Info for Future Missionaries

Dear Future Spain Barcelona Missionary,

We are thrilled for the opportunity to serve with you in this wonderful mission – Spain Barcelona! A remarkable set of events have taken place culminating in your decision to serve Heavenly Father with all your might, mind, and strength for the next 24 months. We know that the support, encouragement, love and prayers of family during this wonderful, rewarding and challenging stewardship will be crucial to your success. If you do your part and are hardworking, obedient, studious and fearless, you will leave the mission changed forever in all the right ways. This mission has a remarkable legacy of obedience and hard work and we feel very fortunate to be a part of it.

WE ARE A BAPTIZING MISSION - The first thing you should know about your call and your assignment is that the Lord is sending you here to baptize worthy converts. You may hear from some people that you won't have much success in Europe, but we encourage you to think of Spain as part of South America. Missionaries in the Spain Barcelona Mission baptize regularly and it is possible for missionaries to baptize weekly in this mission. We are entering a great "second harvest" in Spain (the first great harvest was in the 1970's when thousands were baptized, including most of today´s church leaders in our stakes) and have been promised that this harvest will be greater than the first harvest. The missions in Spain, and particularly the Spain Barcelona Mission, are much more productive than the average mission in the United States. The mission is blessed to be a baptizing mission and you will likely have the opportunity to see a number of Father’s children enter into the waters of baptism.

SPAIN BARCELONA MISSON-We feel that the Spain Barcelona Mission is the greatest mission on the face of the earth!  Barcelona is a beautiful city right next to the Mediterranean Sea and the home of the world-famous Sagrada Familia cathedral, Casa Batllo designed by the architect Gaudi, Boqueria Market, and Güell Park –one of the most beautiful and unusual parks in the world. The mission includes the touristy Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza as well as the northern cities of Bilbao, home of the Guggenheim Museum, Vitoria, known for its majestic tree covered mountains, and Pamplona, with the annual Running of the Bulls. To the south of the mission is the city of Valencia, known throughout the world for its exquisite porcelain Lladro and its oranges. In the center of the mission is Zaragoza, known for its gigantic Pilar Cathedral and extreme weather patterns. In the summer, the climate is generally warm and humid in most of Spain, and the land is fairly verdant. In the winter it snows in the north and is cold everywhere else in the mission. The health care system in Spain is modern and the food is safe and clean for the most part. Most importantly, we have found the people in Spain to be warm and gracious.

VISA/PASSPORT APPLICATIONS- It takes about 6 months to receive a visa for Spain. Please submit all of your paperwork to Church Travel as quickly as you can so that you will be able to begin serving as scheduled. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! If you do not receive your visa by the time you complete your MTC training, you will be assigned to another mission until your visa is approved. Also, be sure to apply for your passport IMMEDIATELY.

You should understand that the Spanish Government provides a visa that only authorizes you to do missionary work. These documents are very important. If a passport is lost it takes up to 10 months to obtain another one and it is very expensive to replace it. When you receive the passport and visa please make a copy of it to carry with you and another copy to leave at home.

CREDIT CARDS/DEBIT CARDS – Your parents should know your credit card numbers, debit card numbers, Social Security Number, Passport and visa numbers. We encourage you to put your parents on your banking accounts and tell the bank that you will be in Spain for 2 years. Always have $200 on your bank card in case of an emergency or if medication is needed. These will be reimbursed when the receipt is submitted.

DRIVER'S LICENSE – Elders and Sisters MUST bring an international driver's license. These are available from AAA at a modest cost ($12-15). Make certain that your U.S. license has been renewed and will remain valid during your mission. There are a few areas in the mission where the missionaries use cars. You may be assigned to one of those areas, and so it is essential that you have one of these international licences.

PHYSICAL PREPARATION – A mission is a major athletic event. Missionaries in our mission typically walk 8-12 miles every day. This walking puts a tremendous amount of force on feet, ankles and knees. For a missionary who weighs 170 pounds the calculation is: 170 lbs x 3.5 (the force absorbed by the joints) = 595 lbs/step; 2000 steps per mile results in 595 tons per mile x 10 miles/day x 5 days/week = 29,750 tons per week x 95 weeks (for an Elder’s mission) = 2,826,250 tons per mission. This is the equivalent of over 27 fully-loaded Nimitz-class aircraft carriers! To prepare for this athletic event, begin training now. In particular, begin a running or walking routine with the goal of reaching a weekly mileage of 25-30 miles. If you have experienced ingrown toenails in the past, have these resolved by a doctor before entering the MTC.

SPIRITUAL PREPARATION –The most important thing you can do to prepare for your mission is to read the Book of Mormon from beginning to end. Study it as a text for missionary work, and learn from it how to do missionary work, and how to be a powerful missionary. It is your most valuable textbook in missionary work. We also encourage you to study and read Preach My Gospel and The New Testament. Preach My Gospel is an inspired document. The first presidency stated: “Preach My Gospel is intended to help you be a better prepared, more spiritually mature missionary, and a more persuasive teacher. We urge you to use it daily.” The New Testament teaches of Christ and will be used often in discussions due to the Catholic background of Spain.

EMAIL/LETTERS – Mission rules require that each missionary write a letter to or email his parents or family weekly.  We encourage your parents to send a weekly letter or email. Please encourage them to email only on the weekends from Saturday at 3:00 PM MST to Sunday at 10:00 AM MST. They should not email during the week as this distracts you from your purpose. Letters should be encouraging and uplifting. We hope your parents will keep you advised of happenings at home, particularly the good news and not ordinary family problems. We find that the happiest missionaries are those with the fewest problems heard from family. However, if there is an illness we hope your parents will inform you so that your faith and prayers can be exercised on behalf of your family and friends.

PACKAGES – Packages stuck in customs are very difficult to get released and often cost an extra 50-70€ to do so. This money is deducted from your monthly allotment. To avoid this, we ask that your family only send flat rate bubble wrap envelopes as these do not get held in customs. They can send up to 4 pounds of product in these envelopes and they usually cost under $30 to send from the United States. We also recommend using Amazon.es. They have most products and these products will always make it to you usually within three days. If ordering scriptures, garments, or other church supplies, we suggest using the church store at store.lds.org (select the Germany based supplier, it is cheaper and will not get stuck in customs). Full names should be put on the mail as we may have several sets of missionaries with the same last name.

TELEPHONE CALLS- You have permission to call home on Mother´s Day and Christmas and speak for 45 minutes. Otherwise, you are not permitted to call home. We ask that your family and friends not phone you. In most instances, talking by phone causes missionaries to take their mind off the Lord´s work. In case of emergency your parents can contact the mission office. In case of an extreme emergency, President Dayton can be reached at mtdayton@ldschurch.org and Sister Dayton at debbie4est@gmail.com.

VISITS – Your family should not plan vacations or trips to visit you while you are in the mission field. Relatives and friends should not make contact with you, except by letter. Past experience shows that such contacts detract from the spirit of selfless service for the Savior.

MUSIC STANDARDS- Many apartments have a DVD/CD player on which you can play music from a CD or flash drive. If you wish to bring music, be certain it meets the very high standards described in the Missionary Handbook. "Listen only to music that is consistent with the sacred spirit of your calling. Music should invite the Spirit, help you focus on the work, and direct your thoughts and feelings to the Savior. Do not listen to music that pulls your thoughts away from your work, merely entertains, has romantic lyrics or overtones, or dulls your spiritual sensitivity by its tempo, beat, loudness, lyrics, or intensity. Listening to music must never interfere with your personal preparation or proselyting."

MUSIC- MP3 PLAYERS – Guidelines for MP3 players are stated below and are in compliance with the missionary handbook. Flash drives and or CDs are also commonly used to bring music.

·         No headphones are allowed.

·         No WiFi capabilities and no movies are allowed.

·         Only approved music is allowed. The following music is approved:

o   Traditional LDS Hymns and primary songs

o   Mormon Tabernacle Choir (except show or popular tunes)

o   Classical Music- No words

o   Religious oratorio music such as ¨The Messiah¨ and   ¨Lamb of God¨

o   Uplifting songs that bring you closer to the Savior

All unapproved music needs to be deleted. Please do so before entering the MTC.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS – We invite missionaries who are at performance level to bring musical instruments that could be used for a musical number in a Sacrament Meeting or a Baptismal Service (i.e. flute, violin, etc.) Please leave at home other instruments that could not be played in such meetings.

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT- Do not bring DVDs or videos of any kind. Do not bring any device that has Internet access other than an approved smartphone (Samsung Galaxy J, A, S, and Note series) which needs to be purchased IN Spain before leaving for the Missionary Training Center. Missionaries from these countries will be expected to buy their own phone in the MTC: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Bring enough cash or make sure to have enough money on an available credit card to buy a smartphone upon arrival. Missionaries from countries not listed above will be provided a church-owned smartphone in the MTC.

MISSIONARY LIBRARY (Jesus the Christ, Our Heritage, Our Search for Happiness, Daughters in my Kingdom, True to the Faith)– These items are available in most apartments and on your tablet, so it is not necessary to bring them.

MEDICATIONS- It is difficult, if not impossible, to receive prescription drugs, vitamin pills or supplements through the mail. Most needed medications can be purchased locally, although a prescription is necessary for some. If you have required medications:

·         Bring as much as you can with you.

·         Discuss with your doctor his/her feelings about issuing you a prescription by email if needed later on.

·         Bring a copy of your current prescription(s).

All missionaries have always been able to obtain needed medications at the pharmacies in Spain, so you don't need to worry. However, be aware that it is not as simple as having someone mail you medications - they are generally either returned or destroyed by customs officials.

MISSIONARY SUPPORT FUND - The following expenses will be paid by the mission office: rent, utilities, phone expenses for proselyting purposes, Christmas/Mother´s Day calls, cleaning supplies, doctor appointments and prescriptions, and bus/transfer expenses. You will receive a base amount of $162.00 per month. This money is for food, laundry, haircuts, preparation day activities, and personal care items. You need your own debit card with at least $200 available for emergences at all times.

Items not covered by missionary support funds from the church include such things as:

Clothing                      Souvenirs                    Cameras/Film              Personal Luxury items

Eye care                      Luggage                       Dental work                Traffic fines or penalties

Money for these and similar items are the personal responsibility of you and your family.

MISSIONARY PROFILE- In order for us to get to know you, please fill out the Spain Barcelona Missionary Profile as soon as possible. All of this information may be computer edited and emailed to 2011255@ldschurch.org. It can also be printed, filled out, and either scanned and sent to the same email, or mailed to the following address:

Calle Calatrava, 10-12, bajos

08017 Barcelona, Spain

We feel so honored and blessed to be able to serve with you. We will watch over and care for you while you are under our stewardship and we will give our all to help you strengthen and fortify your testimony. Our greatest desire is for you to leave the mission field with a firm and unshakeable testimony of the restored gospel.

Sincerely, 
President and Hermana Dayton

You may find the following section helpful as you prepare for your mission experience. This sheet contains advice from past missionaries and Mission Presidents and wives.

Parent and Missionary Information

Elders should bring…

·         Baptismal clothing – bring a pair of white pants, white socks, and a white tie.

·         2 suits that match the requirements under “Suits and Slacks” on https://missionary.lds.org/clothing/elder. Suits are very inexpensive in Spain running around 50-100 Euros. Many missionaries wish they had only brought one suit and purchased the other one here.

·         3 long-sleeved white shirts and 7 short-sleeved white shirts in a cotton/poly blend. (not 100% cotton)

·         5-6 ties that match the requirements under “Ties.” No skinny skinny ties, please. Ties should be at least 3 fingers wide.

·         1-3 pairs of conservative dress slacks that match the requirements under “Suits and Slacks.” Wool, wool blends, and artificial fabrics work best; pants must have a crease. Do not bring cotton slacks.

·         8-10 pairs of garments. Bring garments for hot humid weather and also for very cold weather, as it snows in some regions of Spain.

·         2 pairs of dress shoes that match the requirements under “Shoes, Boots, and Socks.” Walking is the primary form of transportation and missionaries walk on cobblestone, dirt, and textured cement. Be certain that shoes fit properly and are comfortable for walking. Ecco’s and Clarks are reported to last the entire mission. Please do not bring winter boots and cleats.

·         12 pairs of socks that match the requirements under “Shoes, Boots, and Socks.”(Athletic fit socks and Nike Drifit are popular. The dress socks get holes easily). Many missionaries wish they had bought higher quality socks.

·         Rain coat – bring a warm raincoat in a dark, conservative color that can be worn over a suit jacket. A rain coat with a zip-in thermal liner is most useful. Many areas of the mission are very cold and damp in the winter.

·         2 V-necked sweaters that match the requirements (dark color, no pattern or design) under “Shirts and Sweaters.”

·         1 pair of pajamas.

·         Exercise clothing – bring a pair of knee-length shorts and a pair of long pants.

·         T-shirts, athletic shoes and socks as needed for physical activity.

·         Casual/work clothing – bring one set of clothing –including full length pants or jeans (not skinny jeans)– for work/service projects and preparation day activities where regular missionary attire is not appropriate.

·         You will receive a briefcase the day you arrive to the mission office.

·         Toiletries – Toothbrush, Comb, Shoe Polish, Razor, Deodorant, Mouthwash, etc.

·         IMPORTANT: Any electrical equipment (ex. Electric Razor) must be compatible with 220-240V current.

Sisters should bring…

·         4-5 outfits as described under “Types of Clothes” on https://missionary.lds.org/clothing/sister. This should include a couple of jackets or blazers, a couple of sweaters, and appropriate blouses and skirts that enable easy walking.

·         Bring light weight clothing for spring/summer due to the humidity. Also, bring a few outfits for cold weather, as it snows in some areas. Bring LAYERED clothing items The clothes in Spain are less expensive than most areas and can be purchased on preparation days.

·         Knit tops with capped sleeves to be worn under sweaters and jackets for layering.

·         Garments– Bring 8-10 pairs of garments for humid weather and also garments for cold weather.

·         Shoes– Bring 3-5 pairs of mainly flat shoes with good soles for walking on cobblestone, dirt, and textured concrete. Be certain the shoes fit properly and are comfortable. Sandals (not flip flops) that have a strap around the heel and do not separate the toes can also be worn in summer.

·         1 pair of dress boots (optional). These should be comfortable for walking and keep your feet and legs warm and dry in cold, rainy weather. Boots can be purchased for a very good price in Spain.

·         5-6 tights, warm leggings, or knee-highs (no pattern). Fleece leggings can be worn in all areas during the wintertime.

·         6 pairs of peds (for hot weather).

·         Raincoat and umbrella - a raincoat that can be worn over a jacket or sweater.

·         Coat – bring a warm winter coat as it snows in some areas of the mission.

·         Gloves

·         Scarves

·         1 pair of pajamas. Robe and slippers are optional.

·         Exercise clothing – modest work-out clothes, good athletic shoes and socks as needed for physical activity.

·         Casual/work clothing – bring a pair of jeans (not skinny jeans) and a few modest T-shirts for work/service projects and preparation day activities where regular missionary attire is not appropriate.

·         A very sturdy conservative purse that zips up (for security) and that will hold your tablet, scriptures, and pamphlets with a shoulder strap. Sisters are given 25 Euros for a handbag. Please save your receipt if you decide to purchase this before coming to Spain.

·         2 large suitcases and 1 overnight shoulder duffel bag. You will need to roll your two suitcases while being able to carry your carry on. As you travel we encourage you to put your purse in the duffel bag as a carry on. You will use your duffel bag as an overnight bag many times in the mission.

·         Feminine Hygiene- Many Sisters prefer to bring these with them.

·         Toiletries – Toothbrush, Comb, Shoe Polish, Razor, Deodorant, Mouthwash, Cosmetics, etc.

·         Blow Dryers/Curling Irons – Purchase these once you get to Spain.

·         IMPORTANT: Any electrical equipment (ex. Blow Dryer) must be compatible with 220-240V current.

Additional Items for all Missionaries to Bring

·         First-Aid Kit – bring a small kit with the following items:

• Thermometer
• Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or similar medication to relieve pain, swelling and fever
• Antibiotic cream or ointment
• Antifungal cream or ointment
• Benadryl
• Pepto-Bismol tablets or similar medication
• Hand Sanitizer
• Sunscreen
• Lip Balm
• Other medications which you may use occasionally

·         Extra eyeglasses or contact lenses if needed

·         Small sewing kit

·         Alarm clock (battery or wind-up)

·         Laundry bag

·         Small flashlight and batteries

·         Inexpensive Watch

·         Family Photographs – 4x6 or 5x7 to show investigators and members

·         Spike Ball, Jump Rope, Exercise stretch band, etc.

·         Measuring Cup/Measuring Spoons

·         Recipes

·         Bed Sheets

·         Towel

Items Hard To Find In Spain

·         Maple Syrup

·         Root Beer

·         American Cereals

·         Peanut Butter (same quality as in the U.S.)

·         Ranch Salad Dressing Powder