Are missionaries these days allowed to use laptops and cellphones ? Do their apartments have internet access ? If not, how do they communicate and get around ? Everybody these days uses Google maps.

Back when I was sowing and reaping, our horses always knew the way back to the barn. Life was easier then.

Good question regarding maps. When I was a missionary in Switzerland back in the 80s we all had paper foldout maps of our areas that we carried with us. We'd use the maps to plan which streets to tract on for the day. I suspect the maps are still available. If not and missionaries don't have access to gps or internet maps, I have no idea how they get around. Most missionaries in Europe are on foot or bikes.

As far as phones, I think they are less important. Most of my apartments did not have phones; there really was no reason to have one. If we needed to call investigators to set an appointment we'd go to a pay phone, usually at the post office. Of course today there are fewer pay phones around, so it might be more difficult to make calls.

I do wonder how missionaries will make their weekly calls home. Do they now have cell phones and/or the internet? Do they use pay phones?

From a visual on Saturday in MN, the two Missionaries at the table next to me at the Bagel shop had phones and were using them like I would use mine. Calendars were up, numbers were being exchanges.

They were meeting with some guy from a Ward they are assigned to cover. They were mentioning that when they contact "less active" members they seemed confused why a Missionary would be calling them.

The funny follow up to this was the friend I was with ran into said guy and his wife later that day at the grocery store. We never spoke to him at the bagel shop, but my friend said he came right up to her like they were long lost buddies.

Mormon missionaries served their missions and only called home three (females) or four times during their missions.

Now we have Even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints missionaries, who can call home every week.

They are not the same thing.

IIRC companionships having phones is more normal than not. Having iPads was a thing for a while in some missions, but I'm not sure about the present time. What really boggled my mind is that at least at one point, missionaries were told pre-mission that they had to buy their own iPads and then install blocking software to limit the functionality of their device. I can tell you that if I'm laying out several hundred dollars of my own money for an iPad, there is no way that I would intentionally cripple it.

Phone Operator Wrote:
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> Are missionaries these days allowed to use laptops and cellphones ? ... how do they communicate and get around ?

They don't exactly communicate or get around. They use get arounds.

Everybody these days uses Google maps.

You may have answered your own question-congratulations- except lds-missings aren't 'everybody'.

(anono this week)

cell phones I would assume, When I was out there in the big bad world we had giant maps pinned to the wall. And a telephone book.

And pay phones! how did we EVER survive, lol. I actually liked being almost unreachable in some areas. I spent 3 months in Interlaken and felt totally isolated from the mission president, which was great. If anyone wanted to contact us they'd have to write a letter and send it snail mail or call the landlord of the building and have her contact us. It was great.

I always wanted to go to Interlaken, when we were stationed in England .Weve been to Southern Germany and the Lake region of Austria, but never got to Switzerland, If I was on a mission there, I’d want to be left alone too, but you probably didn’t get much time to sightsee on your own

The great thing about being in Interlaken was riding bikes, even though it was winter and I wore a skirt. We rode through beautiful towns with a view of the mountains all around.

There were only two of us in Interlaken and our area was huge. We visited members in remote alpine areas. We had to take a gondola up the mountain to reach one member. The journey took all day, which was great.

Our little attic apartment had a view of the Jungfrau. Next door to the old house we lived in was a little farm with sheep. A horse drawn cart carried milk down the street and the clip clop of the horses transported me to another time... If it hadn't been for the grueling missionary work it would have been really wonderful.

I've just read something I fully expected to: A mission president has told his vassals that "A real missionary only calls home twice a year."