Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the food like?

A: The members in the mission really help the missionaries a lot. We ate lunch at a members house nearly every day. Lunch is the big meal there. The food isn't very different. They eat a lot of pastas and rice dishes. A lot of the food is very Italian. They eat a lot of meat. Maybe I should restate that: They eat meat with EVERY meal! I really didn't have a problem with the food that I was served. It was delicious and the members were always very generous with what they had. The water is okay in most areas. I think they still recommend that we boil all of the water that we drank. It's hard to do that since you're offered something to drink at most of the houses you visit.

Looking back, I miss the food almost as much as I miss the people :)

Q: What is the church like in the area that the Argentina Neuquen Mission covers?

A: The church is a mixture of districts and stakes. There were several new stakes created from 1994 to 1996. For the most part there is a stake in every major city. Neuquen and Trelew each have two stakes at least.

Update: As of 2004, the following stakes were in existence: Neuquen, Neuquen Oeste, General Roca, Zapala, Bariloche, Trelew North, Trelew South, Comodoro Rivadavia, and possibly one east of Neuquen (Cipoletti?). There are three districts in the mission: Rio Gallegos, Rio Grande, and Ushuaia.

It seems like many of the units (all of the wards to my knowledge) have official church buildings in which they meet. Some of the branches meet in rented meeting houses. In 2000, many of the stake centers were equiped with satelite dishes for general conference and other global broadcasts. I would guess that by now they should be in all of the stake centers.

Q: Where do you wash your laundry?

A: We usually took our laundry over to a members house on P-day to have it washed. Sometimes we had to wash our clothes in a bucket of soap and water.

Q: What are preparation days like?

A: Each P-day we would usually do some chores around the apartment to clean it up. We would sweep and mop floors, clean the bathroom, and clean up dishes. It really helps if you don't leave a mess in the first place. We would also do some grocery shopping on the way to meet the zone/district leaders. When we met our leaders they would give us our mail for the week and we might talk for a while. We wrote letters to our family and friends. Sometimes we went to the church or a field nearby to play soccer or basketball. In some areas, you might have opportunity to travel to nearby sites of interest like the Penguin reserves near Trelew or the National parks near Ushuaia, but most of the time you will be on your own to make your own fun.

Q: What are living conditions for the missionaries like?

A: Living conditions were good. The missionaries usually live in an apartment that they rent. It gets cold in some areas during the winter, so a sleeping bag is on the list of things to take. Many of the apartments are made of cinder blocks and cement. There is no carpet in the apartments. Only the rich people have carpet. There is usually a stove to cook with, a refridgerator, a sink, a table, a small bedroom, and a bathroom.

Q: What are living conditions like for the people of Argentina?

A: Living conditions for the people were not always that good. There is a rising middle class, but for a long time there was a big gap between the rich and poor. Some of the people build houses from whatever materials they can get. They may not have running water or electricity in the poorest areas.

Newly called missionaries are welcome to register with the mission web site. Then, during their mission, the family can update their information with the places that they are called to serve and the companions that they have.