Mission guide
Colombia Barranquilla Mission
The Colombia Barranquilla Mission serves Spanish-speaking communities in a historic Caribbean city known as Colombia’s Golden Gate.
- Spanish
Colombia Barranquilla Mission shirts
Every style made for this mission, printed when you order.
Colombia Barranquilla Mission T-Shirt
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Colombia Barranquilla Mission Heart Map Shirt
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Choose size & color →I Glory in My Jesus, in the language of this mission
2 Nephi 33:6 as it reads in the Book of Mormon for each language spoken here.
Weak Things Become Strong, in the language of this mission
"I make weak things become strong" (Ether 12:27) as it reads in the Book of Mormon for each language spoken here.
More shirts in the language of this mission
Press Forward, in the language of this mission
"Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ" (2 Nephi 31:20) as it reads in the Book of Mormon for each language spoken here.
About the mission
Spanish is the mission language and the main language spoken in Colombia.
At a glance
- Country
- Colombia
- Main city
- Barranquilla, 1,327,209 people (2023 estimate)
- Time zone
- Colombia Time (UTC-5)
- Climate
- Hot tropical savanna climate, with rainy seasons from April to June and August to November
- Church in Colombia
- 217,514 members, 31 stakes, 260 congregations
- Church resources
- 5 missions and 72 FamilySearch Centers
A short history of the area
On April 7, 1813, Manuel Rodríguez Torices granted Barranquilla the title of villa. The city later became an important transportation and commercial center. The Bolívar Railway connected Barranquilla with Sabanilla from 1869 to 1871, and the city became home to South America’s first airport and first airline in the early twentieth century.
The Church here
- May 1966Elder Spencer W. Kimball dedicated Colombia for the preaching of the gospel and organized the country’s first branch in Bogotá.
- Within months after May 1966Missionaries began preaching in Cali, Medellín, Pereira, and Bucaramanga.
- 1971A mission was organized in Colombia.
- 1977The first stake in Colombia was created in Bogotá.
- April 1984Colombian Saints celebrated the announcement of a temple in the country.
- April 1999The first temple announced in Colombia was dedicated, 15 years after its announcement.
- 2016Colombian Saints marked the Church’s 50th anniversary in the country with service projects, blood drives, family history exhibitions, and interfaith dialogues.
- 2018The Barranquilla temple was dedicated.
Temples nearby
Barranquilla Colombia Temple
Dedicated December 9, 2018 · Near Barranquilla
The Book of Mormon here
Missionaries in this mission share the Book of Mormon in these languages. Tap a cover to read it free.
Cover art is an illustration. Links open the free edition on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Before you go
Phrases to learn
- HolaHello
- Buenos díasGood morning
- ¿Cómo está?How are you?
- GraciasThank you
Foods to try
- Sancocho de guandú (pigeon pea stew often made with salted meat)
- Butifarras soledeñas (regional sausage from nearby Soledad)
- Cazuela de mariscos (seafood stew)
- Chuzo desgranado (regional street-food dish)
Fun facts
- Barranquilla’s Carnival was declared a Cultural Patrimony of the Nation in 2001 and a UNESCO Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003.
- The first telephones in Colombia were installed in Barranquilla on September 1, 1885.
- Barranquilla native Shakira mentions the city in “Hips Don’t Lie” and “La Bicicleta.”
Just got the call?
Turn the opening into a game: family and friends guess where the missionary is going before the reveal.