Mumford in Mada: Manahoana everyone!!

August 22, 2013
Hey all! It's so weird to think that 2 weeks ago yesterday I was being dropped off... Crazy! It's so true when they say the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. Makes no sense whatsoever, but somehow that's just how it is. Yesterday we saw all these new missionaries and they all looked so young and innocent! A couple weeks in spirit prison should cure them of that though ;) Apparently the number of missionaries on West Campus is supposed to jump form about 350 now to about 800 by the time I leave. Inconceivable!

I'm sorry about the very few pics I sent last week, I'll try to make up for it this week though! I know I've been kindof a failure at that. I'll send a couple of my district and I'll try to get a good formal one of all of us by next time. And for now I'll have to just keep sending one per email because of the memory limit. So I apologize in advance for so many emails!

So last week after the email we went through the Provo Temple. It was an amazing experience as with any temple. I loved the new video!! It was just so... I dunno. New and refreshing and a little more emotional. And so beautiful! I loved it. I almost laughed when I saw who was playing Satan, cause he's been in so many of those goofy church movies. But it ended up working, so the whole thing was awesome.

I'm getting so I always look forward to two days: P-day and devotional Tuesdays. The devotionals are one of my favorite parts, it kinda gives us a little breather from our hectic schedules. This week we had Elder Maynes from the Presidence of the Seventy speak to us. He talked about how we should always be connected to our purpose as missionaries, which we could always use a reminder about I suppose! I also got to sing in the choir. I went to choir practice and everything, so feel free to be proud of me mom! ;) We sang "Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer". It's definitely a song worth looking up on youTube (whatever that is). I love that song and being able to sing it with that choir was amazing! I cant wait to sing again in the choir soon.

My Malagasy is coming along ah'ight. We've been learning a bunch of grammar, which is always a blast... For instance, how to possess a passive verb like ampianarana, to teach. So ampianarako would mean 'taught by me'. I could go on and on about the grammar, but my brain gets fried enough in the classroom as it is! So I'll spare the language lesson for now. We also memorize a whole lot. Yesterday we started memorizing the first vision, so I'm hoping to have it in my noggin by tomorrow. Our teacher situation is a little complicated. We have 4 different teachers that rotate between districts. Bro. Sell still hasn't come back from getting married (still...who does that??) and another one of our teachers, Bro. Aldous went on vacation to Thailand. This week we met another teacher, Bro. Sender. He's a little more serious than the others, but I guess that's not a bad thing. Plus he looks exactly like Gordon Hayward. Brother Burton is, well, just Brother Burton. He's probably my favorite teacher. One thing I forgot to mention earlier is that when I first met him, he was like a celebrity to me just from when I was looking at Mada stuff online and I saw a video of him. So when I saw him in real life it was kinda weird! I bet it you youTube "lds mission madagascar" you can find it. He's a tall readheaded Elder in the slideshow. He's a funny guy.

Anywho, I don't really have much to else to say. Tsisy voavoa (nothing new). I'm getting my hair cut this morning so that should be exciting! But yeah, studying Malagasy and the Gospel is pretty much my life. But I am alive and well! I hope everyone is doing awesome, and I hope to hear from all of you! I'll try my best to reply to your emails. But if you want a guaranteed full response, you should write me a letter/DearElder! I can write before I go to bed every night. Just a thought!

I'll get those pictures sent out! I love all of you. You're always in the back of my mind and in my prayers. Hope to hear from you guys soon!

Tiako ianareo!!

-Elder Mumford

P.S. Any news about the Jazz? ;)

This is my room :)

Here is the living room!

We call this poo river. This is where we do our laundry every week ;)

Here's a picture of the Raintree apartment we go have class in :)

Here's the Wyview apartment where we stay!

This is where I ball it up!

So... I introduced milk lid flicking and it was a hit! And we've been collecting them from the meals. I know it's weird, but hey, when you're in spirit prison you need some kind of outlet ;)