User:Rodpotter

I began as a TV repairman while I attended the University of Utah for a year for an Electrical Engineering degree. Then I served in the West Spanish American Mission. After another year at the U of U, I joined the US Air Force and spent a year in Nuclear Weapons and Missiles school. After 3 yrs on nuclear missile launch team and working on Nuc Bombs, I spent another year in school for Electronic Equipment Repair. After 7 more years working in the lab, I tried to leave the Air Force. I wsa required to join the AF reserve for 4 more years and did Mobile Radar repair. My day job was an an Industrial Engineer for the world’s largest keyboard manufacturer. Finally I got out of the AFR and went to work as a programmer/analyst for a bank/mortgae companyand then formed my own company to create custom control and tracking systems for manufacturing companies. After a while, I broke into the medical and bulk oil fields doing custom programming for doctors and oil dealers with programs that we developed. Nine years after leaving the Air Force Reserve, I had the urge to return and finish my 20 years to get the retirement at age 60. They sent me for yet another year of school for BioMedical (hospital etc) equipment repair. After another 5 years of one weekend a month and 2 weeks a year, I had enough and started doing house/business remodeling and maintenance.

I enjoy repairing anything from rebuilding engines, transmissions, organs, pianos, houses, lawn mowers, etc. I am a jack of all trades (master of none). My favorite sport was sailing with my wife from Newport Beach, California, 26 miles off the coast to Catalina Island in our 30 ft sail boat. We made the 12 hour drive from SLC to enjoy the cruise to the island 17 times. Finally, I felt the call to go on a proselyting mission. We sold the boat and we were sent to Santiago Chile for 2 years. Our mission president said “Office hours are from 8AM to 10PM so I only require 5 hours a day in the office and you’ll have lots of time for your area.”   During the mission I saw that 70-80 % of the FHCs in Chile didn’t have their office hours on their website. As an unauthorized extra task, I felt the need to help them to accomplish that task so that our non-members throughout Chile could get access to the centers. I discovered an instruction video in Spanish and was “gifted” the names, address, Emails, and telephone numbers of each of the 96 FHC’s in Chile. Access was obviously divinely directed by a glitch in my authorization to order supplies for the mission. Some centers were updated and many ignored my emails as span since I was not officially recognized.

While on the mission, my life was spared (3 times) and I knew it was to do a “Special Work”. We were sent home 5 weeks early once I was allowed to fly. I reached home in perfect health and then confronted 14 months of adversity before being allowed to apply for the Wiki mission. The Lord is in charge of this work and sometimes we learn “patience” before being allowed to fulfill our dreams. Finally, I am able to serve with people who are much smarter than me, but thankfully there was no entrance exam except for temple worthiness. I am so happy and feel His love for each of us.

My sincere hope is to finish the work in the Wiki mission, find a new missionary companion, and then be called to another proselyting mission in Latin America, Zimbabwe, or where ever I am called. I have been blessed to teach and baptize many African refugees as well as many others. Getting the Gospel to those who don’t have it, either in this life or the next, is certainly the most exciting and fulfilling work I have ever done. It even beats sailing the Pacific Ocean to nearby islands.

So many blessings and so little time. I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve with such dedicated, smart, helpful, and patient brothers and sisters. I am hopeful that some of that will rub off on me as I struggle with new technology and Wiki Text. I know that He will help if I am humble and listen well.