3 December Emails!

Hi Mom & Dad!

Dec 16, 2014

How are you?

Today is p-day because tomorrow is transfers.

I got your package!

Thank you so so so much! 

The clothes fit and are super cute and the music is perfect.

And Chocolate is always appreciated. :)

Nothing really exciting has happened.  We have a handful of interesting investigators that we aren’t sure what to do with, but i’m sure the spirit will lead.

I love the sweaters!

ooo< I like the blue one :) And maybe the samony one?

So, yesterday was zone conference.  The picture you got was form one of the ladys who was serving the lunch.

Zone Conference - El Paso TX

Adventures?  Hmmm. not really much.  Everyone we are teaching went to mexico for vacation.

Time is most certainly flying! :)

Today has been super crazy.

So something really random happened this morning that shows that Heavenly Father really does work in mysterious ways.

One of the members who we work a lot with is in the Army and today was her graduation to become and officer.  She doesn't have any family so we decided to go.

It was really interesting, but the amazing part happened before the graduation started.

We walked into the waiting area and there were dozens and dozens of people in uniforms all around. Normally its super hard to tell them all apart. There was a group of them right in front of the door, right in my line of vision. And one of the girls and I looked at each other and guess who it was??!

Harlie Baumgardner and Sister Emily Mangum

December 23, 2014

Christmas plan? 

We are supposed to make it a normal day and proselyte. But that's really hard.  WE might just end up contacting all day

How are you?  You home enjoying the break yet?

We are so ready for Christmas here.

This past month the mission has been going Christmas Crazy.  With the new “He is the Gift” initiative, we have been handing out tons of the new pass along cards and our mission president has asked us to go Carol Tracting.

Basically just caroling.  We haven't found any new people from it, but other missionarys have.

But last night we did get Christmas cookies twice and get invited in for dinner.  So that was interesting. :)

We have been spending quite a bit of time just contacting, which can be fun.

Yesterday was our zone conference.  It was really good, but then I got called up for the 5 minute talk.  

I suppose it went alright. hopefully I wont have to do it again though.

Any fun plans for the holidays?

We have been doing lots of caroling too with the Carol Tracting i told you about.  Although, I much rather do it to people who I know.  Its kind of awkward when the people you are singing to stand behind the open door (or sometimes close it in the middle of the song)

I’m not sure when we will be able to call.

A family invited us over, but they are also having a set of elders over and we aren't allowed to have dinner at the same time, so i’m not sure.

I will try to make sure its before 4 here.

I also don't know if I will be able to Skype this time.  President is only giving us a half hour to talk to family

As for my new STL calling we have been going on exchanges.  We had one last week and we have another one this week.  Then next week we get to go up to Albuquerque for Mission Leadership Council.  Mostly its just whenever the Zone leaders need to have something handled with a sister, they go to us.  We are just in charge of making sure the sisters don't kill each other.

Tonight the senior couple is having a gingerbread house making competition thing today, so that's what we are going to do :) 

December 25, 2014

Skipping with Emily on Christmas Day 2014

December 30, 2014

This week has been fairly slow.  Most of our people are still out of town.

We have just been running around doing errands all day because we have had almost no time for the past 5-6 p-days.

So that's been nice.

We just happened to be home when the UPS guy delivered two GIANT boxes to our door.

Neither of us recognized the sender and it was addressed to some sort of company.  Definitely the right address though. :\

We are going to go around and check with all the neighbors to see if anyone ordered something recently.

Tonight we do have a dinner! Yay!

Then we have a lesson with a less active.

Sooo, funny story.

The member that is coming with us asked us to tell him what we were talking about and what we will ask him.

So last night I was sending out a text to the members coming to the lesson saying "we will be talking about the word of wisdom and law of chastity and would you mind bearing your testimony on..."

Then after I sent it, I went back and realized that I accidently sent it to the less active we are teaching....

whoops :\

Awkward

Some exciting news, I found out today that the recent convert family that I worked with all the time in White Rock is going through the temple in a couple of weeks!

Yay!

Sounds like this next week or two will be tons and tons of fun! :)

The long drive to Albuquerque is tomorrow!  It is a 4 hour drive and we are going up the night before the MLC meeting.  

We drive up with the other two sets of STLs in the south.

The ones from the El Paso stake and the ones from the Las Cruces stake

Not too sure about new years.  Missionaries probably have to be in early but we will be driving to Albuquerque.  They worry a lot about drunk drivers here.

Love you

Em