Week 47

This week passed by in a blur of fun, visits, teaching, French, saying good-bye, and saying hello. Monday we went with our friends the Andersons (from Cedar City, UT) and the Tichenors (from Mesquite, NV) on a true adventure. Jim Walker (from Kinston, NC) :-) invited us to take a ride on his air boat in New Bern, where his son has a dock in his back yard on the Neuse River. We had one too many adults on there, so every turn we made, because of the weight, the wake spray soaked us. It was sooo cold... brrrrr; I had goose bumps all over!!!

We saw some great sights on the river, but I was too busy chattering my teeth to take any pictures... birds, turtles, snakes, lovely homes (including Nicholas Sparks'). All was well. Until... we ran out of gas! For real. We had just passed "Nick's" house and the boat stalled. The emergency electric propeller wouldn't come on. There were lots of laughs. Finally, Jim called his son, James, to rescue us on a jet ski. James towed us to the gas station very slowly. It was actually kind of nice to see all the sights without getting sprayed by river water.

After we got back to the dock, everyone but me rode on jet skis. I just wanted to stay on land and dry out! I already knew that Dwight was a dare devil on small water craft, but I didn't know that Karma Anderson was also quite the dare devil; very different from the way I drive one--totally white knuckled. 

My smile is really my teeth chattering. :)

James to the resuce!

The group after our fun adventure

This is where we had to say good-bye to our friends. They headed to Raleigh for a flight the next morning. Later this week we said hello to Joseph. He's staying with us for a couple of weeks while his wife is in Germany for an internship. He's had a couple of good missionary days. He's even been able to use his Spanish with one of our Haitian friends and with Alex. He also played the guitar for Alex--a beautiful arrangement of the hymn  Where Can I Turn For Peace. Alex now thinks Joseph is a Spanish-speaking, guitar-playing hero. 

Everywhere we go in North Carolina is green. We've had a lot of rain, so the woods are green, the fields are green, the crops are green, and people's yard are green.

Corn a few weeks ago

Corn today :)

Dwight's truck, green grass,
pretty yard across the street, 
and a bird 

Help to see the bird :)

The LaFortunes had their baby. Mom and baby are doing well. We are so happy for them. Evens, the daddy and Luna, the big sister were at church today, but mom and baby aren't quite ready. We had a new friend at church today, Jean (pronounced kind of like John). He asked some great questions and excitedly made an appointment for Dwight and the young missionaries that are learning Creole to come back and teach him again. There are great things happening in this community.

Saintemene and baby girl

Dwight translating at church

Some of our friends at church and the young
missionaries Elders Reinhold, Hansen, and Bates.

The other day I saw this picture of Jesus. I can't remember now where exactly I saw it... on someone's Facebook post. I "loved" the post and moved on. Then I went back and looked at the picture again. I got a little teary looking at the little girl. I started to scroll, but went right back to the picture. I looked at Jesus and got more teary. Then I thought about all the times I know Jesus has cried with me, with Dwight, with my children. I started to scroll and went back again. I just sat there looking at this picture, pondering the love Jesus has for me... for each of us individually. I felt His love deeply as I continued to think about specific times He has held me. I couldn't scroll. I had to sit in His love. I finally saved the picture to remind me of this experience. 

We are literally spirit children of a loving Father in Heaven who has given us His Son to be our Savior, our Redeemer, our Advocate. They love us with a love we can't even begin to imagine. 

We love you all!

Sister and Elder Potter