Week 62 - Dwight

 

Albertson Ward Building

The Albertson Ward building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has had many additions and changes over the years.  In another edition of the blog, I think I'll show all the pictures of the church building as it has changed to what it is now.  I think it's been about 70 years since it was first constructed.  This is the ward I grew up in.  My family's home sits about 100 yards to the north.  We were there Saturday night for an Ice Cream Social and Tabernacle Choir Concert Watch Party.  At one point I walked down the hall by the baptism font, the one I was baptized in just over 58 years ago!  I still remember that day, that moment, when my dad baptized me and how I felt afterwards.  I was 8 years old.  So many memories!

Elder Bates, Elder Hansen, Steeve, Dwight, Susan

Anytime we have a baptism, it's the highlight of the week.  Steve was baptized and confirmed today.  BTW, we had 34 Haitians at church today and 6 that usually come were not able to be there.  This miracle just keep growing!  Also, Anseleine and Strauss, the wife and son of a new member, Alin, who are still in Haiti, went to Church for the first time today at a ward near the temple in Port-au-Prince.

Anseleine & Strauss in Haiti on the way to church

Susan and I have been studying Haitian Creole on Duolingo.  We've been seeing words like, Rara, Toubadou, and Kompa.  We knew it had to do something with music and asked our Haitian Friends and they are all dances!  They played the Haitian music and did a demonstration.

Aly demonstrating Rara dance

Alin dancing Toubadou with his wife (in Haiti)

We played a little game this week and chose our favorite houses of the week.  We are completely unified in our efforts to do missionary work and in loving our family and the Lord, but we have different tastes in so many different things - from food to houses to cars and certainly movies!!  We are unified on BYU sports however!

Susan's favorite house of the week

Dwight's favorite house of the week

We have been blessed to spend some time with family this week.  My sister Linda is still here and our son Joshua, and his family, are here on vacation.  We love being here on a mission, but we do miss our family and it's good to take a little break and spend time with them.

Richard, Kari, Dwight, Susan, Linda, Donald, Doug, a friend, and Judy at Yummy Orient Chinese Buffet - Sounds sketchy, but is really good!

Susan, Sam, Dwight, Thomas, Josh and Cari

This week, like them all recently, has been busy and interesting and full of activities like, teaching, interviews, baptism, more teaching, transporting people in many directions, (snuck in a BYU football game), and spending time with family and friends we love dearly (a really fun day with Sandra and the young sister missionaries and some complex days with JR who's heath challenges seem better one minute and worse the next).  Through it all, we just continue to be amazed that we're really here!

Today at church as we were with the Haitian Group after sacrament meeting, I just felt an overwhelming love for these people.  They are so humble and eager to learn more about God's plan for them.  They are excited for whatever is coming next.  We sometimes don't know what's around the next corner as we continue on this adventure, but we're sure it's going to be wonderful, if sometimes hard, and we can't wait!  We love you!

Elder and Sister Potter