Sweet, Chase is Home from Alabama

"Chase is the same but Better" - Well done thou good and faithful servant!

Farewell to Some Great Missionaries

The Mission held farewell activities today for some wonderful missionaries! — Ammon Clanton, Shelisa Schroeppel, Nanci Brown, Bryce Olson, Chase Oppenlander,Trent Smitley, Dane Coleman, Aubrey Kelley, Jake Starley, Tyler Gebert and Brandon Urry.

Tornado Surprises Athens, Alabama 5/17/13

ATHENS, Ala. (AP) — An unconfirmed tornado on Friday afternoon knocked down trees, flipped Dumpsters and damaged the roof of the nearby WalMart in Athens.

A forecaster at the National Weather Service in Huntsville said the suspected tornado started about a mile south-southeast of Athens and moved in a line toward southwest Ardmore. It struck at about 2 p.m.

Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson said that he saw the backside of a wall cloud that had a tail. Police followed as it moved up Route 31 to Interstate 65.

He said a minor injury was reported as a woman rushed to find shelter. Signs at a strip mall and a Zaxby's restaurant were also blown down.

Emergency management director Rita White said the only confirmed report was a "funnel cloud that hit treetops, power lines and knocked down one tree on a house on Roy Long Road."

Andy Kula, a meteorologist with the Huntsville National Weather Service, said the Storms Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., had placed the Tennessee Valley in the slight risk category for severe weather.

The storm's second touchdown in Limestone County occurred about 2:45 p.m. on Oak Grove Road south of Ardmore. Responders reported that the storm was sucking up debris and damaging rooftops and trees.

Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely said he received reports of two houses and a barn damaged on Thatch Road in the Oak Grove area.

"Our deputies said the tornado appeared to touch down a couple of times in that area, but most it stayed in the air," Blakely said. "It had a lot of lift in it, so we were very lucky that we didn't have any more damage than we did."

Last Transfer - Madison Zone, Athens, Alabama

Chase's last transfer is in Athens, Alabama near Huntsville
Elder Craner is from Burley, Idaho

April Photos

Mary, in the pink pants, and her friend Keshia who wants me to baptize her haha. In the projects of Tuscaloosa. The baby is "Cookie", Keshia's daughter.  Keshia had 2 more kids but they died in the tornado.

 Kerry and me

Frisbee Gold 

Sister Monroe is the one who made me chitterlings (aka chitlins). She's holding the picture of us that she keeps it on her fridge - haha

The Bakers from Vestavia Hills, Alabama with Elders Jensen and Oppenlander
Showed them how to longboard down the hills

Spring Photos

 Elders Oppenlander & Jensen, Zone Leaders for the Birmingham Central Zone

Service at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham, AL

Caught at General Conference

 Interviews

Waiting for Conference to start

March Photos

President Holzapfel's Car Died so Elder Oppenlander came to the rescue 

President's Friend, Jeff Cottle, out with Elders Oppenlander and Jensen

Chivalry is not dead in Alabama

From 7 to 13 Zones

March Photos

 Missionaries at the Mission Conference

Elders Jensen and Oppenlander

February Zone Conference & Christmas Card

 Elders Romero, Oppenlander, Starley, and Yogoh at the mission office

Sister Holzapfel got up before 5 am to make cinnamon rolls for our monthly Zone Leaders' Council today.  Our gathering began at 9 am. We enjoyed a conference call from Elder Marcus Nash of the Seventy (Salt Lake City) at 11 am. He lead a discussion on faith, repentance, and the Atonement until about 12:30 pm. We have been richly blessed this entire week! 

Mission President's Office 

Elders Jensen, Oslapas, Olson, Oppenlander, Coleman, Hatch, Olson,  Del Francia, Ando-Kesson, Starley, Tolman, Yogoh, Swayer, and Romero  

Transfer Meeting

Elders Oppenlander and Jensen 

Back to Birmingham

1/30/13 Zone Leader Meeting

Elders Shaw, Jensen, Starley, Oslapas, Yogoh, Oppenlander, and Tolman (back)
Elders Del Francia, Hatch, Anderson, Romero, Coleman, Sawyer, and Olson (front)

Nicole's Baptism

January 2013 Transfer Meeting

 Elders Jones, Yogoh, Olson, Starley, Hunt, Oppenlander, Gomez, Mejia, Forbes, and Oliva

 Elders Schneider, Clanton, Galorath, Lebaron, and Oppenlander

Elders Yogoh, Oppenlander, and May

December Zone Leader Training & Dinner

 BBQ Dinner after Zone Leaders Meeting

 ... and dessert

Looking well fed and happy!

December Temple Trip

Elder Oppenlander and Yugoh

December Pictures

Huntsville Zone Training 

2nd or 3rd Helping at the Feast 

Merry Christmas from the Mission