Mike's Mission - MTC

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#FFFF66" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c006e0dkfegl.gif"> <div>                          <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > Michael's Mission Page</FONT>      <IMG SRC="04e55390.gif" border=0 width="85" height="57" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                     California Santa Rosa Mission  June 2006 - June 2008    |   <A HREF="http://www.theHaslams.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.theHaslams.com"><U>theHaslams.com</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#009933" TEXT="#080000" background="03dbec00ddwnzy.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Front Page"><U><B>Front Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="latest_news.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Latest News"><U><B>Latest News</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="photo_album.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission Photo Album"><U><B>Photo Album</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="companions.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission Companions"><U><B>Companions</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>=====================</B></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission May 2008"><U><B>May 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission April 2008"><U><B>April 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_w008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission March 2008"><U><B>March 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission February 2008"><U><B>February 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission January 2008"><U><B>January 2008</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission December 2007"><U><B>December 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission November 2007"><U><B>November 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission October 2007"><U><B>October 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission September 2007"><U><B>September 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission August 2007"><U><B>August 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission July 2007"><U><B>July 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="june_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mike_Mission June 2007"><U><B>June 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission May 2007"><U><B>May 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="april_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission April 2007"><U><B>April 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="march_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission March 2007"><U><B>March 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="february_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes mission February 2007"><U><B>February 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="january_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission January 2007"><U><B>January 2007</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="december_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission December 2006"><U><B>December 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="november_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission November 2006"><U><B>November 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="october_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission October 2006"><U><B>October 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="september_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission September 2006"><U><B>September 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="august_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michaels Mission August 2006"><U><B>August 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="july_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission July 2006"><U><B>July 2006</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="arrival.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Arrival in Santa Rosa"><U><B>Arrival in Santa Rosa</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mtc.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mikes Mission MTC"><U><B>Departure & the Missionary Training Center</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>=====================</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mission.net/california/santa/rosa/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mission.net/california/santa/"><U><B>California Santa Rosa Mission Alumni Site</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="062029a0.jpg" border=0 width="258" height="154" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>June 22, 2006 - MTC Provo, Utah - </B>In his last letter from the MTC Michael writes, "... I'm ready to leave there is not much more we can do here. Once you know the lessons well enough the only thing to do is go try and teach real investigators."</div> <div> Michael and his group of 10 leave for Santa Rosa on Monday June 26th on Sky West (Delta Connection) Flight 4071 for Oakland.  [Interesting destination, probably easier access than San Francisco, but further away than Sacramento]. The flight departs at 8:21 am (MDT) and arrives in Oakland at 9:19am (PDT).</div> <div> Michael added, "at the MTC you follow Satan's plan - everything is planned out for you, you have little choice". Even during "Missionary Directed Time" we are often given directions on what to do. Class isn't bad, I'm used to classes anyway. The food hasn't gotten old yet, but some of it is on the questionable side. Oh well, there is always cereal!"</div> <div> "I enjoy the large meetings with 2000+ missionaries, you can really feel the soirit so strong and it gives you strength to know that some many others are engaged in the same work."</div> <div> "I've seen most of my friends, Jeff Johnson, Mike Poulson, Nate Hancock, McKay Fitt, Madison Scharmin, Byron Poulsen and Steve Summers." I've not seen Skyler Thomson yet, but he just arrived yesterday.</div> <div> Mike indicates that his ankle seems to have healed ok. He said that he is no longer wearing the ankle brace. He sent a couple of dozen photographs home.  The 4 best are shown below:</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="746" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 441 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="06943b00.jpg" border=0 width="323" height="432" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="06b45b20.jpg" border=0 width="325" height="434" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 24 WIDTH="371"><div> Lots of time for study</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="356"><div> All Smiles</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 262 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="06d4af80.jpg" border=0 width="330" height="248" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="06f3ff80.jpg" border=0 width="319" height="248" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 25 ><NOBR><div> Mike, Jeff and Mike at the Famous Map</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="356"><div> The Santa Rosa District</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>June 15, 2006 - </B>In his second letter Michael said, "Things are going awsome, except for my ankle and the fact that I'll be here for only 2 Tuesday devotionals before leaving for Santa Rosa". At last Tuesday's devotional Elder Porter told us, "never fear the Lord will always be with you while you serve as missionaries".</div> <div> Typical Day:</div> <div> 6:30am Arise ..... 7:00am Breakfast..... 7:30-10am Class.... 10am-11am Recreation Period.... 11:30-12:15pm Lunch..... 12:15-4:30pm..... Class 4:30-5:15 dinner.... 5:15-9:30pm Class. One class period each day is "Missionary Directed Time" where my companion and I have to decide what to study.</div> <div> During the past week I spent time answering the church's inbound 800 number.  I had a conversation with a young man who was definitely looking for the truth. I committed him to reading the Book of Mormon and shared my testimony, "it was awsome".</div> <div> My companion Elder Zvirzdin (Za-vers-din) is really excited about missionary work. When we teach together he is the excited one and I'm the calm one. He's so excited that some times he will interrupt me. We have fun joking with each other. He's also pretty good at basketball; he can beat me with my weak ankle.</div> <div> <B>June 7, 2006</B> - In Michael's 1st letter he writes, "This is weird writing to you since I've never done it before. Having been on both sides of the "parents exit here, and the missionaries exit here event", I'd have to say it is easier on the missionary side.  After leaving we meet lots of new missionaries who are also ready to go to work in the Lord's service".</div> <div> I am in branch 5 district 6 which is made up of 6 Elders and 4 Sisters all headed to the California, Santa Rosa mission. My companion is Elder Zyirzdin (his family is from up state New York and the family name is Lithuanian). He appears to have been born and raised in the states since his English is just fine.  The other Elders in my room are Elder Davis (from Kearns, UT) and Elder Price (from Ft. Collins CO).</div> <div> My two preparation days in Provo will be Thursday June 15th and June 22.  I depart for Santa Rosa on Monday June 26. Five days later my new mission president arrives there to take charge.</div> <div> <B>June 7, 2006</B> - Michael reported to the Missionary Training Center in Provo Utah to begin his 2 years of missionary service. There were 515 new missionaries who arrived at the MTC on June 7, 2006.  This is a lower total than expected since it takes 500 new missionaries a week to keep 52,000 in the field. This is particularly true since the largest numbers of missionaries come and go in late December/January and May-August. In part I guess this can be explained by the increase in MTC sites around the world, where missionaries from the US and Canada go directly (Brazil, England) or after 3 weeks in Provo.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="601" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 222 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="06420d80.jpg" border=0 width="288" height="216" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="0651ed70.jpg" border=0 width="286" height="215" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="290"><div> Preparing to leave home...</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Saying "goodbye" to the neighbors</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 224 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="0661bd40.jpg" border=0 width="283" height="212" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="06723da0.jpg" border=0 width="291" height="218" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="290"><div> One last photograph</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="292"><div> Arriving at the MTC in Provo with 500+ new missionaries.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 363 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="05f0c650.jpg" border=0 width="268" height="357" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="0630a630.jpg" border=0 width="266" height="355" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="290"><div> Twins preparing to be separated for 2 years.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="292"><div> Ready to serve</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 233 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="0602fe30.jpg" border=0 width="303" height="227" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="05e1cd50.jpg" border=0 width="284" height="213" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 57 ><NOBR><div> Michael with his proud parents</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="292"><div> Mom attaches his missionary badge along with the "dork" tag which signifies a new missionary.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>June 6, 2006</B> - On 06/06/06 he was set apart as a missionary by President Stephen A. Hastings, President of the Sandy Utah Midvalley Stake.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="061aee80.jpg" border=0 width="174" height="232" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>May 28, 2006</B> - Michael gave his departure speach at the Midvalley 5th Ward. He spoke on the Book of Mormon chapter from "Preach My Gospel".</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="05b80200.jpg" border=0 width="384" height="288" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>March 29, 2006</B> - Michael received his mission call to serve in the Santa Rosa California Mission.  He departs on June 7, 2006. HIs great-grandfather John H. Haslam built chapels in the Santa Rosa and Ukiah California in the late 1940's. His daughter Evelyn H. Day also served in Californa at the same time.  She met her husband to be, James Day while serving in Santa Rosa.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>