Week 2 Email

Dear Familia y Amigos,

This week was really good.  Had the opportunity to attend a fireside where Elder Neil L. Anderson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles spoke on the importance of the Holy Ghost, how to feel it, how it feels, and how to invite it, as well as the differences it can make in our lives.  I also watched a pioneer movie, 17 Miracles, which was very touching and caused me to ponder long and hard on the suffering and trials that the early saints had to go through, and how much faith they had and how the Lord was watching over them always. We also watched a talk given by Elder Bednar at an MTC devotional on Christmas a few years ago, talking about the character of Christ and how important it is to focus on others rather than ourselves.  That was probably the highlight of the week, because during it he channeled his inner baptist preacher and really didn't mince any words when talking about what we should do and how we needed to improve.  Only our district is going to Argentina, the old zone leaders left for Mexico this past Sunday, and our new ones leave in a week and a half.  I started reading the Book of Mormon 2 days ago, and am already over halfway done with it.  I will be sure to pray for Luke on Wednesday,  I know how much he loves the dentist!  

For breakfast I eat whatever the cafeteria serves, usually some eggs and sausage, with either waffles or pancakes.  Eggs are not very good, they are dehydrated eggs and taste like I am chewing on plastic.  I douse them in Tabasco sauce to give them some sort of flavor.  I do have to do chores, people come by once a week to check and make sure our apartment is cleaning, and every Saturday we wake up at 6:15 and do "service" which involves cleaning other people's classrooms.  Class is held in the same room everyday, and it is actually the living room of an old apartment at the Raintree Complex.  I live at the Wyview Complex right across the street.  I play basketball or volleyball everyday, although one day I did play soccer.  I am in the classroom for 12 hours a day, either role playing teaching an investigator, studying, or working on the language and specific teaching skills.  I am quite happy, although I do miss the people at home a lot.  The most interesting class is definitely with Hermano Avila, we go over Spanish and then he asks if we have any questions on particular doctrine, and he is a fountain of knowledge, particularly pertaining to Joseph Smith.  The hardest thing I have had to do so far would probably be trying to stay awake for 12 hours in a classroom a day!  The funniest thing that has happened so far...I accidentally called one of the elders "homeboy" one time, and somebody wondered what that would be in Spanish.  There's not a word for it, so we made our own.  We say "casanino" which literally translate to home boy.  I go up to the Main Campus for devotionals and to print off emails so I can read them before replying, so I don't spend all my email time just reading and thinking of what to say.  I have 2 instructors currently,  Hermano Avila and Hermano Wilson.  Hermano Wilson was our first investigator, before we even knew that he would be our instructor.  His name was Giovanni, and it wasn't easy to teach him because we had only been here 2 days when we started our lessons with him!  It got better as time progressed, although I feel as though I dominated the conversation because my companion only took a year of Spanish, and that was 4 years ago.  We need to work on unity in teaching.  Sorry I didn't take any pictures this week,  I'll do better this next week.  I write back every to every letter I receive, so keep those handwritten notes coming!  It always brightens my day, when mail is handed out at 9pm and I have a big ole stack of letters with my name on them.

Love you all,

Elder Michael Mangum

District & Companion Pictures

July 7, 2014 Letter

Dear Mom & Dad,

Let me know how long this takes to get to y'all.  I've gotten all of the letters you've mentioned, including Jake's and Rachel's.  Everyone in my district  is going to Argentina, 3 to Cordoba and 7 to Mendoza. 

...Fast Sunday was good but long.  Literally fasted for over 24 hours, dinner wasn't until 5 (it is 4:30 on normal days - super early). Fast Sunday was delicious - Chicken Cordon Bleu!  (one of Michael's favorite foods) Their mashed potatoes are awful. 

Haven't heard any apostles or 70 yet, the devotional on Sunday was given by a very talented pianist, Josh Wright.  Only issue I had was that he graduated from the U.  7 of the guys in my district are headed to BYU, so that's good, nobody going to Utah. 

Spanish is going well so far.  Somehow it come about that I am from the "barrio" (the hood).  Nobody else lives anywhere bigger than Pocatello.  That's 60,000.  Crazy how different everybody is, but we all get along for the most part. 

Don't throw too much of my stuff away! 
Much Love,
Michael

P.S.  I'm used to Sunday being a day off.  It wasn't.
P.S.S.  Need more stamps
P.S.S.S.  Happy 41st Mom!

_______________________________________________________

Tweeted from Josh Wright after the devotional on July 6th:
"What a great experience performing at the Provo MTC for such outstanding young missionaries. #careerhighlight"

Josh Wright Piano Video - beautiful!

1st Letter Home

Dear Mom & Dad, 

All is well.  Just finished my first day at the MTC.  One of the longest days I've ever had, it never seemed to end.  Just kept going and going.  But it was fun.  I'm on the West Campus, my companion for the next 6 weeks is Elder Lawrence from Hurricane, UT.  He's headed to Mendoza, Argentina.  I'm in an apartment with 6 Elders, 3 of us going to Córdoba. The Zone leaders who have been here 5 weeks say all I have to do is make to Sunday, after that it's smooth sailing.

Love,
Michael

P.S.  Send more workout clothes.  The district all runs together in the morning, plus gym time later in the day.  P-day is Saturdays

The view - Y Mountain!

Home Sweet Home until August 12th

M's bed is on the right

10+ hours of classes each day

Preparation Day @ the MTC

Missionaries have 1 day a week that is a Preparation Day (referred to as p-day) that they use to take care of personal needs, such as laundry, cleaning, haircuts, write home, do service, and exercise. Missionaries at the MTC are also supposed to attend the Provo Temple on their p-day.

While Michael is in the MTC, his p-day is on Saturday.  We were excited to get his first email on Saturday, along with a few pictures he has taken.

Elder Mangum and Elder Lawrence

Hey guys!

I sent a letter out on Thursday, but I don't know how long it takes to get it. P-days are Saturdays, which works out well.  The temple is closed this week and next week, which gives us an additional 4 hours on P-day to do whatever.

Jake- I haven't had a Rice Krispy treat yet, but the food has been pretty good, and the deserts even better.  

Luke- No I have not seen the prophet yet, but I got to shake hands with a member of our branch presidency who claims to have shaken every prophets' hand since David O. Mckay.

Hayley-  No, I do not sleep on bunk beds.  One of the rooms in the apartment does have bunk beds, but not ours. 

Trevor- My companion is pretty cool.  He's from Hurricane, Utah.  6 of the 10 guys in my district are from Utah.  The others are from Idaho, Missouri, Nebraska, and me from Texas.

Dad-  Schedule is pretty packed. Three different class times per day, each about 3 and a half hours.  Lunch is at 11:30.  Dinner at 4:30.

Mom- We haven't said it yet. (? was 'Do you say Doctrine & Covenants 4 in English or Spanish?')

We got to have a special 4th of July program, and got to stay up until 11:30 to watch the firework show. The first few days have been long and hard, but a lot of fun.  I'm already progressing in Spanish, and have even begun to think a little in Spanish.  Our district may end up getting a trip to Vegas or Boise to get our visas while we're here, but we have no idea when that may happen. 

The guys (we aren't allowed to call them guys, just elders) are all really cool, but really different.  I'm the only city boy.  All of us just graduated high school, except for one Elder who spent a year at BYU.  Thanks so much for your support!

Love,

Michael

Freedom Festival Balloon Festival 

4th of July Fireworks

The MTC

1:15 pm.  The assigned drop-off time for Elder Mangum to report to the Missionary Training Center to officially begin his missionary service on July 2nd, a day that had never been far from our minds since Michael opened that big white envelope in March.  It was an exciting time as Michael stepped out of the car into this new phase of his life.  There was just time for a quick hug, a smile and a wave, and then Elder Mangum was off!

A little bit of information about the Missionary Training Center:

Each Wednesday several hundred missionaries enter the Provo MTC. The eager missionaries enter an exciting world of learning. The MTC curriculum consists of up to 12 weeks of studying doctrine, learning to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively, and developing excellent communication skills. When missionaries are called to serve in foreign lands, their training also includes learning a new language. The Provo MTC is well known for its language teaching program. Approximately 50 languages are taught at the Provo MTC. The teaching staff is composed largely of former missionaries, who are well acquainted with missionary life...The Provo MTC is a beautiful campus designed to accommodate up to 4,000 missionaries. The facility includes a large gymnasium, cafeterias, a medical clinic, a bookstore, a mail center, laundry facilities, classrooms, and residence halls. A day at the MTC can involve many different activities, including visiting the cafeteria, enjoying some exercise in the gym, and engaging in personal study. Missionaries spend much of their time in classroom activities.  After weeks of training, missionaries leave prepared to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people around the world. 

Watch a short video about some of the things Michael will be doing while in the MTC before leaving for Argentina on August 12th.

  

Saying Goodbye & Hello

After a fun breakfast together, we took Michael to the airport.  

After checking in, we had a little time for one last group picture before we began saying good-bye to our missionary.

Goodbyes are always the worst.  But after a few rounds of hugs, kisses and tears, Elder Mangum was on his way.

Prior to flying to Argentina, Michael will spend the next 6 weeks in a Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, UT.  Lucky for us, Michael has a couple aunts, uncles and cousins who live in Utah and were super excited to pick him up at the airport and spoil him with big hellos and a fun dinner before he reported to the MTC the next day.

Setting Apart Elder Mangum



Monday evening Michael was set apart as a Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by President Hruska, the Houston South Stake President.  After meeting briefly alone with Michael, President Hruska met with us all together, giving us counsel and encouragement together as a family.  Before Michael was set apart as a missionary, we went around the room and everyone shared some thoughts with Michael. It was a tender time.  

Michael was then set apart by President Hruska as a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, called to serve in the Argentina Cordoba Mission for the period of 24 months, speaking the language of Spanish.  He was then counseled and blessed with many gifts that will help him serve and love the people of Argentina. 


For More information on Setting Apart Missionaries, see :
http://www.mormonmissionprep.com/call-process/setting-apart-missionaries/

Poem from Farewell Talk

On Sunday Michael spoke in both the Hermann Park and Maplewood 2nd congregations about missionary work and why he decided to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at this time in his life. 

Michael shared a poem that has helped him strengthen his desire to serve the Lord over the last few years.  Several people have asked for copies of it, so here it is:

After All We Can Do

By Elder Robbie Pierce,  2000

I’d been in that hole for a very long time –

In the dark and the damp, in the cold and the slime.

The shaft was above me; I could see it quite clear,

But there’s no way I ever could reach it from here.

Nor could I remember the world way up there,

So I lost all my hope and gave into despair.

I knew nothing but darkness, the floors, and the walls,

When from off in the distance I heard someone call,

“Get up! Get ready! There’s nothing the matter!

Take rocks and take sticks and build up a fine ladder.”

This had never occurred to me, had not crossed my mind,

So I started to stack all the stones I could find.

When I ran out of stones, the old sticks were my goal,

For some way or another I’d get out of that hole.

So I soon had a ladder that was really quite tall,

And I thought, “I’ll soon leave this place once and for all!”

Then I climbed up my ladder, it was no easy chore –

For from lifting those boulders my shoulders were sore.

So I worked and I climbed and at last had to stop,

For my ladder stopped short – some ten feet from the top.

I climbed back down the ladder and felt all around,

But there were no more boulders nor sticks to be found.

I went back to my ladder and started to cry.

I’d done all I could do; I gave my best try.

But in spite of my work, in this hole I must die,

And all I could do was to sit and think, “Why?”

Was my ladder too short? Or my hole much too deep?

Then from way up on high came a voice: “Do not weep.”

And then hope, love, and faith entered my chest,

As the voice said to me that I’d done my best.

He said, “Nothing’s the matter.  There’s reason to hope.

Just climb up your ladder; I’ll throw down my rope.

You have worked very hard, and your labor’s been rough,

But the ladder you’ve built is at last tall enough.”

I climbed up the ladder, then climbed up the cord.

When I stood at the top, there stood the Lord.

I’ve never been happier; my struggle was done.

I blinked in the brightness that came from the Son.

I fell to the ground; his feet did I kiss.

I cried, “What can I do to repay thee for this?”

He looked all around Him – there were holes in the ground.

They had people inside, and were seen all around.

There were thousands of holes that were damp, dark, and deep.

Then the Lord turned to me and He said, “Feed my sheep.”

Then He went on His way to help other lost souls.

And I got right to work, calling down to the holes,

“Get up!  Get ready! There’s nothing the matter!

Take rocks and take sticks and build up a find ladder!”

It now was my turn to spread the good word.

The most glorious message that man ever heard.

That there’s One who is willing to save one and all,

And we’ve got to be ready when He gives the call.

He’ll pull us all out of the hole that we’re in,

And save all our souls from death and from sin.

So do not lose faith; there is reason to hope:

Just build up your ladder; He’ll throw down His rope.

Mission Prep Dinner

Bishop Crawford, President Hruska, Elder Mangum and Brother Morton (Mission Prep teacher)

Every Sunday evening for the last 1 1/2 years, Michael has been attending a Missionary Preparation Class.  He has learned so much about becoming a missionary and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Sunday was Michael's final Mission Prep activity.  As per tradition, Michael was sent off in style with an amazing steak dinner at the Morton's home for family and friends, followed by a short meeting where Bishop Crawford, Michael and President Hruska all spoke and bore their testimony of the Gospel.