Dear Everyone,
This week I ate chicken, but it wasn't just any chicken, it was North Carolina BBQ chicken, and it was at the Branch picnic (which 25 showed up to! That’s pretty good when only 30 are at church on Sundays!). The member who grilled used his special chicken cooker, which he only uses to cook chicken. He cooks pig(s) on a different one. When we got there to help set up he told us something a little like this:
"This here, is bout to be the best dag-gum chicken ‘round the whole county! Y'all best be hungry tonight boys, ‘cuz we got a lot of it!"
You can tell instantly that he is obviously a local around here, because no one else sounds quite like he does--unless you're from eastern North Carolina. When we were down in Hyde County there's a place everyone calls "mul-bry-linn" and I kept thinking, “I aint never heard of any place with that name.” When we got down to the area and saw the sign for it, the place was actually named Mulberry Island, but everyone just shortens it down to “mulbrylinn.” Not only that, but down here a "hog-pen" is a "Hawg-pinn"--so you can tell who is local and who is not real quick down here.
Earlier this week we trimmed about 120 yards of hedge for service (here they use English boxwood for hedges). Because of it we got to go inside the Historic James Iredell House and see millions of dollars worth of historic artifacts and furniture from the 1700's including a French Charleville musket that was used by Continental Marines in the Revolutionary War, and many other similar artifacts.
We also caught a cicada in a mason jar and it's still sitting on our table. It kind if looks like a housefly, but about 35 times bigger! But that is just a random-happening for us. The biggest thing for us this week, besides teaching a lot of people, was that we spoke in church. I spoke on adversity, and am sure I learned much more myself from preparing to speak than anyone listening to me did. I spoke about how absolutely necessary adversity is in our life and the reason God puts it there. Here are a few scriptures I used that you all can ponder over:
Hebrews 10:32 “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
There was a lot that we did this week, but I think the most important thing that happened was that after I have been here for 6 months, the less-active family we have been working with every single week has decided that they are going to come back to church, and become active. If that is the only thing I see happen the whole time I have been here--it will all be worth it. Usually it seems that with everything I have done on my mission, I never will see the results of my work, but if I get to see them come back to church--That's by far good enough for me.
Well I am out of time and can't remember anything I was actually going to write about, but until next time, have a blessed week y'all!!--
-Elder White
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