Week 60 - Dwight

 

Saindeline, Edgard, Aly, Elder Bates, Jean Edrice, Paul-Edmond, Alin, Elder Hanson

One of the really fun things we get to do is go with new members to the temple to do baptisms for the dead (See 1 Corinthians 15:29)  It's especially fun when you get to go with 6 new members!  This weekend was filled with a temple trip on Saturday to Raleigh and then rush back to Goldsboro for stake conference and then back again to Goldsboro on Sunday for stake conference.  The really fun, or interesting?. part was stopping at McDonalds between the temple and stake conference on Saturday and, in the interest of time, I ordered dinner for everyone, but the register didn't know how to handle 18 McDoubles, 8 small fries, 7 sodas, and 2 waters - so the manager had to come take the order!

I predict there will be a Haitian Branch of our Church before the end of the year in Mt. Olive.  That work continues to roll forth and it's amazing!  Three were ordained Elders today after stake conference and we're close to the minimum numbers of members to create a branch, so I just think it's coming soon.

Other than the eventful weekend, this week had a lot of highs and lows.  My buddy JR had his foot operated on and that was tough on him.  He's home and recuperating, but in a lot of pain.  We had dinner with family and the young missionaries twice this week, once at the Albertson bishop's (she's my 1st cousin's daughter), and again today at my niece's house where my sister Linda is visiting.  Linda is here because her brother-in-law Kenneth Heath's funeral was last Sunday.

Susan and the Sistas

Our friends the Wards also had a death in the family.  His father died and we attended the funeral this week in New Bern.  

Our Haitian friend numbers just keep increasing and we're involved with the young missionaries visiting and teaching and feeling blessed by the experiences.  With all the people interested in hearing and accepting the gospel message, we've needed to regroup a bit on how we're organized, but think we're headed in the right direction. Susan and I are teaching 5 beautiful young women and girls.  One is Monica and the other 4 are in the same family - Wolffencia and her 2 sisters and a cousin.  Their parents are not ready to learn about the restored gospel, but they're glad their daughters are interested.

Wolffencia, Alandjina, Marie, Leila

We got to hang out with our Ruritan Club members this week for an hour or so.  We're already planning the Albertson Stew Fest in November.  We attended last year and it's hard to believe that it's coming around again already.  Time is flying way too fast!

Albertson Ruritan Club Meeting

Visiting with my cousin, Lynetta Barnett Young, this week at her home, I couldn't help but think of all my family that has lived right here in the area where we were sitting and talking.  My father, and undoubtedly, his father and grandfather, were born within a few hundred feet of where we sat and were all buried a few hundred yards away.  My great grandfather and his son helped to start the Piney Grove Baptist Church near by.  My grandfather helped build a little church for the early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in that same community.  There is so much of my family history right here in this little community of Albertson - of course, including myself born and raised here.  After being away for so many years, it's hard to express how I feel being here right now.  The fact that we're serving as full-time missionaries, walking the same ground as my forefathers, returning home to teach, in my native language (Southern English) and a foreign language I learned 45-47 years ago in a far away land just blows me away. I know God lives.  He is our Father. He knows the details of our each of our lives.  We love you and thank you for your love and prayers.

Elder Dwight and Sister Susan Potter