By Debra Crowther

It was his first time there.

He walked off the airplane, and underneath his collared white dress shirt and navy blue suit jacket he could feel the sweat start to drip down his back. It was 90 degrees with 100 percent humidity.

"What am I doing here?" he thought.

There were masses of Muslim people scattered throughout the airport terminal. He had never seen such a sight. They were busy ants searching for their destinations.

Then, from the corner of his eye he saw him, the man who was supposed to pick him up. He knew right away because he too was wearing the required uniform, only without the suit jacket. It was way too hot for a jacket.

Every missionary has to follow the same dress code: a dark suit, a white collared shirt, a necktie and dark dress shoes.

Junior Bell had entered a new world, one where he had to live and survive for the next 22 months. "Elder" Bell was serving a mission in Olongapo, Philippines for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The LDS Web site, www.lds.org, reported there are currently over 60,000 LDS missionaries participating in proselytizing missions. Approximately 75 percent of the Latter-day Saint missionaries are young men between the ages of 19 and 26. They are referred to as "Elder" because that is the title of the priesthood office each missionary holds.

Bell was no different. When he was 19, he freely chose to go on a mission. He was excited to go wherever he was called to serve.

"Plus, my dad said he would buy me a new car if I went," he admitted.

Since the organization of the LDS church in 1830, members of the faith have been called to serve missions to various parts of the world. According to www.lds.org, the LDS church currently operates more than 330 missions worldwide. A mission covers a specific geographic area. There are 13 different missions in the Philippines alone.

With a population that totals over 80 million, the Philippines consist of over 8,000 different islands, said Bell. Yet if you combined them all, they would only be equivalent in size to the state of Arizona. However, under half of the Philippine Islands do not have names nor have been colonized with people, said Bell.

"I had to pull out a map of the world to find out where in the heck Olongapo, Philippines was when I first got my mission call," Bell said.

It's one of the Philippine islands located just below Japan.

Not only did he have to figure out where Olongapo was, Bell was going to have to learn to speak the Tagalog language.

"I just graduated from high school, where I struggled to pass English," he said, as he laughed quietly to himself.

Although the majority of LDS missionaries are male, a substantial number of single women (about 18 percent) and older couples (about 7 percent) also serve missions, reported the LDS Web site. The female missionaries are called "sisters" because that is the same title they are referred to within the LDS church.

Each elder or sister missionary accepts an assignment from church leaders to serve in a specific mission. Bell was surprised to find out what mission he would be called to, just like all other missionaries, because they do not get to pick where they serve.

Whether male or female, young or old, each missionary has a unique experience while serving. Bell's experience was quite uncommon simply due to the culture he was introduced to in the Philippines. The initial cultural experience Bell had to undergo was "no week at the beach."

"The first house I lived in when I got to the Philippines was the worst one in the entire mission," said Bell.

The house was surrounded by a cornfield, and was located directly next to "one of the dirtiest rivers I have ever seen," said Bell. "It was like a big sewer. People peed and crapped in it all the time."

Along with the inevitable odor caused by the river, the house itself was a far cry from the comfortable home in Park City, Utah, Bell grew up in. The floor was made of cement and the roof was made of tin, which leaked whenever it rained. The one-bedroom house with center block walls did not even have an indoor toilet.

"I would get out of bed, walk about two feet and be at the kitchen sink," said Bell.

Aside from the lack-of-luxury, the hardest part about being a green, or new missionary, was learning the language. Bell learned the basics of the Tagalog language during his two-month stay at the Missionary Training Center (MTC), located in Provo, Utah, prior to coming to the Philippines. However, he did not become fluent until he had been in the Philippines for about a year. That is a long time to be in a foreign land without fully understanding the language.

"It was hard having people laugh at you when you mixed up words and stuff," he said. "I remember one time I was working with another missionary, and he was trying to teach a family about how we all have a large debt to pay to God for all he had done for us. But I guess he got his words messed up, and really said we all have a large nipple to pay to God. I had to laugh that time, too."

Missionaries who serve in the Philippines are not alone in their struggle with learning a new language. There are currently over 50 different languages taught at the MTC in Provo, and there are a total of 16 Missionary Training Centers located worldwide, reported the LDS Web site.

However, it is rare for a missionary to serve a full-term mission and not become fluent in the language. Since missionaries generally work 60-65 hours per week, for two years (elders) or 18 months (women and couples), they get plenty of practice with both speaking and hearing the language.
With all the obvious trials that coincide with being a missionary, why do so many members of the LDS faith choose to go?

"One reason I went was because I thought it would be a good experience to get out of Utah and talk to people. I also thought it would be a nice break from school," said Chad Crowther, a senior at Utah State University who served a two-year mission for the LDS church in Bogata, Colombia. "But it turned out to be more studying that I ever did at school. We studied at the MTC from 6 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., with just a few breaks here and there to eat and stuff."

In addition to experiencing a change of culture, other possible reasons for choosing to serve a mission varies between each person. Although the reasons for going fluctuate, most return missionaries are alike in admitting they are glad they decided to.

One of the most significant facets of his entire mission was the opportunity Bell had to meet and be influenced by such humble and friendly people.

"The thing I miss most of all is the people. I miss their kindness and hospitality," said Bell. "People in the Philippines didn't seem to get caught up in the materialistic part of life. They were just happy to be near their family and friends."

Each missionary has a unique and personal experience. Missionaries become part of a new culture, whether it is that of a foreign land or simply a different sector of the country. Either way, the opportunity for young men such as Bell to serve a mission is one that many consider to be one of the most incredible experiences of their lives.

"Even though I got sick of eating rice for three meals a day and I enjoy living in a home that has simple luxuries like indoor bathrooms, I still miss my life as a missionary in the Philippines," said Bell.

Bell can still remember what it was like stepping off the airplane at the Salt Lake City, Utah airport.

"I couldn't believe my mission was over."

He stepped off the plane and thought, What am I doing here?

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