I served in Peru, and I definitely have fond feelings for Peru and its people. I would love to go back so I can have pollos a la braza one more time.

I have been back to Thailand twice since I wasted two years of my youth there many years ago.

It’s a fun, interesting, beautiful place to visit, but I really don’t have any strong feelings for the place.

Not the area at all. Just one girl. Very strong attraction both ways and the MP knew it - told me NO - would never work. Was obedient and never followed up after I got home.

Years later and I still regret being "obedient".

Sounds like what I went through womackdude except I was the “she” in the situation and I’m pretty sure the MP got wind that we had fallen in love but since I resigned and returned to the Catholic faith of course it was a huge no no. He married a TBM. Sometimes I light a candle and say a prayer for him. I hope he’s happy but I can never forget him.

Well, yes. We've been back several times. Even took our kids to show where we first met. (DH and I met as missionaries in Argentina.) We watched telenovelas, immersed ourselves in tango culture, and kept in touch with a few old friends.

We haven't been back in 15 years though, and I have no desire to return. I had "native" companions and absorbed a lot of culture. I think we are unusual in that regard. Still love to listen to some of the tangos, but when we were there as missionaries it was more Trini Lopez than Carlos Cardel. And of course the Beatles, who hit the scene when we were there.

My mission s the largest area mission in the world. Started in the 1800's in the south. there were mission prophesies of growth. Grandiose bragging about its tradition and superiority.

I leaned yesterday it is being disbanded. I was in shock until I realized it was just all hogwash, as is everything else. But I was also sad because I love that area and still, 22, years later have friends from there that I talk to all the time.


RIP Florida Tallahassee mission.

I remember one gal from my mish, she lived in Detroit.

I still wish I'd followed up w her, she had a gf from seattle who liked me more(?) that I did see (non-romantic) that also could have been a good wife/gf/lover/S.O.


too late now :(

I have nightmares about going back to the area of my mission. For real.

A lot of us do, or did. It sometimes takes many years to get beyond the nightmares.

40 years later, I still have them. :(

I'm saddened to hear that.

It took me a very long time, and I've heard of people suffering from them for a couple of decades. It's bizarre how those things become ingrained in our subconscious minds.

Wanting to go back, wanting to do it right, wanting to fix something. And then you feel you are going back and the terror hits and you wake up.

I came home early because of health reasons ( viral encephalitis) after spending a long time in the country, and was made to feel guilty and worthless by mission president and my stake president back home. I would wake up from a bad dream where somehow I was called back to finish the last months and I could not back out. I remember having that dream 35 years after I came home, a few years ago I went back and toured the country with my wife, and stopped in a few of the areas where I worked and visited the lousy apartments (from the outside) and some of the places where really bad things happened. I also visited lots of cultural sites and beautiful fjords and mountains etc. I never got to take the time to visit when I was a missionary. I met several exmos in the country and we had lunches, dinners, and some parties. I've kept up with the language and got to talk with locals without worrying about converting them. All of this exorcised the mission demons - I drove by the mission home that the MP kept me locked up for 3 weeks while I was very sick, and I felt like I was flying away and leaving a bad, bad dream behind. I've never had the bad dreams again.

Når var du i Norge?

sb : Are you serious......they disbanded the Florida Tallahassee Mission ??????!!!!!!!!!!?????? Holy Smokes !

I went on my mission to Louisiana from 76 to 78 , and at that time, The Florida Tallahassee Mission was the TOP baptizing mission in the United States.

Holy Mother Mary of Jehosophats..........I totally believe you, I am just stunned. ( I don't know why I'm stunned because I've been really disqusted with the Church the last few years.....But this is still shocking.) Thank you for the info !

My impression is that many returned missionaries have fond feelings about the areas in which they served. I've been directly aware of quite a few of them returning, even multiple times, to visit their mission fields and even sometimes bringing their parents, siblings, and spouses along to see where they served.

I've also frequently seen and heard returned missionaries write or speak of how they fell in love with their mission fields and love the wonderful people they met there. I've even seen missionaries become lasting fans of sports teams in their mission fields.

Oh, most certainly I do.

I had been to Canada once in 1986, but Japan was the first foreign country I ever went to and I went there on my mormon mission.

The only thing I'd change is i would have a LOT more fun - I really never took mishie work seriously. I paid attention to ANYTHING except mormonism for 2 years.

That stupid so-called "mission call" letter sent me down an Asian rabbit hole that I've never come out of. After I got comfortable with Japan, I went to Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea and Taiwan, but Japan will always be special to me.

No.

I have memories of being cheated out of (in my case) nearly four years of life, what with waiting to be called by a bishop who didn't know i was a ward member, then two years there, and being totally lost after I returned because I was prepared all my life to be a missionary and then my parents' work was done. I have horrible memories of being totally cheated out of the opportunity to learn about a different culture, different people and different ways to do life.

To repeat: no.

Yes. I went to Southern Germany, and would love to go back. I also went to school there before going on a mission. I've just never been able to afford to go.

Until a couple of years ago, I had never been outside of north America. Recently, I've had to travel to Southern Germany for work a few times a year. It's absolutely beautiful and I hope to be able to continue going for a while. I hope you're able to find your way back, too.

Yes and no.

I loved the country and culture, and have been back many times for short and extended stays.

But I have never returned to my mission itself; I had fond memories there, but there are also clouds over the place and even now I feel intense anxiety when thinking about going back there.

I went to Toronto. I thought it was a fantastic city. Full of diverse cultures and learning opportunities. I wished, on a daily basis, that I wasn't on a mission. I grew up in a dry, boring Phoenix suburb. Toronto was a whole new world to me, without being overwhelmingly foreign.

Toronto is a splendid place. So much diversity and culture and yet so accessible.

Toronto accessible?? Diversity and culture, yes, but is so jammed with cars and people, you can't move (as of 2018).

I meant "accessible" in the sense of easier to get to from North America. People in many places can go there by car.

Humberto,
Exmo from Toronto here. When did you serve in Toronto, and which units, if you don't mind me asking.

90 to 92, Spanish speaking. I spent time in Toronto, Kitchener, Hamilton, London.

I was one of the first to have Italian training before going to Italy (Feb 1969). I loved Italy. I had the opportunity to live there 30 years later (1997-2001), and came to adore the country. I'd love to go there permanently.

Sure. Northwestern France is a wonderful area.

I don't think I "served" a mission though...I think I was an unwilling dupe. :)

I served in NW France, too -- Calais, Saint-Omer and Lille. Also, in the Alsace and Southern Belgium. I have been back several times. : )

Paris, Caen, Poitiers, Versailles. :)

Never served a mormon mission, but did serve a US Army 'mission' - and I would love to see Vietnam again, but it is unlikely to happen. I still feel a fondness for the people, who surprisingly do not typically hold animus towards the US because of the war.

Germany was an interesting place and it's still a part of my life.

Teaching Mormonism to Germans--not so great an experience. But if you're not in the business of doing that it's a great country.

After you knock on every door in city after city, and get to know people on a very close daily basis and understand language, culture, history, etc. it's hard not to feel a connection. No connection to the Church though.

yes I fell in love with the Philippines I was not a good missionary. I broke all most every rule I could I would walk on the beach and went swimming with a companion of mine we dated a few girls. I even am married to a girl form my mission all tho we didn't have feeling for one another until after

I went to Rome and I have lots of great memories of the places where I lived while on my mission. The Italians also were kick ass.

The Mormons, I barely remember any of them.

And yes I do go back.

You nailed it. The residents of the area were great.

The missionary program sucked.

Absolutely.

I was in the United Kingdom. I had assimilated so well that most of the members thought I was British and a lot of the British actually thought I was Irish.

I was embarrassed by many of my fellow American missionaries who were loud, rude and obnoxious.

Though I was excited to go home I could have easily stayed and turn into a Brit.

Yes! I had a somewhat unique experience by being a Spanish-speaking missionary in Sydney (and Wollongong) Australia! That said, my interest would be to see Australia like I could not as a missionary. I would have to start with Sydney and get reacquainted.

But I'm getting older and I probably cannot work that in to my retirement plan, when I retire (soon?). Anyway, I love Ozzies and Hispanics, in part due to my associations on my mission, mostly because they are just plain wonderful people. Generally and in my experience, of course.