Happy Memorial Day!

Yo!

I didn’t make it to the computer at the library yesterday. She was closed down for the holidays. My Memorial Day was great! Didn’t do anything special though. All we did was have another lesson at the AA house and take an investigator and a less-active member out to Chic-Fil-A for dinner. I got my bike back last Tuesday and she doesn’t ride too smooth anymore haha. It squeaks like nobody’s business and it slips gears sometimes. So that is a bummer, but it still beats walking around in this heat. It’s been in the high 90s to 100s this past week. Hot hot hot~!!  The temple is in Gardendale, AL so its out of my area. I wish I could go more than I do but at least we get to go next month! I’m so pumped for that.

Jackie is officially a member of the Los Alamitos ward!! Awesome!!! And Becka comes home on Friday? Man, I cannot believe it has already been 18 months since she left. I still remember freaking out getting ready to sing at her farewell. And obviously I remember that Jackie’s birthday is on the 10th. And your's is on the 30^th ... shoot, Mom, I’m on top of it. ;) Jackie needs to tell me what she wants for her birthday though! Make her tell me!! :)

As for your week, sounds like the bathroom is going well. I don’t know how bathrooms normally go, but sounds good to me haha. My week has been amazing! Started off Monday night going over to Alex and Jackson’s and had an amazing lesson with them. We went to lds.org and watched Jesus getting baptized in one of the bible videos, read Mosiah 18 with them and invited them to be baptized that weekend. Needless to say, they got baptized on Saturday and like 80 people showed up!! It was awesome! I once again had to give the talk, so I was a little nervous. And right before I go up to speak, President and Sister Holzapfel walk in, with the assistants. So I got nervous right quick haha. But my talk went well and I was able to speak clearly :) I was proud of myself! Sister Holzapfel came up to me and said I did a great job and looked like a natural up there...she is so nice. I’m sure I was horrible, but the fact that she would compliment me was very kind of her. Love the Holzapfels for sure. 


I also spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Talladega working with the missionaries there. It was super fun. Went out with Elder Powell from Washington the first day, then the second day I went out with Elder Larsen from Utah. They are both great missionaries and I learned a lot by being with them. I also went on an exchange with Elder Mancera this week. He is such a powerful missionary and he understands and lives the gospel so well it really inspires me to get my understanding up. Because he understands it so well, he is able to teach clearly and simply, but still invite the spirit so much it’s crazy. I love going on exchanges with him. I hope I can be like that one day so I can help other missionaries out the way he helps me. So that was my week pretty much summed up.

Tonight President is coming to church and touring the church with a group of Lutherans. So we were asked to prepare the church and be there. I’m excited for that! Also, I had another interview with President this week. Elder Coleman got a call that President wanted to meet with him. So I went with him and the next thing I know I’m getting called in to see him as well. But it’s all good, he was just checking up on us and seeing if there was anything he can do for us and he really just asked me what I have been learning. It was a good experience.

As for supplies.... I do need shoe laces again ... I broke another pair this week :( I don’t know why the laces can’t stand the heat. They just break like no big deal. And I have my cross pen in my pocket right now. I just sometimes like a click pen more than the twist action. But I like how skinny and classy the cross pen is. I’m going to have to find a happy medium? Is that the right saying? But a classy, skinny, click pen haha. I'll be on the look out for that. I’m doing good on stamps still, paper...also doing good. Why are both Gma and pa doing physical therapy? That ends it --- I have to become a physical therapist so I can help you and Dad out when you’re old and running down haha. Seriously though ... I want to do something like that. Either physical therapist or pediatrician. So I can help my family out and others. That’s what I wanna do. But I’m glad you were able to go over there and feed them some good tri tip. How many of those things do y’all eat nowadays?? Haha every email there is a mention of a tri tip.  Making me jealous over here.

And Nick is a model??? Shoot, atta boy! Too bad he still ain’t the best looking cousin ;) meow! Jacob Johnson is back from his mission?? And Alex Johnson has his call? I can’t believe that time is flying by so fast. I can’t handle it haha. And Creighton is already 3. I thought he was just born a little while ago. Gma Betty must feel way old! Haha --- having her grandkids with 3 children and stuff. Crazy!

Didn’t you just love that picture of me after I had run home?? Sweaty for sure!! No biggie around here in Alabama. That’s what I look like all day...not even kidding right now. My back pack is soaked and stained with sweat and the smell of sweat. I need to wash that thing. It has salt stains on the straps and stuff haha. :) My system is probably all clean from sending all of that water through it though. So there is a silver lining in everything.

Yeah, and the 31 dollars worth of BBQ was so good! Had the fattest potato ever with pulled pork on it. We took Jimmy, that less active dude who called you, out to dinner and just told him to pick the spot. So we ended up at Full Moon BBQ right by our house. We had a good time with him. He is a good guy, but he gets attached to the missionaries too fast. Got converted to the missionaries and not to the gospel. That’s why he is less active. So we are trying to get him more involved in the church. He'll get there :) and I can’t believe that transfers are next week! This one has flown by! Just goes to show that when you are busy time goes by faster. Not sure if I like it … but anyways things are still wonderful out here in the mission field! I love every bit about it and I can't wait for this next year! Gonna be so fun and I'll have so many chances to help others and feel the blessings of the gospel. You and Dad need to go on a senior mission haha. That would be sweet! Alright, well I'll email you some pics I got. I’ve been doing pretty good at taking them lately. :) you’re welcome!

Love you all a ton! 


Elder Oppenlander