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VIRGINIA - CHESAPEAKE MISSION
MISSION PRESIDENT: President Alan J. Baker
CREATED: July 1, 2013
AREA: This mission includes East coast portions of Virginia, North Carolina and a part of Maryland. It includes the Outer Banks, Norfolk Naval Base, and port areas of Chesapeake Bay.
LANGUAGES: English, Spanish
POPULATION: 1.7 million in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, which comprises much of the mission area.
DOMINANT RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic, Southern Baptist, United Methodist Church
CLIMATE: Hot and humid during the summer, with temperatures generally reaching around 90 degrees F. Spring and summer are especially rainy. Winters are milder, with snowfall being infrequent.
MAJOR CITIES: Virginia Beach, Newport News, Norfolk, Williamsburg (VA), Greenville, Beaufort, Goldsboro (NC)
THE CHURCH
There are 5 stakes located within the Virginia Chesapeake Mission, some of which also contain YSA and Spanish-language wards or branches, as well as FamilySearch centers. Church growth in the region has led to the recent creation of this mission.
TEMPLES
The Closest Temples are located in Washington, DC (3 1/2 hours from Mission home) and Raleigh, North Carolina (3 hours from Mission home.)
TEMPLES
The Closest Temples are located in Washington, DC (3 1/2 hours from Mission home) and Raleigh, North Carolina (3 hours from Mission home.)
FOOD
Missionaries can expect to find similar food to other areas in the United States while serving in the Virginia Chesapeake mission. Fish and seafood restaurants are popular thanks to the areas coastal location. Another distinct food of the region is Eastern Carolina-style barbecue. Eastern Carolina barbecue is made from slow-cooked pork and then usually served as pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw, though ribs are also popular. Eastern Carolina barbecue is distinct in that its sauce is vinegar-based, whereas most American barbecue sauces are tomato-based. Cheerwine, a cherry soda, is also unique to the region.
TRANSPORTATION
Like most stateside missions, missionaries will mostly use either cars or bikes in their areas. Designations are generally based on the size of the area and leadership positions. The region also has intercity bus services that travel between Norfolk, Newport News, and Hampton. Trains connect major East Coast cities, including some within the Chesapeake Mission. Norfolk also has its own light rail train system, called the Tide.
LOCAL LINGO
The Tidewater accent is unique to the region. The “r” sound is often dropped if it appears before a consonant in a word, and the “l” is also sometimes dropped. For example, the r and l sounds are often dropped when pronouncing the name of the city Norfolk. Some speakers replace “ou” sounds (such as in about or mouse) with a long “o” sound (like in the word code).
Some examples of slang include:
“Make groceries” = Buy Groceries
“Over yonder” = Over there
“The park/parks” = Projects/slum areas
