Free resources about the Philippines Naga 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 Naga Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Philippines Naga 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 Naga Mission
39 Panganiban Drive
Bayan, Naga City
4400 Camarines Sur
Philippines
Phone Number: 63-54-473-6209
Mission President: President Tomasito S. Zapanta
Philippines Naga Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Philippines Naga Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Naga Mission:
Videos with Naga RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Naga 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 Naga Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Naga Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Philippines Naga Mission Groups
Here are Philippines Naga Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Naga Mission.
- Philippines Naga Mission Facebook Group (1,080 members)
- Naga Mission Reunion President Collado Group (390 members)
- Naga Mission Best in all the land Group (252 members)
- Naga Mission Group President Martin Group (195 members)
- Philippines Naga Mission Facebook Group (156 members)
- Naga Mission President Lim Facebook Group (94 members)
- Philippines Naga Mission Facebook Group (35 members)
- Naga Mission 2013-2016 Group (8 members)
- Naga Mission Moms and Friends (LDS) Group (4 members)
Philippines Naga Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Philippines Naga Mission!
Shirt designs include Philippines Naga 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: Naga missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Naga Mission gifts
Recommended Mission Prep Books
(Fun Fact: John Bytheway served in the Philippines!)
Philippines Naga Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Naga Mission.
- 2016-2019, Tomasito S. Zapanta
- 2013-2016, L. Barry Reeder
- 2010-2013, Ronald D. Bliesener
- 2007-2010, Mark Allen Ferrin
- 1995-1998, Edison M. Cabrito
- 1992-1995, Augusto A. Lim
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?
Philippines Naga Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Philippines Naga RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
When did you serve?
- 2013-2015 (Wade)
- April 24, 2013 (April)
- July 2013 – July 2015 (Bryan)
- March 2013 – September 2014 (Callie)
- 2001-2003 (Brandon)
- June 2013-December 2014 (Hailee)
- 1988-1989 (Brian)
- 2009-2011 (Ciro)
- July 2013-2015 (Joshua)
- August 1994-February 1996 (Maria)
- June 1990-June 1992 (Arneil)
- 1989-1991 (James)
- 2013-2015 (Roy)
- 1995-1997 (Ruth)
- 1991-1992 (Diana)
What areas did you serve in?
- San Roque, Lagonoy; Naga; Canaman; Pili; San Ramon, Iriga; Buhi; Goa. (Wade)
- Mersedes (Daet zone), Tigaon (Goa zone), Pili (Naga zone) and Nabua (Iriga zone). (Roy)
- Catanduanes/ Masbate/ Sursogon/ Labo. (Ruth)
- Masbate, Naga, Albay. (Diana)
What were some favorite foods?
- Laing, bicol express and pansit bato. (Wade)
- Adobo, Bicolano Express, Singigon. (April)
- Adobo, Chicken Curry, Bicol Express, Mangoes. (Bryan)
- Chicken Adobo, Sinigang, Fried Chicken, Bifstek, Buko, Buko Salad, Banana Q. (Callie)
- Mungo, tilapia, bicol express. (Brandon)
- Adobo, Buko, banana, banana-cue, torta, adobong citaw. (Hailee)
- Balut, Coke, Isdat. kanian. (Brian)
- Laing. (Ciro)
- Menudo, Chop suey, Adobo. (Joshua)
- Laing. Ginataang gulay. Bicol Express. (Maria)
- Bicol Express. (Arneil)
- Pancit NOT BALUTE! (James)
- Dinuguan, Bicol express, Pancit canton, Laing. Anything with coconut milk. (Roy)
- Iinata-an / buko /. (Ruth)
- Guinataan Pagi, Pansit, Adobo, Lechon, Fresh fruit. (Diana)
What was a funny experience?
- Um, when me and my companion worked in an area which was not ours. It happened twice because we were opening an area and we didn’t know where the boundaries were and we knocked on doors and talked to a lady in the store, we started conversation about the gospel and later found out that she was a member. Haha. (Wade)
- My funny experience when my companion and I were chased down the hill by the Cardabao. (April)
- I was walking in the dark with my companion across the rice fields and I fell in and got super muddy. We ended up going to McDonalds afterwards and a lot of people just stared at me. (Bryan)
- My companion and I once locked ourselves out of our apartment by leaving our keys inside. We were traveling back to our area after a conference when we realized we didn’t have our keys. We had to borrow a ladder from our neighbors and climb over the balcony to get back into our apartment. (Callie)
- We rode a carabao and my companion fell off into a rice field. (Brandon)
- During my follow-up training, my companion (who was only 1 transfer older than me on the mission) and I were oym-ed by a man (who was in his 60’s) and he said we could come visit him. When we went back with a member, he was still drunk from the night before and was acting crazy. He kept saying how buff he was and punching the curtain like a boxer. Finally, we gave him a word of wisdom pamphlet, explained it, and then said if he didn’t drink, smoke, or get in fights that week, we would come back next week to teach him. The whole time we were “teaching” him, I felt like we were going to fall through the floor because his house was a small, raised bamboo shack. I stepped out of his house in relief when I heard a crack from behind me. I turned around to see one of my companions legs had fallen through his floor. We still laugh about it. (Hailee)
- Hanging on the back of jeepnis everyday. (Brian)
- My companion and I, Elder Bergren, were lost in a shortcut without a flashlight in the middle of the forest with only the moonlight as the light source. (Ciro)
- There was one time me and my companion were cornered by a caribou because a little kid had made it angry by throwing rocks at it. (Joshua)
- Hinabol kami ng puting kalabaw (We were chased by a white water buffalo). (Maria)
- Leaving the apartment without a necktie/nametag. (Arneil)
- Chasing cockroaches and mice. (James)
- Been chased by a cow, fallen off a skate ( a mode of transport on railway tracks), fake eating chili while others ate it whole…(Roy)
- When my companion and I fell in the middle of the pond. (Ruth)
- When my housemate would confuse puno and puno (full and tree) as she climbed onto an overflowing jeepney. (Diana)
What was a crazy experience?
- When me and my companion in the office (he was my companion during my funny experience) got into a car accident. I passed out, but luckily I survived because of the Priesthood Blessing that he gave me. (Wade)
- We had a service project in a far area and we had to take a tricycle home with our whole district and I almost fell off the top. (Bryan)
- When I was in my last area, a typhoon hit. We were put on lockdown until the typhoon passed. Sometime in the afternoon of the day it hit, the power went out. As it got darker, the storm got stronger and stronger. Trees were getting knocked over and part of our neighbor’s roof was torn off. Our apartment was on the 2nd floor, so we didn’t have to evacuate to the church. During the night our apartment started flooding a bit because water was leaking from the roof. We spent lots of time scooping and sweeping the water towards the bathroom so it would drain out. We all slept in the living room on the floor. Overall we were pretty safe, but just hearing wind that strong was pretty scary. The storm did some pretty bad damage and we spent the next few weeks just helping people clean up. (Callie)
- Crossing the coconut tree bridges without rails. (Brandon)
- My companion was making dinner one night and I was watching the district, but I kept feeling like someone was watching us. When she sat down, so we could eat I mentioned something and she said she felt the same way. So we freaked out. Left our dinner, hid our valuables and left the house, heading to an appointment early. Nothing happened but we were terrified. Maybe nothing happened because we weren’t there, we will never know. (Hailee)
- Being stopped by NPA rebels in the mountains of Sorsagon. (Brian)
- My companion, Elder Durtschi and I were chased by dogs. (Ciro)
- I once had a really old, crazy lady strip in front of me and call me her son. (Joshua)
- Going home from a distant proselyting area. (Arneil)
- NPA’s in the area (James)
- Heavy rain and flood got us stuck in our apartment for days, being chased and Bible bashed by other sects. (Roy)
- We were with a family and there was a big fire in their house and my shoes got burned. (Ruth)
- Crossing paths with the NPA. (Diana)
What was a spiritual experience?
- Giving a Priesthood Blessing. I testify that it is the power of God that is healing the sick and afflicted. (Wade)
- A spiritual experience is I had a dream about an old lady walking in the dark and we passed by her and asked if she needed any help, and we stopped and helped her to her home…and this dream of mine ended up coming true. This Old Lady we helped is a member of the church, but her sister, 89 years old, is not. One Sunday, we went to take the Sacrament to her and she told us that she had a sister that’s not a member and needs to be baptized by us…As we were sitting down talking, she came up and suddenly she told us that she saw us in her dreams helping her out…Which is crazy, because it’s exactly what happened in my dream too…To make the story short, I explained what I saw in the dream, and she had tears and wanted to be taught and be baptized. (April)
- We were teaching our second lesson to a teenage girl and when we started to share about The Book of Mormon, everyone in the room started to tear up and she said that she had a true desire to learn more. (Bryan)
- In my 3rd area I struggled a lot. I spent six months in that area, but couldn’t manage to hold consistent investigators. It was tough to go out week after week with little progress. Finally, as I was just about to transfer, we found a man who was ready for the Gospel. He progressed so quickly and was so accepting. It was a huge blessing and the lessons we had with him were amazing. (Callie)
- Seeing the sacrifices people made to make it to Sacrament Meeting every Sunday. (Brandon)In my last area, we were teaching an investigator about the Book of Mormon and how EVERYONE will hear the gospel in their own language. Then I testified that I was proof, in a way, that the gospel was true because I was speaking to them in fluent Tagalog and that testified to me that the gift of tongues is real. (Hailee)
- Interviewing the many candidates for baptism that the sisters in our zone brought into the church. Those sisters were awesome proselyters! (Brian)
- Every day for me was a spiritual experience on my mission. (Ciro)
- During one lesson taught to a less active member with tuberculosis, he shared his testimony of the Priesthood, and my mind was cleared, and I understood the Priesthood so much clearer than ever before. (Joshua)
- I’ve learned to love the people I served with, my companion and in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Maria)
- Marinduque Home Group Project under the supervision of the General Authorities. In fact , it was a great experience to be the translator for President Kendrick , Area President and Sister Grasly of the General Primary Presidency. (Arneil)
- Baptizing in the ocean near Bacon Beach. (James)
- Everything in the Naga mission is a spiritual experience. Your missionary lifestyle, your companion, your district mates, your zone mates, the people, the leaders etc… one experience I had that uplifted me is when we were looking and there weren’t any vehicles to get back to the apartment in the middle of the night. A simple, humble prayer of gratitude and help was all we needed to get us safely home in no time. (Roy)
- When we were at the weekly meeting in our district to share the investigator’s ups and downs and to be baptized. (Ruth)
- Everyday!! The love of the people filled the day with the spirit. (Diana)
What are some interesting facts about the Naga Mission?
- Buhi Lake is in our area and you can find the smallest fish in the world in that lake, the Pandaca Pygmea. (Wade)
- Some interesting facts about my mission is learning from my companions and their personality….learning the different variety of each missionary and looking for the good in each missionary. (April)
- Famous for spicy foods. One of the poorest regions in the Philippines. They have a lot of rice fields. (Bryan)
- The Philippines Naga Mission is part of the Bicol region of the Phillipines. The only other mission in the Bicol region is the Legazpi Mission. Bicol region is known for its spicy food There are several different dialects in the Bicol region. Bicol in Naga is different from Bicol in Iriga. (Callie)
- The Philippines Naga mission was started in January 1989. The first missionaries were pulled from the Cebu and Cebu East missions. I was one of the first. I was pulled out of the Cebu East mission and helped form the Naga mission. (Brian)
- Our mission is the best in all the land, they say. (Ciro)
- We cover two provinces, there are around 27 dialects in our mission alone, and Bicol is the normal path of typhoons- I experienced four typhoons while on my mission. (Joshua)
- Every city or municipality have their own native language of Bicolano. (Arneil)
- I created the origin header for the “Beacon” news letter. (James)
- Best in All the LAND !!!! People are nice and sweet . Really helpful generous and always thankful. Members carry a strong potiential in serving each other and helping the ward/branch/group grow. They would feed you everywhere…(Roy)
- To bring the people into the true and living church. (Ruth)
- Pres. Lim became a general authority. (Diana)
What’s the weather like?
- It’s a bit hot and humid. A lot of rainy days. (Wade)
- The weather there is hot every day, and humid most of the time. (April)
- Hot. Hot with rain. And hot again. (Bryan)
- Hot and Humid. It’s basically a never ending summer. It might get a bit cooler in the winter months, but not by much. I wore a long sleeve shirt once my whole mission. (Callie)
- Joy in the summer and lots of rain. (Brandon)
- Humid all the time. Consistently in the 80’s, and rains almost daily. (Hailee)
- HOT AND MUGGY. I loved it. Except of course during the rainy season, then it was just wet. (Brian)
- Tropical. (Ciro)
- Rainy or hot, or both. (Joshua)
- Hot. (Maria)
- Typhoon visited the region. (Arneil)
- Humid. (James)
- Hahaha It’s either sunny or rainy. When it’s sunny, it’ll fry you up alive and when it pours, hahahaha, here comes the flood. (Roy)
- Like same here…too hot sometime, too cold rainy. (Ruth)
- Hot, rainy, hot again, rainy, hot and a little more rain! (Diana)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- Most are receptive, but all are kind-hearted people. (Wade)
- I like a lot about the place, and most important I love the people so much, not only because of their personality, but they are very kind and sensitive. (April)
- These are the most humble people I have ever met in my life. They truly are a special people. (Bryan)
- The Philippines is awesome!!! The people are kind and members are fun to work with. It’s absolutely beautiful in parts of the Philippines. I grew up in a desert area, so all the green in my mission was amazing. (Callie)
- They will give the only food they have to you and go hungry to make sure you had a meal. (Brandon)
- They were so humble, loving, welcoming. (Hailee)
- The people were awesome. Quick to accept you and welcome you. I learned to speak Tagalog and learned to fit into the culture. My companions called me the white Filipino. (Brian)
- They are poor but humble and diligent in obeying the commandments of the Lord. They walk 2 to 10 km just to go to church every Sunday. (Ciro)
- They are some of the nicest people I ever met. They are willing to make sacrifices for their loved ones. (Joshua)
- Very interesting, especially people spoke different dialect. (Maria)
- The people are kind but they hate. It is the whole family that will be against you. (Arneil)
- Everything. (James)
- I served in Mersedes, Tigaon, Pili and Nabua – People here are exciting and really welcoming. They would love you and care for you like you are one of their own. They take the Gospel seriously and love to help the missionaries out…(Roy)
- They’re very accommodating people and friendly. (Ruth)
- I cannot think of anything not to like. The people were welcoming, loving, and ever willing to serve! (Diana)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Don’t forget to bring an umbrella- you can use it on both sunny and rainy days. (Wade)
- Pack more pairs of garments, and personal things like deodorant, soap, hand sanitizer, and some workout clothes too. Advice for the Philippines- they don’t use toilet tissue for restrooms, they use water and your hands…that’s why you need to have hand sanitizer. (April)
- Don’t bring a back pack and buy an umbrella over in the field. (Bryan)
- I can only offer advice for Sisters. Pack light clothes. Don’t overspend when buying your clothes. I’m a smaller person, so I fit in pretty well in the Philippines, size wise. There are stores called Ukay-Ukay and they’re kind of like thrift stores. You can usually find some pretty decent clothes to use and it’s cheap. I bought super expensive nice shoes, but ended up not using them that often. A lot of the sisters use rubber shoes. My mom got me some nice Crocs (not the ugly hole ones but actual decent looking shoes) and I used those for half my mission. Don’t bring a raincoat, you’ll never use it. Bring a decent umbrella, but you’ll probably buy several throughout your mission. Crop top undershirts are the best. Bring a few slips- skirts you buy there could be a bit see through. You can bring a straightener, but your hair won’t stay straight for long. I hope this isn’t too personal, but you can buy feminine products there. It wouldn’t hurt to bring those from home though! (Keep that stuff in Ziploc bags in case your bag gets wet). (Callie)
- Pack light on pants. Buy them over there. They are better and cheaper. (Brandon)
- Light weight. No cotton items. (Hailee)
- You will need short sleeve shirts. Your suit will sit in the closet most of the time. I found the best is to just bring what they tell you. Then when you get there you can buy new clothes fairly cheap. In fact I had my pants hand made for me. (Brian)
- Don’t take long sleeve shirts, you won’t need them. Pack light. Plan on leaving behind everything when you come home, they need it more than you do. (Joshua)
- Leave the jacket home if permitted by your Mission President. (James)
- Just keep it simple. Proslyting – short sleeved, white shirt / polo is better in the heat than long sleeves. Umbrella and an insect repellent would be much better. Other – anything you like …. No snow here buddies!! (Roy)
- Well just bring your needs and be able to carry it for the whole 1 1/2 of your labor in the field. (Ruth)
- Light weight clothing. You can buy anything there! (Diana)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- A strong testimony and a lot of people who love and trust you, and people who you can trust. Self confidence develops and increases. You have sad and happy memories that you can learn from. (Wade)
- I not only learned a new language, but my family received many blessings like become stronger at church, and my Dad got baptized too. (April)
- I have received a true testimony about the love that our Heavenly Father has for each one of His children. I also have a greater understanding about the Gospel. (Bryan)
- I think the blessings one receives from serving are individual to each person. If you serve diligently and with the right purpose I mind, you’ll grow in ways you didn’t know you could. I developed a closer relationship with Heavenly Father as I turned to him daily in prayer and sought His guidance. I gained a better understanding and appreciation for Christ and His Atonement. I learned how to better recognize the Holy Ghost. I met people who humbled me and taught me to live life and be happy, even if you have nothing. (Callie)
- I meet the woman of my dreams. And learned to love people. (Brandon)
- Too many to count. But it taught me a lot about keeping a schedule, prioritizing, setting and achieving goals. Which I now see as a huge blessing. (Hailee)
- I could not list them all here. My mission changed me and my life. (Brian)
- Understanding of life and the people around me. (Ciro)
- I made eternal friends. I helped people change their lives. I learned a new language. I had my mind opened to a new culture. (Joshua)
- I have learned what real sacrifice is by serving our fellow beings. (Maria)
- I have a happy and united family. I have 2 returned missionaries. One from Bacolod Mission and the other came home from Hong Kong Mission. Another son is currently serving in Philippines Cagayan de Oro Mission. (Arneil)
- Continued desire to serve others. (James)
- Learned how to balance my personal life. Budgeting. Helped me to understand how to manage time and be punctual. Learned to be humble all the time and be happy with everything the Lord gives me. And the best blessing I would guess I had was to offer up two of my best years to the Lord to help other people know and understand what I know and understand. That simple opportunity would be the best blessing any missionary can have. (Roy)
- My blessing was I’ve gotten married in the temple and have a daughter. (Ruth)
- I cannot even begin to count the blessings or share the treasured moments. They are priceless and will forever be in my heart! (Diana)
What are some skills you gained?
- Teaching skills. Studying skills. Building relationships and trust skills. Basketball skills. Lol xD. (Wade)
- I learned good things and gained my knowledge of The Book of Mormon. I also became thrifty with using wisely my money and gained more self control. (April)
- I know two languages. I also have gained the ability to communicate effectively with people. (Bryan)
- I like to think I’m a naturally shy person. I’m not the bubbly girl that greets everyone energetically. Talking to strangers was one of the hardest things for me to do, but I learned how to do it. I’m more independent now. While I still get shy, I can handle situations where I feel a lot of pressure or feel nervous. I feel a lot more confident about myself. I can speak another language. I love teaching. (Callie)
- I learned to be fearless with what I believe. (Brandon)
- See above. Also talking comfortably about the gospel outside of church. Learning to live with someone (roommates) and getting a long with a companion. (Hailee)
- Teaching by the spirit, leadership skills, self confidence. (Brian)
- Social skills. I’m an introvert but because of my mission I got the courage to approach people. (Ciro)
- Time management. Multi-tasking. Patience. Endurance. (Joshua)
- Teaching and missionary skills. (Maria)
- Computer skills and understanding people from different social classes. (Arneil)
- Patience, love for strangers. (James)
- Being straight forward, speaking up, being inventive, learned to manage or control situations and be more specific in setting and achieving goals. (Roy)
- I’ve been a hard working, single mom for 11 years now. (Ruth)
- Public speaking, standing tall, strength to do all things. (Diana)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- I wish I talked to as many people as I could and built the trust of the members. (Wade)
- I wish I knew the struggle is real, and I wish I understood people’s needs. (April)
- That I wouldn’t get a long really well with every companion. (Bryan)
- I wish I had studied the language harder. My trainer spoke a lot of English to me and I was a bit stubborn. It took a while for me to grasp the language, but I eventually got it. Study, study, study! Speak the language every chance you get. Don’t get frustrated. Yes it’s hard. But it does get easier. Just keep working at it. Be diligent about writing in your journal! Write every experience down! Don’t let them fade away. Don’t be stubborn about a new culture, whether your in a different country, or companions with someone of a different culture. Treat everyone with love and just learn about different cultures. (Callie)
- I wish I had better studies. (Brandon)
- How important it is to make sure those you teach are understanding what you are teaching…not moving on until they understand and accept that principle. (Hailee)
- I spent the fist year of my mission adjusting to the climate and atmosphere. I was not prepared for it. I even spent two weeks in the hospital and almost died. By the time I got adjusted, I was able to be effective as a missionary for about a year. My only regret is that they would not let my stay longer. I did not want to go home. (Brian)
- I wish I was prepared in doctrine and more prepared spiritually. (Ciro)
- Nothing is like you expect it. It is okay to give freely of what you have. (Joshua)
- New dialects, new different companions. (Maria)
- The language. (James)
- I wish I knew the language a bit earlier so that I could have helped the people a bit more. (Roy)
- I wish to go on my mission and return with honor and it was done. (Ruth)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Naga?
- Never stop learning. Use time wisely, especially study time- personal/companion study can be the most important time in your mission. (Wade)
- For pre-missionaries, just give your all and He will give you the rest. Be exactly obedient and follow the missionary white handbook and you’ll be fine in the mission field. Good luck! There is nothing more fun than serving Him with all your might, mind, and strength. I bare witness that He will always be there with you, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. (April)
- No matter the trials that you will face, trust in God and he will provide a way for you to succeed. Fight your fears. (Bryan)
- I’ve given advice in different sections of this survey. Embrace new cultures and people. Don’t focus on differences. Be patient with your Trainer. They aren’t perfect, but they love you and want to see you succeed. BE OBEDIENT. Have fun and be happy, but always remember why you are there. If you train, be patient with your trainee. They’re knew and adjusting. This is the closest taste you get to parenthood before becoming an actual parent. (Callie)
- If you are having doubts or fears: Give it a try with all you have and you will find a second home. (Brandon)
- Be loving. Love your companion. Build them up. Look for ways to serve them. You are assigned to be with them for a reason and there is something you need to learn from them. Be obedient whether or not your companion or house mates are. Talk to everyone. Slow down and find who God has prepared for you. Embrace the culture, embrace the people. Love your mission! And give it your all! (Hailee)
- Be open minded. Learn to love the people and their ways. Lord will bless you and many will come into the church. (Brian)
- Just be yourself, you’re a missionary. Missions will never be easy. It will be hard and rigorous, but that’s the point. You will never receive any fruits if you do not labor. (Ciro)
- Hold on, trust in the Lord, take it day by day, and endure to the end. (Joshua)
- Get involved in seminary and institute programs designed by God for the youth. (Maria)
- Be prepared spiritually and physically. Learn to love the people you teach. (Arneil)
- Well the church is true, no doubt about it but serving a mission would help you feel the truthfulness of the Gospel. You will be able to see the blessings, the love, the testimonies of others who you have helped. I promise you that it is not easy but it’s all worth it. I knew and felt the Savior’s love in those two years. I have witnessed miracles and the Gospel’s role in a family. Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration and you will feel the same way he did when he needed to proclaim the Gospel and share it with others. The beginning of the mission is always rough but when endured with faith will help you understand your purpose as a missionary. My mission started pretty rough too. But in time, I understood why I was here, and by the end of my mission I didn’t wanted to leave . It was even heartbreaking to remove my tag. Love to be a missionary!!! This is the Lord’s work, I know it, nothing can stop it from progressing. (Roy)
- All you have to do is to have the love of your mission and the love of the people you work with and even all our companions in the whole mission. (Ruth)
- Keep smiling, keep serving, keep loving, keep listening. That is all you need for success. (Diana)
What was a language mistake?
- I would say “pananampalataya”, which means faith. I work on pronouncing it many times as I taught lessons…hahaha. (April)
- Instead of saying “The people killed Jesus” I said “Jesus killed the people”. (Bryan)
- There are lots of funny mistakes you can make. One I can remember was mixing up “pusa” (cat) and “puso” (heart). So instead of saying “with all your heart” I said “with all your cat”. (Callie)
- Bayad means payment and some say bayag which means testis. It’s funny when someone else does it, but not when it’s you. (Brandon)
- The word for owner is ‘may-ari’, if it is missing the ‘may’ it means a male body part. A sister in my mission saw some kittens that were abandoned on the side of the road. She meant to say, “aw, they don’t have an owner”, but she didn’t say ‘may’, so instead she said “aw, they don’t have a male body part”. (Hailee)
- The name” Jacki Chan” was always made fun of because chan means stomach. So instead of “Jacki Chan” it was” Maliking chan” (Big Stomic) or “sakit sa chan” (stomach ache). (Brian)
- I don’t really remember any, but speaking the Bicolano language is sometimes funny. (Ciro)
- Sometimes the word for read and to get wet got switched up and investigators were accidentally told to “get The Book of Mormon wet”. (Joshua)
- A bus/jeepney when it is full is not BUSOG it is PUNOT. (James)
- Hehehe One funny language incident was thinking totong was a nickname that the kids gave me for being funny but later finding out that actually it meant BURNT RICE (the lower portion of rice which turns black when over cooked ) because I was dark skinned. (Roy)
- The word latakon ta ikaw nyan /// well it’s just like to heat in the head if you make a fun time to each other. (Ruth)