Mission guide

Peru Cusco Mission

The Peru Cusco Mission serves a historic Andean region centered on Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire.

Spanish

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Peru Cusco Mission shirts

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Peru Cusco Mission T-Shirt

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Peru Cusco Mission Heart Map Shirt

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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.

I Glory in My Jesus shirt in Spanish on White: “Me glorío en mi Jesús”, 2 Nefi 33:6

I Glory in My Jesus Shirt – Spanish

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I Glory in My Jesus script shirt in Spanish, white ink on Dark Chocolate: “Me glorío en mi Jesús”, 2 Nefi 33:6

I Glory in My Jesus Script Shirt (White Ink) – Spanish

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About the mission

The Peru Cusco Mission serves areas including Cusco, Puno, Madre de Dios, and Apurimac. Cusco is the mission's main city and sits high in the Andes of southern Peru.

Spanish is the mission's listed language. Missionaries serve among communities shaped by Inca, Spanish, and Andean traditions.

At a glance

Country: Peru
Main city: Cusco, 428,450 people in 2017
Time zone: Peru Time (UTC-5)
Climate: Subtropical highland climate, with a dry winter and a rainy summer
Mission area: Cusco, Puno, Madre de Dios, and Apurimac
Church in Peru: 648,045 members, 115 stakes, 797 congregations, 15 missions

A short history of the area

The Killke culture inhabited the Cusco region from about 900 to 1200 AD. Around 1200, Manco Cápac founded Cusco as the capital of the Kingdom of Cusco and later the Inca Empire. Sacsayhuamán was constructed around 1100.

Francisco Pizarro officially reestablished the city on March 23, 1534, after the Spanish conquest. A major earthquake damaged more than one third of Cusco's structures in 1950, but many Inca walls survived. UNESCO declared Cusco a World Heritage Site in 1983.

The Church here

1956Missionaries arrived in Peru, beginning missionary work in the country.
July 1956The first official branch in Cusco was organized.
November 1956A Church building was purchased for meetings.
1959The Andes Mission was organized with 300 members in five congregations.
1979The Church published selected passages from the Book of Mormon in Peruvian Quechua.
1985The Church created its first stake in the Quechua homeland in Cusco.
January 1988Elder M. Russell Ballard created seven stakes in one weekend, 32 years after missionary work began in Peru.

Temples nearby

Cusco Peru Temple

Announced · Near Cusco

Arequipa Peru Temple

Dedicated December 15, 2019 · About 200 miles from Cusco

The Book of Mormon here

Missionaries in this mission share the Book of Mormon in these languages. Tap a cover to read it free.

Spanish Read it free →

Cover art is an illustration. Links open the free edition on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Before you go

Phrases to learn

HolaHello
¿Cómo está?How are you?
GraciasThank you
Por favorPlease

Foods to try

Cuy (guinea pig, a popular local dish)
Chiri Uchu (a cold dish with cuy, chicken, charqui, potatoes, cheese, corn cake, and other ingredients)
Chairo (a traditional soup)
Rocoto relleno (stuffed hot pepper)

Fun facts

Cusco is also called La Ciudad Imperial, meaning “The Imperial City,” and El Ombligo del Mundo, meaning “The Navel of the World.”
The Stone of Twelve Angles on Hatun Rumiyuq Street is known for its precise ancient stonework.
The Cusco Cathedral contains a Last Supper painting showing Jesus and the apostles eating guinea pig, a traditional Andean food.

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