Hey Mom & Dad!!
How's it going? Yeah, it's freaking hot out here right about now! Its weird though because I'm used to it! It will be 85 degrees at night and on the bike ride home it feels amazing! Saturday was the hottest day so far. Straight up 100 degrees and I drank all of my 2 liters of water in my camelback by 11:30 in the morning. I thought I was gonna die of heatstroke or something because I didn't have any water to drink! I was freaking out haha. But I got some water bottles and went to a members house to fill my camelback back up. I didn't die, almost though. ;) I have like heat rash all on my legs and under my watch on my wrist because I sweat so much and it never dries and its so hot....just rashed up haha.
That's cool that the missionaries are bringing Donna over on Wednesday. Don't be dumb and talk too much! Let the missionaries do their thing and just talk when they invite you to or when you feel like something you say can help her understand or something. No deep doctrine or tenants. Just teach the doctrine. Got it? Ok good. That's crazy that Zac's last day of work was Friday? When are they moving? I have to write Ian and Kennady back and I don't want to send it to them and have them be in AZ already?! How is he doing and where are you taking them to dinner? I pretty much don't even eat dinner nowadays. It's a beautiful day when I actually have time to sit down and cook something. Most of the time it's just carrots and humus. Healthy food but its all good. Roasted red pepper humus isn't too bad and I feel healthy haha.
I'm excited for the CDs! EFY 2010 is way good (hint right there). We jam to that in the car every once in a while when we go for a drive somewhere. Way girly music but I'm pretty much a girl nowadays anyways haha. No joke like all spiritual and whatnot. For example, I'm giving my investigator a journal so he can see how much the gospel is changing his life and have the baptismal interview questions in the front so he can see where he is. I'm such a girl! haha. Elder Lofthouse and I always comment on how we're losers and have no social skills anymore. it's way funny. I love him. He's from Pleasantville, Utah BTW. I guess its north Ogden or something. I don't know haha. No one in my Ward so far has offered to cut my hair but this one guy, a nonmember, said he'll give me free dental care whenever I need or want it. So boom! That's pretty cool.
Didn't do anything for pioneer day over here. The other elders Ward had a pancake breakfast but Weatherly Ward didn't do anything. Church yesterday was the same old same old. I taught gospel doctrine class on fasting and it went well. Had 3 nonmembers there and they had some good questions. I'm finally feeling like a good teacher and not just some punk who follows the older missionary around haha. A lot of people keep getting surprised when I tell them that this is my first area and I've only been out a month. It makes me feel good! But at the same time, I have a lot to improve on and I know what I need to do to improve. So no biggie; I'll get 'er done.
What's up with Jeffy getting home already! That's crazyyyyy! and Dylan right after that! Man that went by quickly. Things have been going by pretty quickly over here too. Way way way faster than the MTC for sure. MTC was not even close to real missionary work either haha. So pretend but it does help a little bit. Just doesn't help with people yelling at you and going scientific on you. Too smart for their own good out here. But whatever, I'll get 'em.
I haven't really eaten anything weird! Dead armadillos are weird looking though! When they get hit by cars their shells cracks and its just pieces everywhere. Pretty cool though. I caught some baby lizards this week though! The weirdest thing I've eaten has been blueberry pie. I don't like blueberry but I ate it anyway - pretty good. Oh shoot, I had the best meal of my mission so far. President Memry of the Mission Presidency is SO NICE and he takes zones out for dinner once a transfer and I was lucky enough to go to Ruth Chris Steakhouse. It was amazing! 12 missionaries all sweaty and smelly in this 5-star restaurant getting $45 meals haha. I got a 4 oz steak, grilled chicken breast with garlic cheese stuffed in it, and crab cakes with spinach and cheesy potatoes. They cook the steaks in like a 1600 degree broiler and serve them on 500 degree plates. Burnt myself real good on that plate. It was still hot after 30 mins and it got me. But it was so good! Had some milk with it and it was top notch. Elder Lofthouse got a 3 pound lobster! They brought it out to show him before they cooked it and it was huge! I made him name it before they took it away and he named it Beatrice. Turns out he doesn't like lobster though but it was a good experience haha. President Memry probably threw down $500 on dinner that night. The Elders were ordering Shirly Temples and 20 ounce New York rib eyes or whatever they wanted. It was fun haha. I was talking to the Elder next to me who went to dinner last transfer and he said Pres Memry took them to this sky scraper and they had $150 dinners each. Lawyers get money haha. So that was my classy experience of my mission. Probably never do that again.
Things are going great out here. I love the heat, I love the green trees everywhere, I love the people although they don't all love me, I love the gospel and having the opportunity to share it everyday all day. I love being stared at and called a nerd. I loved being yelled at because I won't tell some guy my first name hahaha. That happened yesterday BTW and it was amazing. He asked what my name was and I said Elder Oppenlander....he said "no your first name", I said i just go by Elder, it's my title in the church and so just call me Elder for now, He started, no joke, screaming at me on his porch saying what's your first name? I was thinking this dude is crazy!!! But anyways he was a weirdo, asking me if I believed Jesus was enough for me to be "saved" it's all about being saved down here. I said well there's more to it that that, He said "NOPE"!! you either believe it or you don't. So he asked me again, and I would try to answer and he would just interrupt me and yell, ask a question, then interrupt me. I thought, ok this isn't going anywhere so I would just try to ask him what he means and he just keeps interrupting me and it's seriously ridiculous. Every time I try to answer a question he asked me, he just interrupts me hahahah! The whole time Elder Lofthouse is just watching me and watching this guy yell at me and try to shove info down my throat. Finally Elder Lofthouse says to the guy " do you workout? you look strong, where do you workout?" The guys like are you serious? I work out at my work. Elder Lofthouse says oh man I really want to go to a gym around here. Is there one nearby? The guys says yeah Golds Gym on Baily Cove. Oh ok thanks. It was obvious that Elder Lofthouse was just getting him off topic and being dumb and the guy recognized that. So he tries to get back to yelling at me and then Elder Lofthouse just throws down on him. Not bashing or anything, but seriously just critiques his teaching for 5 minutes straight hahahaha. Just tells him everything he did wrong trying to teach me his doctrine. Telling him how he was rude and how you can't force someone to understand your message. Goes straight out of Preach My Gospel on him and the guy just stands there in shock listening to the whole thing. He's like oh I'm sorry I didnt know I was doing that. Elder Lofthouse says "yeah it was just horrible communication in general". Maybe you can role play teaching a Mormon Missionary with your wife so next time we come by you can teach correctly and get your point across in a non aggressive manner. Totally teaching the guy but it was all true. The guy just says oh ok....but then his pride kicks in and he's starts saying I don't need to practice. We just leave and he shakes my hand for like 20 seconds saying, "come by again if you want to talk about the truth". It was funny. I think I was sent to Alabama just because I can put up with people like him. You can yell at me all day and all I'm going to do is end up laughing. So it was a good experience for me and the guy. He got told how to teach and taught correct principles for 5 minutes so next time he can better persuade a Mormon Missionary. I was proud of Elder Lofthouse.
We're going to the Space and Rocket Museum next. I'm not too happy about that because it costs money but whatever; it might be fun haha. I hope I didn't bore you with all my stories. I love you all and I'm loving being a missionary. I was made to come to Alabama for sure. Not many people could stay level headed with everything they throw at you here. I'm glad I'm a calm person and I have Elder Lofthouse to back me up and teach me. He's a good guy. I hope this email sends because its super long haha. Anyway send me my watch please and I cant wait to hear from you again. You can be proud of me, I'm doing what I'm supposed to and loving it. Just pray for me and my safety, It's sketchy out here sometimes, especially on bikes. A couple of people have tried to hit me so far. Punks haha. Anyways take care, go and buy a dog!
Love Elder Oppenlander
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