Week 39

This week I noticed something I had never noticed in North Carolina before. Purple flowers were popping up everywhere. I don't remember these particular flowers when we lived here 20-40 years ago. I took pictures and did a reverse search and found out I was looking at Chinese Wisteria. Some people call it the "Purple Plague." It's an invasive flowering weed. It can be a pretty arbor or trained to grow on the sides of buildings, but it also invades unexpecting gardens and woods and can literally choke the life out of other plants. It wraps itself around a tree and will climb to the top taking it over.

Check out the vines around this tree.

Here is one keeping to itself.

Wisteria invaded woods

More invaders

To start this week, we had a productive P-day. We cleaned, did laundry, and shopped. Dwight started memorizing The Living Christ. I started practicing the piano and began working on grandkids' Christmas gifts.

We were able to visit Angie and JD this week. It was great to spend time with them again. We had a fun visit with Dwight's cousin Jennifer (Nethkin) Dickinson. We shared memories, pictures, and caught up. We got to meet her husband Joey. We are looking forward to visiting again soon.

Wednesday was a super busy day. We had District council, helped Judy put up more blinds, took the Faison kids to the youth activity. While we were at the church we videoed some of the youth quoting The Living Christ.

Thursday we visited with Jean Claude, Wendy, and Alex. Alex had his second Spanish reading lesson. He did such an amazing job. I left him with videos and flash cards to learn the alphabet and some simple words. I told him he would learn quickly if he prayed. When we returned this week, he had learned all the letters and the sounds and could sound out simple words. I kept seeing "light bulbs" going off in his eyes. He is totally getting it. I asked him if he prayed. He said, "A lot! And I studied a lot! I want to read the scriptures." Everyone pray for Alex. He has had a lot of hard things in his life. He seems so happy working on his goals.

Friday we went back and helped Judy again. She treated us to lunch while we were there. We always have fun at Judy's house. Later that day we met a new Haitian friend in Goldsboro. He seemed really spiritual and very intelligent. He held the Book of Mormon with reverence. Later he called and asked if he could come to church. A member of the Goldsboro 2nd ward picked him up today for church.

Saturday, the young sister missionaries came by to test Dwight on his memorization of The Living Christ. He passed it off. He memorized it in 6 days... truly amazing! 

This morning we picked up a new Haitian friend for church. She is a sweet young mother. I sat with her as she cried through a beautiful talk about the Savior. She said she wants to come back again. She also asked for a Book of Mormon.

After church we met Alyssa and Elayna at a park in Newton Grove (not far from church in Mt. Olive). They were coming home from a weekend at the Coast. We ate lunch and had fun hiding and finding Easter eggs and watching Elayna play.

Elayna and Pop Pop hiding eggs

Elayna to me and Alyssa,
"Now, you and you go look for eggs."

Ready for someone to lift her
up on a swing

Elayna to Alyssa, "I'm driving. You get
in your car seat."

Later we went to Kari's, our niece, house for dinner. Linda, Dwight's sister, will be here for another three weeks. Sheri, Kari's sister, will be here until Saturday. We all had a nice visit.

Dwight, Adelyn (Kari's daughter), Kari, Sheri

This greeted us when we got home...

It was from the Hermanas (the young Spanish sister missionaries). There are 5 young sister missionaries in Albertson... 2 English and 3 Spanish. They are all amazing!

Our daughter, Anna, sent this picture to me this morning. It's of our backyard in Utah. This is what they woke up to on Easter morning.

In Albertson, North Carolina it was 83 degrees today. Whether it's cold and cloudy or warm and sunny; whether life seems to be going smoothly or a little rough; whether your problems are big or small; there is always one constant--Jesus Christ. He is there for all our ups and downs, our mistakes and successes, our sorrows and our joys. Today is Easter, which had me thinking even more about the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. He suffered and experienced everything we will ever suffer or experience, so He will know how to succor us. "Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) 

We love you all!

Love Sister and Elder Potter

Week 38 - Dwight

 

While I knew my dad was a member of the Albertson Ruritan Club many years ago, I did not know that he was a charter member.  I'm confident that when Sandra asked us to speak at the Ruritan club meeting this month, that she did not know that she as asking the son of a charter member and his wife.  However, we were still treated like royalty!  We had a lot of fun Tuesday giving a short presentation to the Albertson Ruritan Club members.  When we walked into the building to get set up, Susan found this framed, signed charter membership document with my daddy's signature (B. M. Potter) on the top of the center column.  I was so excited!  The document is dated August 15, 1953.  Confirmed with my sister Linda this week that at that time the family would have been living in one of the three houses that used to be about 1/2 mile from the Albertson crossroads.

David & Jean Whaley, Susan

Ruritan Club business portion of meeting

We thoroughly enjoyed presenting at this meeting.  After introducing ourselves, we talked a bit about what missionaries do and introduced the FamilySearch Tree app, which we love.  Several people downloaded the app and within the next day or so we made an appointment to do a family history class at the Albertson Library.

Do any of you use Ham Radio?  Me neither, but I got an education this week when I went to Greg's house to learn what I could.  I'm trying to determine how I'll put a radio on our mountain property when we get back home next year.  Greg talked to someone in Mexico City I think it was.  We listed to people in France, Great Britain and maybe Germany?  It was amazing!

Ham Radio master Greg at work

This has been a hard week for many members of our family as we have mourned the loss of my 27-year-old great nephew (my sister Linda's grandson).  Monday night Bishop Young gave his mom and sisters blessings.  As the week has progressed, it's gotten a little easier.  All of Linda's kids came for the funeral and having everyone here helped to eased the grief just a little.  Later in the week, I was asked to give his dad a blessing.  The three girls each asked for another blessing that same day as well.  Donald, my brother-in-law helped me and we all felt heavenly presence as the blessings were given.  The funeral was held on Saturday and I was one of the speakers.  It was a wonderful service and we felt the outpouring of love for friends and family.  It's interesting that Susan and Rachel (Linda's daughter-in-law) both had similar glimpses of the spirit world with my nephew and my parents together surrounded with love, peace and happiness.  It was a message meant for the family that he is happy and surrounded by many people that love him.

We went to teach Logan a lesson this week and his grandpa, Mike, invited us to stay for dinner.  I guess when we saw that he was making spaghetti and I told him it was Susan's favorite, he felt obligated??  In any case, as good as it was, I hope we're there next time he makes it! 

Our next door neighbor, Linda Rouse, brought us Chew Bread this week and welcomed us to the neighborhood.  She's so nice!  And, all the bread is gone.  It was delicious!

We continued to teach Haitians in Mt Olive, teaching I think 6 different people this week in French.  Oui oui, or as they say in Creole wi wi!  I love it and my French is getting better after all these years.  There are so many of these people that are looking for God right now and I suspect we will be busy for a while trying to help them find Him.

Friday we spent the morning helping make BBQ plates for a youth fundraiser for the Albertson Ward.  They cooked 4 whole pigs, made about 450 plates of BBQ pork, coleslaw, potato salad and hush puppies.  Plus, they assembled nearly 100 one-pound containers of BBQ.  Many members of the Albertson ward were there, working together, having fun, squawking like siblings and doing a lot of work and deliveries.  Quite a remarkable event!

 

Late in the week, we spent a couple of hours at the horse show in Williamston.  It was quite a fun learning experience.  We'd been wanting to go with our friend Darry and his wife Shelby and their granddaughter Riley.  Shelby and Riley were actually part of the competition at the show.  They did great and we loved it!  The horses were beautiful!  Next time we hope to see Riley in barrel racing.

Shelby ready to show her horse

Maeci was interviewed for baptism today and did great.  Still waiting for mom's permission, but we're ready when she is.

  

This week's events have caused me to reflect on our Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness more than usual.  While the part of the plan that helps us better understand the state of our spirits after death has certainly been on my mind, I've also considered how in some ways we are all royalty as literal children of God.  Our spirits, the part of us that is the real us, that continues to live when we die, did not just appear when we were born.  We lived with our Father in Heaven before we came here.  He is our loving Heavenly Father.  He chose our elder brother Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Redeemer.  He told us about His plan for us and we rejoiced.  How grateful I am for the knowledge that I am a child of God, that we are all children of God and He knows us perfectly.  We love you all!  Until next week.

Week 37

 I forgot to take any pictures until Friday. Here is a brief rundown of those days. Monday we had at least three visits (the ones I can remember because they were in my calendar). We saw our friends the Huggins again and had a great visit. We took the Faison kids to the church to play basketball. And we visited the Adkins. We know Sister Adkins but had never met her husband. He had lots of stories from serving in the military. I'm very grateful to those who serve our country. 

Tuesday we visited JD and Angie. It was good to see them again. We also visited the Braswells. We knew Kristy a little from when she was a youth in Albertson. It was fun to get to know her husband and grandson. Wednesday Dwight taught 4 Haitian lessons. Thursday we visited Alex. He decided he didn't want to learn to read in English. He wants to learn to read in Spanish. So I'm teaching him. Do I speak Spanish... no, but I did take 5 years of it and listen to my parents speak it all my life. I'm using videos and talking flash cards. It's really fun. Maybe I'll learn to speak and Alex will learn to read. Wednesay we also took a friend for a visit to see the Bishop at the Mt. Olive Ward building, and then we visited the LaFortunes in Warsaw.

Pictures for Monday-Thursday :)

Friday we had a four-zone Zone Conference from 8:45-3:15. It was pretty amazing. Being taught by the young missionaries is inspiring. I love being around all the missionaries and learning from them.

The Johnson's from Delta. Dwight knew them
before our mission.

Sister Benson!!!

Sister Hickens!!!

Our district sisters/hermanas... where's 
Sister Dennis?

Goldsboro Zone plus Mission Leaders Stevens

After Zone Conference we ran over to see the Wards to give Claire a late birthday present. We stayed and visited with them for a while. Claire "made" me walk to the river behind their house. It was down a little hill and quite a ways to walk through wet dirt... very unappealing to me. She looked at me and said, "Pleeeaaase!" I couldn't refuse.

Claire, Izzy, Dwight

Saturday we did some much needed house cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping. We also went to visit Judy. Last week Dwight hung a bunch of blinds for her. Saturday he hung a curtain rod and a curtain while Judy and I watched a sitcom from 1999. I wasn't totally useless. I was Dwight's gofer when he needed me. Next week we'll put blinds on the last three windows in her house.

Judy and Dwight and his handiwork.

A couple of weeks ago I notice a field of trees had been totally cleared. All that was left was this house. Before the field was cleared, the house couldn't be seen... or at least I never noticed it. I'm always looking for cool old houses, so I'm pretty sure this one had been completely grown over. I don't know why these things fascinate me, but they do.

Something else that fascinates me is the amount of pollen that falls from pine trees. Everything is covered in yellow powder... even other trees. :)

That yellow stuff is pine pollen.

Every car I've seen is covered!

The thing I find most fascinating, however, is how the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes people. Today we had a Haitian investigator at church. In our Sunday School class we had two newly returning Haitian members participating. Dwight was teaching how the Holy Ghost can tell us the truth of all things (at least as far as I could understand as he was speaking French). I felt prompted to ask the returning members to bare their testimonies. I couldn't understand most of what they said, but I could feel the Spirit. The investigator felt something too; enough to make him clap when they were done speaking.

I am so grateful for the Spirit in my life. We've had an untimely death in our extended family. The pain and sorrow of his family is heartbreaking. Gratefully, we know that this life in not the end. We know that we can be with our families forever. We know that we have a loving Father in Heaven and Savior that love us more than we can imagine. They want us to learn from our trials and become stronger. They want us to have true joy. When someone we loves dies unexpectedly and it seems like we can never be happy again, that is when the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ can literally lift us up. We can become whole again through Christ's Grace. We only have to turn to Him, believe, have hope and pray. 

We love you all!

Sister and Elder Potter

Week 36 - Dwight

 

Susan Drives!

This past Monday was the 246th day of this mission and Susan had 2 mission firsts that day!  She had her first hair cut AND, wait for it..........she drove the pickup!  Since I had no interest in going to a beauty parlor, Susan drove herself!  Ain't she cute!

Sister Kali Benson & Companion

Tuesday we got the treat to drive to Leland (near Wilmington) and take Susan's sister Karen's granddaughter and her companion to lunch!  We've been looking forward to meeting her for months and finally got a chance to hang out.  Afterwards, we stopped by the Battleship USS North Carolina Memorial (WWII).  We're helping plan a trip in May for senior missionaries to tour the ship and wanted to stop by to get some information.

Battleship USS North Carolina

Tuesday afternoon we went with Judy to pick out blinds for her new house. That night we got to visit with Brother and Sister Tommy and Myra Heath and were amazed at their stories.  So thankful that we get to meet and get to know so many wonderful and interesting people.

Wednesday morning we put up Judy's blinds.  Was mostly fun, except I had to screw a bunch of screws in by hand because I couldn't find the proper screw bit until the job was done.  We're so spoiled!  I spent most of Wednesday afternoon and early evening with the missionaries in Mt. Olive.  A couple of appointments fell through with some folks that we really like.  We had a great meeting with Jean Claude and Marie Guetty and we finished our lessons with them and then he had his baptism interview with Elder Reinhold.  It went great!

Somewhere in our travels this week we stopped at Food Lion, twice.  Not sure why that's so significant except that's the grocery store that was a disrupter in the grocery business when we were young married and we went there all the time - just a good memory!

District council was on Thursday this week and will be changing to Thursdays from now on - not sure why.  That afternoon we spent a couple of hours with Alex.  He's almost ready to come back to Church.  Found out that day that the son of one of our friends was in a serious car accident, along with his wife.  She was fine, a few bruises, but he had some pretty serious head injuries.  He was moved from New Bern to Greenville, but made some quick improvements.  Now, they don't have a car until the insurance is settled, so we went to pick them us because he was discharged today.

Friday we worked on some stuff at home and got treated to having dinner with our good friends the Joneses and the Wiggins in Mt Olive.  Always a fun/lively group to be around!

Saturday we invited several in the Haitian community to come to the baptism on Sunday.  Went over to see Evens in Warsaw and invited his family to come - and they did!  Was so good to seem them all today, including his big sister Marie Yolene!

The highlight of the week was Jean Claude's baptism after church meetings today.  Almost the entire things was in French and Creole.  I even learned how to say the baptism ordinance in Haitian Creole!  The whole thing was amazing and ended a beautiful week.

Although Jean Claude is in his 70's, his baptism is a new beginning, a new birth for him.  He seems so excited.  He said today that since he's been coming to church, he feels good, his blood pressure is down and he loves it.  With the help of Jesus Christ, every day is a chance for a new beginning, a new birth.  His atonement and repentance are the keys that give us this opportunity to start over again, as we strive each day to become something better, a little closer to becoming like Him!.  I know that He lives and because of Him each of us can start over, again, right now!  We love you all!

Week 35

 

This has been one of those weeks that has just flown by. Monday we had a really nice visit with Gregory from Albertson. We always have great gospel conversations and normally seem to learn something off topic together. We also had a fun Zoom call with Josh and his family Monday night. Of course, I forgot to screen shot it; so no cute pictures of Sam and Thomas... they were really cute.

Tuesday was a very busy day. We went to Beaufort (which will be a story for another time) and stopped by Atlantic Beach... both were beautiful. Later that night we had dinner with the Bishop's (from Woodington) family and gave them a mini missionary lesson. They have a remarkable family. When we got there all the kids were in the kitchen helping their mom (so was the Bishop). I thought it looked like everyone was preforming a dance and knew their steps well. Then I looked up on the wall, and there was a sign that said, "We dance in this kitchen!" I thought, "Yes, you do!" We had a really fun time and learned some hidden talents of our bishop.

Beaufort

Atlantic Beach

Later that night we met Sister Jami Finch at Linda Jones' house. Her daughter and son-in-law came, too. We had a great visit and got to know all of them a little better. They are wonderful people with big hearts!

Wednesday we had District Council... always a favorite way to spend a morning. Our afternoon appointments fell through, so we did a little P-day work like shopping and laundry. It's a little harder to plan our shopping now that we live in the country. Speaking of the country, and weather :) I found a picture on Facebook of our backyard nine years ago on February 28... snow 3/4 way up our block wall. In NC this year on February 28 it was 74 degrees. I took some pictures today just outside our house, and there is so much evidence of springtime! To tell you the truth, I really miss the snow and wouldn't mind just one good storm. But the Spring in NC is beautiful!

Cedar City, UT 2.28.15

Albertson, NC 3.3.24

Albertson, NC 3.3.24

On Thursday Dwight and I went to the dermatologist for our yearly checkup. Our doctor wasn't too far from Raleigh, so we went to Jake's house. Dwight cooked dinner for Jake and Alyssa and their families. I taught Clara how to single crochet, (I'd taught her how to chain stitch on a previous visit.) and she took to it like a pro. Alyssa, aka Cinderella, did the dishes. ;) Later that night Jake and his family all went to the women's NC State game--hence the all the State shirts.

Clara rocking the single crochet!

Pop Pop and Elayna playing with slime

Anna and Jake

Sully and Daniel

Alyssa slaving away

Jake and Von

Friday our truck had to have it's brakes fixed, so all the the plans we had got cancelled, but we did get to go to dinner with Linda and Donald. Of course, I forgot to take a picture. We went to a place called the Laughing Owl. The name made me smile. The food did, too!

Saturday we visited Judy in Pink Hill at her new house. (Judy is the new member that was baptized in Albertson the first week we got here.) Next week we're going to help her get blinds and Dwight is going to help her put them up. We're so happy for her that she's going to be back in her own home. She had some flood damage, so her insurance replaced her home, but it seems like it has taken forever. I'm sure it has seemed longer to her.

Saturday we also had a lesson with two of our Haitian friends, Wendy (a non-member) and Evens (a member). They are awesome. They came to church today in Mt. Olive. Dwight went with the Mt. Olive missionaries on Wednesday and taught three lessons to some other Haitian friends. Today we taught a lesson to our Haitian friend, Wilgerson "Sonny," and Dwight and the young missionaries taught four more lessons while I was at a zoom meeting. Dwight is the only one that speaks French, so he stays very busy in the Haitian community. We have met some lovely people that have a real desire to learn.

Once in a while our district will send out a message to send a "BeReal" to our Messenger group. This was the last one we sent. It looks like we just woke up from a very long nap. :)

I love serving a mission with my wonderful companion. Most senior missionaries don't have grandchildren near by and get to serve in places they have lived in before and with people they already love.  We truly feel blessed in so many ways. Our Heavenly Father knows each of us personally and knows exactly what trials and what blessings we need to help us become what He wants us to become.

We love you all!

Love, Sister and Elder Potter