About the creator

I’m Allen Powell. I’ve lived in the Pacific Islands and the British Isles, and I’ve served as a U.S. diplomat and government civilian in seven countries across Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. I also spent three and a half years training missionaries at the MTC and I’m a certified Cultural Intelligence (CQ) facilitator through the Cultural Intelligence Center (CQC). Culture-Ready brings those tools into a missionary context so pre-missionaries can connect more effectively across cultures.

What is Culture-Ready?

Culture-Ready is practical cross-cultural training for pre-missionaries for the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You’ll learn how culture actually works, how to spot your own assumptions, and how to connect with people on their terms without watering down what you believe.

By the end, you’ll feel more prepared to:

• Build authentic relationships with the people you serve
• Avoid unintentional offense and awkward moments
• Work better with companions who see the world differently
• Open more doors for honest, spiritual conversations

Why good intentions aren’t enough

Missionaries enter the field with a vital message but often encounter complex cultural obstacles. When others don’t accept what they share, it can feel like the people are the problem, and that quietly builds distance. If you’ve ever wondered why sincere efforts fall flat, you’re not alone. Many missionaries don’t realize how far away their message can land when cultural differences haven’t been bridged yet.

Is Culture-Ready for you?

Culture-Ready is a good fit if you:

• Are preparing to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Want to feel more confident entering a new country or culture
• Worry about accidentally offending people or not knowing what to do
• Want to build real, respectful relationships with the people you serve
• Care about loving people where they are, not just “getting through the lessons”

Also helpful for:

• Parents, leaders, and teachers who prepare youth for missions
• Returned missionaries who want to grow their cultural intelligence
• Senior missionaries preparing to serve in a new culture

Why I created Culture-Ready

I’m Allen Powell. I’ve lived in the Pacific Islands and the British Isles, and I've served as a U.S. diplomat and government civilian in seven countries across Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East—along the way I've worked closely with people from Africa and South Asia, too. I spent three and a half years joyfully training missionaries at the MTC. Over time, I’ve watched well‑intentioned people run into walls they don’t understand, simply because we’re rarely made aware of how deeply culture influences every human interaction.

Culture‑Ready is the training I wish every pre‑missionary had before they stepped on the plane: simple tools drawn from real cross‑cultural experience so you can see through other people’s cultural lens and connect with more confidence, authenticity, and depth. I’m also a certified Cultural Intelligence (CQ) facilitator through the Cultural Intelligence Center (CQC), and I’ve designed this program to bring proven CQ tools into a missionary context.