Tour de South Part 4: Andalusia

I drove us out of Tennessee and into Alabama. The second I saw the Alabama state line welcome sign, I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. It felt a lot like coming home. When I got my mission call back in 2006, I had my car loaded, ready to move back to Idaho after finishing up my junior year at BYU. I had actually moved out of my apartment the day before, but my roommates kindly let me stick around to get my call letter, since it hadn't come yet. So, I opened the big white envelope, read my call letter to my parents via two different cell phones on speaker, and then hopped into my car to drive the four hours home. I knew nothing else about my mission except "Florida Tallahassee Mission." And I was a little disappointed. When I got home, I looked at the map and discovered that Alabama was included in my mission, and that's when I got excited. My first area was in Alabama, and so was my last. And I will always love it.

By the time we rolled into our hotel in Andalusia, it was after 10. We unloaded, set up the pack and play, laid a blanket and pillow on the floor for Michael (since they couldn't change our room to one with two queens), frantically tried to finalize my talk, and then went to sleep.

The next morning, after getting ready and trying to leave in plenty of time to get to church, we ended up getting lost. I was so embarrassed! I couldn't remember where things were! As Brian laughed at me, I justified myself by saying that it had been six and a half years, and I was only there for 11 weeks. Google led us the wrong way. Finally, we figured it out, and it started coming back to me, but we were five or ten minutes late. Oops! The branch president, who had heard we were coming, had asked us to speak, and he was getting nervous about our tardiness.

In front of lots of familiar faces, and quite a few unfamiliar ones, I gave my first talk from a smart phone, and got to speak with Brian for the first time since we got married. (We stunned everyone by telling them that we've been in our ward for almost three years, and we still have not been asked to speak, despite telling every member of the bishopric that we both enjoy public speaking. When you attend a branch that tiny and you end up speaking once a month, it's hard to imagine being in a ward so big that you can be there that long and not ever being asked to speak).

I didn't mean to, but I ended up missing Sunday School and Relief Society because I got caught in the hall talking to people. After church, the branch had a baptism, and then a luncheon, which gave me time to catch up with so many amazing people.

 After church, and right before the luncheon, this amazing lady walked in the door. I had the chance to teach her, and it is a miracle that she let us! She had heard so many false things about our church, and she didn't want to have anything to do with us when we showed up at her house. But, she grudgingly gave us a chance, and then she let us teach her and her family. She got baptized after I went home, and because of a series of rough events, she isn't coming to the branch anymore. BUT, she came to see me. And we got her to stay for lunch. And it was SO good to see her!

 I also got to see these amazing sisters. These two ladies are the ones who drove me to transfer spots on my last day in the field. They took such good care of me while I was there, and I miss them again already.

 This amazing woman fed us on Thanksgiving. It was a legendary feast, and I crave it every November. She is an amazing cook--and, thanks to too much radiation treatment to kill her cancer, her taste buds make everything taste like vomit. But, that doesn't stop her from cooking and finding enjoyment out of watching everyone else eat her fabulous creations.

I couldn't believe how much the kids there had grown! I just love Andalusia!

After church, we went to Opp, Alabama and toured Lake Opp. The Ball family, who took us there, were surprised that we never went there as missionaries. Well, it's a lake, so that's probably a big reason why. Plus, we never heard about it. Focused on other things :) But, it was awesome seeing it as a returned missionary.

 Michael was in HEAVEN! 

 Rachel loved it too. 

 I gave up trying to keep him out of the water. It was just too much for him. 

 After walking around the lake, we went back to the Ball home, and once again, Brother and Sister Ball cooked us a fabulous dinner. Rachel loved Noah. She thought he was super awesome. Either that or she just loved the tablet he was playing on.

I still can't get over how much their kids have grown, and it was a little strange being there without their older boys, who are currently serving missions. I really just can't say enough about how much I love the people in Andalusia/Opp. *sigh*

All too soon, we had to head back to our hotel, sleep, wake up, check out, and hit the road again. Next stop: Mobile, Alabama.