Serving in Birmingham

Hola!

Man I am so jealous of y’all being in Hawaii right now it’s not even funny. Those pictures look heavenly and it’s so stinking hot here right now. I’ve been sweating like cu-razy lately. All of Birmingham is hills and more hills. It’s so fun though, I love it. Allison emailed me and said your visit up there was pretty short but you were able to have a good time while you were there. When is the Estefan DVD supposed to be coming out? I might have to get me one of those so I can watch it when I get home. And how is Hawaii?? I’ve been daydreaming about that place lately and I want to go to church there and the Temple. That would be so fun, and by the way, as a missionary, I miss swimming so much I can’t even explain it. So thinking that dad went snorkeling and saw octopus and stuff lets me have a little fantasy in my head and pretend like I’m the one doing all of that haha. Did you plan to see the Harrison’s there again or did it just work out like that again? Either way I’m glad y’all are having fun and enjoying yourselves. Remember to be safe and enjoy the spam-fried rice at Hanarra’s for me. I miss that place too.

What all are you sending me in the package haha. I barely have room for anything anymore haha. I am so pumped to get those family pictures. I live in a huge apartment complex and I live with the Spanish Elders and it’s really fun. But yeah, Birmingham is great and the people here are crazy haha. But I have so much in common with these people here it’s not even funny. People from Long Beach everywhere! And an elder in one of the wards I cover, Vestavia Hills Ward, got his mission call to the Long Beach Mission, English speaking. So he might be in our ward in about a month!! And I also cover a branch called the Cahaba Heights Branch. The branch is about the same size as the Tuscaloosa Ward and the Vestavia Hills Ward is huge. A ton of Mormons out here in B’ham.

The new companion is pretty cool, Elder Coleman from Mesa Arizona. He has been out 13 months and he was a Zone Leader last transfer too. We are the youngest Zone Leaders haha. I feel kind of inadequate but I know I’ll be able to do it, no biggie. We had a Zone Leaders council at president’s house last Friday and it was so fun! Got Chik-fil-a for lunch and just sat and discussed the mission for like 6 hours as he taught us. I loved it because it’s pretty personal with president and you learn a bunch and you get to be involved a lot.

Elder Starley, who came out with me, is the Tupelo Zone Leader, Elder Taggart is the Huntsville Zone Leader. So I do know some of the other Zone Leaders and I’m really enjoying it. A lot of calling missionaries and seeing how they’re doing and having conference calls with the Zone Leaders and the Zone to teach them and learn. It’s going to be pushing me to become better and get out of my comfort zone. I will be going on 1 to 2 exchanges a week and I’ll be serving in every area of the stake. So I’m excited for that! I'll be able to go on an exchange with Elder Gebert!! Haven’t served around him since the Mission Training Center. So everything is going good and I’m trying to get to know everything.

Its weird going from Tuscaloosa where I knew everything to here where I don’t know a thing haha. I’m lost 24/7 and I forget people’s names left and right, and it doesn’t help that I have 2 huge congregations to get to know. But it will all work out perfectly. :)

Do you have any more questions? Haha I feel like I’m just rambling as usual. I’m doing great, busy, busy, busy and I haven’t even been able to unpack all of my stuff. Tomorrow I get to be interviewed by President Holzapfel, then the next night I go to Locust Fork, Alabama on exchanges with the District Leader there and his companion. Tell Jackie that is where the missionary that used to be in her ward is from. Elder Johnson or something like that. I forgot his name but we ate dinner with him do you remember?? So I might see his parents or something haha. Then the next day I go to Gadsden Alabama for another exchange with that District Leader. Elder Gebert is in Gadsden so that will be fun.  And we have a baptism this weekend and 2-4 more lined up. One of the people I met this week is a downhill skater and has the board I wanted when I was back home! So I talked to him about that for a while, his roommate is a less active member who plays rugby! Same position as I played. So I was pumped haha. I’ve been making connections like that with everyone here. It’s kind of funny.

And oh, for Mother’s Day, we need to set a time up right now. Sunday at like 3:00 here. AKA like 1:00 back home. Would that be good? I'll call you that day and make sure it’s good. We will definitely be able to Skype because everyone in the ward here is filthy rich haha. But yeah I’m excited to talk to you guys! It feels like I just did though a week or two ago. I can’t believe that was almost 5 months ago. How does Lauren feel as a college graduate?? Is she relieved or stressed to start working and all of that? Also, do you have a dog yet? I saw the biggest head I’ve ever seen on a dog yesterday. It was at least 1/3 the size of the dog’s body. It was the weirdest looking thing I’ve ever seen. If anyone offers me a dog, I’m going to take it and send that thing home....just saying, you can’t deny destiny. Shoot. Time be flying. I hope you continue to enjoy your vacation activities and soak up as much of that beautiful Hawaiian sun as possible. I feel like I haven’t said much but that’s all that’s on my mind. I will talk to you later!

Love you tan beauties,

Elder Oppenlander...BTW some drunk guy told me I need a Nazi SS uniform to match my name ;) hahahaha got to love Birmingham.

Zone Leader

Serving in Birmingham, Alabama

Last Week in Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Role Tide!

How Y’all doing?!

Lauren is a graduate!!! That is so crazy to me! Shoot! It sure sounds like BYU does their graduation ceremonies right. Got Dallin H. Oaks speaking and representatives from all over the world graduating with Lauren. Man, I can’t wait to get back to school! It’s going to be the best. And did they really say Oppenheimer?? Hahahahahaha it will never be said correctly at anything important. Pres. Holzapfel still calls me Oh-penlander all the time. I’m all shoot president... :) and Lauren be looking good in all of those pictures. Where is that huge BYU sign? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that thing. How was all of the church stuff on temple square by the way? I want to go and see that ASAP. Being on a mission makes all that old boring stuff a lot more interesting haha.

I haven’t written Steven or Garret yet. Mom, I’m not joking about how busy I am haha. Today I have so much to do I’m going to blow up I am so stressed. Not really stressed just don’t want to pack, send boxes home, and clean the heck out of everything. The assistants called this morning and Elder Taggart and I will be leaving. Elder Hardy and Konold are staying! It’s weird to me that I will be leaving after 6 months. Its pretty much home to me here now so I’m kind of bummed I wont be able to say goodbye to everyone I know here, like 6,000 people haha, but I’m way excited to go to a new area and get a new companion. It’s always exciting and nerve-wracking. I doubt I spelled that word right but its all good. And I have so many things I want to do at my new area.

I have a lot on my mind today haha. One thing I’ve learned this last transfer is how to get in shape! Shoot, I’ve been working out more than I ever have before. Eating healthy and all that good stuff so I want to keep it going. Going to have to buy a blender and carry it around the rest of my mission. I love smoothies for breakfast! :) Shoot and granola bars! Next time you send me something, get Lara bars and Odwalla bars. They have banana bread ones and everything. They are all good so send me those instead of candy!

Oh, and I went to Demopolis again this week and it is so beautiful down there. We stayed at a member’s house and it was so nice. I had my studies out on their back porch facing the woods and just read as the birds chirped and as the humming birds hummed haha. It was the best, then they made us dinner and she made banana bread! It was so good! Not as good as Mom’s but it was still good. And Maura’s baptism went so well it wasn’t even funny. I was super nervous to baptize her but it was perfect and Bishop said I had the "aura of thousands" hahaha I have no idea what that meant but I’m guessing it was because I’m super happy! Maura had a bunch of friends show up and Tess, a Young Adult in the Ward, made a bunch of cupcakes and cookies and stuff for refreshments. It was a good week for reals. Felt the spirit so strongly, it was amazing.

That’s all that really happened this week though. I got some pictures for y’all so enjoy! I hope you have fun in Hawaii!!! I’m so jealous. I miss swimming so badly. But y’all need some rest & relaxation. I hope you have fun and stay safe! I’m glad my prayers have helped you out Mom! Shoot you were freaking me out for a second with all of your medical problems. Chill out and get healthy. I really don’t know what else to say haha. Oh, Elder Ingersoll sent me a package with pictures of us and some of his new area. I love that kid! He's going to be a great missionary for sure. I hope you have a safe trip back from Utah and to Hawaii. Have a great week!

Love, Elder Poppa Opp

Maura's Baptism

10 Months

Good Day, Fam!

My week was another amazing one! Besides just getting soaked going from the apartment to the car! It was pouring like crazy a minute ago. Maura, the girl who is doing the report on Mormonism will be getting baptized this Saturday at 1:00. And she has asked me to do it! :) Shoot, first one. We just had lunch with her at Bryant dining hall on the University of Alabama campus. It’s where all of the athletes eat and it was sooooo goooood. Had me some grilled zucchini, chicken, rice, grapes, smoothie, and granola. It was so bueno I can’t believe it. I’m super full right now though. And it sounds like the missionaries in our ward are getting fed well, too. Dang, you never cooked that stuff for me when I was home....and Elder Halsey is going to Compton?? Thats quite a change from Los Alamitos hahaha. That’s funny.

And Uncle Bill has a new BMW?? Man, he has some good taste in cars, those things are so cute. Did Nick and Steven go for spring break or what? And I think its so funny how other churches’ mission trips are like a strait vacation! Man, I want to go to Mexico and build houses and stuff haha.

Garret has his braces off? That handsome devil. I’m going to have to write him and Steven. How old they is?? And now you’re in charge of the missionary board as well --- put some classy pics up. Make me look good, edit some pics if you have to ;) also your idea for stake conference of putting pictures of the missionaries up with the hymn lyrics sounds good to me. 15 minutes of fame for us missionaries. Oh yeah, and Tess is always taking pics of me now all randomly and sending them to Jackie. I'll just see her smiling and be like, “what?” And she says, “I just took a picture of you and sent it to Jackie”. It’s kinda weird, but it’s funny at the same time. And she reads the blog and says it makes her crack up. I’ve been here way too long haha. Everyone knows me... I’m leaving Tuscaloosa. Haha but seriously, I’m 99% sure I am. I got a call from the assistants to the president this week saying I’ll be leaving Tuscaloosa and training another new missionary. Then they called like 4 hours later and were like, “never mind, you aren’t training anymore ... but you’re still leaving. Said president received some revelation and I needed to be elsewhere. So it was an exciting week getting all of those calls and wondering where I’m going and things. But I’ll probably just stay here haha. Its never a for sure thing. We'll have to wait and see.

We aren’t really teaching anyone legit besides Maura, and Robert and his girl Latonya. They just need to get married so they can get baptized. There are some legal complications though for her hip surgery if she does get married. So we've been teaching them about faith and just telling them to trust in the Lord and not worry. Robert’s ready, but Latonya isn’t there yet. So pray for them to gain the desire to do what they need to.

What’s up with you, Mom, getting all of these weird medical things since I’ve been gone? Artery tears, possible ear drum hemorrhaging, what the heck. You need to eat healthy, exercise and stop it. How are you feeling though? Do you feel horrible or just ear infection or what? And what can I do for you? I have some good news for you. Dark chocolate is healthy! And I know how to make bomb granola with dark chocolate in it. You should try it, it’s a good snack :)

Are you excited for Lauren’s graduation??? Shoot, I am! I can’t believe she is going to graduate college before I ever start ... messed up. And how is Dad enjoying his vacation? Should go fishing or something. Allison is getting her gall bladder out? What were the symptoms of needing a gall bladder out? What does that thing even do? Haha.

Woah woah woah, hold up....Addy is getting married. Matt is getting married, and Courtney and Jeffy? Hahahaha that is so weird. Everyone is leaving us missionaries behind in the dust. I’m gonna come home and Addy and Courtney are going to have like 5 kids a piece! That’s so weird. That’s just life though, and I’m sure a bunch more people will get married within the next year and 2 months. I still can’t believe its been 10 months. Time has been flying by and I learned so much. One thing I learned this week is that there are crazy Mormon-type people here in Tuscaloosa. Dude named Nick came up to me on A-day, the hugest crowd I’ve ever seen for a football team to play itself, no joke there were like 200,000 people walking around campus and it was crazy. But yeah back to this Nick guy, 21 years old and a member of the "all reds". I’m not making this up by the way, he starts quoting the Doctrine and Covenants at me and the Book of Mormon and I’m all, “hold up”. “Are you a member?” and he says no. He believes the church fell away from the truth and God’s commandments when President Wilford Woodruff came out with the Manifesto ending polygamy!!! Aka, I met my first polygamist 2 days ago!!! It was awesome! Haha he was saying how Jesus was a polygamist and all this crazy stuff. He doesn’t believe Thomas Monson is a prophet or anything. Pretty much just Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. He says you can’t be exalted unless you’re celestially plurally married. It was an experience for sure. It made my day though! It’s just so interesting to meet people like that who have totally different beliefs but are close to being the same. So yeah, the “all reds”. Who would’ve known. Everyone in the South bashes on us for having 78 wives when we only have one, and he’s all for it haha. So I read Doctrine and Covenants, section 132 and he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Nuff said.

My week was super exciting and it’s the best. Weather has been nice and I still love Tuscaloosa. Been here more than 5 months...cuh-razy. Transfers are in 9 days and I’m excited for that as well. This will be Elder Taggart’s, Hardy, Lofthouse, Konold, and Holley’s last transfer! All of my companions are going home!! It’s so weird. When I came out, they had been on their mission only a year and a month. They are all signed up for school, except for Elder Konold, and ready to rock when they get home. It must be so weird to them. I don’t even know what it would feel like to almost be done. Shoot, I still have forever left. Plenty more crazies to meet and people to love. Does it feel like 10 months for y’all or what? Let me know! I don’t know what else to say haha. I’m rambling ... so yeah.

Have a great week and get better! Be safe! Be happy! I love ya!

Outties,

Elder Oppenlander

300 Days in the Mission Field

Mom & Dad,

My Easter was amazing!! I got fed a ton! Elder Taggart and I went down to Demopolis to work over the weekend, and it was probably my favorite weekend on my mission. It was just something new and exciting. I felt like an old school missionary haha. And I’ve been out 300 days? Shoot, that’s pretty long haha. But yeah, Demopolis was amazing. We got there Saturday morning for the branch’s Easter party. That was pretty fun, then we took the branch membership roster and started visiting less active members...Demopolis has a ton of those. We went to Bro. Beach’s house and he was outside drinking beer with a bunch of friends and having a crawfish boil .... :) So needless to say, I got some crawfish for the first time in my life! They cooked it with corn, sausage, and potatoes and it was so good. Eating the crawfish was kind of sketchy, but it was so good. All spicy and the corn tasted spicy too. You crack the crawfish in half, "suck the head" aka suck all the brain and juice out :), then peel the tail and eat it up. It was bueno! Bro. Beach says he wants to get back into church and get his 3 kids and wife baptized. So we have a meeting with them this Thursday. From now on we'll be spending 3-4 days a week down in Demopolis. So pretty much I have 2 areas. It’s so fun. I cover like hundreds of miles haha. Then for Saturday night, we went to a campsite a member was staying at with his family. They cooked us tinfoil dinners and s’mores. It was so fun to teach them around a campfire and enjoy the Alabamian outdoors. Oh!! And I had a tick on my hand --- it didn’t bite me, but it was crawling on me and skeered (Southern for ‘scared’) me so good. I thought I had like thousands on me afterwards. It was horrible. But that’s what you get for driving down a dirt road to check out an old Baptist church haha. Bugs are everywhere out there. But yeah, the way they cook s’mores is so wack. They put it all together, wrap it up in tin foil, and put it on charcoals. It gets super mushy and chocolaty, but it isn’t the same as roasting a marshmallow and squeezing it on there.

Elder Taggart and I planned on just sleeping in the car, or in the church, but when the branch heard that, they wouldn’t have it and got us a hotel room haha. It was such a funny day. Unique experiences for sure. It was so fun!! Then on Easter Sunday we went to church, they brought us lunch, and then we visited less actives and had a lesson with a part member family. One less active was cooking chicken so I got some more free food, and the Smith family cooked us smoked chicken, corn, potatoes, and bread. I ate like a king this weekend haha! Man, I can’t get over how as we just went out, we got taken care of. D&C 84:89 is real :) “Whoso receiveth you receiveth me; and the same will feed you, and clothe you, and give you money.”

And some other good news from Alabama is that I’m getting fit. Elder Hardy and Taggart moved in to our apartment and we have been working out like crazy this last week. Also, Elder Konold and I have biked 20+ miles a day. We hit 44 mph going down a hill! It’s the best.

I’m loving being a missionary, and helping people be happier and find more comfort through the gospel. Even though I’m sore all over and my knee pops every time I pedal my bike, I love it! That was my Easter. It was good but not like Easter at home. I did find an Easter egg walking on campus though. Had a Twix bar in it. I haven’t had candy all week though, so I’m not going to give into that. Got to get healthy. Your Easter sounded pretty low key. Just going over to Gma and Gpa’s and spending some time with them. I’m glad your Easter concert went well, and I hope your ear infection gets better! That’s horrible. And Abby is such a weird dog haha! Scared of the wind and wont walk past a bathroom in her own house. I bet Gma loves it though. Abby is great at keeping them busy and making them giggle every once in a while.

That’s good that Dad is enjoying his class. Keeping him pretty busy nowadays with school, hockey games, and all that. So you’re not too bored, I take it? Dad fixed Jackie’s tire? How did he do that? Just glue it or something? I didn’t know Dad was an expert tire fixer...and no, I haven’t written thank you notes yet. I’m horrible at writing people back. P-days are our most busy days it seems like. But today I have the dentist, so I'll try to write them while I’m in the waiting room. Going to get my new crown today.

I still have stamps and blue pills. All is well. And yes mama, I got your Easter package. Thank you so much. I enjoy that talk and the coin thing is sweet! Don’t know what I’m going to do with it, but it’s sweet. Is Lauren graduated yet or what? You told me like 4 weeks ago that she only had 3 weeks left. So is she done?? Fill me in, yo. I hope you’re doing great. And I have 25 minutes left if you can respond. I'll be on lds.org looking something up.

Be easy,

Elder Oppenlander

Photos from Tuscaloosa, and the University of Alabama

Getting the Crown Fixed

Droopy Face

Turning Elder Ingersoll loose after 12 weeks of training

My Motto "Ain't Skeered"

Elder Taggert at the U of Alabama

Elder Hardy at the U of Alabama

The U of Alabama QUAD

General Conference

What’s Gucci?

This week was seriously the best week ever!! I had horchata and good mexican food for the first time in 10 months. :) I went on exchanges with a spanish Elder in Hoover, Alabama and he taught some Hispanic investigators while I sat there. I learned how to bear my testimony in spanish, I committed a lady to baptism (she spoke english so I had to actually do something) then we ate good food!! It was a fun little exchange and Elder Rollins was pretty fun to be around. But yes, good mexican food does exist in Alabama. I doubted it until this Friday when I experienced it.

Also we had our fair share of miracles this week. I got a cool story for you. There is this college girl who started coming to the institute and other meetings because she is doing a report in her religion class on Mormonism. We started meeting with her last Monday and she came to the fireside where President Holzapfel spoke, she came to General Conference yesterday, and she has read up to Jacob in the Book of Mormon already. In just a week! We talked to her yesterday and committed her to baptism, she called us last night at like 10:40, said "I know it’s true, I called my parents and told them I’m getting baptized, and they’re excited for me! When can I get baptized??" It was a little more than that but that’s the general gist of it haha. It was awesome! So she'll be getting baptized on the 21st and her report is due on the 25th! Hahaha It’s going to be a bomb report :) The Church is true!!

Also on Friday night we swung by an investigators house and she was outside on her porch with a friend from Huntsville. We started talking about her coming to General Conference to hear the Prophet and her friend was like "Prophet??!!" So we taught her about Prophets, and the restoration of the Church. We gave her a Book of Mormon, and she started reading it right there. She went back to Huntsville that night so we committed her to watch conference and she did, and she has read the first 4 chapters in the Book of Mormon so far. And she lives in Elder Lofthouse's area so I got to call him and tell him to go and teach her haha. It’s just been a great week and the Lord has been blessing us all over the place. Missionary work is so fun it’s crazy.

Plus I have been praying for Elder Konold to have good experiences since he's coming to the end of his mission and president told me to make him happy haha. Needless to say he is way happy, and so am I! We had 4 investigators come to conference and I loved conference!! Shoot, the choir did an amazing job and did you see David Archuletta in the missionary choir?? I did :) and Rachel (in our ward) was freaking out!! That’s sweet that he is serving a mission. I’m proud of him. But yes, I loved conference and I took a bunch of notes so I wont forget all the stuff I learned. And yeah I’m way ahead of President Uchtdorf with “Stop it”. I’ve been saying “Top dat” since like 1994.

I can’t believe Mom had the flu all weekend? How do you get sick doing nothing all day?? Haha. Did one of your piano students give it to you or something?? Messed up. Trevon Thompson and Michael Stevens got their mission calls!! Shoot doesn’t seem like they are old enough yet haha. And Michael is going to Provo, UT???!! I laughed when I thought of him walking around Provo. He’s going to be perfect for that place. :) Sounds like Zac and Chris are doing well too. I can’t believe I have almost been out for a year too. I’ve been here in T-town for 5 months! What the hey? The time be flying by.

Jackie wasn’t able to get into conference???? What a bummer! Man I thought for sure she was going to be loving it. I’m sad for her and Lauren but it’s all good they watched it I’m sure. But that has to be a heartbreaker. I can’t believe I’m the only one in the family who hasn’t been to a conference in the Salt Lake Conference Center. Where was I when y’all went without me?? I can’t remember. And it sounds like you’re busy with the Easter presentation. Good luck getting all that organized. Are you ever going to get released from having to do that?

I had some 7^th Day Adventists try to throw down on me lately too. Going after all of our investigators saying "Would you be willing to go to hell just because you go to church on the wrong day?" and I’m all are you serious haha. What about what Jesus said "Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" haha. As long as you devote one of 7 days to the Lord it doesn’t matter what day it is. But we have to actually keep it holy. Just rest...the Sabbath is a day of rest haha. I kinda blew it growing up with the resting part but I’ll have no problem with that after 2 years of no rest ;)

I saw the talk by Elder Holland to the Harvard Law School! We watched it in institute but I want to hear the question and answer part. Send me the talk anyways! I loved it. I liked what he said about how we don’t follow the post-New Testament creeds of Christianity. Good stuff especially when I see exactly what he’s talking about everyday here in the south. Like the trinity....not even a biblical term. The Nicene Creed and Athanasian Creed just threw it together because the Catholic Church said they can’t have 3 gods. So they have to be one. If you get a chance read about the Athanasian Creed in "Jesus the Christ". The creed says stuff like, "God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three distinct beings, but are one. They cannot be distinct and one. But they are." It doesn’t make sense to me haha. Obviously I paraphrased that, but I did a decent job paraphrasing it haha. But yeah I’m happy we have the restored gospel and aren’t confused about the simplest things such as the godhead.

I love being a missionary. It’s the best. I learn a lot and I get to see first hand why we need the Gospel. General Conference was a big boost of the spirit this weekend and it was well needed. Hopefully I can help some more people out this week with the stuff I was able to learn. Pretty much what I learned for myself was to love everyone, focus on my family and everything else will fall into place, and do my part as a missionary to give others the opportunity to feel like I do. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! Just gotta go and do it now. And I’m going to upload some picturess right quick. :)

Love y’all and I hope you are feeling better and living it up in California!!

Peace, love, chicken grease....Elder Oppenlander