My biking days in Mustang certainly didn't last very long! When I arrived at transfers I waited and waited for my new companion to arrive, and when he did I got introduced to the Chevy Colorado. The rumors are true, Altus indeed is a truck area. Sounds like a rough area...
"Rough area" is an understatement.
The roadtrip to Altus from Mustang opened my eyes up to a new part of Oklahoma I'd never seen before—the southwest flats. Altus is quite possibly the flattest and most barren part of Oklahoma you can find. Miles and miles of farmland and fields as far as the eye can see. The sunsets are incredibly vivid and beautiful. The simplest way to describe Altus is to say that it's very Air Forcey and very retro. There are a couple brand-new Super 8 hotels and a Walmart, but other than that it may as well be 1974 in Altus. I feel as if I've stepped into the 1970s. Other than the new cars people drive, everything else in Altus is about 40 years behind the times. It's kinda cool, actually.
On Thursday we talked to a lady named Virginia. She told us all about her life and her past...deeds. She used to be a dancer. She said something interesting: "I learned more about the world doing that than anything else I did." And unfortunately, she and her family were ruined by it, but from her past experiences she learned the hard way. It makes me so grateful for the gospel to be able to teach us life's most important lessons without having to learn them the hard way!
On Saturday we drove to Hollis, the town on the very fringes of the Oklahoma and Texas border as well as the mission. A town of about 2,000, and hardly anyone seems to know about the Mormons. We talked to a lady named Tiffany that never knew what a Mormon was until she married one. She was open to learning more. As soon as we have an established way of getting to Hollis from time to time, we'll make regular visits there.
Church was interesting. The bishopric is kinda quiet. The ward is the smallest I've ever seen. I was told that if it wasn't for the Air Force Base, Altus would be a branch. President Walkenhorst came to church on Sunday, and afterwards we had a ward Linger Longer, so that was fantastic. Lots of new faces and new names. I have no idea what to expect this week. It's all in for a new adventure!
Elder Garner
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