Mission guide
Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission
The Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission serves in Ecuador’s warm, busy coastal region, centered on Guayaquil.
- Spanish
Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission shirts
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Ecuador Guayaquil South 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.
About the mission
Spanish is the mission language. Missionaries serve among people in a city shaped by coastal trade, tropical weather, and a long history of faith and independence.
At a glance
- Country
- Ecuador
- Main city
- Guayaquil, 2,650,288 people (2022)
- Language
- Spanish
- Time zone
- Ecuador Time (UTC-5)
- Climate
- Tropical savanna, with hot, humid, rainy weather from January through April and little rain from May through December
- Church in Ecuador
- 269,200 members, 44 stakes, 334 congregations, 7 missions
A short history of the area
Guayaquil declared independence from Spain on October 9, 1820. On July 26, 1822, José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar met in the city to discuss the completion of Peru’s independence and the independence of Spanish South America.
The Church here
- 1965The first missionaries arrived in Ecuador, and Elder Spencer W. Kimball dedicated the country for missionary work in October.
- 1966Missionary work began in Guayaquil on January 28. Later that year, the Sotomayor family became the first members of the Church from Guayaquil.
- 1970The Ecuador Mission was organized in Quito on August 1, with Louis Latimer as its first president. Missionaries began preaching in the Kichwa language during the 1970s.
- 1978Ecuador’s first stake was organized in Guayaquil on June 4, with Lorenzo Garaycoa as president.
- 1980The Church published a Kichwa translation of selections from the Book of Mormon.
- 1982The First Presidency announced plans to build a temple in Guayaquil on March 31.
- 1999The Guayaquil Ecuador Temple was dedicated. At that time, Ecuador had roughly 150,000 Latter-day Saints.
Temples nearby
Guayaquil Ecuador Temple
Dedicated August 1, 1999 · Near Guayaquil
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
- Encebollado (a fish and yuca soup topped with pickled onions)
- Ceviche (seafood prepared with citrus, onions, and other seasonings)
- Bolón (mashed fried plantain formed around cheese or other fillings)
- Encocado (shrimp or tuna served with coconut sauce and rice)
Fun facts
- Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city, economic capital, and main port.
- About 70% of Ecuador’s private exports leave through the Port of Guayaquil, while 83% of imports enter through it.
- The Las Peñas neighborhood has approximately 444 steps leading to a viewpoint over the city.
Just got the call?
Turn the opening into a game: family and friends guess where the missionary is going before the reveal.