Hermana Hannah Mangum: It is ALL about Service, People :) OCTOBER 14, 2013

Hey!! This week has actually been the hardest week of the mission...BUT the beginning of the week was wonderful! So I am going to focus on all the good :)

Last weekend we received a name of a couple who needed help with their home. I tried calling them all day Friday and Saturday. They never answered when I called, so I left messages. And then they would call back and we would miss their calls and they would leave messages... So we were playing phone tag all weekend. Then on Tuesday, 8 of us missionaries met up at the stake center to go and do service and I thought of trying to call and get a hold of Carol and Michael again. I called, and they didn't answer... of course... about 2 minutes later they called back!

Carol was SO happy!! She said that it was a perfect day for us to come over and help :) So we all headed to their home. They live in the mountains. Like WAY up in the mountains!!! So we get to their home and immediately Carol just loves us and is so kind!!! We start cleaning things out and breaking out tile and sheet rock and stuff. And then Carol asked 4 of the sisters to go and make lunch with her! She was so excited!! She needed some girl time. She is the only girl in her family. So we cooked the most healthy lunch I have ever had, haha! It was delish! Carrots, peas, salad, and bratworst (don't know how to spell that... ha) But we made up for the healthy by making TWO cakes!!! haha! With homemade frosting! YUM!! She was so cute and just put us to work. We cooked up a storm while the Elders continued cleaning their home. I did the dishes and we just had a blast!

At one point Carol stopped us and cried and told us that we had no idea how much this meant to her. And that we were an answer to her a prayers and a miracle to her. Carol is very religious and thinks what we are doing is absolutely amazing! I think there is some potential in teaching her and her husband about the gospel! I wish so bad they were in our area! Before we ate she said a pray to bless the food. It was the best prayer! I love hearing other people pray! She prayed that we would all find our "life partners" hahaha! It was so cute and precious! I will always remember it! :) After we ate, she took us for a hike near their home. It was beautiful! Especially with the fall colors! Carol has already planned for us to come on Tuesday of this week with a meal and a new hike for us! Haha! I LOVE HER SO MUCH!! She got all of our info written down, and she is planning on sending YOU some Madagascar Vanilla from her job as a gift for Christmas and as a thank you for letting me be out on my mission :) SO DANG CUTE!

Also this week we helped a guy name Eric. His back yard was destroyed! He lives in the mountains also. But he lives in a super small mountain town that looks like the scary movies where everyone is related and they are all killers. haha!!! He was SO nice!!! He had about 3 to 4 feet of mud piled up in his backyard! So we shoveled it all out and evened the ground and unburied rocks and built a rock wall in his yard. IT WAS HARD WORK!!! I was so sore after! He also took us for a hike :) haha! It was so pretty!!

On Friday I had my last training meeting in Fort Collins :) Yay! No more training! After this transfer I don't have to be considered a greenie :) hahaha! I got to see Ally there! It was SO fun to see her! She is doing great, except she and her companion got in a car accident on Thursday night! It could have been really bad! They got hit by a drunk driver!! He was coming at them head on and her companion laid on the horn and moved out of the way as much as she could and he swerved last second and just clipped the front of their car. So THANK GOODNESS they were not injured! So scary!! But she is ok!!! She had a dream that we got called to be companions together in Nebraska in a

apanish area! haha! I hope it is true!!! I would love that! :)

On Saturday we went and helped out another guy whose home got destroyed as well. He owns a lot of property and a river runs through it. The river is typically 10ish feet wide, and during the flooding it spread out to 2 football fields wide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is debris EVERYWHERE!!! So we spend all day picking up debris and burning it. Me and and Elder unburied a HUGE log and I wanted to carry out of the pile with him (to show off how strong I am... haha) There were sticks everywhere and I was walking backward and completely tripped and fell flat on my back and the huge log fell on top of me! Hahaha!!!! IT WAS SO EMBARRASSING!!! But I redeemed myself and carried that sucker with the Elder out into the fire! Haha! It hurt! But I was ok :) While we were there we found a Mercedes that got buried and literally destroyed! I will send pics!

Yesterday at church the choir sang during sacrament meeting. And guess what?? I am in the ward choir! Yep that's right!! Haha!! It was fun and then we had practice after church. We are practicing Christmas songs. The Sister who is the chorister is crazy musically talented and knows Roz Hall!! We do all the warm ups you guys did when you were in choir with Roz and I love it! Reminds me of growing up :)

Anyway... I loved your emails this week :) Glad to hear you are all doing so well! THANKS SO MUCH MAMA! My tailbone still hurts, I had to stand up halfway through a fireside last night because I couldn't handle the metal chairs... Maybe I will get a donut... I don't want to though! haha!

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE CHURCH IS TRUE AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT! I hope you are all reading the Book of Mormon! It is so amazing! I just started Mormon today :) I am almost done again!!

TE QUEIRO!!

-Hannah :)