We got to help deliver food to families in need for Thanksgiving and that was a very humbling experience

     This week was a lot of ups and downs. My companion is great, I love him so much but he is having a hard time adjusting to this lifestyle. So keep him in your prayers please. Sometimes I feel like that's a lot of my day is praying for him but it's fun training. Hard sometimes but fun. It is cool to see him molding into a great missionary. I'm just praying he is able to stick it out. We had some great things happen this week. 
     On Wednesday we got to have Zone Conference 

and I love zone conference so much, it's the best. What is a Zone Conference? We talked a lot about faith and that has become such a passion of mine. I love the idea of faith. Faith makes people do the craziest things but that's what makes it so special. But if you look in the scriptures at stories the biggest difference between the people who have a little faith and those who truly have faith is action. The children of Israel for example, only had to look at Moses's staff and they would be healed but their faith wasn't strong enough to motivate them to take action and look at the staff. Faith is so important but it's not good enough, we have to act on our faith and that is how our faith grows and we strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ. That's the most important thing we could ever do for ourselves in this life. 

     A great point that President Palmer shared with us is that he asked us the question who has ever gotten offended at church in someway? Whatever religion you belong to. Most of us raised our hands. He then asked how many of us had ever been offended by Jesus Christ? Don't build your faith in something so imperfect and worldly as a church, but build your faith in Jesus Christ. Because the church may fail you but Jesus Christ never will. I thought was great insight and I love the opportunity I have to learn so much. 
     As far as lessons go, we had some really great lessons this week. Probably the best news was the fact that Jose and Jennie have decided to get married so Jose should be able to be baptized soon. I am so excited for him. He has made so many changes the past few weeks to come closer to Christ and I can see the changes every time we go visit him and it's so cool. I love teaching them. We had good lessons with some other people too. 
     We also got the chance to help a ward out with their "harvest hunt." We got to help deliver food to families in need for Thanksgiving and that was a very humbling experience and we actually got a couple of lesson appointments scheduled.  
     Sunday morning Elder Miller woke up with pink eye so we were pretty much quarantined all day which wasn't too fun but what can ya do. We also found out this week that Elder Rasband is going to come do a Christmas devotional with just our mission on December 3rd so I'm super excited about that. It'll be an amazing spiritual experience I'm sure. 
     I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. The holidays are super hard for me because that's when I miss home the most but the members here are so great and help me not miss it so much with their generosity and hospitality. Thanks for your prayers! Stay safe! Have a great week and a great Thanksgiving!

Love, 
Elder Potter

I can really feel the love for those I teach, those I serve, and even those who flip me off and throw things at me as we walk along the roads.

I got this text on Saturday from a guy Colton has helped teach.

So with transfers this week it was a little hectic. We had our training meetings for all the trainers and trainees and that's where I met Elder Miller, my new companion. He is from St Louis area so not Indiana but that's okay. He is a great kid and I love being his companion. He is struggling right now adjusting to missionary life and feeling like he is good enough so if you could keep him in your prayers that would be great. As far as how our week went it was a good week, a little slow but still good. We had some really great lessons and found someone new to teach so that was really exciting. We had yet again another great lesson with Jose. He has to give up a few things and make a couple of changes in order to be baptized but he has told us he is willing to do whatever it takes which is super exciting. He had come so far since we started teaching him. His daughter Emily also wants to get baptized so that's great too. I love their family. 

The highlight of the week was for sure Saturday. We had two baptisms, one for Josh and one for Kinzie. Elder Tyler came back from Grantsville and performed both baptisms but I got to confirm both of them as members of our church so that was really cool. And then Sunday we got to go support Josh as he got ordained an Elder and received the priesthood. What is the Priesthood? And we had another good lesson with the Oros another night. I got to share a very personal experience with the mom and it really touched her and she asked me to give her a blessing. She gave me a huge hug afterwards and I was really able to feel the gratitude she had for what I shared which was cool. I love being a missionary. I can really feel the love for those I teach, those I serve, and even those who flip me off and throw things at me as we walk along the roads. It's really changed my outlook on everything and helped me determine what's really important in life. Pleasing God is really all that matters. Who cares what anyone else thinks about me if God loves me and is proud of me? And if we can trust in our faith and in the Lord he will provide for us. He never said it would be easy but he did say it would be worth it.

I hope to hear back from you today! Love and miss you so much

Elder Potter

His Halloween costume he ordered finally came in.  I love this goofy kid!

We got transfer calls this week!

Last District Meeting Before Transfer

Went to Johnny Rockets after Temple Square to celebrate transfers.

 Family we took to Temple Square  - the Oros

                     The Rushtons

So first off, we got transfer calls this week (every six weeks or so they are reassigned to areas based on missionaries going home, missionaries arriving and the needs of people in the different areas) so Elder Tyler will be heading to Grantsville (Colton's Aunt and Uncle and cousins live there) and I will be staying in Hunter South and will be training a brand new missionary, Elder Miller right out of the MTC. It was awesome to be able to serve with Elder Tyler for three months. I learned a lot from him and I'm glad I got to serve with him. I'm definitely excited about the opportunity to train Elder Miller and I'm excited for the work that we have going right now in the Hunter South Stake. 

But I had a really good week this week. We had some really good lessons and a couple of break through lessons. On Wednesday we normally have a correlation (planning meeting) with one of our ward mission leaders but he wasn't home for some reason at the time we normally meet and so we went back later and his wife said he had just left but should be back soon so we stuck around that area and tried a couple of referrals. We had knocked most of these houses we tried at least 5 times and never got an answer but we got a couple to answer and picked up two solid new investigators which was awesome. 

Saturday we got to go to Temple Square with a family, the Oros and it was so cool to go with them and to be able to answer all their questions. The mom and oldest son are members but that's it and we have been working with them forever. One of the teachers I had at the MTC worked with them so they have been meeting with missionaries forever and so we are happy with their progression right now. On Sunday, Jennie and Jose and 4 of their 7 kids were able to make it to church again and Jose loves it. Sunday night we stopped by and visited with them so elder Tyler could say his goodbyes and stuff to the area and Jose told us he wants to get baptized and then he wants to marry Jennie and he is super excited and sincere about it and it was so cool. So next lesson we are going to go over a couple of things so he knows what the requirements for baptism are. Jose has a couple of things he needs to work through first but I think  he will keep the faith and stay strong and make it. I'm super excited for him and his family. Besides that not too much else to report. This transfer is only a 5 week transfer so the people going home can get home in plenty of time before Christmas. So this transfer is going to fly by and I feel like I'll probably stay here for another transfer after this one. But I'll be 6 months down at that point so that'll be cool! Until next week!

Elder Potter

Miracles happen every day. All we have to do is open our eyes.

This week was a GREAT week. So many miracles happened. I can testify to everyone who reads this that miracles happen every day. All we have to do is open our eyes. God blesses us so much in so many different ways and he is just waiting to give you even more blessings. He is just waiting to hear from you. Prayer is real. God answers prayers all the time. It might not be the way or in the time you want but He will answer them in the way that most will benefit you. But for kinda the breakdown of this week, we had probably the least amount of lessons we have had since I've been here. A bunch feel through which normally equals a bad week but it wasn't. We got to meet a lot of new people through contacting door to door and referrals we received. We set up some lessons with new people for this next week which is exciting. And the few lessons we had were really really good. We had another great lesson with the family from California. It is so cool to watch how Jesus Christ is changing their life for the good. Every time we meet with them they have so many great questions and are just so willing to learn and it makes being a missionary so worth it. Another highlight, not because it was fun but because I have to mention it, was the service project we helped with on Saturday. We started at 9 and finished at 4:30. We were prying up some concrete slabs at the entrance to a member's driveway so we could dig the roots out from underneath so the concrete can be level. Oh my gosh was it hard work. My hands and arms were killing me Saturday and Sunday from swinging the axe trying to break these massive roots up but it was satisfying seeing the finished project and it was nice getting to help this family. There is no way they would have ever finished if it wasn't for the work that we did along with a couple other missionaries. Saturday night we had a ward party to go to that was really fun. And then Sunday we got to go to a high council meeting with one of our investigators who is waiting from approval from them to be baptized. He got the approval which is super exciting. He has been waiting for a long time to get baptized. But that about wraps up this week. Today we have a full day P day because they don't want us out and about during trick or treat hours. So we are having a Halloween party and costume contest. That will be super fun. Also we get transfer calls this Saturday so that will be exciting. I've loved being able to serve with Elder Tyler but we are both hoping that we don't end up together another transfer so that we can stay friends and won't kill each other. Being with someone 24/7 with no breaks at all for three months is a little tough but he has taught me a lot and I've loved serving with him. That wraps this week up! Until next week! Have a happy Halloween!