Misión España Málaga
Free resources about the Spain Malaga Mission:
Aquí están algunos recursos gratuitos sobre la Misión España Málaga:
- 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: Spain LDS Missions.
Spain Malaga Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Malaga 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.
Spain Málaga Mission
Av. Jesús Santos Rein Nº 2, 1º C
Edif. Ofisol, Fuengirola
29640 Málaga
Spain
Phone Number: 34-952-469-392
Mission President: President T. DarVel Andersen
Spain Malaga Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Spain Malaga Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Malaga Mission:
Videos with Spain Malaga RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Malaga Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews.
LDS-Friendly Videos about Spain
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about Spain. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about Spain, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
Spain Malaga Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Malaga Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Spain Malaga Mission Groups
Here are Malaga Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Malaga Mission.
- Espana Sevilla/Malaga Mission Group (343 members)
- Spain Malaga Mission President Deere Group (202 members)
- Spain Malaga Mission President Clegg Group (135 members)
- Spain Malaga Mission Facebook Group (36 members)
- Spain Malaga Mission Facebook Group (16 members)
- Malaga Mission Moms and Friends (LDS) Group (8 members)
- Malaga Mission Moms Facebook Group (3 members)
Spain Malaga Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Spain Malaga Mission!
Shirt designs include Malaga 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: Malaga missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Malaga Mission gifts
Spain Malaga Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Malaga Mission.
- 2015-2018, T. DarVel Andersen
- 2012-2015, Monte M. Deere Jr.
- 2010-2012, Richard R. Clegg
- 2007-2010, Robert L. Mellor
- 2007-2007, John Budd Keeler
- 2004-2007, Lindon J. Robison
- 2001-2004, Allan Forrest Packer
- 1998-2001, Dean Michael Madsen
- 1994-1998, Faustino Lopez Requena
- 1994-1994, Garth J. Wakefield
- 1993-1994, James Shurtleff
- 1991-1993, David Heslington
- 1988-1991, Carl B. Pratt
- 1985-1988, D. Chad Richardson
- 1982-1985, W. Gordon Christensen
- 1979-1982, Dallas Archibald
- 1976-1979, Hugo Angel Catron
Spain LDS Statistics (2015)
- Church Membership: 52,747
- Missions: 3
- Temples: 1
- Congregations: 141
- Family History Centers: 55
Helpful Articles about Spain
Spain Malaga Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Spain Malaga RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
When did you serve?
- July 2013-December 2014 (Cassidy)
- 2013-2015 (Devan)
- 2003-2005 (Karl)
- 2003-2005 (Chris)
- 2004-2006 (Stephanie)
- July 2013 – January 2015 (Sara)
- March 2013-August 2014 (Jessica)
- 2013-2015 (Max)
- 2010-2012 (Adam)
- 2012-2014 (Aaron)
- February 2010-August 2011 (Keilani)
- 2011-2013 (Nathan)
- 2010-2012 (Zach)
- 2010-2012 (Taylor)
- 2010 2011 (Rosaria)
- 2003-2005 (Robert)
- 2001-2003 (Reg)
- 2000-2002 (Matt)
- 1997-1999 (Stephen)
- 1996-1998 (Derrick)
- 1995-1997 (Anonymous)
- 1995-1996 (Ann)
- 1993-1995 (Kirt)
- 1993-1995 (Kirt
- 1992-1994 (Andy)
- 1992-1993 (Karrie)
What areas did you serve in?
- Granada, Fuengirola, Alcoy, Badajoz, and Murcia. (Aaron)
- Castilleja de la Cuesta, Malaga, Cadiz, Jerez de la Frontera, Fuengirola. (Chris)
- Almeria, Cadiz, Fuengirola and Granada. (Stephanie)
- Madrid/Caceres/Torrevieja/Murcia/Almeria/Malaga. (Rosaria)
- San Juan de Aznalfarache (pueblos of Sevilla), Motril, Malaga, Cadiz and Fuengirola. (Robert)
- Malaga, Alcala de Guadaira, Sevilla, Puerto Real, Cadiz and Malaga again. (Reg)
- Malaga, Nerja, Motril, Alcala de Guadaira. (Matt)
- San Fernando, Sevilla 2, Málaga, Jaén, Jerez de la frontera, Alcalá de Guadira. (Stephen)
- Jerez, Sevilla, Velez-Malaga, Ceuta. (Derrick)
- Dos Hermanas, Sevilla Barrio Dos, San Fernando and Motril. (Anonymous)
- Huelva, SanLucar de Barrameda, Ceuta, Granada. (Ann)
- Granada, Antequera, Mairena, Ceuta, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Málaga, Y Chiclana. (Kirt)
- Granada, Malaga, Antequera, Mairena, Ceuta, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Chiclana. (Kirt)
- Granada, Algeciras, Dos Hermanas, Sevilla, Marbella, Ubeda, Malaga. (Andy)
- Malaga, Sanlucar de Bardameda. (Karrie)
What were some favorite foods?
- PAELLA! I also really loved jamón ibérico on freshly baked bread. Since our mission was on the Mediterranean coast, the seafood was incredible. And for something sweet, churros con chocolate. (Cassidy)
- Paella, Kebab, Tortilla de Patata, Arroz con Pollo, Jamón y Queso, Flan, Arroz con Leche. (Devan)
- Paella, fries! (Karl)
- Paella, puchero, churros con chocolate, caña, bifruta, jamon serrano, lentejas, tortilla de patata, pollo asado. (Chris)
- Paella, empanadas, churros and chocolate, bread. (Sara)
- Tortilla de patata, maria crackers paella. (Jessica)
- Paella, tortilla de patata, calamares, milanesa, kebab, shawarma, pollo asado. (Max)
- Paella, Tortilla de Patata, Jamon Serrano, basically any Spanish food. (Adam)
- Paella, Picamacho, Soup. (Aaron)
- Paella, fried fish, pastries, FRESH BREAD, gelato. (Keilani)
- Tortilla de patata, jamón, lentejas, gazpacho, chorizo. (Nathan)
- Every tapa available. Anything “con su salsa” and with fries Pollo al curry Paella Croquetas Pescaito frito TORTILLA DE PATATA. (Zach)
- Cold gazpacho and paella. (Taylor)
- Magdalenas, natillas a la vanilla. (Rosaria)
- Their bread was so good and tortilla de patata. I also loved their peach juice. (Stephanie)
- Tortilla de Patata, Arroz con Pollo, Paella, Pastries (canas), Pollo Asado, Telepizza, Chucherias, Bocadillos. (Robert)
- Paella, Borscht, chicken fillets, anything made by friends and members, gazpacho, Empanadas, homemade hamburgers, homemade jerky, all of the olives, dulce de leche, lentejas, every type of sea food, and many others! (Reg)
- Jamón serrano, chorizo, tortilla de patatas, pollo asado, churros, flan, arroz con leche. (Matt)
- Jamón Serrano/Ibérico, pollo asado, Cola Cao, Caña de Bollilandia, natilla Chino, Día raspberry Yogurt, Tortilla española, Ensalada Russa, Spanish salad, spanish Coke. (Stephen)
- Everything! Paella. Fish. (Derrick)
- Tortilla and paella with chicken and no seafood. Also the pastries with chocolate. (Anonymous)
- Paella, Tortilla de patatas, Boly coa, Cola coa, Lentejas. (Ann)
- Pan, arroz con leche, lentejas, tortilla de patatas, gazpacho, bocadillos de chorizo, paella son algunos! (Kirt)
- Tortilla de Patata. Arroz con Leche. Paella. Pan. Cocido Espanol. (Kirt)
- Pollo asado, Paella, All the pastries. (Andy)
- Tortilla Espanola, paella. (Karrie)
What was a funny experience?
- There were quite a few very experiences that happened, but one in particular that I love was from a baptism that we were attending. It was the baptism of a companionship of Elders in our same city. We had met a teenage girl on the street the day before and invited her to come with us to the baptism, and she accepted! The day of the baptism came and our friend was sooooo excited. She is from the Evangelist faith, so they get really loud and excited when it comes to religious activities. So the baptism begins, everyone is watching in a very reverent manner, when all the sudden our friend stands up and starts yelling and cheering, hooting and hollering, because she is so excited for the person getting baptized! We try and calm her down, telling her that this is no time to yell and that she needs to be reverent, but she wouldn’t have it. Everyone in the room was glaring at us as if saying “control your friend”, I felt like a mother trying to control her toddler child. That sure is an experience that I won’t forget! (Cassidy)
- There are so many funny experiences on the mission, especially when you are learning the language or when you are helping others learn the language, there will be some funny things that are said and that happen. (Devan)
- A local teen threatened me with a tiny stick, for my candy. We just laughed and kept walking- nothing happened. (Karl)
- A few of us missionaries went to Gibraltar with President and Sister Robison and went to the top of the rock where all the monkeys are. We were admiring the view and admiring the monkeys when one monkey did a running jump from a nearby ledge and landed on President Robison’s head, clinging for dear life! Needless to say, it surprised us all and made us laugh pretty hard! (Chris)
- My companion and I needed to refill the gas so we could have hot water (we had been 3 weeks without it in the middle of winter), when we called to see where we could refill it, they gave us an address, but when we dragged the gas can all around town, turns out they didn’t have refills. We brought it back home and picked up groceries on the way. We tripped and dropped all the groceries, cracked the eggs, broke the milk carton and got stuck in the elevator going back up. What a day! (Sara)
- One time my companion and I were traveling to the house of a less active member that no missionary had ever visited before so we weren’t exactly sure how to get there. The member told us to get on a bus that would drop us off near her house. We got on that bus which ended up getting on the freeway and drove for about 25 minutes without stopping. The bus suddenly stopped in the middle of nowhere about 15 miles from the nearest house and made us get off. We jumped off of the bus on the side of the freeway, looked at each other extremely confused and just started laughing. We decided to start walking back towards the city and luckily another bus passed by and picked us up. (Jessica)
- We were eating with the sweetest old woman. There were four of us, and the youngest missionary only had about a month in the mission and was still learning Spanish. We told him that the dessert she fed us was called “porqueria” so he told her, “Hermana me encanta esta porqueria!” which actually means, “Sister, I love this filth!” We were dying laughing. (Max)
- I couldn’t eat some of the food we were served and I didn’t want to say anything, so we tried to throw it out the window. (Aaron)
- One day we had three appointments in a row in the evening, none of them dinner appointments, but each family wanted to feed us dinner. It started out nice at the first house, but after the third house and dinner, we were stuffed to the rafters! (Keilani)
- On a very rainy day, we were late to an appointment so we were running down the street. I slipped and went head first into a big puddle. I was drenched the rest of the night. (Nathan)
- Learning to understand Spanish sayings. The first time I heard flamenco singing. (Zach)
- Walking in a down pour of rain and my companion yells Elder watch out! I then stepped in dog crap with him laughing at me and me trying to get the dog crap off, not paying attention, I stepped in a different pile of dog crap with the other shoe. (Taylor)
- People thought I was sick all the time because I am very blond and have pretty fair skin. I also got in trouble with our landlord whenever she saw me drink ice water because she was convinced it would make me sick. (Stephanie)
- Staying on the sofa in order to avoid cucarachas. (Rosaria)
- All of the fun older people you meet on the streets and in the parks. (Robert)
- Eating with Serei’s family and seeing his son almost cut his eye with a spoon and then their younger son getting frustrated over the trick candles for his birthday. (Reg)
- Me and my companion were knocking doors, it had been months since we got in a door, so to change it up a bit I got on my companions shoulders and began knocking doors. The first door opened, the Maria took one look at us, got scared. Screamed and slammed the door. The second door thought it was funny and let us in. He turned out to be pretty crazy, but we had a pretty entertaining conversation and he drew some art for me. Good times. (Stephen)
- Loved karaoke at ward parties and how much the members danced. (Anonymous)
- So many. Spaniards are blunt and honest! (Ann)
- Seeing a guy urinating in public. (Kirt)
- We had a lady make us spaghetti by frying the noodles. We missed the bus that was taking us to the train from Sevilla to Dos Hermanas… so four of us hung out in the streets until 6am. (Andy)
- Waking to roosters at my bedroom window in the city of Sanlucar de Barrameda, my first morning and many mornings after in the mission field. (Karrie)
What was a crazy/dangerous experience?
- Well this was quite the crazy experience, and it potentially could have been dangerous, but we escaped and we were protected. My companion and I were walking down the street on our way to our next appointment of the day. While we were walking, there was a man about 20 feet ahead of us walking in the same direction, when all the sudden this man turns around, stops to face us, and drops his pants! Wow. I am pretty sure both my companion and I had our jaws dropped to the ground. We immediately turn around and start walking in the opposite direction and turn the corner down the next street. While we were on the new street that we had just turned down, this man appears behind us and starts walking faster, gaining distance on us. At this point we begin running for dear life, and we eventually made it safely to a members house. (Cassidy)
- We got attacked with fireworks. Both of our suits took some damage. (Karl)
- Driving in Spain is a bit crazy, though not horrible. There used to be a lot of what we called moto-punks (teenagers who ride mopeds) and they loved to mess with missionaries. (Chris)
- In the middle of the night I heard a loud crashing noise. I woke up to make sure my comp was okay, when I saw she was there we checked outside our room and looked down the hall and the bathroom door slammed shut. We got freaked out and grabbed everything we had in our room, (turned out all that was in there was a few pots and pans) we didn’t know the emergency number, because it wasn’t 911. We checked again, now equipped, and it turned out the wind had pushed over a bookshelf and a lamp had broken all over the floor. It was pretty scary. (Sara)
- My companion and I were walking home one night when we were surrounded by a bunch of drunk guys. Luckily they were too drunk to really function so we just pushed our way through them and were fine. (Jessica)
- I was passing a neighborhood that was off limits to missionaries due to large amount of gypsies. As we passed, we could only see down the street. A couple feet away was a large group of gypsies circled around a giant bon fire in the middle of the street. I felt a dark feeling as we watched them and we quickly walked away. (Max)
- Just having people try to sell us drugs, but it wasn’t scary at all. (Aaron)
- We were teaching a gypsy family in a gypsy colony, and a group of drunk men saw us and were angry we were there, so they pointed a gun at us to scare us off! (Keilani)
- In our apartment in Alicante, I once woke up with a giant cockroach on my face. (Nathan)
- Crossing any crosswalk on a busy street with at least two lanes. (Zach)
- My companion and I unknowingly went to a very ghetto part of town. I knew something was off, but I didn’t realize that the Spirit was completely gone until I saw a member there and he made me leave that part of town. He actually escorted us out. (Taylor)
- A gypsy tried to take things out of our bags as we were walking down street, we should have let her take a Book of Mormon. (Stephanie)
- To be back home at 00.30, when all the people are ready to do fiesta. (Rosaria)
- I had eggs and other things thrown at me and my companions. (Robert)
- Getting lost in an unfamiliar neighborhood late in the evening and trying to figure out how to get home. (Reg)
- Played Fútbol with some Gitanos, it got a bit rough and one pulled out a knife and held it to my neck. I called him down and we all went out for pollo asado. (Stephen)
- A drunk man tripped and fell into me, burning my leg with his cigarette. I think he aimed for me because we saw him everyday and he didn’t like us. (Anonymous)
- Served in Ceuta. We had to be careful as sisters. (Ann)
- Getting hit with eggs from four stories up! (Kirt)
- My passport was stolen while serving in Ceuta and I had to cross over the Med to get to the US Embassy to get a new one. But you have to use your passport to do so. We fasted and prayed and I went with a member to the Police station to get a temporary pass. All ended well and I was able to get the new one. Turns out the man who had stolen it was an investigator who lost his luggage on a flight back through Malaga 4 months later. (Kirt)
- Too many… I had a guy try and stab me in the bus in Granada. Once in Algeciras. We had a bunch of junkies try and rob us once too. I fought on the street with a guy who was mugging a lady. He also had a knife. (Andy)
- I was bumped by a car in the street and on another occasion tomatoes thrown at me. Having to be covered and guarded into an area to teach a woman who had never heard of God. We taught her and I felt the Spirit and we were protected. (Karrie)
What was a spiritual experience?
- One spiritual experience that is very dear to my heart was during an investigator lesson. We had been teaching this investigator of ours for quite some time now, and we had grown really close to her. We had gone through so many ups and downs, overcome so many obstacles together, and all that my companion and I wanted was for her to be happy, to feel God’s love for her, and receive all the blessings that he had in store for her. During this particular lesson, our investigator broke down, crying and yelling, expressing that she had had enough and that she couldn’t go on anymore and that the expectations of baptism were too high for her. I remember feeling so hurt and so distressed at what she was telling us. Was she about to throw it all away? I remember an overwhelming calm come over me, and an indescribable love for her wash over me. The spirit filled me and spoke through me as I expressed God’s love and confidence in her. What the spirit indicated me to say was exactly what she needed to hear, and it is an experience that I can’t forget. (Cassidy)
- Their are way too many spiritual experiences on the mission. I have so many that come to mind, but the best ones for me were the confirmations from the Spirit that 1. Heavenly Father wanted me to go on a mission. 2. After I acted on the prompting to go, he led me, guided me, and gave me personal witnesses that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he restored the true church and perfect Gospel back to the earth. (Devan)
- Felt impressed to stay outside of our apartment for an extra 15 minutes before lunch, to stick with the time schedule. During that time we were approached by a lady who recognized us as missionaries. This led to a family becoming re-activated in The Church and her sister’s fiancé joining The Church. (Karl)
- Hearing my first convert (who is now a bishop, by the way) bear his testimony in sacrament meeting for the first time right after being baptized. It was the most tender and sincere testimony I had ever heard in my life and I think of it often. (Chris)
- Oh how do you narrow it down to one?? One night we were teaching an investigator in a member’s home and we were watching the restoration movie. My companion was brand new and didn’t speak Spanish. I told her to invite our investigator to baptism when she felt right. During the movie I felt strongly that we should invite him to baptism for two weeks later. After the movie was over, our investigator was in the middle of telling us his thoughts and my comp invited him to be baptized, he said yes. Then I invited him to be baptized two weeks from then. He accepted and was baptized that weekend. (Sara)
- There was a time during my mission when I fell into a deep depression. I was in an extremely difficult area and began to lose hope that we would find people to teach. My family was going through a difficult situation at home and I just felt so overwhelmed. I prayed and prayed for help and relief from this dark hole that I was in but the trial wasn’t taken away. I had to learn to let go of my will and accept the lord’s will. I found that living water that I desperately needed through prayer and the scriptures. Once I learned to put it all at the Savior’s feet, the atonement kicked in an I felt such a feeling of peace and strength. God turned my anguish to sweetness and my tears to joy. (Jessica)
- Maribel was a heavy drinker and smoker before we found her. We taught her the word of wisdom and gave her a Priesthood blessing. Immediately following the blessing, her desire to smoke and drink left. The Lord helped her to completely get rid of the temptation to break the word of wisdom. Almost 2 years later, as far as I know, and she still hasn’t broken it. An amazing experience! (Max)
- Reactivating members and helping people change their lives completely to follow God. Watching someone who makes covenants with God and knowing they understand what they are doing and how much it means to them, is incredible. (Aaron)
- We felt like we needed to visit a certain former investigator on a particular day, and everything was making it so we couldn’t get to her house that day (opposition), but we finally got to her house at the very end of the day. When we knocked on her door, she said she’d been praying that missionaries would come. She said that she’d never missed a day of reading the Book of Mormon since we had originally given her one months before, and that she knew it was true and was ready to get baptized! The Spirit was so strong that the Lord knows and loves each individual and never forgets His children. (Keilani)
- Every single day was a spiritual experience. Spain is full of miracles just waiting to happen. Not one day passed by without some sort of miracle. (Nathan)
- The moment when something you’ve been teaching makes perfect sense and you see the “ah ha” moment in their eyes. (Zach)
- When I ran into a member who was having a super rough time with family and money. I shared with her my favorite scripture and she broke down crying. The spirit was very strong. D&C 78: 17-19. (Taylor)
- So many! Praying that people would come to church and having members bring friends, and all of a sudden nine new people came to church one week. (Stephanie)
- So many to list. I would have to say one of the times we taught the first vision to a group of about 15 South American people in a small room. I don’t think I’ve ever felt the spirit stronger than I did that day. (Robert)
- Having a brand new convert translate for us in order to teach his cousin the gospel as well after his baptism. (Reg)
- Going on exchanges with an 8 year old girl to teach her school teacher, when I walked into a room of college professors ready to grill me and learn. I had been out one month. She pointed to flip charts and pointed to the pictures they were asking about. It was an experience I have never forgotten. (Karrie)
- We found a girl ready to accept the gospel. It was incredible because all we had to do was teach the principles…all she would say was “YES”…accepting everything we were teaching. That was amazing because I’ve learned that there are people ready to accept the gospel among us. (Rosaria)
- Meeting President Hinckley at the Madrid Temple while on tour. (Stephen)
- Singing to people and doing family home evening for part member families. (Anonymous)
- So many. Teaching a muslim. (Ann)
- Seeing the chapel in Malaga get started and the chapel in Chiclana finished. (Kirt)
- We taught a Catholic weekly meeting for about two months until the church learned what we were doing. We had a lot of awesome experiences there. And about 200 more. (Andy)
What are some interesting facts about the Malaga Mission?
- Something that was unique about our mission was our daily schedule. Spaniards like the night life, they don’t like to be out early and they like to stay out late. Families- young and old- everyone alike is outside on the town until about 11:00pm or so. Because of this, some of our best proselyting hours were late in the evenings. Our daily schedule was modified to accommodate this; we would wake up at 7:30am and be back in our apartments at about 10:30pm and in bed at 11:30pm. Spaniards also participate in something called Mediodía. Basically every day from about 2-5pm everyone goes home from work or school to eat lunch, take a nap, or just relax. Because of this, the streets were empty at these hours and nobody wanted you disturbing their meal time or nap. So us missionaries were also in our apartments at this time, eating and doing our studies. Something else interesting about our mission was the cultural diversity. We were able to meet people from all over the world and learn about many different faiths. These different cultures ranged from Muslims, to Nigerians, other European countries, and many South American countries. (Cassidy)
- There is just so much history- a lot of Roman ruins, Christian influence as well as Muslim. There are a ton of South Americans in Spain. Spaniards and Latinos speak differently. (Devan)
- I took a picture where you can see three separate countries! From the top of Gibraltar (England), you can also see Spain and Morocco. You get to see bull fights! (Karl)
- The Malaga Mission, when I served, only included the province known as Andalucia. There were 5 missions in Spain at the time. The Bilbao and Las Palmas missions were consolidated in 2006 (I believe) into other missions leaving only 3. The Malaga Mission grew to the East and North absorbing parts of the Barcelona mission as it grew to absorb parts of the Bilbao mission. Las Palmas (the Canary Islands) was added to the Malaga Mission for a short time but was moved to be part of the Madrid Mission because the Malaga Mission President had to fly to Madrid first before flying to Las Palmas anyway. (Chris)
- They still participate in bull fights. They play soccer on a court. They close EVERYTHING from 2-5 pm and things are open until way late. There is no grass, so dogs just go to the bathroom on the sidewalks. Spain has so many castles. No carpet. (Sara)
- The dialect of Spanish there is called Castellano. It has a majority of the famous Spanish cities within its borders. (Jessica)
- There is no temple. There are two continents that are part of the mission. (Max)
- It is one of the most diverse places you can find. I taught and met people from over 50 countries. (Aaron)
- Spain had the best economy in the world about 15 years ago, so it attracted all sorts of immigrants. As such, I met/taught/was fed food by people from every single Central and South American country and many countries in Europe and Africa. So you get quite the melting pot of cultural experiences! (Keilani)
- I baptized in every area I served in. There are a TON of baptisms to be had in Spain. I had two Mission Presidents. (Nathan)
- Medio dia. In Spain, they will take a break starting around 12:00 and go till around 4-5-6. Everyone does this, businesses are open very limited hours almost every day. This is also when they take there main meal of the day. Almost everybody lives in a “piso” or apartment, which are usually in tall buildings. (Zach)
- It’s the best mission in Spain. (Taylor)
- The people are very open, they like people. There are a lot of people there from different countries. (Stephanie)
- Best mission in the world. Amazing historical sights. Friendly people. Beautiful weather. Awesome food. Beautiful language. (Robert)
- Very mixed population and very multicultural. (Reg)
- Never drove a car, walked and took buses. I lost a lot of weight, because I didn’t eat a lot of sweets and pastries. (Karrie)
- I could get up at 7.30 and go to sleep at 23.30…that was amazing! (Rosaria)
- It includes two Spanish colonies in Morocco. Amazing history. I went 16 months without teaching a charla -includes English owned Gibraltar, where they speak Giberish. Has it’s own dialect “Andalú”. (Stephen)
- Less wards now than 20 years ago when I was there. More expats get baptized and stay than spaniards. Great history there. (Anonymous)
- Work is slow and hard. Catholicism runs deep in blood. People are fun. Everything closes between 2 and 5. We were out until 10 or 11 each night because of this. (Ann)
- My group was the first group of missionaries called to the Spain Malaga Mission. (Kirt)
- I had three mission presidents. I trained a local who ended up living with my family in Utah after his mission. I got to go over to Ceuta (in Africa). (Andy)
What was the weather like?
- The weather was perfect! Seeing as though most of our mission rests along the Mediterranean coast, the weather was warm, but with a perfect breeze from the sea. However depending on where you were, especially during the summer, you could experience record-breaking heat. There were many inland cities that would get as hot as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Although it got pretty hot, we never had to deal with snow! (Cassidy)
- Hot in the summer, cold in the winter. (Devan)
- Warm, only a little snow in one area. (Karl)
- The weather is pretty good for most months out of the year. In the spring, there are typically a few weeks of rain. In the winter it doesn’t get too cold, except for a few weeks when it can be very cold because of the humidity. (Chris)
- The weather is pretty good for most months out of the year. In the spring, there are typically a few weeks of rain. In the winter, it doesn’t get too cold, except for a few weeks when it can be very cold because of the humidity. (Chris)
- The weather was perfect. My mission was right on the coast. So it was pretty much paradise. (Sara)
- It was hot and humid during the summer and fall and got pretty cold during the winters. (Jessica)
- Really hot in the summer, really cold in the winter. (Max)
- It is hot and humid in the summer, but the winters can get cold because of the wind. (Aaron)
- Beautiful but pretty blazing hot in July and August and rainy in the winters. (Keilani)
- Really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter. Perfect the rest of the year. (Nathan)
- Very warm! Not humid for most of the country. Winter is cold, not snowy cold (unless in Granada). But usually just sweater weather for winter. It does rain, and when it rains, it rains hard. (Zach)
- For the most part it was excellent weather. But it did rain enough that I bought a good umbrella. Winters were pretty chilly as well. (Taylor)
- We had few days of rain. It was always pretty warm (even in the winter…). Summers were very very hot. I remember in Sevilla it was like 45 (celtius degree)!!! (Rosaria)
- Warm, hot in summer and humid. Sometimes windy saw it snow two times; but it didn’t stick, even in Granada, the snow just stuck on the mountain. (Stephanie)
- Perfect. It was usually blue skies and sunny. Occasionally it rained. I never wore a winter coat, however Granada can get very cold. (Robert)
- Dry, humid, very similar to Southern Utah. (Reg)
- Better than home! (Matt)
- Wind of fire in the summer and freezing in the winter on the Atlantic side. (Stephen)
- Summers are hot, in the winters it tends to rain a lot. But it doesn’t get that cold in the winter. (Derrick)
- Rainy in winter and sunny and hot summer. (Anonymous)
- Hot, hot, hot in the summer, and rainy and chilly in the winter. (Ann)
- There was a drought going on when I got there. (Kirt)
- Hot and cold! Granada was freeing in the Winter and Sevilla Malaga etc. were hot in Summer. (Andy)
- Humid, hot in the summer, chill your bones in the winter. (Karrie)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- I love the Spanish culture! Especially in the south of Spain. I love the narrow, cobblestone streets. The beautiful flower pots hanging from the windows. The beautiful women in the flamenco dresses and flowers in their hair. I love the Spanish accent, especially in Andalucia (southern Spain). The people of southern Spain are so easy-going and have no sense of urgency. They are happy and extremely friendly, bold, and not afraid to tell you how they really feel. (Cassidy)
- They are just fun, caring and loving. Most anyways. (Devan)
- They are a very social people by nature, caring and genuine. (Karl)
- The Andaluz people are some of the kindest, funnest people you’ll ever know! They are known all over the country as being much more laid back than people in other parts of Spain. Even the way they speak Spanish is laid back. They cut off their words and slur them together in some cases. It can be a bit shocking to arrive there fresh from the MTC and hear what sounds like a totally different language than what you spent the previous few weeks learning! (Chris)
- I love the culture, they stay in touch with the culture of the past. They continue to dance flamenco and sing in the streets. Every big city has a big fair during the summer where they have dancing and music. (Sara)
- They were so warm and kind. They love to feed you and teach you about the history of Spain. Spain is so beautiful and is full of so much history. There are always things to do on p-days. (Jessica)
- They are all so friendly to the missionaries! They are very sophisticated. (Max)
- The people are so willing to help you and are very friendly. They love to feed the missionaries and are open to hearing our message most of the time. (Aaron)
- It’s the south, and so everyone is very friendly and open. People say hi on the street and are very willing to give directions. Also, the Spaniards are upfront and simply tell you if they’re not interested! 🙂 (Keilani)
- Their constant respect for the missionaries. I felt so loved in Spain. (Nathan)
- The people are amazing!! Beyond friendly! However, they have little sense of personal space. Within the towns and cities everything is very close together. (Zach)
- I loved the culture and history. Most everyone was very nice to each other. (Taylor)
- It is so beautiful and so much history there. I loved meeting people from so many different cultures. I felt very welcome there. (Stephanie)
- Very friendly and loving. They all had great stories to tell. I love their closeness to friends and family. (Robert)
- They are always willing to talk about anything, as long as it is not about religion. There is so much to see an do. People will go out of their way to help you when you are looking for a place. (Reg)
- Beautiful, history, people are honest. (Matt)
- Architecture, history, Feria, a giving people. (Stephen)
- Loved the history, but wished I would have understood more while I was there and how deep it runs. Wish I would have gone to more sightseeing on preparation days. (Anonymous)
- So much culture. (Ann)
- I like that the people there are willing to give me their hearts, even if they don’t want to listen to the gospel. (Kirt)
- I loved how friendly people were to us. They wanted to have us over, even if they weren’t interested. Soccer in the streets with suits on was fun. (Andy)
- They put family first and when we were there visiting, we were family to them. Very generous! They loved us! (Karrie)
- I like the weather, I like the warm people, I like the sea in Malaga and in Torrevieja…the precious bancien buildings. (Rosaria)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- I say the more clothes, the merrier! I got sick of my clothes after a while. Unless the rules have changed, sister missionaries in our mission can wear sandals, as long as they strap along the back. I suggest at least one pair, I had two pairs, of comfortable sandals. You will wear them everyday in the spring and summer. Also bring a thumb-drive to download videos, conference talks, etc. to show the people that you teach. Also, if the rules haven’t changed and it is still allowed, P90X videos to use to work out in the mornings, sometimes it is hard to find your own motivation to workout in the morning. (Cassidy)
- Don’t take a lot of clothing. You’ll want to buy slacks, suits and white shirts there. (Devan)
- Bring extra shoes, especially if you have US size 12. They don’t sell large shoes! (Karl)
- Find light, comfortable shoes. For me, flexible soles worked best. The cobblestone roads can be rough on shoes. (Chris)
- Bring a coat, or two. It got cold on the coast during the winter. Bring boots and tights. I would also bring nicer looking t-shirts because summers you’ll get sweaty! (Sara)
- It gets windy so bring a few skirts that won’t fly up in the wind. It gets pretty hot and humid so bring shirts that you won’t have to layer that much. (Jessica)
- Don’t bring many suits! You can buy some cheap ones there! (Max)
- I would bring thin, short-sleeved shirts and a warm coat as well. You can buy most of the stuff when you are there. Bring shoes that are comfortable and durable. (Aaron)
- For sisters, I would recommend pencil skirts, because it gets windy and that can cause problems. Also, some crock Mary Jane’s or other shoes that dry quickly for the rainy seasons. (Keilani)
- A good rain jacket is a must. I would take more short sleeve shirts than long sleeve shirts. Plenty of socks. Get a good pair of Ecco shoes…mine were HEAVEN on the mission. (Nathan)
- Spain is very much European, as is the case with their clothes. Short sleeve shirts are nice with the heat. I liked the pants from Spain so much more. (Zach)
- Bring two towels. (Taylor)
- A coat is handy in winter, even though it doesn’t get too cold I was glad I had one. Comfortable shoes, you walk a lot. And a nice over-the-shoulder bag is good because we couldn’t have backpacks. (Stephanie)
- Don’ t buy too much in the preparation…you will collect such an amount of clothes in your mission. (Rosaria)
- Only bring one suit. You can get nice Italian suits for cheap when there. Good walking shoes. Take sweaters, most of the winter I was fine with a sweater and suit coat. You can also buy cheap ties there. (Robert)
- One suit is plenty, hagar pants are great, get some good shoes to walk around in because you won’t be on a bike, unless that has changed. (Reg)
- Comfy leather shoes that can pass as dress shoes (example, Rockports). (Matt)
- You don’t need all the stuff they say you need. Rarely wore my suit coat. You only need one. Get a trench coat for the rainy days. Get good shoes. You will be walking everywhere. Doc Martins. Short sleeve white shirts. Don’t need long. (Derrick)
- Comfortable shoes. Umbrellas and light jackets. Bring your own feminine hygiene products if female. (Anonymous)
- Sturdy shoes. Girls light materials in clothing for summer. Good backpack. (Ann)
- They don’t have syrup or peanut butter, or root beer there. I packed my own maple flavoring so I could make syrup. Every chance we got to go to Gibraltar, we got peanut butter while we were there. (Kirt)
- Good shoes. (Andy)
- You need tights for winter…it doesn’t get cold, but humidity makes it feel crazy cold! (Karrie)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- If there is one major blessing that I have received from serving a mission it is how my relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ has strengthened. Laboring alongside Him everyday, inviting people to change their lives and come unto him, gave me the opportunity to get to know who He really is and the significance that He personally has in my life. I have a greater understanding of His plan, and the urgency and importance of it today. I learned how special it is to love with Christ-like love. I have a greater understanding of the scriptures and have learned how they can be applied into our lives. There are so many blessings, I wish I could list them all! (Cassidy)
- Too many to count. I received a true testimony, I learned how to serve, how to love. Really in one thing, I learned to be Christ-like. (Devan)
- My mission taught me to be patient and humbled me quite a bit. (Karl)
- There are too many to count! But here are a few: – I gained confidence. – I gained a testimony of the restored gospel. – I gained so many skills that are directly applicable to achieving success in school and career. – I gained so many friends that I cherish to this day. – I gained direction for my life. (Chris)
- My life has changed because I served a mission. The biggest blessing is that I met my husband while serving. And I am happier than ever. I am stronger in my faith and my habits have completely changed. (Sara)
- The blessings are completely impossible to list. There have been too many blessings to count. The most important blessing to me from my mission has been my testimony of Christ’s atonement. My mission taught me SO much about the atonement and taught me to apply it to my life. I learned to feel of the power of the atonement each day and that’s something that has saved me post-mission life. (Jessica)
- Organization in my life. Happiness and joy with my family. Friendship goals for the future. Better relationship with Jesus Christ. Stronger testimony of Book of Mormon. Study skills. (Max)
- I received blessings with my testimony and strength to apply the Atonement. The relationship you gain with all the people you meet is the greatest blessing you can receive! (Aaron)
- Some wonderful friends, great experiences in leadership in church service, incredible blessings for my family, learning a new language, and my vision was even corrected – I don’t have to wear glasses anymore! (Keilani)
- Everything I have now is because of my mission. But mostly, I gained a real testimony of the gospel. (Nathan)
- Too many to count! My beautiful wife is a direct blessing to just name one. (Zach)
- Lots of awesome friendships. (Taylor)
- So many. I think about it every day. It helped me learn how to teach the gospel and relate to people better. I gained a stronger testimony!! Helped me see miracles happen everyday. (Stephanie)
- I can be more attentive in other’s needs, I can remember even more things like in studying, I ‘m stronger than before, my testimony has grown so much. (Rosaria)
- Too many to list, but: Strong testimony of the gospel and my Savior. The amazing experience of seeing someone’s life change from accepting the gospel and being changed through Christ. I grew as a person, developed social and work skills I still use. Learning Spanish. Lifelong friends. Being grateful for all I have. Life lessons I still reference. One of the best experiences of my life. Not a week goes by that I don’t think of my mission and the people I was able to serve. (Robert)
- I learned what direction I wanted to go in my career, I was blessed with many friends and opportunities to serve. I have some great leaders. (Reg)
- Way too many to list. (Matt)
- More than anything. Converted myself. I thought I was converted but it changed me forever. Also, don’t take it personal if you don’t feel successful. That’s how I came to understand and appreciate the atonement. (Anonymous)
- Learned Spanish. Testimony. Opened my eyes. Love of travel. (Ann)
- I can’t even begin to explain. I have a beautiful faithful wife, six wonderful children, a great job, I speak Spanish, but most of all, I have a very strong testimony due to my two years in Spain. (Kirt)
- I had so many experiences that proved to me that God knew me and loved me. Felt the Spirit so strong too. Those many experiences have held me through the rest of my life… (Andy)
- There is not a blessing in my life now over 20 years later that isn’t some how tied to my serving the Lord. (Karrie)
What are some skills you gained?
- I learned how to more effectively study the scriptures, and then how to better apply them into my life and the lives around me. I have learned the importance of study. I have learned the importance of hard work and dedication. I learned better communication and other professional skills. I also learned a little more on how to cook! (Cassidy)
- Language, how to teach, how to care about people, organization skills, time management, how to plan, prioritize, etc. (Devan)
- Spanish of course, better memorizing skills, better social skills, learning to live with another person (helps a lot with marriage). (Karl)
- How to speak Spanish to natives of nearly all Spanish speaking countries. – How to plan, set goals, and get a lot of stuff done in a day. – How to study critically. – How to teach– really teach. – How to motivate people. – How to be a leader. – How the Church works. – How to work really hard even when you don’t see immediate results. – How to conduct meetings. – How to solve problems. (Chris)
- Study habits, cooking, cleaning, working hard and not giving up, people skills. (Sara)
- Public speaking, cooking, money management, conflict management, receiving personal revelation, and time management. (Jessica)
- Study. Meaningful prayers. Social. Learned to talk with strangers. (Max)
- How to better communicate with people. Seeing people for who they are and their potential. A greater capacity to love. (Aaron)
- Great language skills, learning to find something to talk about or connect about with people from all over the world, and experience helping though struggling with mental illness. (Keilani)
- Spanish speaking, hard work, patience, patience, more patience, love for those around me, humility. (Nathan)
- People skills. Maturing. Being able to live with other people. (Zach)
- Language, and people skills. (Taylor)
- Teaching. (Stephanie)
- Hard work, Compassion, Team work, Studying skills, Public speaking, Patience, Empathy, Conflict management, Communication, Language. (Robert)
- Budgeting, teaching by the spirit, cleaning, organizing. (Reg)
- Spanish. (Stephen)
- Don’t start talking to the people about religion right off the bat. They don’t care. It’s only been about 44 years since they had freedom of religion. I made all of my best contacts through service. They would ask me who I was, then begin from there. (Derrick)
- Love and serve everyone. Don’t sweat the small stuff. (Anonymous)
- Singing, teaching ESL. (Ann)
- Leadership, tolerance, love for people, interpersonal skills, Spanish. (Kirt)
- Being able to talk to anyone. (Kirt)
- Talking to people. Knowing what I want and need and how to express it. Endurance through less pleasant times. Inner strength. Work ethic. (Andy)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- Something that I wish I would have known before my mission is that missions are not easy. They are tough, and you are going to experience a lot of physical and emotional struggles. BUT, it is going to be the best experience FOR your life. Though there will be tough times, you will better remember the good times. And there will be many- very many- of the good and happy times! I wish I would have gone out with the missionaries before I left for my mission, that way I would have had a better idea of how they teach and testify. And lastly, almost everyone in Spain is very Catholic. They love the Bible. I wish I would have had a better understanding of the Bible before I left, especially a better understanding of how the Bible and the Book of Mormon connect and testify of each other. (Cassidy)
- I wish that I would have focused more on Preach My Gospel. (Devan)
- I wish I knew The Book of Mormon better. (Karl)
- I wish I knew more about the history, culture, and current events of Spain (and Europe). It helps to understand where they’ve been and what context they find themselves in when you approach them about the gospel. (Chris)
- I wish I knew more of Preach My Gospel. I also wish I wouldn’t have been afraid to make mistakes, it’s going to happen, so you just gotta go for it. (Sara)
- I wish I would have known how difficult and yet amazing it was going to be. Missions are the most difficult thing you will ever do but they are also the best thing! You will never ever regret serving a mission. You will only be grateful. I wish I also would have known how many life long friends I would make from the mission. (Jessica)
- The importance of talking with everyone. The mission is NOT easy! Importance of soaking in EVERY good moment. (Max)
- The greatest way to apply yourself to the work is being yourself. You need to set goals and be the best you, but you don’t need to try and be someone you are not. Being real and genuine with people is the greatest way to gain their trust and helping them truly understand. (Aaron)
- Had shoes that didn’t get waterlogged! :-). (Keilani)
- I wish I would have known Preach My Gospel better than I did. (Nathan)
- Not blindly following your trainer. (Zach)
- I wish I would have read the Book Of Mormon more before my mission. (Taylor)
- To relax and not be nervous about the people. (Stephanie)
- More memory, more capacity to love, I’m able to organize my day better. (Rosaria)
- Spoke Spanish more. Two years goes quick. Love each companion for who they are. Get to know as many members as possible. Write down advice from every companion (Robert)
- Better language skills in other areas besides to gospel so that I could talk in the street a little more. (Reg)
- Service builds trust, trust fosters a softened heart and allows for listening. (Matt)
- Not blame myself for lack of teaching opportunities. And not get discouraged. (Anonymous)
- Elders weren’t perfect. (Ann)
- I wish I had known that it would end much faster than I thought it would. I wish I would’ve focused on the vocabulary more, not just gospel, but life vocabulary as well. (Kirt)
- How fast it would go and the experiences I would have that I still reflect on. (Kirt)
- I wouldn’t have put up with older missionary laziness or shenanigans. How to manage my money. (Andy)
- I wished that I had known nothing was impossible and that I was a person of significance to the Lord. I also wished I had studied harder for my mission and understood the significance and power that comes when you are set apart for the work. (Karrie)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Malaga?
- Enjoy every moment that passes you in the mission. The tough times, the good times, never forget to think to yourself; “what does the Lord want me to learn from this experience?” Be obedient. Obedience brings blessings, but exact obedience brings miracles. I know that our Heavenly Father is a God of miracles. What I love about being a missionary is that you get to see first hand the miracles of the Atonement. I know that the Atonement is real and of the enabling power that it possesses. I know that God loves ALL of his children, and you will feel that as you dedicate yourself and get to know the amazing children of God in Spain. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he saw God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. I know that because I have felt it, every time I recited the First Vision, there was a burning in my chest. I know that you were all called to this mission for a reason, and as you consecrate yourself to the Lord and pour out your love to His children in Spain, you will come to find out for yourself as well. (Cassidy)
- Just love it, and be ready to be obedient. If you are obedient you will love your mission so much more. (Devan)
- Get your testimony rock solid before going. You must believe that the Gospel has something for everyone or you’ll have a harder time. (Karl)
- You are going to love your mission! Prepare to give a lot without necessarily getting a million lessons taught or people baptized. But the blessings are abundant and undeniable. (Chris)
- The mission is the best thing you can do to prepare you for the future. I promise that you will not regret going. I loved my mission, I can’t really describe how much it changed me. I am so happy. The church is so true. No doubt. (Sara)
- Learn how you personally receive personal revelation from the spirit. You will need to know how the spirit communicates with you to be a successful missionary. Everyone is different so make sure that you are able to recognize how it works with you. (Jessica)
- This will be the BEST thing you will do in your life up to this point. It is worth it. You will become a better man/woman for serving the Lord. He loves you and will be by your side every second of every day, even when you don’t feel it. (Max)
- You will never know what you are going to face on your mission. There is no way to fully prepare yourself for the challenges you will face, but all the preparation you do before you go will help you. Do as much as you possibly can before. (Aaron)
- You are about to have the greatest adventure of your life so far! It will be as great as you make it, so let the Lord make you the best that you can be and recognize that His hand is in every experience you have on the mission! And know you’re going to the best mission in the world! :-). (Keilani)
- Just LOVE the people of Spain. Get lost in the work. Don’t worry about home! You have been called to serve in one of the most beautiful missions in the world, don’t take it for granted. Thank the Lord every day for what He has given you. (Nathan)
- Watch documentaries and travel films. (Zach)
- It’s going to be hard, but the Spanish people are some of the most humble, awesome people you’ll ever meet. Talk to everyone. Even when people shut you down, don’t feel dumb or inadequate. This work isn’t about you, it’s about finding those who are ready and giving them the best thing that will ever happen to them in their lives. Spain is such a beautiful country and the people are so awesome. (Taylor)
- Just keep going, the things you do everyday make you stronger. (Stephanie)
- To be ready to work hard. (Rosaria)
- It is the best decision you will ever make. I don’t believe an 18 or 19 year old person can do anything else in life that will help them grow and develop life skills more than serving a mission. It will teach you how to be a better disciple, friend, sibling, spouse, parent and worker. It really is one of the best things you can do to create a solid foundation for your future. In both a worldly and eternal perspective. (Robert)
- Read the Book of Mormon every day in your new language. It will help! (Reg)
- Be yourself. Build relationships. Let your testimony show in your actions. (Matt)
- Always speak Spanish! (Derrick)
- Love them. Understand the culture and history more. Asking for eggs the wrong way at the store. (Anonymous)
- Learn how to communicate. (Ann)
- Make every day count, learn the language as best you can, speak it as much as you can, ask as many questions as you can, love the people! (Kirt)
- Porn was everywhere… so have a good song or two in mind. (Andy)
- Prepare!!! and then Prepare some more!! This will be the beginning to a new life. A life filled with blessings beyond measure, but not without effort and commitment. Serving a mission is the best thing I ever did for myself and has helped me be the best wife, mother, and worker in the Kingdom of God I can be. This promise is for all who want to work. The Lord qualifies who he calls! I am so grateful for my call and opportunity. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. (Karrie)
What was a funny language mistake?
- The Spanish accent in Spain is a little different than anywhere else in the world. They pronounce the zeta, or they have a bit of a “lisp” on the c’s and z’s in some words. Sometimes this zeta can sound a little funny when pronounced. For example, I don’t recall who I was talking to, but we were talking about Zumba. And because I was used to talking with the Spanish accent, I pronounced the “z” on the word “zumba” with the lisp…. it sounded really funny and we all started to laugh about it! (Cassidy)
- I once said that I was a little woman, and that the Millennium was a thousand years of urine. (Devan)
- Let’s just say there are a few curse words similar to regular words. Luckily this didn’t happen with investigators or in church talks. Usually when talking with member families. For example, conmigo and contigo mean “with me” and “with you” but conyo does not mean “with I”. (Karl)
- When I was brand new and still pretty rough in my Spanish skills, we were knocking doors to find people to teach. All I knew was how to introduce ourselves and ask if we could teach a lesson. If the person said that they were busy doing something I knew how to ask if we could help. We pushed a button on an intercom and a woman answered. I introduced ourselves and asked if we could teach a lesson. She said something that I didn’t understand but I gathered that she was busy. I was just about to ask if we could help her when my trainer cut me off and told the woman to have a nice day. He told me she said that she was breastfeeding her baby! (Chris)
- A member told me “levántate” (it means stand up). I thought he pointed to the cell phone, so I grabbed it and threw it in the air and caught it. It was embarrassing. And it was my birthday… And I when I stood up they were going to put a cake under me. (Sara)
- I kept offering massages (masaje) from Jesus Christ instead of messages (mensaje) from Jesus Christ. (Jessica)
- It is really easy to mix up words when you learn a language. One of my companions said a really bad word when we were teaching the Law of Chastity. He told the girl that she cannot have sexual relations before marriage, but he didn’t know the word he used was swearing. (Aaron)
- Well let’s just say, don’t ever try to make the word for chicken feminine. It’s a curse word. :-). (Keilani)
- The word Embarazada means pregnant, but sounds a lot like embarrassed…. A convert once told me she was pregnant, and I kept asking her why she was embarrassed. (Nathan)
- It’s too inappropriate to tell. Let’s just say we all had a good laugh, and I learned what not to say it. (Taylor)
- Tengo hombre/tengo hambre. (Rosaria)
- We were eating ice cream at a member’s house and instead of saying my tongue was numb, I said my underwear was numb. (Robert)
- I thought that somebody had told me that they weren’t home right now when they were trying to tell me that they couldn’t see me or attend to me at that time and I kept on saying that it was okay and that I knew that they were there. (Reg)
- Asking for eggs the wrong way at store. (Anonymous)
- Conyo. Very bad word. Always say conmigo. (Ann)
- I asked the woman if she were embarrassed by something. I thought the word for embarrassed was embarazada. 👎 (Kirt)
- A guy told us he was ateo (didn’t believe in God). I thought he said cateto (simpleton/idiot). I told him God loved him even if he was Cateto and referred to it a few times. My companion was living it. There is also a lovely pastry called a coña…I would often ask for a “coño” instead. Don’t say that word! (Andy)
- Jehovah and Lamb are similar in my brain in Spanish. In my first talk and it was at a baptism I interchanged the two countless times…pretty funny. (Karrie)