Week 82 - Dwight

Alin, Leccius, Arsene (Alin's father-in-law),
Dwight, Susan

In March of last year, we were teaching our friend Alin, who was living with his father-in-law Arsene in Goldsboro.  Initially Alin was receptive to our message and enjoyed our visits, but was struggling to do anything more.  Perhaps one of the issues was that his father-in-law belonged to another Church and had heard some things he didn't like about the "Mormons", and discouraged Alin from continuing with us.  Finally Alin decided he needed to know, so he got serious about reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it and the prophet Joseph Smith.  He felt strongly that he needed to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which took place in April.  Arsene did not agree with that decision and asked him to move out.  He moved into an old trailer house that was being rented some 30 miles away.  He said his space was a "corner" of a bedroom.  One of his roommates was Arsene's friend Leccius.  Recently we've been helping Leccius with some eye doctor's appointments, needed for him to get a job.  Because of the new job in a new location, Leccius recently moved in with his friend and Alin's father-in-law Arsene.  Today we were so happy that Leccius and Arsene came to church with us!  

Today we counted 58 Haitians at sacrament meeting, more than half are not yet members of the Church.  Yesterday, Wilenka was baptized.  She's Judeline's sister - a good friend and new member of the Church.  Seems like we're going to have 1-2 or more baptisms every week now as the young missionaries are working really hard and all the new members love telling all their friends about the truths they have found.

Front, Elders Hafen, Smiththson, Bates, Nordgren. 
Back, Bro & Sis Maples, Wilenka,
Judeline, Susan, Dwight

We got five inches of snow Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.  That happens in these parts, but not all that often.  It's been about 4 years since we've had any measurable snow here.  For many of our Haitian friends this was the first time they had ever seen snow in person.  The temperatures dropped and the snow lingered.  It was 14 degrees here one of the mornings.  The roads were icy and schools and businesses closed for a couple of days.  We stayed in all day Wednesday and started venturing out on Thursday with roads still having some snow and ice.  I knew I brought my 4-wheel-drive pickup for a reason!

5 inches of snow!

This week we went with the young missionaries to visit Provilene and Desca, Charlemise, the Lafortunes (5 showed up today), Fils Aime brothers (Christmonor is getting baptized Saturday), Guy, Wilson (took for a job interview Monday) and a few others.  They probably called us 30-40 times this week between the 3 sets of Haitian missionaries (1 in Fayetteville) to help with a lesson over the phone.  They keep us busy!  We also visited a couple of homes of wonderful older members.  (Who am I to call anyone "older"??)  One of the couples remembered us from when we lived in the ward and I served as bishop over 30 years ago.  The other sister was at church today and when she saw Susan, she gave her a big smile and hug and said, "Hi, I'm so glad you came to see me.  It made me feel so good!"  It made us feel so good to get to know her and hear her story!

I don't know how to slow down time.  It feels like we have so much left to do and there's time, but it's passing way too fast.  The Haitian group is a miracle and it's growing so fast it's hard for all of us combined to keep up with it.  After visiting some local members this and last week, we realize how much we could gain (and give a little I suppose) to the established members of the Church here and their families and friends.  We want to do it all and meet everyone and leave nothing undone - but we'll have to settle for doing what we can and loving those we're able to meet and trusting the Lord to help us do what He wants us to do here.  We feel so blessed!

Love,

Elder and Sister Potter

Week 81

What a fun week... old friends, a baptism, and a pony! My heart seriously wanted to burst for all of them! We also had some wonderful visits and lessons that made my heart sing. Dwight also did his regular "social worker" service (translating for job interviews, taking our friends to the doctor to translate, etc). I tag along on some of these activities, but my "social work" includes smiles and hugs and saying, "What did she say?" It's kind of amazing how much I'm actually starting to understand in French, although I can't speak a word. Now when our friends start speaking in Creole to each other, I'm totally lost. 

One highlight this week was our regular HHE... you've heard of FHE (Family Home Evening). HHE is Hattian Home Evening. We had a great lesson on temples. I found pictures for Dwight to make a Power Point, and the young missionaries narrated it at the activity. After the lesson, the elders had a Jeopardy-type game prepared. It was really fun. I wish I had taken pictures of all the smiling faces. I do have pictures of some of the temples from our lesson. I love the beauty and difference in each of them.

Hong Kong

Haiti

St. George, Utah

New York City, NY

Thailand

Washington D.C.

While Dwight was working on the Power Point for HHE, I worked on a little family history. I came across a 1930 census that included my Grandma and Grandpa Richardson. On the census was an address for a house that the census said they owned. I thought this was pretty cool, because I know the address of the house they lived in when my dad was a kid and the 1930 address (4 years before my dad was born) is different. The census valued the house at $3000. I looked the house up on Google Maps and then on some real estate sites. The house is still in Los Angeles (hopefully--not sure because of the fires). It was built in 1923 and is now valued around $600,000--2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 864 square feet. Crazy!

Grandma and Grandpa Richardson's
1930 house in Los Angeles. I bet it
didn't have bars on the windows in 1930. :)

We tried to visit three people that we haven't seen for years. One of them had moved. The address we had was an empty house. That was disappointing, but we're going to keep trying. Another one wasn't home, but her husband was home. He gave us her phone number, so we'll get together with her soon. This house is where the pony lives! 😁 I asked if I could go pet it. I was so happy to have a few minutes with Jose, the pony. He really didn't care that I was there... basically ignored me, but he still made me smile. If Jose had nuzzled me or even looked at me, I don't think my heart could've taken it! 

Jose

The last people we went to see were actually home! Doug and Paulette Jones were in our ward in Mt. Olive 30 years ago when Dwight was the bishop. We were greeted with hugs and smiles and sweet words. We visited for probably too long and will be back to see them again soon.

Doug, Paulette, Susan, Dwight

Here's a peek into our District Council:

Elder and Sister Berglund are in our district.
They run the church camp, Eagle's Nest.

Saturday we had a baptism for our friend, Clarenne. She is so cute! She smiled during the entire service. She is so excited about following Jesus.

Elders Smithson and Hafen, Clarenne,
Elders Bates and Nordgren

Dwight, Clarenne, Susan

On Saturday night we went to see the Fil Aime brothers. I've said it before, but these boys are amazing. They are so much fun. They love each other and they love Jesus. Edrice is a member, and his younger brother Chrismonor set a date to be baptized. Christmonor invited two of his friends from work to go to church with him. Unfortunately, Edrice was sick this morning, and he's the driver, so none of them came. Hopefully, they'll all come next week.

Dwight, Susan, Edrice, Chrismonor,
Elders Hafen and Smithson

Today one of the new members, Romual, was teaching Sunday School in Haitian Creole. He did a great job. I love when I can feel the Spirit even when I can't understand a word. The Spirit teaches and touches hearts in every language. 

We love you all so much!

Love, Sister and Elder Potter

Week 80 - Dwight

Snow?

 Saturday morning we woke up to a dusting of snow on the ground and some ice and snow in the trees.  This is the 1st snow we've had since we got here 18 months ago - we had none last winter.  When I was young, we'd have winters without any snow, but some winters we would have a lot.  If there is a threat of snow here, school is canceled since they don't have snow plows and all the kids are bussed to school.  Many times here, if the conditions are right, we'll get freezing rain, which will stick to and bring down power lines, tree limbs, and make the roads very slick.  Had a little of that this time, but thankfully not a lot.  

We often get reminders that we are not strangers in a strange land, but we're actually serving a mission at home.  We see people we've known for years almost every day.  We drive on roads that I've used since I can remember.  We live beside the little country post office that my dad worked at for about 25 years, and we live in the house where my best friend lived when I was a boy.  This week we got a couple of other reminders.  One of the sisters (a long time friend) at church gave us a picture of me and her husband from about 25 years ago, in the MT Olive building, at a pinewood derby.  I think I was a judge?  We lived in Goldsboro at the time (same stake).  Then, at zone council this week, while the young missionaries were doing role plays (given scenarios and practicing teaching or contacting people), Susan showed me a poster in the seminary room.  She made the poster at least 25 years ago when she was teaching early morning seminary, and it's still there!

Dwight, Pinewood derby judge 25+ years ago, Richard Brown background

 

Zone council, Role Play 

Susan's Poster from 25+ years ago!

We had a lot of good experiences this week.  We helped the friend (Leccius) of one of our members (Alin) get a job and helped him move to Mt Olive.  We visited some friends, Greg, Mackendy, the Lafortune family and Judy and had dinner with the Ward family.  And, we participated in many lessons.  Today, we had approximately 50 Haitians at church!  About half of them are not members of the Church.  Two on those were Christmonor and Charlemise (who we've worked with very closely). Plus, for the first time in many months, I did not translate at all for Sacrament Meeting!  The young elders took it and ran with it and did a great job! 

Our friend Judy

Leccius, Luz (Butterball recruiter and friend), Alin

We've only got five months left and the weeks seem to be flying by.  Over the last couple of months the missionaries are really getting good at Creole, we have excellent, seasoned Haitian members that have moved in and it feels I can begin to play a background role and let the others lead.  When we leave, it will be in good hands and that feels great!  This group will soon be a branch, and that branch will soon be a ward.  I don't see the growth stopping anytime soon, and we feel like we will forever be a part of what has, is, and will happen here!

Now, while we'll continue to work with the Haitian group, we should be able to start spending more time with the long time-members in the Mt Olive and Woodington wards.  We thank Heavenly Father that He's allowed us to be a part of this.  It's a little sad to start to let go, but we can't stay here forever and there's a lot to be done in other places and other ways.  Five more months and we'll finish strong wherever we're needed.  More adventure awaits!  There's still time!

Love you all,

Elder and Sister Potter

Week 79

Most of you know that we live in Albertson and do most of our missionary service in Mt. Olive. Because of this and because our family used to live in Mt. Olive, our Christmas gift to our 14 grandchildren was theme based on Mt. Olive, The Pickle Capital of the World. We went to the pickle store at the pickle plant 😊 and got each child a Mt. Olive Pickles t-shirt. I also crocheted each of them a large stuffed "emotional support pickle" because they are each such a big "dill" and will sometimes need a hug from Nana.

These had to be shipped to Utah, so they got 
finished by Thanksgiving.

These were for grandchildren in NC. The last
one got finished on Christmas Eve. 😏

This week we celebrated New Year's with our traditional black eyed peas and shrimp--and lots of other food including Caroline's divine French silk pie. However, we didn't have our traditional family celebration. This year on New Year's Day, we had special guests... the Albertson Elders, the Albertson Hermanas, and the Woodington Sisters. Caroline actually knew one of the Hermanas and recognized the other one from her job at BYU. Small world. We had a great time getting to know these wonderful young missionaries better. They are all in our district, but since we spend most of our time in Mt. Olive, we know the Elders there the best.

The Hermanas left before this picture. 😔

Here they are with Caroline at District Council.

Speaking of District Council, I took a picture at that meeting. Our district is huge. Missing from this photo is me and two Mt. Olive Elders. They are our Zone Leaders, so technically, I guess they don't have a district, but they live in ours. The Mt. Olive Ward has two sets of Haitian Elders and an English speaking set of Elders and the service missionaries that live at Eagle's Nest Camp and us. That's 10 full-time missionaries just in Mt. Olive and 18 total in our District when our Zone Leaders come.

This week we took Caroline with us to visit many of the people that have become so special to us. Some of the friends we saw were JD Robinson, Monica, the Pierre-Louis Brothers, Charlemise, and the Fils Aime Brothers. It was fun to listen to our friends and Caroline talk and laugh together in French.

Elders Hafen & Smithson, Dwight, Christmonor &
Edrice Fils Aime, Caroline, and Susan.

This week Dwight was able to take his friend on one last fishing trip before it gets too cold. This friend doesn't get out much, so it's good for both of them. Not only does his friend get out, but Dwight gets to have a real p-day and do something different. That day he was a fisher of fish and men.

Today after church we had a Haitian Group Leadership/Planning (I'm not sure what we're calling it) meeting with the missionaries and the Haitian Group Leadership. They have some great ideas to help our new members and friends.

Elders Bates and Nordgren, Romual-2nd 
Councilor, Davidson-1st Councilor

One day this week, Dwight got one call after another from the Haitian missionaries in Mt. Olive and Fayetteville. He'd hang up the phone and it would immediately ring again. They call him to bear his testimony about whatever principle they have just taught their friends. Sometimes these friends will ask Dwight questions, and the calls will be kind of long. Other times they are fairly short. For the most part, the people he talks to sound very receptive to the Gospel message. 

This particular day after receiving several calls in a row, Dwight said, "There are so many people that want to be baptized." At first I just laughed. Then I sat there pondering. We have been living in and witnessing a miracle in Mt. Olive. It has become so ordinary to have so many new people at church every week that I was beginning to take it for granted. Each one of these precious souls is a child of God. He loves them more than I can imagine. He has blessed us with the opportunity to share His love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ with these beautiful people.

We are so grateful for the chance we have to serve in North Carolina!

We love you all and thank you for your support!

Love,

Sister and Elder Potter