Dear Family and Friends,
This was the week for apartment inspections since transfers are next week. We got to take the Lovelands along with us to do our inspections Monday (actually they took us along which proved much more comfortable for all, thank you Lovelands). Our first apartment was in Selma so we stopped and took a group picture at the famous Pettus Bridge from the civil rights days (attachment #1, #2, and #3). I wanted so badly to tell the Elders that the church has started a new program and is having the Church director of missionary housing make surprise visits during inspections, but wisdom (and compassion) got the better of me and we just told them they were our friends from back home.
We made Tuesday a P-day and took the Lovelands to see a couple of the antebellum homes in the area and we went to the Indian Ruins at Moundville and learned a little about the Lamanites (mound builders) that lived here in the Black Warrior river basin back around 1000 AD (Attachments #4 and #5). We stopped by the Merrills in Greensboro and got to see the interior of their antebellum home and all of their antiques (that was the only one the Lovelands actually got to see on the inside).
Lovelands left Wednesday morning just missing one of our famous Alabama rain storms. The sky opened up and poured on us most of the day and I’m afraid we wimped out and stayed in the apartment until it cleared up.
Thursday at Book of Mormon class we found out that Brother White was taken to the hospital again. I kind of wondered when I called him on Wednesday and his phone went to message. We usually find out he is in the hospital when that happens. His friend found him Tuesday or Wednesday in his apartment again non-responsive and this time the paramedics could not get a pulse when they arrived. He has been in ICU ever since and they, of course, will not give us any information because we are not family. We have called his brother to get information but he will not return our call. Our high councilman manages the office for the doctors that are caring for him and he is going to check on him tomorrow but he still can’t tell us anything because of HIPPA regulations. At least he can tell us if he is conscious or not.
Thursday night Sister Owens had her first honest to goodness racist experience since we got to Alabama. “I went with the sisters tonight to visit with Timothy. His family has two homes a short distance from each other. When we got to the first, his sister would not let us meet inside. She asked Timothy if he had checked with their mom first. He said he hadn’t. The sisters wanted to meet his mom so we all decided to go to the other home. Then his dad drove up. The sisters introduced themselves as missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ. He asked if we were Christians (Hummm). We assured him that we were. He asked where the building was and we told him. He left and we went to the other home. Timothy went in to see if it was alright with his mom for us to come in. His mom yelled at him saying, “No, its not alright. You know how your dad feels about white people.” He came out embarrassed and really stressed. We told him it was okay and we would visit him another time. Sister Weaver is African-American and Sister Beaugez is Hispanic. Sister Owens was the only ‘white people’ there. Hummm, never had this happen before:/”
Friday was my appointment with the Dermatologist in Tuscaloosa. The doctor said he couldn’t find anything that he was worried about. Hooray, another six months without dressing any wounds!! We stopped at the other Doctor’s office to pay the bill we received a week ago. I told them I wanted to pay the bill and they said they would be with me in a moment and asked me to take a seat. They called me up two more times in the next hour to tell me they hadn’t forgotten about me and they were “checking on it.” I thought it a little strange that I had to wait as long to pay them money as I usually do to incur the expense in the first place. Usually doctors drop everything to take your money. They finally called me to the counter and apologized for taking so long but they had to check everything and asked me what questions I had. I told them I didn’t have any questions, I just wanted to pay the bill. They said they thought I had a question about the charges. Then they asked me how much I wanted to pay and I felt like telling them $10, but I figured it would probably take that long the next time so I told them I wanted to pay all of it, which was my original intention.
Saturday we did our chores (I know, that’s two P-days in one week. I hope they don’t send us home), and got the food ready for lunch at the Self Reliance class that will be held after church on Sunday.
Sunday our Stake President came to visit the Branch and speak to us in Sacrament Meeting and then taught us during second hour. It is always good to listen to him. He is a great teacher. Our Self Reliance class went pretty well. We had ten out of fourteen show up for the first class. One was Timothy. His third week at church and he said he wouldn’t mind staying an extra hour before we took him home so we invited him to the class. On the way home I thanked him for his patience and told him if he keeps coming he will end up living at the church all day on Sundays. We are going to have fun for a few weeks getting people home after class. Ollie is only about five minutes from the church but then Timothy is thirty minutes in one direction and Beth is thirty minutes in the other direction. Starting next week, we will have another one in town that wasn’t here today. Nothing like staying busy on Sunday afternoon. Seems a little strange that so many people need a ride to and from a Self Reliance class. I guess we picked some that really need the class.
Keep the commandments and read your Book of Mormon every day.
We love y’all,
Elder and Sister Owens
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