First P-Day!

August 9, 2013

Vianakaviana, (Family)

       Hey everyone!! So I sent a letter home yesterday so it should be on it's way, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm alive and well! I didn't think I'd have a chance to email until next thursday (my p-day), but I have a little bit of time so I thought I'd send a quick update!

       I don't even really know where to start... Haha :) There's details in the letter I sent out, so I'll just kindof sum up. There are 14 of us in our district! I didn't think there would be that many going there, but there is :) It's crazy because there were almost a thousand other missionaries entering the same day!! It's just one big party down here in spirit prison. Haha it's not really spirit prison, it's actually quite nice here. My class is so awesome because it's taught in a living room! Yep, I live in Wyview and our class is in Raintree. No communitiy showers!

       My companion is Elder Rice. Our teacher, Bro. Sell says the people in Mada will love him cause of his name! Rice is from Boise. He's okay... ;) He sends his greetings!

       Anyways, I'm about to be cut off from computer time. I'll write more next week! And with pictures!! Oh and for some reason the date is different from the mailing address I gave you. Turns out that it's actually SEP 16. I'm so excited!!!

      Sorry I could't write a whole lot tonight. But  I love you!!! And I miss you. All of you are in my prayers.

Much love,

                   Elder Mumford :)

August 15, 2013
       Hello all! I'm sorry I haven't really had a chance to talk about things much. They just have every minute planned out for me, so I can't really email until thursdays. Which this is my first real P-day so I finally get to communicate a little.

       
       Let's see... I guess I'll just start answering some questions I've been getting. I am on the West Campus, so I won't be around the Main MTC much at all. The missionaries here are kinda known as the "Pioneers of West Campus" Haha. We live in the Wyview apartments. It's really nice having just a room for me and Elder Rice. We have a sweet bunkbed, and lots of closet space. Plus we don't have the community showers, so that's nice. Although with how long some of the Elders take, it would be nice to just all get it done at once. But oh well! I can't complain. Our classroom is across the street over in Raintree. I've already mentioned this, but we have class in a living room! It's a lot of fun. We eat in a cafeteria near our class. I don't really know how to describe it other than it's like a portable they have at the elementary school, only a lot bigger. The food is great, especially the chocolate milk. "Mmm yes. The chocolate milk flows here like the rivers of Babylon!" -as one of the Elders put it. If there's one good thing to say about BYU is that their milk is okay. Still not as good as USU, but I guess I can settle ;) Yes, I have had a chance to show off my mad basketball skills! We play basketball every day. Over at Wyview there's a big parking lot where there's hoops. They also have beach volleyball, which I'll definitely have to hit up!

       
       The language is going pretty well! Malagasy is a lot of fun to learn. There's a kind of rhythm to every word. We study it a LOT. It's pretty much all we do except eat and sleep. Haha. I'm not gonna lie, I have had my frustrations with it. But whenever I get discouraged I just remind myself that I've only been here a week and that I've learned more than most could have in such a short time. That's the gift of tongues right there! We had an awesome devotional this past tuesday, given by Richard G. Scott. He spoke about prayer and how we should always pray, even if we don't feel like we really need anything. We should never rush our prayers, but take all the time we need. Our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us. Probably my favorite part of his talk was when he blessed all of us who are speaking a foreign language, that we will have the gift of tongues and that we would have lots of success so long as we pray much and be obedient. That was so cool that we got an apostolic blessing! It definitely was an answer to prayer. I'm sure it was the answer to many prayers too. It made me that much more excited about what I'm working for! Oh and our teacher, Brother Sell is gone for the week. He's getting married in Vegas or something. That crazy kid! So we have Brother Burton. He's a great guy! He played our first investigator, Jean-Claude, who we committed to baptism yesterday! Unfortunately after the appointment Brother Burton told us that he got hit by a bus. Sad day. So we'll have a new investigator soon! Which I'm excited about. 

     
       I'll just talk a little bit about my district. So in my last email I lied. There are 14 missionaries going to Mada, but 6 of them are in a different district. But we still love them. Kindof... Haha. I love the missionaries that I work with. They have a great sense of humor, but we buckle down when we need to (which is pretty much all the time). I told y'all about Elder Rice cakes, my companion . We have a sister in our district named Soeur Wenyi, from France. There's also Elder Thai-Soui-Tchong. He was originally from Reunion! But he lived in France before coming, so he speaks French. He's amazing, he doesn't even speak english and yet he is just absorbing Malagasy like a sponge! Asians... Haha! There's another Elder from France in the other district, Elder Cannoult. I have a good time with the French people. It's funny cause I'll speak a little French to them and they'll be like, "Ah! You speak French!" and then they'll carry on their conversations and I can't understand them at all. Haha!

         
       Anywho, I don't really have much else to say. I'm going to the temple in a little bit, so that'll be good! Sorry if I don't get to each of you individually today. My time is still pretty limited. But we'll be in touch soon! I love all of you!!! 

         -Elder Mumford