Mission guide
Zimbabwe Bulawayo Mission
The Zimbabwe Bulawayo Mission serves in a historic city known as the City of Kings.
- English
- Shona
Zimbabwe Bulawayo Mission shirts
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Zimbabwe Bulawayo Mission T-Shirt
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Zimbabwe Bulawayo Mission Heart Map Shirt
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Zimbabwe Bulawayo Mission Flag 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
English and Shona are spoken in the mission area. Missionaries and families will also encounter Zimbabwe’s rich cultural heritage and the city’s long history as a center of trade and transportation.
At a glance
- Country
- Zimbabwe
- Main city
- Bulawayo (665,940 people, 2022 census)
- Time zone
- Central Africa Time (UTC+2)
- Climate
- Hot semi-arid, with a dry, cool winter and a warm, wet season from November to April
- Languages
- English and Shona
- Church in Zimbabwe
- 46,071 members, 11 stakes, 102 congregations
A short history of the area
During the First Matabele War, British South Africa Company troops captured Bulawayo in 1893, and the town was later rebuilt. Bulawayo received municipality status in 1897 and city status in 1943. Today it is a major railway center and the headquarters of the National Railways of Zimbabwe.
The Church here
- Early 1930sMissionary work began in what was then Southern Rhodesia, but soon slowed.
- 1950Eight missionaries were sent to Salisbury and Bulawayo.
- February 1951The first convert was baptized.
- April 17, 1951Missionaries distributed 3,000 handbills, and a large crowd attended an introductory meeting.
- 1980A new mission was established in Zimbabwe, and membership was a little more than 1,000.
- Since 1988The Church has maintained an ongoing humanitarian project in Zimbabwe, including support for grain milling, gardening, water development, and schools.
- February 18, 1998President Gordon B. Hinckley visited Zimbabwe and spoke to members during a five-country tour of Africa.
Temples nearby
Harare Zimbabwe Temple
Dedicated March 1, 2026 · About 230 miles from Bulawayo
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
- MhoroHello
- MangwananiGood morning
- NdatendaThank you
- NdapotaPlease
Foods to try
- Sadza (a thick maize-meal staple often served with relish or meat)
- Nyama (meat, commonly prepared as a stew or grilled dish)
- Muriwo (cooked leafy greens served as a relish)
- Dovi (a peanut and vegetable stew, sometimes made with chicken)
Fun facts
- Bulawayo is known as the City of Kings and by the Ndebele phrase Kontuthu ziyathunqa, meaning “smoke arising.”
- The city’s central business district has unusually wide roads designed for ox-drawn carts to turn around.
- Bulawayo is one of only two cities in Zimbabwe that are also provinces, alongside Harare.
Just got the call?
Turn the opening into a game: family and friends guess where the missionary is going before the reveal.