January 9, 2012

Hey now!

Sounds like California is beautiful as always! This week has been super warm out here in Alabama as well! Like 60's and 70's all week! You don’t even know how jealous I am every time I hear you eat meat off that smoker....I want to try some of it, shoot haha. But that’s awesome that dad is now high priest group leader! We just got a whole new bishopric and auxiliary leaders in the Tuscaloosa ward yesterday. Bishop Wyatt is out after 6 years and Bishop Thompson is in. He's a pretty cool guy and he'll do great as bishop. Bro. Mays is no longer ward mission leader either :( but we'll still see him a ton and the new one is a cool guy too. So I’m excited for all the changes.

Mark and LuAnn came down to go to Disneyland?? That’s so classy! I miss d-land big time. Won’t be at the happiest place on earth for more than two years...man. What a shame. I got a letter from JT and Zac this week, too. It’s awesome. That’s crazy that JT won’t be out of the Missionary Training Center until the end of February, though. Zac will be out way before that. And yeah, Elder Ingersoll wishes he was me :) always trying to tell me how unclassy I am but he knows how it really is haha. We have a great time and I’m enjoying training him. Even though sometimes I feel like I don’t know what in the world I’m supposed to do. But its going well and I’ll just have to keep trusting the Lord to lead me and help me know what I need to do.

You got your hair blow dried by Jackie? Haha is that all she had to do or what? I don’t know if its a girl thing or what, but I feel like to just get your hair dried is kinda weird. But that’s good that you went and she was able to get credits for it. Sounds like she’s doing great!! :) And tell her I got the package and I love it!! I love the tie and the calendar and the letter. It was a good'n and made me smile. Sounds like you had a good time out there in Mission Viejo too! That’s good that you can still hang out with Cathy every once in a while and have a good time. How are the Reynolds doing?? I’m going to for sure write them today and thank them for everything and tell them how I’m doing. I have like 9 people I have to write today, and hopefully I can finish all of those letters haha. But I’ll sure be trying as hard as I can.

Derry didn’t know i was on a mission?? Haha I thought i told his mom like 3 times I was getting ready to go. But that’s good that he knows now haha. For us over here in bama, this week was pretty slow. No dinners....Elder Ingersoll has been slacking lately haha. And it was just a hard one. My bike tire and inner tube need to be replaced. I feel like I own a trashy car that I have to buy a part for every week. No joke, that thing is sucking money out of me lately. So I’ll have to buy another tire today. So yesterday and the day before we were walking everywhere. And it was so tiring especially since yesterday we were fasting haha. Its all good though, I love it :)

Elder Ingersoll got bit by a fat pit bull!! Haha it was awesome! We were walking up to this investigator’s house at night and all of a sudden I see this huge pit bull peek around the corner and start running for me. I book it out of there so fast its ridiculous!! The dog is about to eat Elder Ingersoll when its leash snaps it back! Near death experience number 1. Then we teach the guy and as we walk out the guy says, “I’ll walk you out so the dog doesn’t break the chain and get you like he broke the chain yesterday”. So he starts petting the dog and Elder Ingersoll goes over to pet it too. I’m like 50 feet back because I’ve learned my lesson with pit bulls haha. And the dog is acting all sketchy and Elder Ingersoll doesn’t see it. And so he goes in to pet it and the dog bites his arm hahaha. It was just a lil bite but it still hurt, I’m sure. So that was exciting for sure. :) That’s about it out here. I don’t know anything else that happened. There was a Church Education System fireside last night. It was pretty good. And today I’m going to an Indian food buffet. I’m so scared! Gonna give me diarrhea, or however you spell it, so good! But I’ll take a hit for the team. Bro. Mays wants to take us out. Then Elder Ingersoll and I are going to the thrift store to buy some wardrobe for our fashion shoot next Monday haha. The Mulders are going to take pictures of us and then we are going to Wal-Mart to print them out and frame them all classy-like. Gotta make some memories of this companionship. So look forward to seeing those. :)

Love you!

Elder Oppenlander