Free resources about the Philippines Laoag 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: Philippines LDS Missions.
Philippines Laoag Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Philippines Laoag 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.
Philippines Laoag Mission
Brgy. #50 Buttong, Airport Avenue
Junction Tangid Road, Laoag City
2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines
Phone Number: 63-77-670-8193
Mission President: President Robert M. Andrada
Philippines Laoag Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Philippines Laoag Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Laoag Mission:
Videos with Laoag RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Laoag Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews.
LDS-Friendly Videos about Philippines
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about Philippines. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about Philippines, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
Philippines Laoag Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Laoag Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Philippines Laoag Mission Groups
Here are Laoag Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Laoag Mission.
- Laoag Mission/best place to serve!!!!! Group (354 members)
- Laoag Mission Northern Lights Group (154 members)
- Laoag Mission Facebook Group (27 members)
- Laoag Mission Facebook Group (19 members)
- Laoag Mission Moms and Friends (LDS) Group (12 members)
Philippines Laoag Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Philippines Laoag Mission!
Shirt designs include Laoag 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: Laoag missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Laoag Mission gifts
Recommended Mission Prep Books
(Fun Fact: John Bytheway served in the Philippines!)
Philippines Laoag Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Laoag Mission.
- 2015-2018, Robert M. Andrada
- 2012-2015, Julius F. Barrientos
- 2009-2012, Allistair B. Odgers
- 2007-2009. Mark L. Lewis
- 2004-2007, Jerry Wayne Hatch
Philippines LDS Statistics (2015)
- Church Membership: 710,764
- Missions: 21
- Temples: 2
- Congregations: 1,181
- Family History Centers: 171
Helpful Tips about the Philippines (articles written by RMs)
- Joseph Smith’s First Vision in Tagalog
- Headstart on LDS Vocabulary in Tagalog
- Cool Tagalog Words
- Why I Love Filipinos
- Modes of Transportation in the Philippines
- American Influence on the Philippines
- Spanish Influences on the Philippines
- Japanese Influence on the Philippines
- Things You Can and Cannot Buy in the Philippines
- Sari-Sari Stores in the Philippines
- Filipinos and Karaoke
- Beverages in the Philippines
- Restaurants in the Philippines
- Rice in the Philippines
- Spaghetti in the Philippines
- Common Condiments in the Philippines
- What is Ube?
- Inspirational Tagalog Christian Quotes (LDS)
- 50+ Tagalog LDS Quotes, Memes, & Mormonads
- How to Make Pansit (a popular Filipino rice noodle dish)
- How to Make Lumpia (like eggs rolls but way better!)
- How to Make Puto (Filipino Rice Cakes)
Philippines Laoag Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Laoag 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?
- 2014-2016 (Adam)
- 2014-2016 (Samantha)
- 2012-2013 (Lisa)
- 2008-2010 (Lea)
- 2006-2008 (Jilbert)
- 2005-2007 (Moroni)
- 2011- 2012 (Krishna)
- April 2013-October 2014 (Amy)
- 2013-2015 (Anna)
- 2013-2015 (Giovanni)
- 2005-2007 (Julius)
What areas did you serve in?
- San Juan, Ilocos Sur. Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, Claveria, Cagayan, Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte. Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. Lasam, Cagayan. Aparri, Cagayan. Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. (Adam)
- Bacarra, Lal-lo, Piddig, Candon, San Nicolas, Pasuquin and Aparri. (Lea)
- Vigan. (Jilbert)
- Aparri, Ballesteros, Laoag, and Batac. (Moroni)
- Sto. Domingo, Pasuquin, San Nicolas, Gonzaga, Alacapan, Sarrat, Laoag City, Banna. (Krishna)
- Batac, Laoag, Camalaniugan, Vigan, Pasuquin, Paoay. (Amy)
- Lal-lo, San Nicolas 2, Sinait, Laoag 3, Pasuquin. (Anna)
- Lapaz/Bangued,Abra Dingras/Sarrat,Ilocos Norte Tagudin, Ilocos Sur Lasam, Cagayan. (Julius)
What were some favorite foods?
- The ones I seem to crave the most since returning home are Dinuguan, Pork Tocino and Siao Pao. (Adam)
- Adobo. Sopas. Turon. Empanada. Monggo. Pakbet. Hot Dog. Suman. (Samantha)
- Lumpia, pancit bihon, longganisa, Filipino hot dogs, pinakbet, miki, empanada, chicken curry, adobo, siopao from Chow King, chicken and rice from KFC, halo-halo, monggo, sinigang, Bicol express, corned beef with rice, tuna with rice, fried whole tilapia (Lisa)
- Empanada, Longanisa. (Lea)
- Grilled chicken. (Jilbert)
- Ilokano foods, some foreign foods and street foods. (Moroni)
- Pizza, soup, fruits, emapanada, longganissa (sausage). (Krishna)
- I would have to say my favorite food was the sea-food. I absolutely LOVE sting ray, crab, shrimp, and all the fresh fish they have. I also tried frog near the end of my mission and really liked that as well. (Amy)
- Pinakbet and empanada. (Anna)
- Fishcurry. (Giovanni)
- Agar-agar, pakbet. (Julius)
What was a funny experience?
- In the last couple of weeks of my mission I got to work with a new Elder. Because he was fresh from the MTC, his knowledge of Tagalog was terrible, so I did my best to help and encourage him. His first Zone Conference was coming up, and he was determined to be able to introduce himself to everyone in Tagalog, so we sat down together and I wrote down several things he could say. When he stood up in Zone Conference this is how he introduced himself: “Magandang umaga Elders and Sisters, ako si Elder ____. Nagpapasalamat ako for this time to magsalita to you all. Taga-Utah po ako. 18 years old po ako. Alam ko na totoo and simbahan na ito. Alam ko na kahit malaki ang ilong ko, ang gwapong-gwapo ni elder (me). Sobrang gwapo siya. Sana magiging katulad nya ako. Totoong propeta si Thomas S. Monson.” Then he closed, and sat down. The whole room was hysterical! (Adam)
- Have way too many!! But definitely squeezing into different types of transport was a mission in itself haha, quite the experience for larger Polynesian missionaries! (Samantha)
- I took my shoe off on a very windy day to dump the sand out of it, and it immediately flew across the highway. Fortunately, there were some boys on the other side of the road who, after laughing at me, retrieved my shoe and brought it back to me. (Lisa)
- One kid did swim in the baptismal font before the program started, he was not LDS. (Jilbert)
- I don’t recall, but I have so many funny memories. One experience is when a couple accused us trespassing, but we had a second appointment. (Moroni)
- Running away from dogs, cows, companion chats. (Krishna)
- Some of the funniest experiences I had had to do with the weather. There are so many crazy rain storms that you just get absolutely soaked and there’s not much you can do about it. There was one time when we could hear the rain pounding before we saw it, and my companion and I turned and saw a literal wall of water heading our way. We just turned and ran! (Amy)
- When I energetically said ‘amen’ while an investigator gave a closing prayer mistakenly hearing that it is about to end. And we just laugh afterwards. (Anna)
- Every time we teach the investigators. (Giovanni)
What was a crazy experience?
- In my first area I crashed my bike into a brick wall and punched a hole through it with my fist. Certainly gave a new definition to ‘handbrake’ haha. Several times I’ve had to dangle out the side of buses and jeeps as they zoomed down the highway because they were full, and I’ve crossed rivers on bridges that were literally as wide as broom handles. (Adam)
- We went to visit an investigator, and she was very, very drunk. And so we told her we couldn’t teach her that day and that we would come back the next day, but she was angry that we wouldn’t stay, so she chased us down the street when we left. She didn’t catch us, though, and we made it back to our apartment safely. (Lisa)
- We did run when a man ran towards us. It was a dark place, so we turned left at the investigator’s house. My buddy said that the man hid his arm while running, so we were both scared. (Jilbert)
- When a man didn’t want to hear the the Gospel he pulled the trigger of his gun towards the sky. And going back home knowing, walking in the middle of nowhere. (Moroni)
- A drug addict is chasing us and we have to ask for help. Investigators helped us and offered us to ride in a single motor. (Krishna)
- I remember in my last area, we had to walk for upwards of 45 minutes to get to some of our area. That led to some pretty crazy and fun treks through mud and rice fields, but it was also a bit scary when we had to make the same trip back in the dark. (Amy)
- When a group of guys with motorcycles confront us and we experienced seeing a house on fire which is near our apartment. (Anna)
What was a spiritual experience?
- The mission is full of spiritual experiences. On many occasions I’ve felt the direct guidance of the Spirit in the work. One experience I will always remember happened in my first area. As I focused on following the promptings I received we were directed straight to a young man the same age as me. Immediately I knew he would listen, so I had no hesitation in walking up to him and introducing myself. After several discussions we all became good friends and he accepted his baptism date. I was transferred two or three weeks before his baptism, but he sent me a letter saying how grateful he was for having the gospel in his life, and included a picture of him in his baptism whites. (Adam)
- It was after our last appointment and members gave us a lift home, but as we leave the barangay, they take a different turn from the usual route which is the route everyone takes. Anyway, they just felt, yeah, let’s go this way. So we did. So we arrive home safely and about 10 minutes later, we get a phone call. Sisters, there was a shooting along the main highway (which was the route we would have taken had the members not changed directions on the way home). Next day, we asked him, “why did you take us the other way”, he said, “I felt like I needed to.” If you remain worthy to have the companionship of the Spirit, direction and safety are inevitable. What a blessing that was to witness one of our golden investigators respond to the Spirit. He is now baptized and is preparing to go through the temple with his family 🙂 (Samantha)
- We were teaching a man who had many health problems and was very depressed and wanted to die. He wouldn’t commit to be baptized because he said he would probably die before his baptismal date arrived. He was not progressing at all, so we decided to take a break from teaching him and focus on our other investigators. But we had a day when our appointments kept falling through, and we ran out of backup plans, so we went back to this man to share a short message. I felt prompted that we should teach about God’s love for him. For the first time, he felt the Spirit. And for the first time since we had started teaching him, we saw him smile. He accepted baptism at the end of that lesson, and he came to church the very next Sunday and every Sunday after, and he was baptized a few weeks later. (Lisa)
- A young man was ready for his baptism even though he was not obliged to do fasting, because he had an ulcer, and had a history where he was confined and in critical condition. But, because of his willingness, he did fast and was baptized. (Jilbert)
- Every time we got punted and knowing by the spirit there are souls who are waiting to wake up in their old belief. (Moroni)
- Receiving revelation from reading scriptures. Testifying the truth about the Book of Mormon. (Krishna)
- We were able to baptize an older couple the very last Saturday I had in the Philippines. They were kind of holding back on baptism, even though they had been coming to church for 2 months and one of them had started paying tithing. We taught about family history and helped them fill out a pedigree chart, and after we got home that night, we got a text from them that they wanted to be baptized as soon as possible, which worked out to be my last weekend. It was wonderful. (Amy)
- The whole mission. Every day, if we are strictly obedient, was a time to witness miracles. (Anna)
- When we teach the investigator and he said the church is true. I want to be baptized. (Giovanni)
- When I was planting plants at the side of meeting house at Lasam Branch, I was almost hit by the jeep if I go there..but I hear the still small voice not to come in that particular place that jeep the jeep went. (Julius)
What are some interesting facts about the Laoag Mission?
- Philippines Laoag Mission is the top baptizing mission in the Philippines… Geographically. (Adam)
- Its amazing 🙂 haha (Samantha)
- The native dialect for most of the people in that area is Ilocano, but most of them also understand and speak Tagalog. It’s a very rural area. I think there was only one mall in the whole mission (and the mission was at least an eight-hour bus ride from one end to the other). (Lisa)
- I was assigned to the Laoag Mission. People there are called Ilocano and their dialect is mostly Ilocano, but missionaries were not allowed to study Ilocano. Instead, they studied to be good in English, so when there’s an interview with the mission president, the medium is English- be good in English. (Jilbert)
- To know how lucky you are to be an ambassador of His true church. To know the worlds was, not only knowing my surrounding and most especially the great work that you are involved in. (Moroni)
- Northern part of the Philippines, white sandy beaches, windmills and lighthouse. (Krishna)
- There are 5 languages spoken in the boundaries of the mission. Tagalog, of course, Ilocano (which you’ll basically learn while you’re there), and Ibanag, Itawis, and another one I never remembered. (Amy)
- Has a high goal eg. number of lessons per week and baptisms per week. Lots of strictly obedient missionaries. (Anna)
- Activities…hahahaha. (Giovanni)
What was the weather like?
- In the lower regions of the mission it rains maybe once a month, if you’re lucky. The Ilocos Norte region has a balance of sunny and rainy days, and Cagayan region is either hot and dry, or hot and wet. (Adam)
- Really hot, really cold, really wet. But I loved the hot weather 🙂 (Samantha)
- When I was in Ilocos Norte (one of the three provinces in the mission), the rainy season began around June and lasted until about October, and then the rest of the year was the hot season, except for about December, which was a little cooler (I wished I had a light blanket during December). When I was in Cagayan (another province), the rainy season lasted through December, and it was actually kind of cold, especially in December (it was cold enough to make me shiver while walking outside at night). But, from what I hear, it was insanely hot in that province during the hot season – hotter than the other areas in the mission. In general, during the hot season, it was extremely hot. It’s also very humid there, so you sweat no matter what — whether you’re in the sun or the shade, inside or outside, exercising or sitting. It’s a good idea to use an umbrella for the sun so you don’t get fried. During the rainy season, it often rained so hard that I’d be using an umbrella but I would still get as soaked as if I has just jumped in a pool. It rained nearly every day, most often in the afternoon. The Laoag mission is also a very typhoon-prone area. I only experienced one major typhoon during my mission, but it damaged a lot of houses, tore off a lot of roofs, knocked down a lot of trees, and flooded the church building about 2 inches. We lost electricity and water for about a week and cell phone service for about 3-4 days (some areas in our zone lost electricity and water for over a month). It also flooded a few times in one of my areas (so much that the streets looked like a river). (Lisa)
- Very cold in the months of November-February. (Lea)
- The Philippines is always hot… lol. (Jilbert)
- Tropical. (Moroni)
- Humid and hot. Heavy rains during raining season. (Krishna)
- EXTREMELY HOT. I can’t even explain how hot it was. Very, very wet. (Amy)
- Sunny!!! Sometimes it rains as well. (Anna)
- Cold. (Giovanni)
- Hot and rainy. (Julius)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- The people are very open and polite to strangers. When they invite you into their homes they treat you with the utmost respect and kindness. One thing I love about the people is they never miss an opportunity to have a party and celebrate an occasion no matter how big or small. (Adam)
- Very hospitable, humble, simple, hardworking and loving people. Always keen for a good laugh. All my areas were just so beautiful…they each had their own unique qualities and just so green. (Samantha)
- The people are very kind and very giving. They are also very social and cohesive. They love Americans, and most of them love to hear Americans try to speak their language. (Lisa)
- The place is beautiful and the people are nice and hospitable. (Lea)
- Because the area is not developed, mostly they are farmers and fishermen. They are humble in their circumstances. (Jilbert)
- Wonderful, both places and people. (Moroni)
- Kind people. Accommodating people. Generous in loving and giving stuff. (Krishna)
- They are so loving. They love talking to you, and even though they are very shy, once you show that you love them, they are your friends for life. (Amy)
- Their love for you and they love obedient missionaries and they love to feed you. (Anna)
- All of my areas. (Giovanni)
- Hospitable and work always with us. (Julius)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Pack lightly. Only take the bare essentials. Transfer days will be a lot easier if everything fits in the one suitcase. Wear clothing that is light and breathable. Nothing is worse than having a shirt that is heavy and retains the heat. (Adam)
- Nope, I was terrible at this myself. haha. But just keep some space for potential souvenirs people tend to give as a remembrance of themselves. (Samantha)
- I’d recommend bringing two sheets for your bed because your laundry might take more than a day to dry during the rainy season, and you may not want to sleep without a sheet on your bed. Make sure your shoes are comfortable enough to walk long distances in; you can also buy plastic shoes for the rain at a store in Laoag called Savemore, but you might not be able to go there right away when you get to the mission, so you’ll want to have shoes that you can walk in. Also, make sure your shoulder bag is comfortable to carry for a long time because that’s what you’ll be doing. (Lisa)
- I hated transfer day, so what I did was I sent my extra clothes and barely used books through post mail. So my bag and luggage were easy to carry. (Jilbert)
- Simple only. (Moroni)
- Bring easy to dry clothes that does’t require a lot of ironing for sisters. (Krishna)
- Take light things that are easy to hand wash. You won’t have any way of doing laundry other than scrubbing it by hand so take stuff that will last. (Amy)
- Bring clothes that are for sunny weather. (Anna)
- Casual for CSP. (Julius)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- Too many! blessed with learning another language, blessed knowing that I was used as an instrument to deliver His message to His children. Blessed to see the gospel alter and beautify lives of those who were willing to live and love it. Blessed to have met so many beautiful brothers and sisters of mine from other countries. Blessed to have shared my testimony to others. (Samantha)
- A greater understanding of the gospel. A greater sense of purpose in life. Greater maturity. Greater preparedness for marriage and motherhood. Much greater confidence than I ever had before my mission. (Lisa)
- My testimony was strengthened and I gained lots of eternal friends! (Lea)
- When I got home in July 2008, I always asked to myself what my blessings were after my mission. I took a PNP exam with my eldest brother on October 2008. I passed the exam. Now I’m one of the police officers in the Philippines. I’m personally thankful for my mission that I was able to speak and write in English, as well as the Ilocano dialect, because I believed in the Gift of Tongues. (Jilbert)
- My everyday life after the mission. All new me, not like before. (Moroni)
- Deeper testimony about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Friends and lasting relationships. (Krishna)
- I was blessed with humility and patience with myself and others. Since returning home, I have been blessed with a very clear direction in my life. (Amy)
- My whole life after it and while serving. (Anna)
- Eternal companion…(Giovanni)
- I gained self confidence and knowledge of the gospel. (Julius)
What are some skills you gained?
- I think the biggest skills you gain are being able to listen and communicate effectively, to love, and to recognize and understand the subtle promptings of the Spirit. (Adam)
- Definitely improved my communication skills. I am a lot more confident with public speaking. Planning skills, being able to set goals and follow through with them. Skills to share the Gospel more effectively. (Samantha)
- Cooking without a recipe. Asking good questions to get to know people. Fluency in Tagalog. Better communication skills than I had before. (Lisa)
- Confidence in speaking to others. (Lea)
- Communication skills. I’m confident to face and deliver my English during interviews. (Jilbert)
- Communications, observer, love and attitudes. (Moroni)
- Household skills, fluency in English and knowledge in Ilocano dialect. (Krishna)
- Courage! It took me a while to talk to people. I’ve also learned that I can do hard things, and that I have the knowledge to survive on my own. (Amy)
- Teaching skills and leadership skills. Humility and consecration. Trusting in Him no matter what. (Anna)
- Became a gospel teacher. (Giovanni)
- Listening skills, being on time, reading skills. (Julius)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- Be patient. Learn to follow what your trainer is trying to teach you. They have been in the mission longer, and they know a lot more than you do. Sometimes what they say doesn’t make sense, but six months later you will understand. (Adam)
- Studied the scriptures more diligently. (Samantha)
- Let go of American culture for those 18 months and just do things the Filipino way because that’s the best way to gain their trust. If you refuse to do things their way, they will take that to mean you think you are superior to them. Don’t EVER put hand sanitizer or alcohol on your hands in front of investigators or others you are teaching or talking to; it’s offensive to them because I think it gives the impression that you think they are dirty or that you are superior. Take good care of your converts. It will not matter how many people you bring into the church if they don’t stay active. Resist the inclination to think your converts are safe once they are baptized. It’s very easy for them to fall away if they are neglected. Be careful, about baptizing children without their families; it’s hard for them to stay active without family support. Take a picture of the baptismal record of everyone you teach that is baptized, or write down important information from it, like their full name, address, and birthday. You’ll want this information after you leave, and it’s hard to obtain that information once you’ve left the area. (Lisa)
- Know people more fully. I wish I wrote more in my journal. (Lea)
- I wish I was fluent in Ilocano because I wanted to talk to them and couldn’t fully express what I wanted to. I had a hard time communicating and teaching since I didn’t know their dialect- there was a language barrier. (Jilbert)
- Communications and love. (Moroni)
- Giving more of myself. Bring few but good quality clothes and shoes. Speak what’s inside of me. Don’t be intimidated with other races. (Krishna)
- I wish I would have been a little easier on myself with the language. It is hard. I also wish I would have started earlier to form relationships with the members. (Amy)
- More family history work and study Ilokano language. (Anna)
- Language. (Julius)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Laoag?
- Advice: Sometimes going through the bukid to ‘save time’ just isn’t worth the risk. You wouldn’t believe how many missionaries have fallen into that thick, smelly mud. Every new missionary makes mistakes with the language. When you make a mistake there is no need to feel overly embarrassed or stressed. Literally every other missionary understands and has gone through the same thing. The important thing is to be able to laugh at yourself and keep an enthusiastic attitude. Learning a language takes time and lots and lots and lots of practice. Have fun with it. (Adam)
- Obedience is the price, faith is the power, love is the motive, Spirit is the key, Christ is the reason. (Samantha)
- Lose yourself in the work. If you find it hard to get rid of selfishness, don’t freak out and think you’re hopeless, remember that it takes time and it’s normal to have a hard time losing yourself. Ask your companion for help. If you struggle with a certain aspect of the work, don’t get frustrated; ask Heavenly Father specifically to help you learn to be effective in that aspect, and He will. I’d also like to give some advice to those who struggle with anxiety in the mission: 1. For much of my mission, I felt like I was letting the Lord down because I was experiencing anxiety. I felt that missionaries were not supposed to be afraid, and so I kind of felt like a failure. And because I had this mindset, I became easily discouraged, which had a negative impact on the work. It wasn’t until I was a more experienced missionary that I began to understand that Heavenly Father does not condemn me because I experience anxiety. The feeling of anxiety is not a sin. It’s what I do with it that makes the difference. If I allowed anxiety to stop me from talking to someone or obeying a prompting, then of course I felt the Lord’s disappointment. But I soon learned that if I talked to that person or followed that prompting despite feeling super anxious inside, I felt the Lord’s love for me more strongly than I had ever felt it before, even while I was still feeling that anxiety. And I realized that that was because the Lord was pleased with me for doing my best, even when it was hard. That was a great realization for me. So my first piece of advice is to do what the Lord wants you to do no matter how anxious you feel, and you will be filled with His love, and that will give you the courage had the strength to continue to serve Him. 2. My second piece of advice is: use the “adjusting to missionary life” booklet. It has wonderful suggestions for how to deal with the stress that comes along with missionary work. Unfortunately, this booklet did not come out until I was about to go home, and so I didn’t get to use it much as a missionary, but I know it would have helped me a lot during the early part of my mission. (Lisa)
- Be prepared to go to some isolated area, and walk in a rice field with bare feet! Do know the members fully and love them. (Lea)
- Being serious doesn’t mean you can’t/don’t laugh. I mean be serious in regards to the Lord’s work. Our leaders are serious, why aren’t you? We know we are not perfect, but we can be good missionaries and become a better and best one. Always do good things. Be loyal in every small task and be sensitive in your disciplinary action. (Jilbert)
- Observe carefully and you will know how you can love others. Trust in the Lord. (Moroni)
- Be happy in obediently serving Him. Love missionary work. Be like Jesus Christ. (Krishna)
- I would say just be prepared for something very different from anything you’ve ever experienced. My MTC teacher told us that once we looked past how poor the people were, and how different the food and culture was, we’d just see people trying to understand their purpose in life, same as we were. Just take down any walls you may have and let yourself experience it. (Amy)
- Be strictly obedient and you’ll witness miracles in your life and to the people around you. Do your best and consecrate all. Serving a mission is never a sacrifice but a privilege. (Anna)
- Spiritually prepare and have a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. (Julius)
What was a funny language mistake?
- The first time my companion had me direct the tricycle driver when we were riding home, instead of saying “kanan” (meaning “turn right”) I said “kanin” (which means “cooked rice”). My companion and the trycicle driver laughed at me 🙂 (Lisa)
- My companion was an American, he explained about the Atonement. He said that “si Jesus Cristo ay nagbayad sa ating utong” (saying He redeemed our “nipple”). Utang – debts, sin. Utong – nipple. Utong – string beans (Ilocano). (Jilbert)
- Twisting meanings. (Moroni)
- We had a game that led members to speak an obscene word and I was not aware that it’s foul. (Krishna)
- Right off the bat, I had a terrible time remembering the difference between the words for happiness and sin. That was interesting a couple times, haha. (Amy)
- About the First Vision..he said about Heavenly Father and Jesus..”I saw one Personage and another come again and they are two….” (Julius)