Hello Mississippi!

Mom and Dad!

OK, so new policy with the mail ... send it directly to me if you want me to get it anytime soon. The mission office can no longer forward it so any mail or packages sent there I'll get during transfers or big meetings...which aren’t very often hah. And Pres. Holzapfel keeps stressing to not have our parents post our address online anywhere! Blog, or facebook, or anything. You can email it or put it on the church bulletin but not online got it? Another good CD for you to get for me is called "Nearer". It’s made by the EFY dudes and it was way good. I had exchanges with the zone leaders last Wednesday so I was companions with Elder Bishop for a day. He had that CD and I loved it! He’s a way cool guy and we did an awesome job tracting that day. Found a lot of people and I learned a lot from him and that multi zone training. And yeah, the whole zone went to Huntsville besides my zone. We went to Birmingham because Pres. Porter, in the mission presidency, was driving the sisters and he was going to Birmingham. But yeah, that training Elder Clark did was freaking amazing!!! Like 5 hours long but sooo good! Got blasted with the spirit and gonna make me such a better missionary as I do what he told us to do.

About time Lauren is finally out of that apartment!! Man. I’m glad to hear the new one is nicer! My apartment is nice here! It was gross when I first showed up but I got it in tip top shape :) Two bedroom, two bathroom, air conditioning, laundry room, for just the two of us too! I love it. How was the dinner with the Urry's? Sounds like you guys had some fun. That’s funny about Seth! I was thinking about him the other day and I was like, I would just run into him out here knowing him. Probably at Wal-Mart too hahahah. Glad that my lil baby cousins are praying for me. It helps! And oh shoot, Dad got a smoker??? Gonna have to try that out asap when I get back. I still haven’t had any good BBQ since I’ve been here!!!!!!!!!! Its so lame but I’m busyyyy.

Estafan looks good. Hair stylist for sure haha. Glad to hear Uncle Rick and Gma are doing good. I got emails from both of them and Lauren but don’t have time to respond I don’t think. I only get 45 minutes at this library and that’s barely enough time to read my emails and write you back. They may get lucky but I doubt it. I’m not ignoring them, just rushed haha. One thing about vinyl sidings is that bugs get all in them. Here in the south everyone has them and everyone has thousands of wasps living underneath it hah. So make sure they get it all sealed up!

You saw the pics of us working at Christina’s house?? What pics did she post and what did she say? We haven’t gone over to teach her yet, her husband got home last Saturday so I’m expecting a call from her any day now inviting us over :) We spend a lot of time tracting and trying to find people to teach and right now there isn’t very many promising ones haha. We have a guy named Joe, an older couple named Ellen and Roger, and a bunch of potential investigators. We went tracting in the ghetto last week and we have an appointment with Vincent tonight on the corner of 26th street hahahah. That’s where we are going to meet him so hopefully he shows up!

I have not gotten the package and I’m pretty sure I know why now haha. Its probably sitting at the mission office, i'll probably get it Sept 7th when I go to the temple!!! :) I’m so excited for that. But yeah, do not send it to the mission office from now on! haha. The new ward here is way nice. Mostly pilots from the air force base right next door. So a lot of younger couples and older people who have lived here forever. We’ve gotten fed a couple of times but not a bunch or anything. There is a dinner calendar though, so food will be coming. Mississippi is way flatter than Alabama. Just as green just a lot more fields and creeks than Alabama’s trees and hills. I love it though, but it smells! Dead dogs everywhere from being hit by cars and I smell death like 50 percent of my bike ride. Its gross haha. And by the way, we've been riding bikes like crazy! Like 25 miles a day and we did 12 in a row the other day and Elder Holley almost passed out! He was getting all dizzy and it was way funny haha. Not really but I laugh at everything. Its sooo hot and we never have enough water. Most deff had heat exhaustion like 10 times this week. But I still love it:) haha And the weather has just been hot. No bad weather or even drops of rain. It’s getting pretty dry though and this morning was nice and cool when we went running! So all’s good in the natural disaster department. I’m getting along with Elder Holley a lot more now. I’ve really just gotten over it and focused on being a better companion. Pres. Holzapfel told me I was put with him to give him confidence and help him out. He said he needs a companion like me and introduced me to Elder Clark and said I’m already being an "asset” to the mission....I don’t know about that or why he thinks highly of me but I need to start acting like it. Just being a good example to Elder Holley and what not. So wish me luck and pray for me ok??

I love you guys and send me pics of the family!! I don’t have any!! It’s lame haha

Love you!!

Elder Oppenlander

1st Week in Columbus Mississippi

Hey Hey!!

How’s it going?! Yeah I’m in Columbus Mississippi Ward now. But my area covers a couple of cities all around Columbus. It’s definitely different than Huntsville haha. A lot more area to cover and a lot more diversity. Some areas are way country, some way city, and huge houses and housing projects haha. So I have a little bit of everything out here. Definitely a lot more blacks here than Huntsville haha I love it! ; ) The first day was a shocker for me. I was talking to this black lady and I had no idea what the freak she was saying haha. Talking so fast and quiet I was like uhhhh what did you just say haha? I have the hang of it now though. But yeah, way different. Way ghetto and cars with 26 inch rims everywhere.

We still bike everywhere and my new companion, Elder Holley, is so slow on the bike. He’s different from Elder Lofthouse and the exact opposite from me. So its been frustrating big-time lately. But its alright. It’s all good. He just gets mad over a lot of stuff. Like yesterday he got mad at me because I wanted to pray before we left the apartment and we had just prayed like 5 minutes earlier. He said he feels like I’m trying to prove how righteous I am??? So little things like that have been going on this last week. And I definitely feel like I’m put with him to chill him out a little bit and for me to develop better patience. Which I have haha. I still need to get better at it and keeping a good attitude, but I’m working on it.

Elder Holley is a great guy though just not as strong in some areas as others might be. He’s a hard worker and keeps pushing forward even when he’s frustrated though. So he’s a good example to me in that way. He also helps me wake up on time and we go running every morning. So I’m happy about that. It’s just going to take some getting used to and a lot of prayer to see how I can help him out the most I can and be the best companion.

The work here has been so slow. Last two days we've knocked like 500 doors and only got like 2 lessons... a lot of people just proving how they already have all the truth they need. So I’m pretty frustrated lately and I’m sure that’s rubbing off on Elder Holley haha. I love Columbus though and I’m trying to get used to the new area and learn where everything is, which is way hard because we keep going all over. The ward here is pretty small, about 120 people. They are way nice though and a couple Elder Lofthouse found here about 3 months ago just got baptized so it’s cool seeing how people progress even after you leave an area. Elder Lofthouse served here right before he trained me.

Elder Holley is from Utah, Pleasant Valley or something. He doesn’t do any sports, he has like 9 brothers and 1 sister, never been on a date in his life, and he fenced...other than that he’s just geeky haha. I love him though and he'll make me a better missionary. So I’m looking forward to this transfer.

Man sounds like you guys had a full day of wedding stuff. That’s awesome that Laura is officially married! Is Lauren freaking out about getting a new roommate or is she just whatever about it? That’s good that Jackie and Nicole are busy getting money haha. How did she do Lauren’s hair? The same as last time or what? Did she like the pocket watch I got her? How is it being all-together and not having me there? Probably relaxing haha. Dang! JT sounds like he’s almost ready to get his call! That’s awesome!!! Zac needs to step it up, can’t let JT beat him like that. I’m glad to hear that your headaches are way better and that dad is going to go back to school haha. This guy in my ward, Bro. Pierce is a chemical engineer and said to tell dad " you can’t spell geek without Double E." referring to electrical engineer or something. I don’t know, he’s funny haha.

The people in Mississippi are way nicer than people in Alabama haha. I love it here --- its rural, city, ghetto, and nice all at the same time :) I don’t have any really good stories but I did mow some lady’s lawn! She said this might be weird because I just met you but I’m a good cook. I’m going to call you and you’re going to come over and eat when my husband gets back from Afghanistan next week. So I’m looking forward to that even though she said her husband will most likely pressure me into wrestling him and they say they cuss like sailors. She took a picture of us after we mowed her lawn and put it up on facebook. She said she was going to tag me in it so I guess I’ll see it when i get home haha ; ) She is way nice and I’m excited to go and try to share the gospel with her a little bit. We’ll see how it goes. I’m glad Sis. Reynolds likes my letters! I love hers too! And over 900 hits on my blog? What the freak are people doing with their lives to have time to look at that thing? Probably 850 of them are Jackie though haha and the rest are you, so no biggie.

Well I gots to go and sorry this letter is all over the place but it’s hard to concentrate in this library. Construction going on and my mind is already all over the place. I’m just excited to go buy food because for the last 4 days I’ve been eating nutella, bread, and water.....over it and ready to get food haha. Elder Holley just eats junk food and I’m not down to get fat!

I love you and have a great week! I did get the collage by the way, and I loved it. Made me smile a little bit and got me in a good mood :) Well, have a good day and stay safe driving to Utah!

Peace out, Elder Oppenlander

Elders Holley and Oppenlander

2nd Transfer in the Tupelo Zone - 17 August 2011

End of the First Transfer - 15 August 2011

What’s up Oppenlanders!

So crazy that Jeffy is back living it up in California...man! That’s crazy! But this transfer is already over too. Didn’t feel like 6 weeks. I just found out this morning that I’m getting transferred to a new area and a new companion! Kind of nervous but mostly just excited. 21 new missionaries are coming in and 2 new areas in the mission opened up. All but 8 missionaries are getting transferred. Biggest transfer in Pres. Holzapfel’s career! Should be so fun! Last Friday we went to new missionary training meeting and I got to see all my old MTC friends, it was so fun! Everyone looks so different and they all loving it. Elder Starley, one of my better friends, is in a branch in Selma, Alabama with 30 people and he’s the only white guy haha. Sounds like heaven to me! He loves it! I wonder where I’m going to go!!!!!

What’s up with everyone in our ward going to US missions and English speaking haha?? That’s cool that Forrest got his mission call and Eric is about to be out doing the work, that’s crazy. Everyone is growing up. You guys are going to be so old by the time I get home OMG.... that’s cool that Jackie and JT are coming over for dinner sometime. JT is still a loser though because I haven’t gotten a letter from him. Of course you got the "Chase’s Mom" discount. One of the amazing perks of having me for a son. Pretty much brag about it if you want, everyone knows you’re a lucky gal. haha and I’m sending a package home. I got Lauren something and there are 2 funny flyers the missionaries in Tuskegee made. It sounds retarded when you read it but its 100 % true. So let it sink in haha.

You’re going to dinner with Elder Urry's mom? Tell me how that goes that’s pretty cool. Is dad still in school or did that stuff fall through or what the heck happened? He was all proud of himself for doing homework then all of a sudden he wasn’t doing it anymore. I forgot why. So please explain haha. It’s definitely good to hear that people actually remember me back home. Just give it 6 months and no one will care anymore haha. Tell zac to yank those teeth out and get his interview on! He’s got to get out before JT does. ASAP!

MRS. FIELDSON!!!!! I want to see it! Just scan it and send it in an email! I kept wondering if i was ever going to get that haha. Mail her back and let her know what’s up with me and tell her I’m doing amazing. haha.

Why did you paint the fireplace?? haha I guess you got nothing to do though huh? haha Well that’s cool and did you get a puppy yet? Last Monday when I got my haircut, Sister H, who was the one cutting my hair had just gotten a brand new puppy, it was so cute!!!! Chihuahua and Mini Pincher mix. The only cute Chihuahua I’ve ever seen in my life. She cut all 4 of the missionaries’ hair and I was first so for the last three I napped on the couch with Tia. That was the puppies name ;) It was so cute and I missed having a puppy dog to relax with! So, yeah get one already shoot.

How was lunch with aunt Kris? Do they ask about me ever? Nick is going to be a senior and Connor has his license? What the freak; this family is getting old! It’s going to be weird to come home and Garret is probably going to be taller than me and Connor is going to be a big old sucker and Nick will still be all short haha.

That quote from Elder Oaks is a good'n! So true

Elder Lofthouse is a large. He will enjoy the Seal Beach shirt for sure. Just send it to the Benaroya address and he'll get it. I don’t now what my address is going to be yet or what time my church will be next week so just send stuff to the mission office.

For breakfast I usually eat cereal and toast, lunch is usually salami sandwich, clementines, and water from my camelback, dinner is usually food from members but most of the time I just don’t eat dinner, because I usually get home around 9:00 or 9:30 and I still have to plan and stuff. Lately, dinner has been amazing! Baked potato with pulled pork on top, cheese, sour cream, BBQ sauce, and hot sauce.....sooooo good. Just microwave the tater and we cooked a pork shoulder in a crock-pot a member gave us. sooooooooooooooooo gooooooooooood! I don’t eat much for dinner usually though. We’re going to Rosie’s today for lunch. It’s a Mexican place then Gibson’s BBQ for dinner. Got to go out big :) so yeah everything is going amazing over here.

Donald and Terri, our Brady bunch couple we're teaching. They have 8 kids, (3 hers, 4 his, 1 theirs), came to church this Sunday and Weatherly Ward did the best welcome we could have hoped for! It was ward conference so it was a little weird to them...actually way weird to them haha. But they loved church and the primary president invited them over to her house for dinner tonight and we're teaching them after. so they’re doing awesomely! So excited but bummed to leave them. It’s crazy how when you teach people you just naturally become close to them and love them. I was showing Donald around the building yesterday and he saw the basketball court and asked if I ever play. I said no we don’t have a ball haha. So as Elder Lofthouse and I are riding our bikes to our lessons yesterday, Donald and Terri pull up and give us cookies and they went and bought a basketball for us haha. Breaking the Sabbath for us but it’s all good. We haven’t taught them that yet ;) haha We also have another great investigator named Robert. He has 7 kids and they’re all crazy haha. He’s a golden investigator though and loves everything he’s heard so far. I’m so excited for him too. It’s going to suck to leave on Wednesday and not be able to teach them anymore but the Lord wants me somewhere else so I’m going to go and do work!!!

Oh I had my first legitimate migraine last Monday. We were at Donald’s house teaching and I was in agony just sitting there trying not to throw up haha. It was like an hour and a half long and I only said like 3 sentences. Got home, threw up, and went to bed without putting the freshly washed sheets on my bed haha. That was horrible but I was proud that I got out there and at least let Elder Lofthouse teach them and not just stay home and waste time. So its all good!

Just a lot of teaching and finding peeps to baptize. One funny thing. this ginger kid keeps popping up everywhere I go and showing off his airsoft gun and telling me how tough he is. One day I just called him over and said what’s up, what’s your name. he’s said Mitchell.....and so we got to talking and told him why I’m out here all dressed up haha. Just got to know him pretty much. Yesterday he sees us and rides over and says he feels like drop kicking someone.... I’m going to drop kick you...haha I said ok kick me then I got to go teach. So he kicks me I guess trying to beat me up but he’s like 10 so it doesn’t even hurt. He gets all mad when i don’t fall down crying so follows us around and continues to try to kick me and trip me I guess. I just talked to him the whole time. Just some little redneck kid trying to beat me up but not old enough too yet. Pretty funny haha.

Anyways i got to go! Love ya and pray I love my new area haha

Love, Elder Oppenlander

First Interview with President Holzapfel - August 2011

August 8th, 2011 - Huntsville Alabama

Yo! First off, I haven't been out two months yet haha! Not until next Monday - get it right! and Jeffy Given is coming home Monday?? Man, that was way fast! That's awesome that Tony, Paige and Aaron spent the weekend there! It's weird that life is going on without me haha. I'm pretty much shut off from the rest of the world - it's weird. Earlier this week, we were talking to this guy and he's talking about the stock market crashing again or something and asking me if I was worried...I was like I don't even know what you're talking about. It's funny because I don't even think about things like that so when people are all worried about it, it doesn't even phase me. Doesn't matter to a missionary really. Maybe when I get home it will matter but for now ignorance is bliss :)

And I miss California and the amazing weather haha. It's been so hot here and stormy. Yesterday was so humid it was ridiculous. I wish I was sitting on the beach watching people at the U.S. Open haha. Just kidding. I love it here. The storms are tight. Monday night we had a crazy storm!!! I thought it was a tornado no joke! I woke up like midnight because the wind was so loud and the lightning was going crazy! More than one strike a second. The whole sky was just lit up from lightning! And the thunder was crazy too. Just constantly rolling and never ending. Elder Lofthouse and I went to the living room and just watched it for a while until we were too tired. There was 60 mph winds and the 70 foot trees outside our apartment were swaying back and forth. I thought for sure they were gonna snap. It was sketchy! A lot of trees did blow down around us though. There are fat trees all over on the ground and some hit houses and some lady got smushed as she was sleeping...her husband right next to her in bed was fine...that must be awful!

And Jackie and Zac dropped by on Wednesday??? I thought Zac was in Arizona haha? I sent him a letter last week to his Arizona address haha. Shoot. That's good that you liked the pictures though! I barely took any this week but I took some good green ones. I love Alabama and all the trees and stuff. I caught another toad and praying mantis this week too haha. Things like that make my day. I was cracking up at this praying mantis, like no joke, laughing so hard.

Where is Jackie going on vacation! That's tight she gets to get away for a while. Speaking of hair cuts ---I'm getting mine cut today at 12:00 by Sister H, some young mom in my ward. My hair is super long and fluffy. I'm glad to be cutting it. I was embarassed bearing my testimony at church yesterday because I was like, I probably look retarded right now but nothing new haha. I'm glad to hear the grandparents are doing better. I've been praying a lot for them lately and I fasted for them and your dumb arteries yesterday. I bet Grandpa is excited with all of these gophers plopping in the pool, gives him somthing to do everyday and something to look forward too haha. Abby and him can team up on them. And about the artery thing, that's good that you finally got it looked at and a specialist told you what's up! Are you feeling more confident about them nowadays or still worried? At least you know what's wrong and what you can do to help it along. Makes me relieved a little bit to know what's wrong. At least you aren't dead haha. Have you been having migraines a lot still or how is all of that going? How is Dad doing? Are you guys finding things to do on a day to day basis to stay busy? And that was jacked up not getting that bulldog puppy? 2200 dollars is worth it...thank you for calling JT a punk too, by the way. That kid needs to learn his lesson.

This week was just as hard as last week haha. Tell Dad thanks for praying though because it worked. We met this guy named Robert and barely talked to him and set up a return appointment and gave him the restoration pamphlet. We came back on Saturday and he had read the whole thing and was so excited about our religion. He told us the last couple of weeks he's been praying to find out how he can get his 7 kids into a church. He's really worried about his teenage daughters in the world today. He said after we left him last time he had the best feeling but had questions about the modern prophets. So he said a prayer and an overwhelming feeling came to him like why wouldn't there be? Why would God stop after Jesus? He straight up asked us "after I read the Book of Mormon and find out it's true...what do I do then?" So we told him about baptism and we set a date for Sept. 3rd. He's way excited and wants his 16 year old daughter to sit in with our next lesson. He says she's the ringleader of the children so if she goes along with it they will all follow haha. He truly wants the church to be true and it's awesome. So we have Robert with 9 people in his family and Donald with 10 people in his family. If we get them both that's 19 people brought into the gospel!! So exciting haha. And the last week we've really been struggling to get lessons, like 1-2 a day. It was really slow. And that day we taught Robert, last Saturday, we taught 10 lessons!! We rode our bikes home so happy and felt so blessed to be out here doing work. That night we talked to these crazy hicks too. Drinking whiskey and seriously smoking cigarette after cigarette. One of them smoked 2 packs the hour we were there. It was gross haha. But we talked to them and one was crazy smart! Got everything we said and would explain it to the other one all redneck haha. It was so fun. They love us! Way proud of us for being out here and they thought we were crazy for paying to be out here. One said if he had enough money for two years at once he would '' go and buy a jetski" hahaha funny!

After the storm we helped this 81 year old lady pick up all the branches and rake the leaves in her huge backyard. Her name is Marjorie and we talked, it was way fun. She saw our bikes on Saturday and spent an hour and a half tracking us down throughout the neighborhood until she found us. She tried giving us 40 bucks but I shut her down and told her talking with her and her giving us water was repayment enough. She started tearing up a little bit and it was cute haha. So Saturday was a great day and Elder Lofthouse and I are starting to feel loved around here.

Oh yeah. I had my first interview with President Holzapfel! It was just a short interview seeing how I'm doing and if I'm still worthy and what not. He told me to read the book of Mark out loud because it was written to be read out loud?? I don't know how he knows these things but he does. He told me to do that because I told him I want to learn more about the Bible and the Gospel. He said to call me after that and he'll give me another assignment.

Thanks for the prayers and just know I'm loving it out here and loving being a Missionary!!

Love ya! Elder Oppenlander

Week #8 - August 1, 2011

Mom and Dad!

What's up with the Oppenlanders nowadays? Man my stomach kills right now! Had some chic-fila and a peach milkshake ... it was wack! Hurt my stomach so bad! But yeah just had to say that. Anywaysss. I just picked up the package like 20 mins ago. I was supposed to get it Saturday but no one was home when they dropped it off, so they took it back to the post office and I had to get it today.

Earlier this morning I went to a veterans museum and it was tight! Guns, and knives, and tanks, and helicopters and what not. Way cool. I took a bunch of pics but I forgot to bring my camera in the library. Whatever though youll see it someday.

This week has been soo hard oh my goodness. Weather was all over the place and people were bailing on our appointments and it seemed like every house we went to either had no one home or someone that woke up on the wrong side of the bed haha. I got told I belonged to a cult a bunch, and that I'm hypnotized.That was a first for me and Elder Lofthouse. So we were doing good finding the suckers this week haha. Its so funny that religion brings the best and WORST out of people. Kind of sad though. What's cool about the mission though, is I could be having the hardest day, people yelling at me and no success, come home and be happy!! It's weird haha. I feel like I'm crazy. But its just so fullfilling teaching the gospel and every time I'm yelled at it just strengthens my own testimony.

So I'm stilll loving being a missionary for sure. Nothing better I could be doing right now. This is going to help me out in life in so many ways. Gonna be a master at patience and love and knowing my bible and what not. I'm excited to keep progressing. one thing that popped up alot this week though was faith and works. THE MOST ANNOYING THING TO TALK ABOUT EVER! No joke ... people think they just have to confess their sins and theyre "saved". Doesn't make sense to me but you can't just argue with them. It goes nowhere and just wastes our time really. But Elder Lofthouse and I figured out why they're all so confused. We went through the bible to see how many times Jesus himself talks about salvation and how to get it ... it was barely any! You could see how so much got taken out during reformation and stuff. So I felt really good to know that the book of mormon covers those things so I don't have the same confusion as alot of people out here do. Because the b.o .m talks about it a bunch in detail. But yeah this week has been hard but we've pushed through and have never given up. So I'm proud of us so far.

One of the Dobards is going to Africa?? That's tight! And I'm excited for Devan to see where he goes! Keep me informed on all of that. And tell JT he's a punk!! He never wrote me once --- he's a loser haha. And I know it's crazy that the Baldwins are in AZ now! I got letters from Zac, Ian, and Kennady so I'll write them today and see how everyting is going and if they're getting used to it yet. It's way weird that they moved though.

The guy I was sitting with in church yesterday didn't want to move up after sacrament, so I sat in the same exact spot all three hours. I was so over it I just wanted to go home and eat haha. Bishop gave a good lil talk on Zion's Camp though. Never even heard about it til then. Bishop H is such a good guy. Talked to us just walking around and he just is so sincere and comfortable talking .. .half of the ward is related to him but still ... a good guy. Felt like a Family Home Evening.

And what's up with my grandparents all falling apart? Tell them to quit it --- geez! As soon as I leave everyone can't do anything right haha. What's going on with you and dad? Are you bored at home doing nothing 24/7? Get a dog!! haha Pick up a hobby or something and tell me about it. You have the most boring life ever hahaha. Is Lauren coming home this week for the wedding? She didn't email me either so forget her. I'll have her wait a week to get an email from me. Actually I'll probably email her to cheer her up or something. I don't know, I'll figure it out. I'mm im trying to remember all that happened this week .... tracted some crazy streets where if i had my skateboard, I seriously would have went out of my way to ride down it! There's this one street called Hemlock and its amazing. all in the woods with trees lining both sides. I took some pics of it so I'll go grab my camera real quick! Hold on... ok I got it. I'll put them on another email ::) And i went seriously 50 mph on my bike down Mountain Gap Road. it was on our way home at night like 9:00 and I started going down and pedalled as fast as I could and I was passing cars driving down it. Sooo fun. I was laughing and I think I'm crazy nowadays. Really normal things excite me and make me laugh. The other day I was just standing there next to my bike and fell down. I was like, are you serious? What's going on with me? Then one of the members kids had a bonnet on and we talked to him for like 10 minutes. After he left, Elder Lofthouse said "Bro, she had a bonnet on ..." and we started busting up laughing for no reason and I couldn't stop for like 10 minutes! And the reason he said bro is because I told him about dude bro and we said bro like every sentece as we were tracting. When there is nothing to do we just try to memorize scriptures and do something interesting. And that equaled saying bro a lot this week. We're such losers ....

I went on exchanges this week with Elder Larsen. 24 hour companion change to learn from someone else and see how they teach, pretty much. I did way good teaching all the lessons and taking charge in tracting. I felt really good about my progress : )

Anyways, thanks for sending the package and I'll upload some pics.

Love you!!!

Elder Oppenlander