Dear Oppenlander family,
My week was another good one. It was a little more crazy than last
week, but that’s how I like it ;) We did have another baptism! We baptized
Misty yesterday and I confirmed her...which was crazy. And I’ll tell you why it
was crazy. We show up early to set up for the baptism, and I learn I’m doing
the talk, because no one else would haha. So I’m trying to prepare for that,
and Elder Coleman said he forgot his baptismal pants. So we scramble around
trying to find it all, and as we are doing that, they start the baptismal
service. Finally, he finds some that kinda fit and he gets changed and as we're
heading into the room the sisters come flying out and say "Elder
Oppenlander, they just announced you for your talk!" so I run in and just
walk strait up to the podium and wing it hahahaha. It was super bueno though,
and then we had the baptism. Baptism goes smoothly and then we go to welcome
everyone to church. And we have to go outside when the meeting starts to say
“hi” to an investigator that shows up. And as we are out in the foyer I hear,
"and we will now have the confirmation of Misty by Elder Oppenlander"
so once again I walk in and strait to the front haha. That also went well, then
I had to go and teach the high priest class. So I was running all over the
place, trying to make the investigators happy and welcomed, and then the branch
started, so we had to go to all of their meetings. Covering two huge
congregations back to back is so fun and busy!! Shoot. And I saw Sam Stanley in
the branch today. She’s from Tuscaloosa and her mom invited us over for gumbo
on Mother’s Day, and that’s where we will be calling you from. We will still be
skyping so don’t worry! 3 o’clock here, so 1 back home right? I’m way excited
and I can’t believe Mother’s Day is already next week! Shoot! But it’s all
figured out so I’m not worried about anything. Just excited.
Oh and yeah all those t-shirts and stuff I sent home ... just put
them in my room I guess. Was it pretty random sending all of that stuff home? I
didn’t know what to do with it. I didn’t want to just throw it away so I
thought you could save it for me when I get home or give it away to the cousins
or something. Pants are too short for me now so give those to the cousins or
something. I don’t know why I sent those home ... man, I just wanted to get rid
of it all.
Anyways, I’m glad y’all enjoyed Hawaii and that it was relaxing for
you! Did you just have a migraine on the plane or was it your artery junk
again? I’m glad that guy spoke up and kicked you off the plane though. I
wouldn’t want to sit next to some lady throwing up either. And you got a cute
hotel night out of it. So that’s sweet! Fireworks right in front of you?? Shoot
yeah, we need to go there next year :) I’m already so excited!! And yeah, there
isn’t any way to add Lauren on skype. If we do, it will just be a call and no
picture. I don’t know though, maybe she will figure something out. Is her new
apartment pretty classy?? She told me moving was kinda stressful haha. That is
funny. I know all about that. Having to move all the time out hurr (southern
for ‘here’). But yeah, sounds like everything is going great back home. Just
gotta get settled back into the swing of normal life. It shouldn’t be too hard
though.
My week was good. I went on 2 exchanges, one in Locust Fork, Alabama
with Elder Prestwich, and a 48 hour exchange with a visa missionary who just
left for Brazil today. The Locust Fork exchange was so fun. We went to this
little town called Allgood and went around contacting people. There is only one
place to eat in the whole town, and its at a gas station. Its called Busy Bee
ahha. But we called Sister Hansen, she’s a member of the branch there and she
has been asking the missionaries about me for a long time. She is the mom of Elder
Hansen, the missionary we met at Jackie’s house for dinner a couple of times.
So I called her and we decided to meet up at Busy Bee for lunch. It was fun and
she was a very nice lady. Obsessed with genealogy though. That whole area is
for real. I can see how that would be a good finding tool. So she took a
picture of me to send to Elder Hansen, then we went on our way to another
little town called Oneanta, Alabama. We spent the rest of the day there and
just had a good time doing missionary work. That night we (Elder Coleman and I)
went back home. The next day we worked and started out exchanges with the visa
missionaries. It was fun and I was kind of lost, but we got around Birmingham
alright. Its still confusing to me, because it’s all hills haha. But I’m
getting it down, and we had a good ole time. That is really all that happened
this week.
President spent the week in Atlanta at a mission president meeting
and so he will be teaching the zone about all the stuff he learned this Wednesday.
Elder Coleman and I don’t have to do much. Just get a head count of all who are
coming and set the building up so it will be ready for him. But yeah, I’m still
loving it haha.
Any word on how Zac is doing?? I haven’t heard from him in a while.
JT too. They all forgot about me... :( Can’t wait to talk to y’all next
week! Shoot, its going to be so fun! Is Jackie going to be there again? Make
sure she is haha. I'll be praying for you all and I hope you have a great week
and get some demo done on the bathroom.
Oh shoot! About the whole town of Onteana being obsessed with genealogy.
We went into the museum to talk to the genealogy lady and she looked up my genealogy
for me right there. She found Charles Frederick, his dad , and then Charles Henry
Oppenlander! He was my great great great grandpa. She was able to pull up a
picture of his headstone!! It was crazy! That sucker died in like 1836 and she
was surprised we had been in California that long. But yeah, then I started
teaching her why we do genealogy and she was really interested. She said she
had always wondered, but never asked. And like 40 missionaries have done
service for her and I was the first one to actually teach her something ... that
ain’t right. Missionaries need to open up their mouths and just teach sometimes
haha. But it was so fun. I forgot to tell you that earlier in the email so now I
told you. I am the 5th Charles Oppenlander ... pretty sweet!
Love ya!!!
Elder Oppenlander
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