Costa Rica San José West Mission
Mission leaders
John Charles and Laurie Holley Maddux
Began service ~July 2024 (three-year terms, “on or about July 1”) · estimated release 2027-07-01 estimate · source: Church Newsroom 2024 · as of October 8, 2026
Mission office
- Office address
- Cost Rica San José West Mission, Apartado Postal 859-1000, San José, Costa Rica, 506-22-808-214
- Phone
- Not yet verified
- Not yet verified
- Source
- Unofficial third-party directory (latterdaymissions.com) — may be out of date unofficial — confirm before mailing as of October 8, 2026
Letters & packages
Import duties and customs delays are common here. Many parents send small padded envelopes or use the pouch/letter options from the call packet; declare low values honestly and avoid sending valuables.
- Your missionary can email weekly on P-day; letters and packages are optional extras.
- Confirm the current mailing address with the mission office or the call packet before sending — offices move.
- Small, padded envelopes usually travel faster and cheaper than boxes; declare contents honestly and avoid restricted items.
- Mail-by dates for holidays and a calendar reminder are in the interactive guide.
Weather & climate
Profile: very-wet · about 4051 mm of rain a year · wettest months: Oct.
Monthly averages
| Avg high | Avg low | Rain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71°F / 21°C | 58°F / 15°C | 105 mm |
| Feb | 72°F / 22°C | 58°F / 14°C | 60 mm |
| Mar | 73°F / 23°C | 58°F / 15°C | 70 mm |
| Apr | 74°F / 23°C | 60°F / 16°C | 193 mm |
| May | 74°F / 23°C | 62°F / 16°C | 452 mm |
| Jun | 73°F / 23°C | 61°F / 16°C | 529 mm |
| Jul | 72°F / 22°C | 61°F / 16°C | 427 mm |
| Aug | 73°F / 23°C | 61°F / 16°C | 512 mm |
| Sep | 73°F / 23°C | 61°F / 16°C | 597 mm |
| Oct | 72°F / 22°C | 61°F / 16°C | 605 mm |
| Nov | 71°F / 22°C | 61°F / 16°C | 401 mm |
| Dec | 70°F / 21°C | 59°F / 15°C | 175 mm |
Monthly averages computed from Open-Meteo historical weather data (2016–2025, ERA5 reanalysis) for a ~1° grid cell near the mission city. Approximate; local altitude and coast effects vary.
Language
Spanish
Spanish is phonetic: vowels are always a (ah), e (eh), i (ee), o (oh), u (oo). Stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable unless an accent mark says otherwise. Use "usted" (formal you) with adults until invited to use "tú".
Assignments can include other languages; your call letter states your language.
Nearby temples
- San José Costa Rica Temple — Operating (4 June 2000) · ~0 km
- Managua Nicaragua Temple — Dedication scheduled (18 October 2026) · ~340 km
- Panama City Panama Temple — Operating (10 August 2008) · ~512 km
- Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple — Operating (17 March 2013) · ~573 km
The Church in Costa Rica
- Official Languages
- Spanish
- Church Membership
- 58,373
- Congregations
- 81 (61 Wards, 20 Branches)
- Number of Missions
- 2
- Operating Temples
- 1
Newsroom Facts & Statistics · updated Fri Mar 06 2026
Practical
- Time zone
- America/Costa_Rica
- Currency
- CRC
- Country code
- +506
- U.S. travel advisory
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution as of 2026-10-08
- Organized
- 1 July 2015
Culture & food
- "Pura vida" is a greeting, goodbye, and life philosophy.
- Ticos value politeness and avoiding confrontation.
Foods: Gallo pinto, Casado, Olla de carne, Tamales at Christmas
Next steps
Official: Missionary Portal · Missionary resources