Non-LDS members might be surprised to learn that Mormon missionary trips aren't free, nor entirely subsidized by the Church. Langi's two-year sojourn in Tampa would cost him $10,000 up front to secure his various living accommodations. He'd always have a roommate – another fellow young Mormon man – but every so often, he'd have to switch. Sometimes he moved in with someone else; other times, a new person would move into Harvey's apartment.
"That was one of the hardest things," he admits. "Every two months or so, you get with a new person, they do things differently, they eat differently, they have their tendencies, little things you have to learn to communicate and adjust.
"It was cool because … he's out there for the same purpose, to share the Gospel, but we also got deep into the community serving everybody and anybody in any capacity that they needed."
Langi's mission involved very little stereotypical proselytizing by knocking on doors and more serving by example. To be more effective, Harvey and his dozen or so different companions, all fellow elders (male Mormons aged 18 or older), thrust themselves into the Tampa community, introducing themselves to Mormons and non-Mormons alike to figure out what was needed and how they might assist.
The tasks they undertook varied greatly: moving people in a new house, mowing their lawns, cutting their hair, going grocery shopping for the elderly, visiting the disabled, walking people's dogs, praying for folks, giving blessings … to name several. They even helped some who struggled with addiction.
"You'd think, what does a 19-year-old do to help a person stop an addiction? It was accountability," he adds, "telling a person, 'Hey, I'll text you every single night to keep you accountable for you to see how many cigarettes you smoked. If you want to stop smoking, I'll call you every day at these times, we'll pray for you, figure out other programs we can get you in to stop smoking.' If you just want to talk to someone and know that there are people out here to help you and love you, we're here.
"It was tough at times," Langi confesses, "but great lessons learned. I wouldn't trade those two years for the world."
However, after two years, he would be forced to trade missionary life for a return to the real world. One in which he wasn't yet sure if football would still play a part in his life.
"My mindset at the time," he reveals, "was, 'If I can just do good here [in Tampa] and serve, I'll be blessed in the long run. If football is in my path, I'll be blessed with that. If it wasn't in my path, I'd be blessed otherwise.'"
What Harvey knew in his heart, though, was that he wanted to become a husband and a father – and fast.
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