the neighbor that was outside with her kids across the street. We started talking to her and we had an awesome conversation. She had so many earnest questions about the church and what we were doing, and she acted very interested in the things we were teaching her. We kept visiting her, and every time she had done something to continue her progress–she would read the Book of Mormon like we asked her to, and if she couldn’t read it then she would listen to it in the car on the way to school! She even started teaching her own children by showing them Bible videos on mormon.org! She was awesome and she got baptized in a little over a month. She had to have been the biggest miracle of my mission. (Chelsea)
- There were countless lessons that the Spirit was very powerful, but one in particular when we were teaching a little family in a member’s home, and helped them identify the Spirit and realize what that feeling was. (Heather)
- One of our recent converts bore her testimony in sacrament meeting. It changed everyone’s feeling a in the ward. (Krista)
- I had so many, but I think it was when my companions and I came together in prayer to find out what date we should extend baptism to one of our progressing investigators. The date we came up with didn’t make sense but we all felt it was right, so we trusted in the lord and it all worked out in the end. (Kristin)
- While role playing with a companion, we stopped in the middle of our role play because we felt very strongly that we needed to extend a baptism date to the family we were planning to teach. We prayed about it and were directed to extend a specific day. (Julie)
- Church tours. Always church tours. Pivotal point in an investigator’s progression. It will give them a clear understanding, a vision, it will get them comfortable enough to return, and it will give them a beautiful foretaste of the sweet Spirit that will enter their lives if they attend. Give EVERYONE a church tour! ! ! Not only investigators, but less actives, returning members and recent converts. Remind them of the true purpose why we attend church. (Amy)
- When an atheist felt God’s love for the first time ever and was forever changed. (Jordan)
- Zone conference. (Spencer)
- Teaching almost always is a spiritual experience. (Kevin)
- When you feel you are merely a vessel to bring the Spirit into others homes and the Holy Ghost is witnessing with you. Despite whatever challenges, the investigator can’t deny it in that moment and you’re all amazed at how strong God’s presence is. No matter what challenges they face in the future, they can’t deny that day! They all committed to baptism that day, after months of being taught, mom pulled out the calendar to look at a date. From that point on they kept commitments! The dad said, “You have been begging us to read for months. We finally did it and it feels great.” He became a different man and father. For the first time in months, there was no yelling when we walked up to their trailer and the Spirit was already there when we arrived because they had been preparing. (McCall)
- Finding a family that Sister Schroader’s brother (who was a bishop at the time) helped enjoy Christmas 30 years ago!! (Fred)
- Teaching Dawn Winkler the Gospel via sign language. She was Deaf, and we learned how to communicate in less than four weeks. (David)
What are some interesting facts about the Cincinnati Mission?
- Ok, here’s where I’m gonna fall short for this survey. I’m from here. Born and raised. Hence, I don’t really find anything all that interesting about this area. Ask your Mission President. (Colt)
- The Ohio Cincinnati Mission is the best mission on the planet. There is awesome church history in Cincinnati. (Alyssa)
- When I was there, it used to cover 4 states…Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Indiana. Joseph Smith served a mission there. Doctrine and Covenants 60 & 61. (Josh)
- In Ohio, a minute can reference any length of time whether an actual minute or 5 years. Cincinnati Reds rule. Most of the people you meet are already Christian. (Beth)
- President Porter is the best mission president ever. My mission covers 3 states (but I only served in 1). (Mary)
- The social media split started there. We were a brand new mission when I first entered the field. There is more of Indiana than Ohio in my mission boundaries. (Michael)
- Even though we were in the southern part of Ohio, we had some church history! It’s not exactly what you would expect though…apparently some of the early saints went there to teach people and nobody would listen so they kicked the dust off their feet there. Later a general authority had to come and remove the curse. FUN FACT! On another note, Cincinnati has a very heavy German influence, so you’ll notice that downtown a lot of the buildings are tall and narrow and the churches of other faiths are GORGEOUS. They look just like those in Europe. Most of the members that you’ll meet, if they live somewhat close to downtown, (I was always within about 45 minutes) are transplanted from someplace else. There are a lot of people that work for Kroger, Proctor and Gamble or GE. You might get some free stuff from people because of that. The Community of Christ church (formerly the reorganized church) has a presence in many areas of Ohio. So don’t be surprised if someone says they believe in the Book of Mormon but also thinks that women should be allowed to baptize people. (Chelsea)
- Hamilton Ohio in northern Cincinnati area was declared to have the best tasting water in the world. (Heather)
- It is a fairly new mission. It opened back up in July of 2013. President Porter is a legend! It is the land of miracles. It is very obedient. (Krista)
- It just got reopened in July of 2014. (I served in Columbus mission before the Cincinnati mission opened). (Kristin)
- It is one of the “58 new missions” created in July of 2013. One of the areas I served in had a castle (Loveland, OH). Cincinnati was settled by Germans. The Ohio River separates Kentucky from Ohio, and during the Civil War, refugees would flee north into Ohio for freedom. (Julie)
- Jake, Josh, Sarah, Ashley, Jeff, Kevin, Lacey, Sabastian, David…They’re interesting alright. Invest on and love the people and there will never be a dull moment. (Amy)
- Tri-state mission. (Spencer)
- Nobody in Indiana really knows what a Hoosier is. There are tons of Doctrine and Covenants sections about Ohio it’s greener than you can imagine and has more bugs per square inch than anywhere besides Missouri. (McCall)
- Serpent mound-an early Native American mound of dirt shaped like a snake. (Fred)
- To get to the OCM mission office from E. Kentucky, you had to travel outside the mission boundaries. (David)
- Cincinnati is located right on the Ohio River bordering Ohio and Kentucky. Back in the Civil War days, Ohio was part of the north while Kentucky was part of the south. There is lots of Underground Railroad history in the area. Plus it was interesting to see the different racial demographics in two areas so close together geographically but separated by a state line. (Shanon)
What was the weather like?
- Spring was always really rainy and windy, which was awesome, because that’s what I like. Summers are pretty hot. It’s nice to get to teach somebody who has A/C, haha :P. Fall is just like Spring, only colder. Winters are cold and sometimes super snowy/icy, but honestly, the holidays are the BEST time to be on a mission. Christmas spirit 🙂 <3 #LIGHTtheWORLD. (Colt)
- A lot like Utah but humid so it makes everything more dramatic. (Alyssa)
- Hot and humid in the summer and humid cold in the winter. There was both extremes. (Josh)
- Humid. ICY cold in the winter. My summers weren’t too suffocating though. (Beth)
- Humid. Really hot in the summer, bitter cold in the winter, and some crazy thunderstorms in the fall and spring. (Mary)
- Very humid. So when it was hot, it was scorching. When it was cold, it was freezing. Always. (Michael)
- Super hot and humid in the summer, ridiculously cold in the winter. When I was there, the winter of 2014 was the coldest they had seen since the 70’s. Some parts of the mission got down to -30. On the upside though, you’ll find that Ohio is GORGEOUS. White winters, lush green summers and bright orange autumns. It’s so beautiful because there are trees everywhere and they rarely lack enough water. BEWARE OF THE BUGS! Chiggers, mosquitoes and especially bed bugs are a real problem in Cincinnati. Don’t buy permethrin until you get there (because you can’t get it on a plane) but once you arrive if you need it then the mission office has some for you. But honestly, fill up a spray bottle with alcohol and water and spray down your clothes after you go to peoples’ houses because those nasty bed bugs can stick around and invade your home. And then you wake up with bites all over your body. And that’s not fun. (Chelsea)
- Humid but otherwise typical – hot in the summer, cold and snowy in the winter. (Heather)
- Hot summer…very humid, rains a lot in the spring and beginning of summer. Really cold in the winter…it’s a wet cold so make sure your clothing is water proof. (Krista)
- One day it is beautiful then 2 hours later, it is snowing. (Kristin)
- Spring: bright green, mildly humid, terrific thunderstorms! Summer: very humid, still terrific thunderstorms, it always feels wet. Fall: colorful, cooler, but still wet outside, not as much precipitation. Winter: wet all the time, bone chilling winds, SO much snow! (Julie)
- Hot and humid in the summer. Freezing cold in the winter. Layer up. (Amy)
- Like a crazy gorilla. (Jordan)
- Humid, hot, cold, windy. (Spencer)
- Lots of rain, thunderstorms, snowstorms, humidity, sunshine and freezing rain. (Kevin)
- Lots of rain in Ohio, really hot summers, really humid, freezing rain in the winter. (Nathan)
- Humidity cleared up my skin and made my hair curly also, you can feel sweat dripping down your back, or down the side of your face when you’re on front porches. Winters are cold and windy. (McCall)
- Cold in winter and humid in summer. (Fred)
- Hot, humid, muggy summers and bitter biting cold winters. (David)
- Four distinct seasons. Expect snow and ice storms in the winter. That being said, nothing crazy extreme in temperatures, but the humidity is killer, especially during the summer. (Shanon)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- Again, I grew up here, so I’m a little biased for my home. I CAN say that I know for a fact that EVERY mission in the world will have people and places that you like, and also some that you aren’t so crazy about. Lose yourself in service. Charity. Love Everyone <3. (Colt)
- Most of the people respected you. This area is a religious area and even though they don’t see eye to eye with us, they love and respect us. I loved the people. (Josh)
- I got to serve in northern Indiana for a bit and the people are super nice there. I grew close to members in almost every area and I would go back and visit. That’s a nice thing. I’m from the states so it’s not hard to take a trip to visit and it’s not as dangerous as going out of the country. (Beth)
- I met a lot of really humble people, that were so kind and down to earth. The members were always willing to jump to our aid and show our love for us. You also met a lot of crazies, which were a lot of fun. (Mary)
- I love the people that are there. So many humble people that are willing to listen and learn about the gospel. (Michael)
- You usually don’t have to work too hard to get someone to believe in God in the first place, because over all Cincinnati is a pretty conservative place with a lot of religious people. They are SO nice and if you’re a sister they will usually say nice things to you about what you’re doing. The only tricky thing is they often say that they already have a church. (Chelsea)
- I loved my mission! I had the greatest mission president in the world, the members in my areas were welcoming and amazing and so supportive! Everyone we met for the most part were friendly, especially to the sister missionaries. (Heather)
- They were generally pretty accepting of listening to the gospel. And there are always the people that will make a memory with you. (Krista)
- Everyone was extremely nice. They were very open about religion and family was number one. The had southern charm without actually being in the south. (Kristin)
- I liked having new experiences: running on bike paths in the morning, meeting friends of people we already knew, tasting new foods. I mostly loved the people. They were so easy to talk to about the gospel because almost everyone goes to some church and wants to talk about it. (Julie)
- Social norms aren’t really a thing there so you have to relearn how to interact with people and really learn how to listen to the Spirit. (Amy)
- They where all the greatest people mostly friendly and just had there own life style which was awesome. (Jordan)
- How they are super willing to help. The wards/branches are great, people are usually nice to the missionaries. (Spencer)
- Depends on where you are, rural Indiana is completely different from inner Cincinnati, and those people are very different from Kentucky, but all three have very friendly people. (Kevin)
- Great hospitality. (Nathan)
- People in Indiana are slow-paced and easy to talk to. I found people in Ohio to be a bit more fast-paced, but super kind to talk to. (McCall)
- The people were very humble and would do anything for us. (Fred)
- The homeliness of the country people in E. Kentucky. (David)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Pack for every season, because even if you’re only here for a month, you’ll experience them all. Snow boots may save your life. Thermal underwear got really great reviews from missionaries I served with in the Fort Wayne stake areas last winter. (Colt)
- Thermals, or better yet under armor. Short and long sleeves shirts. (Josh)
- Don’t spend a ton of money on clothes because you will get sick of your clothes and want to trade. Make sure you pack fleece lined tights for the winter (or buy them) cause you’ll need them. I prefer fleece lined leggings. Just layer up a lot in the winter. (Beth)
- Fleece lined tights. Lots of them. And light tee-type shirts in the summer, and lots of them. You’ll sweat through them like crazy. Skirts with pockets. Always. (Mary)
- Be prepared for the random thunderstorms that pour buckets of rain on you in a matter of seconds. (Michael)
- Make sure your summer clothes are light (including garments) and make sure your winter clothes are super warm. In the warm weather, for shoes you want QUALITY more than QUANTITY. That was my mistake. As long as you have one pair that’s brown and another that’s black then you should be okay. Danskos are excellent and last a long time. They’re a little expensive but like I said, you want quality. As for the winter, if you don’t have the right materials then the cold will go right through your layers no matter how many you have on due to the humidity. It’s all about the giant wool coats that go aaaallll the way down to the ground. Calvin Klein has a pretty good selection of coats like that. Get some tights that are fuzzy and warm (or even just warm leggings–nobody can see that they’re leggings with your long skirt and boots on anyway). (Chelsea)
- Light airy clothes in the summer, LAYERS in the winter! Dress warm. Leggings, boots, gloves, everything. (Heather)
- Warm clothes for winter. I would recommend you wear thick leggings for the winter and well insulated boots. For the summer, bring flowy skirts. (Krista)
- Have your parents send you your winter jacket if you are serving in the summer. If serving in the winter, just wear it. (Kristin)
- Pack fewer clothes that can coordinate with other pieces of clothing. For example, scarves, belts, jewelry, and other accessories can tie outfits together without taking much of your suitcase space. (Julie)
- Don’t bring anything you don’t NEED! ! ! As a missionary you accumulate A LOT and it’s a pain to pack up and haul around all your stuff from transfer to transfer and/or send things home in boxes ($$). (Amy)
- Pack the essentials. Get everything else in your mission. (Jordan)
- Good pair of insulated snow boots, mittens and a hat. Handkerchief to wipe away the sweat from the humidity. (Spencer)
- Waterproof shoes and coat. (Kevin)
- Dri-lux garments for guys, bring an umbrella. (Nathan)
- Get a short coat for winter. Everyone told me before my mission to get a long one that covered my knees, but impractical. I ended up getting hand-me-down coats from other sisters that were shorter. We wore fleece-lined leggings anyway. (McCall)
- Make sure you have plenty of warm clothes. (Fred)
- Get double lined suit pants with a reinforced crotch. Saves pants while riding a bike. (David)
- Tracting in the winters gets awfully chilly! A good, long winter coat, winter boots, scarf, hat, gloves, and maybe even some emergency hand warmers are good to have. I always was grateful for dresses with big pockets. (Shanon)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- I couldn’t possibly list them all. I wouldn’t even try. Literally every part of myself and my life has been tremendously blessed as a result of my serving in this mission. (Colt)
- I found purpose, joy, excitement about the future, healing, I could go on and on. (Alyssa)
- Everything I relate to serving a mission. (Josh)
- I learned how to apply the gospel. My sister got married. I was humbled (yes it was hard but it was so worth it). I learned to deal with more adversity than ever. I learned how to communicate better. SO MANY BLESSINGS! (Beth)
- I have been able to develop the daily habits necessary to keep me motivated and focused on the important things in life. I am also much more optimistic about the future, humanity, and in my relationship with God. Greater understanding in matters I need to change in my life to be better and repent. There are many many more, but those are just a few. (Mary)
- I grew as an individual and as a son of God. I have learned how to study and to be a better, more prepared me. (Michael)
- Too many to count. I have to say the first one that came to mind though is my husband. To make a long story short, after my mission I moved in with my mission trainer and in the ward that we attended my husband was the executive secretary! If I hadn’t known her, I would never have gone to that ward and I would never have met my sweetheart. That’s just one example though. I can’t even begin to tell you how many blessings I’ve found even through just what I learned in my own personal study during the mission. (Chelsea)
- A much stronger testimony, relationships with countless people whom I love, a greater understanding of the gospel and the scriptures, experiences to remember and learn from later in life. (Heather)
- I was able to make lasting friendships. I was able to be blessed with finding my fiance 2 weeks after being home. (Krista)
- I was able to have greater confidence in myself. Before the mission, I would just hide in the shadows but I learned how to be myself and also that I was a natural leader. (Kristin)
- COUNTLESS blessings. I will share just two: 1. My conversion was deepened as I was able to help others become converted. My testimony has become knowledge and it’s unshakable. 2. Half way through my mission, I was directed to transfer to BYU for school. Since arriving at school, I have met the young man that I am going to be sealed to for time and eternity. I don’t know if I would have met him without serving a mission. (Julie)
- I received the blessing of teaching. Which was, I thought, my greatest inadequacy. Everything that was a concern before the mission, wasn’t actually a concern on the mission. He will enable you. No need to be uneasy, He is there. (Amy)
- My mission was 2 years of pure revelation showing me what my true potential was. Showing me what a tag team between me and God can truly accomplish. (Jordan)
- List could go on forever…better understanding of the doctrine of Christ. (Spencer)
- Lots, from skill to knowledge, to improved characteristics, to my family not having financial difficulties. (Kevin)
- A personal witness that Christ has prepared specific opportunities for me to grow and serve. (Nathan)
- It changed the way I communicate with others. I am a better listener. I will be a better mother. I am now more well equipped with tools, experiences, faith in the Savior and strength to overcome qualities about myself I want to change. (McCall)
- Lifelong friends with members and with the young Elder and Sister missionaries. Many spiritual experiences. (Fred)
- I’m still counting, I’ll get back to you when I finish. (David)
What are some skills you gained?
- I was able to get into a habit of regular, in-depth scripture study, and that’s been super helpful. If you’re pretty shy, just give yourself some time and some slack, and you’ll be starting and directing conversations with perfect strangers before you know it. I’ve seen THAT one a million times. haha :). There’s so much more, but those are two pretty big ones for me. (Colt)
- Talking though problems, talking to people, and the ability to teach. (Alyssa)
- Enjoyed more foods. Learned patience and the ability to control anger. (Josh)
- I learned some American Sign Language. I learned how to teach the gospel. I learned to communicate. I learned how to train others in various tasks. (Beth)
- I can make really good beans. I have much better people skills, and a greater desire to meet new people and make meaningful relationships. (Mary)
- Talking. I can talk things out with people. I am more patient. (Michael)
- I never, ever drove in the snow until I served a mission since I grew up in California. I learned, and I learned pretty quick! And of course I learned to become a much more effective teacher as well. (Chelsea)
- I learned how to teach effectively, listen to the Spirit, study effectively, and apply the Atonement of Christ into my life just to name a few. (Heather)
- I became so much more patient, I was better at doing things sooner than later, and I became more humble. I also gained more of a personality and got along better with more people. (Krista)
- Leadership skills, confidence, studying skills, organization, time management, team work, communication. (Kristin)
- Again, countless skills. A few of the most important to me are that I learned to see people the way Heavenly Father sees them, I learned how to exercise consistently, I developed a way to receive revelation through personal study, and I experienced a variety of ways that the Holy Ghost communicated with me. (Julie)
- Accountability. I’ll leave it at that. It’s a BIG ONE. (Amy)
- Talking skills… nunchuck skills….reading skills studying skills leadership skills. (Jordan)
- A desire to search the scriptures, and knowledge and testimony of prayer. Also learned how to better work with people. (Spencer)
- Hard work, goal setting, planning, analyzing… (Kevin)
- The ability to talk to anyone. (Nathan)
- How to listen, to be brave enough to say what the Lord wants me to, humility, scripture study/receive revelation, give heartfelt compliments. (McCall)
- More consistent scripture study. Gained a greater appreciation for my wife’s spirituality. (Fred)
- Be still and know that I am God. I learned how to reflect and listen to the spirit through the quiet peaceful times. (David)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- I wish I would have taken it more seriously. I was called as a ward missionary the day after I was baptized, and I served in that calling for the next three years and three months, almost to the day. As a convert, I was still getting used to the idea of the restored gospel, and my testimony was just a baby. My advice? Even if you’re not feeling the spirit all the time, or if you’re struggling with your testimony (or lack thereof), HANG. IN. THERE. AND. TRUST. HEAVENLY. FATHER. (Colt)
- How hard a mission really is. It’s tough, rewarding work. (Josh)
- I wish I knew how to communicate with my companions better. They are going to do things that bug you and that’s ok, but you can’t let that get in the way. Let them know what you are feeling and talk about it. Don’t hold everything inside. If you don’t let your companion know how you feel, then they can’t trust you. TRUST THEM! Trust that if you open your mouth to talk to your companion God will give you the words. (Beth)
- I wish I realized how much knowledge and experience I would gain from my mission that applies to me now. At first I think I looked at my trainers and how much knowledge they had about the gospel and felt like I could never be that advanced. But everyone can and will get to that point. (Mary)
- Studied better. (Michael)
- I wish I knew that the mission was not about me. I went on my mission thinking that it would be a great experience for MY life and it would be a way for ME to grow and I thought very little about the people I would actually be serving. Once I got there, I realized that I only enjoyed being a missionary when I really thought about the people I was working with and what I was doing to lead them to Christ. If I had understood that at the beginning, I might have started off on a better foot! However, I feel like that’s just a lesson I needed to learn the hard way. (Chelsea)
- I wish I worked harder and was more diligent and obedient to set the tone for the rest of my mission. And that I focused more on others and forgot myself. (Heather)
- I wish I knew everything was going to be okay. I was not as patient my first three months. (Krista)
- Trust in the lord. It doesn’t matter how many times you mess up or how insignificant you are. Trust in the lord and he will work through it with you. You are enough and you always will be enough. (Kristin)
- I wish that I had known that missionaries aren’t perfect. I had the false illusion that missionaries weren’t tempted and were perfect; how wrong I was! However, in hand with that, I wish that I had known that I didn’t have to be so intense all the time. Sometimes you just need a minute to sit before you go knock on another door or talk to another person. (Julie)
- Don’t question, just do. You’ll find out why soon enough. Be nice to everyone. Sacrifice more. Get a Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible woo! (Amy)
- Read Preach My Gospel a bit more. (Jordan)
- Have read the Book of Mormon. (Spencer)
- How to Begin Teaching, BDAW, stuff like that though, you learn in the mission. (Kevin)
- Don’t have anyone waiting for you back home. It rarely works out, and even if they wait it, doesn’t mean it is right. (Nathan)
- More of the scriptures. (David)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Cincinnati?
- Do your best. Be open. Cultivate optimism, charity, patience, and obedience within yourself. Strive to be as Christlike as you can be, every second of every day, for the remainder of your mission. You will thank yourself for it. (Colt)
- Work hard, but have fun doing it! (Josh)
- Its going to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done and you are going to be humbled in ways you didn’t know were possible but it is so worth it! The relationship you have with God will grow so strong and you’ll know how to help others. (Beth)
- Soak up every moment. You were called to this mission for specific reasons and for specific people. There will be plenty of adventures and crazy stories to write home about. Go to Skyline chili at least 3 times (that’s about how long it takes to learn to like it). (Mary)
- I know the work in Cincinnati is growing at an ever increasing rate. It will continue to do that as long as you have faith, are diligent, and exactly obedient. Miracles do happen. Angels minister among men every day. God loves you. (Michael)
- Get ready for one of the best, hardest, most wonderful experiences of your life. You’ll feel like you’re being stretched. There is no doubt about that. Your testimony is going to be tried, you’re going to be cold, and some days it will be hard to want to leave your apartment. But one thing I can tell you is, the sooner you 1) forget about yourself and 2) rely on the keys of the Priesthood as well as on the Spirit, the sooner you will find joy and purpose in the things that you do. You’ll come to know that you aren’t just doing this because it’s expected of you or that you just wanted a cool experience, but you’re doing it because you genuinely love God and the people you are serving. You’ll realize that there is nothing on the earth you would rather be doing. And last but not least, you’ll have a stronger testimony of the Atonement of Christ and the love that he has for his children. It’s priceless, but you have to make the effort to have that happen. (Chelsea)
- It’s all in your attitude!! Really. And trust in the Lord. He will be with you, He will strengthen and guide you, and He will enable you to do things that you wouldn’t be able to do alone. (Heather)
- Bring warm things for the winter and light clothing for the summer. I love this mission, I was blessed to serve in all the 3 states and all of those people need someone to listen and comfort them. (Krista)
- The exact same as my last answer. (Kristin)
- You will NEVER regret serving a mission if you go with an open heart. I am a witness that this is God’s work. He will perform miracles through you as you are obedient, diligent, and exercise faith in Christ. Serving a mission was by far the hardest and most wonderful thing I’ve ever done in my life. My eternity has been changed for the better because of it. (Julie)
- You’re going to the best mission on earth. It will be tailored to you. You’re called to your Mission President. Of this I am certain. Miracles happen if you are in line with the keys and fearlessly follow his direction and live by the promises he will give to you. There’s no satisfactory substitute for hard work. I learned God is a deliverer. If you’re obedient, diligent and faithful, he will deliver you, from your enemies and weaknesses, and fill your life with power, great strength, purpose and meaning. You are His authorized representative and may petition to the Lord for revelation each day and I exhort you to do so. Never deny His power or doubt His ability to fill you with His grace, His enabling power. (Amy)
- Have fun with it but know the difference between fun and pleasure. Remember to smile God is watching 🙂 (Jordan)
- Go in there ready to learn and to be taught. Don’t go in there thinking you know something because you will soon realize that you don’t know very much at all. (Spencer)
- Don’t hate yourself for not reading more or having perfect institute attendance, and don’t stress if you didn’t take mission prep. The Lord will prepare you, He didn’t call you by accident. (McCall)
- Don’t worry about your children or grandchildren. They will be grateful for your example. (Fred)
- Study your scriptures. Know them inside and out. It’ll reinforce your ability to teach. (David)
What was a funny language mistake?
- Most everybody speaks English in the OCM, but in some areas there are folks that have some really exaggerated accents, usually southern sounding, and it can be pretty hard not to laugh. But…Don’t laugh. Lol :P. (Colt)
- I was English speaking but in my last area, I taught a deaf man and our member who came teaching with us knew how to sign. One of the first times meeting with him, he asked how long church service was and instead of saying 3 hrs she told him it is 3 years long :). (Beth)
- I thought “backwards” meant mentally slow, when in reality it means shy. So when a investigator told us he didn’t want to come to church because he was backwards, I told him “Shelby! You’re not slow! The things we learn at church are just as simple as what we teach you!” My companion laughed pretty hard and explained it means shy, and I said “Oh. That makes more sense now.” (Mary)
- It was said Christ atoned for our fish instead of for our sins. In Spanish fish is ‘pescado’ and sin is ‘pecado’. Good times. (Michael)
- If the people there say “please?” they aren’t correcting your manners. They say “please?” when they don’t hear what you’re saying. For example: “Would you pass the butter?” “Please?” “WOULD YOU PASS THE BUTTER?” “Oh, yes. Here you go.” Don’t ask me how I learned this. (Chelsea)
- In my first area, I once introduced myself as my companion. I suppose this is because I heard her start conversations so much. Oops! (Julie)
- Companion started speaking Spanish to a Spanish looking person…but he didn’t speak Spanish at all. (Jordan)
- Saying Warsh instead of wash. (Nathan)
- It was an English-speaking mission, so this may not apply… But my companion once pronounced Louisville as “Lewis-ville.” Our investigators must have laughed for 20 minutes at that. (Shanon)