Week 72 - Dwight

 Today we had a special stake conference in Goldsboro.  Yesterday, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, one of the modern-day 12 apostles, visited our area, held leadership meetings and spoke to about 700 youth last night.  Today Elder Massimo De Feo of the Seventy presided over our stake conference.  We had about 30 of our Haitian members and friends in attendance.  Just before the conference started, Elder De Feo and our stake president, President Jones, stepped into the Primary Room, where the Haitians were seated for translation purposes.  They took a few minutes to say "hi" to everyone.  It was way cool!

The session last night with Elder Stevenson, was just for the youth and stake presidents from 5 stakes.  Monica (a new member of the Church) and Ruthnael (a soon-to-be member) were able to go.

Monica and Ruthnael going  in to meet an apostle!

We probably overate this week!  Last night, Patricia and Mark Pate (Mark was my best teenage buddy growing up, and after) invited us to their house for dinner. (Spare ribs, pork chops, butter beans, home made creamed corn, cheesy potatoes, coleslaw, an amazing broccoli salad, garlic bread and pumpkin pie).  We hung out and chatted about almost everything and had a great time.  Wednesday night, our neighbor and land lady and friend, Sandra invited us to her house for a fish fry with her family.  (Fried trout, coleslaw, hushpuppies, French fires, fried shrimp and apple pie and ice cream).  Was great to catch up with friends we haven't seen for a while and the food was amazing!  Tuesday, my friend JR cooked some fish we caught at the coast late last week and had his uncle and uncle's friend over.  So good!  Our diet restarts tomorrow!

With the young missionaries, we visited with our friend Christmonor and his brother Jean Edrice twice this week.  Christmonor was not really comfortable with what he has to wear to church, So Susan bought him a suit and we took it over to make sure it fit.  It did and he loved it!

Christmonor and his new church duds

I'm a succor for a full moon, beautiful sunrise or sunset or just beautiful view, because I love seeing the beauty of God's creations.  Here are a couple of shots from this week that just inspired me.  The camera doesn't do it justice, but hopefully you get the idea.

Full moon over Food Lion

Venus over forest sunset

Let me tell you about Charlemise.  Charlemise is the cousin of the wife of one of our new members, Alin.  Charlemise is 32.  She left Haiti over a year ago under very difficult circumstance's.  She lived in Mexico, really by herself, just surviving for 7 months.  She came to the US and hasn't been able to find work.  Recently, she shared a room with 3 other people she didn't know and she did not feel safe or comfortable.  The last year has been really hard for her trying to make it.  Alin helped her get into a house with another lady.  She now has her own room.  She said that she worries about her situation and cries every day, but through it all, she prays to thank God and asks for His help.  We've been waiting to hear from Butterball about a job for her that was taking a long time.  Finally, she got the call this week to come in.  We took her to Butterball to meet with our recruiting friend Luz.  Everything was going fine.  She got a good job offer.  Everything was great in her pre-employment physical, until they took her blood pressure.  It was off the chart!  I hadn't seen it, but the nurse told me that many Haitians have been having blood pressure problems.  Charlemise is suppose to start work Monday, tomorrow.  They won't let her start with her blood pressure that high.  We took her to the doctor and she got a prescription to lower the BP.  She's been taking it faithfully for a couple of days and it's starting to go down.  We're so glad she found this problem so that now she can start working on it.  She asked us to start teaching her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we taught her about the Plan of Salvation yesterday.  She loved it! Tomorrow she'll go in to complete her pre-employment physical and start orientation for her new job.  Brighter days are in store for Charlemise as she improves her health, changes her living situation, starts a new job and starts to learn about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Like all of us, God is so aware of her and is blessing her in significant ways.

This was a great week!  God loves each of us, personally and individually.  We see that in the way He's helping Charlemise.  The God of the universe knows me, loves me, understands me, listens to my prayers and responds.  I am His child and so are you.  It's almost unbelievable, but it is true!

Love you,

Elder Dwight and Sister Susan Potter