'Tis true, I miss North Carolina very much. The people there are some of the best I have ever met. And I’m not going to lie, it made me cry when I said good- bye to my "family” there. It was like leaving home again. I don't know when I will be back, but I know I will go back to see them. Joel even gave me a tie, which is impressive because he hates everyone, so I must not have totally failed in Albertson.

Elder Pruitt and I taught one last lesson with Nathalie before I left, which was awesome. She is doing so great at reading the Book of Mormon. She's one of the best people I have taught, with much thanks to the amazing neighbors/ward members there! My last day in Albertson good old Johnnie, our super-great neighbor, drove us ‘clear the slam up yonder’ to Greenville for transfers, and we made sure we stopped for some good eastern North Carolina BBQ before I left the state. 

 

Finally, after much travel, we got to Portsmouth, VA and the mission office. We drove on a real Interstate highway, with traffic, LIKE SEATTLE TRAFFIC! The only ‘traffic jam’ I've been in over the last year has been getting stuck behind a combine on a narrow, country, two-lane road! We drove to Hampton through Newport News and I was having a little bit of an anxiety attack, because I haven't seen so many buildings, cars, people, and traffic since I left home almost 18 months ago! I felt out of place, which is hilarious because I am from the city. It should've felt like normal, but my heart was pounding and I was so worried about every little thing that happened. Every time someone cut us off in traffic, or the guy driving us braked hard, it scared me, which is just so funny. I was so used to that at home, but alas, I shall live.

 

I am very tired from biking everyday, but I'll get used to it. When I got here it felt like the missionaries before left this place in shambles. I asked how many members come out with them each week and Elder Beeston told me none did last week--and so that had to change. I don't like biking on these crazy city streets that much, so for the last 4 days we have had a member go with us each day, and 5 days this coming week we have members set to come with us, so we will be doing well. Last week before I got here the Newport News Stake reorganized all the wards due to lack of active members, so we absorbed the downtown branch, and half of another ward. There are now 1,000 members in the Hampton Ward and probably only 170 or 180 of them come to church . . . but we did get several investigators from the Elders in the other ward, which means we have an investigator getting baptized in 2 weeks, and last night another investigator set a baptismal date for May 6th! Her name is Maria and she is incredible. She is in 2nd Nephi in her reading, and watched 8 hours of General Conference this weekend. She is doing so well! Not only that, she is in the Air Force and from Mexico, and she cooks real Mexican food and is having us over for dinner on Tuesday night! We have a member coming to that dinner with us, but we still have to bike because that's how he gets around everywhere. He has no money right now (based on the fact that he is currently an intern at NASA, he probably won't be riding a bike for the rest of his life--I'm sure).

 

 I am sad to have left the South. Hampton is historically a Northern city. In Virginia, Fort Monroe is the only fort in the South held by the Union throughout the whole War Between the States. I read a pamphlet about Hampton's history and this is most definitely the North. It even said the war was about slavery!  Anyone who has lived in the South knows that the war wasn't about slavery.

 

Well, things are going well despite how much I miss my beloved North Carolina. I know I will be just fine here. The other day, when we were biking, it rained just enough to make me feel back at home in Washington, which to me was a tender mercy. To everyone else here it was just rain, but not to me! We just have to take Elder Choi's advice from General Conference (He said, stand in the rain with your mouth open and feel the blessings of the Lord). I have more to write, but we have to go because I convinced the Mission President and his wife to take Elder Beeston, my new companion, and me to the Mariner Museum in Newport News to see the USS Monitor! So until next time, I hope y'all have a blessed week!

 

-- Elder White