Table Tennis, anyone? (Hilary's teaching ping pong in Peru)

Family! Thank you so much for writing. Dad, you said you got my letter. Does that mean the envelope with the three letters to you, Adam and Mitch made it home? I sure hope so. I sealed it, addressed it, put a stamp on it and then lost it somewhere in the SLC airport. So I hope someone found it and sent it to you three!! Thanks to all those who wrote. I looooove hearing from my family. You are the most important people to me. Please tell the Rice family that I love and miss them so much. Tell them to send me pictures of their little boys. I just keep showing everyone mis sobrinos. They are the greatest.

Peru is so great. I mean, SO great. Everyday I think to myself, "Why do so many good things come my way always??" I have been given so many blessings and tender mercies and opportunities and reasons to be happy. I don't deserve it. But I'm eternally grateful. Anyway, the Lima CCM is awesome. The food is very very good. A couple meals have been a little strange, but for the most part everything is really tastey. They're favorite thing to say about the food is that it's rich. Plain white rice they say "¡muy rico!" I've learned that the actual translation is just... tastey. The other morning we had banana pancakes. That was possibly the greatest breakfast I've ever had. Also, five nights a week, at 8:45 we basically have snack time. So, I don't know if things could get much better.

Again, in class and at church, I'm with Hermana Ellis and Hermana Giles. Anytime outside of those two, I'm with Hermana Masquez. She'll be serving in Cuzco (LUCKY). She is the greatest. She's patient and sweet and happy. She's friendly to everyone and most of all, she is a fantastic missionary. She and I have taught together a few times and things have gone really well. We had TRC the other night and she was very nervous. We studied together a lot and prayed and went into our lesson, and killed it (in a good way). The spirit was so strong and our investigator was so receptive. After the lesson she gave us feedback and began to cry. She was so impressed with 1. my Spanish grammar and 2. the inspired questions that I asked, which are two things I am very very aware of during lessons, because I feel like they're so important, so it was so good to hear that she felt like we were right intune with the Spirit. Hermana Masquez has a very sincere testimony and is so caring. Anyway, I owe it all to HER for the success that we've had. In twenty seconds I can say like three sentences and then she says twenty sentences in three seconds. Ha. Anyway, she's exactly what I would want for my companion in the field. She's shared with me a lot about the struggles that her family has been through and I am amazed at their faith. She has many sick family members. Her neice recently passed away. During an operation, her mother (who had an aneurism) passed away and saw Christ. After she came back, her testimony was obviously so strengthened. Hermana Masquez is also very emotional, so as she's telling me these things she's crying and it makes me cry because I feel so blessed to meet her and learn from her! Anyway, she is a rock. It's sad to think that I probably won't see her after the CCM! We'll wait until heaven I guess.

So things with the people here are good. They're all extremely friendly. We (Hna Giles and Ellis and I) have been teaching our compañeras how to play ping pong around the world and Foosball and how to beat box (jajajajajajaj not that WE know how). They know no English and get upset with us when we speak it, so we've learned of the importance and universality of Charades. Our first night Hermana Masquez gave me a bracelet and matching earrings. She's so sweet. She keeps calling me Barbie jajajaja. 

(personal experience edited) .......... we went into a quiet room and I said a prayer for us. It was a really, really good experience for me. I literally felt a burning in bosom (sp?). Literally. Heavenly Father was there listening. It was a really cool experience for me, so I hope it was as encouraging for the others!  

I love you all

Hermana Norton

Sam's LAST email from the Spain MTC!

Hello to all!!

  So tomorrow morning, all the Russian, Ukranian, and Italian missionaries are shipping out... As well as all the missionaries serving in Barcelona and Madrid. The Málaga missionaries will be getting on a train Wednesday morning around 11 am I think to head down to the mission home. Entonces, we are given the opportunity today to get on and email home. I surely hope this email finds everyone well and happy. All is well here and only getting better! :)

  When I get the opportunity to sit down at a computer and organize my thoughts into an email, I can´t help but be grateful. All that happens here is so spiritual and beneficial for everyone involved. Although some missionaries have a hard time staying focused and really trying to learn from every experience, it is all given to us so we can use our agency. It is something that we can compare to life. Often times, we receive all that we ask for and we are given all that we need in order to succeed. All we need to do is take action and fulfill our side of commitments. Many people have the mentality that they "deserve this"or "deserve that" but we must each realize that we must strive to follow each commandment, whether large or small, to "deserve" anything. And even then, we will still be indebted to the Lord. Life can bog us down with things to do and thoughts to think and people to please. If we have our priorities straight, we will realize that the things like daily reading in the BOM, weekly church and temple attendance, and frequent service to others are what should be put first on our priority list. And as we STRIVE, we will be BLESSED.

  Anyways! I love you all! We still don´t know where we will be serving specifically but the Málaga mission president came to the mtc for something and we got to talk to him for like 20 mins and he said that they have already assigned the missionaries that will be serving in Morocco so I don´t think I´ll be assigned there..... YET...... :) Cross your fingers for me! Anyways, when I get that info, I´ll let you know. Adios!

-Elder Norton

The Original "Kuzcotopia"

For at least 300 years before the arrival of the first Europeans, most of Peru was the heart of the Inca Empire that extended from present-day Ecuador to central Chile. The area from which the empire developed was centered in the valleys of Cuzco. The Inca Empire ended with the conquest of its heartland and capital Cuzco (1531-1533) by the Spaniards. 

I love all things Latin American. Years ago Jon and I went to ChichenItza and maybe that is where it all began. We hired a guide to lead us on pack horses through a jungle with ancient ruins. It was almost a spiritual experience walking through areas with vine covered ruins, that were seemingly untouched for centuries. One could imagine their favorite Book of Mormon heroes come to life right there. Years later, Mitch served his mission in Cordoba, Argentina. As we followed his missionary experiences we gained more insight into the lives and culture of Latin people, and we felt a connection to the people he taught and served. In 2008, our family spent a week with a group of other families down in Central America as part of a humanitarian effort. I had a great desire to serve and help those people in Mexico but came home completely humbled, having been served and taught by them.   Sometimes I feel such a kinship to Latin people, even those that I have never met. We are all children of our Father in Heaven, I know that.
Look at this beautiful family .... I wish I could invite them over for Family Home Evening .... maybe someday.                                                                                                  joanna

If you recognized "Kuzcotopia" click HERE for more trivia

Tender Mercy

Ahhhhh So much to say!! I love it! :)  Just know that my comp doesn´t always necessarily want to stay on the computers as long as I do.. :) Take that how you want to.. The joys of having a buddy at your side 24/7. I absolutely love the kid. No lie.

   LIFE IN SPAIN. It rocks. It´s wicked hard but soo good. Learning a ton. Serving as best I can. Trying to be as Christ would... Its kind of a hard goal though.. hah. Point is, pray for the missionaries. :)

   I WANT TO BE ADAM NORTON WHEN I GROW UP. Nuff said. Love you kid. I LOVE the updates of everything back home and in the world. We hear nothing. Nothing.. Haha we went to this store today and they were playing a song that we used to listen to and it was honestly the wierdest experience. We are in a bubble. We have a week and then our little bubble will be popped and we'll be stuck in the real world again. We ship out to our missions wednesday. We don´t have our specific areas yet but GUESS WHATTTTTTTTTTT? The Morocco side of the Málaga mission HAS BEEN OPENED. Booooyah! Until recently it was closed but it is now open!

   I did hear a little bit from Hilary. She sounds so good! Keep sending me her emails please! Love them.  Anyways! I have to goooooo. But I´ll let you know as soon as I can when I get my specific call and my area. I love you all!

-Elder Norton

 

When I read this I just had a feeling Sam hadn't received the email I wrote the day before. I went back through my inbox and found a failure notification saying that my email to him had not sent. I felt awful so I quickly copied and pasted what I had sent with this additional note attached:

 

       Sam, I emailed you Wednesday and when we got your email today I could tell you hadn't              received mine. I looked back through my "sent" box and it looks like mine sent but in my "inbox" there is a "failure" notification saying it actually didn't send. Not sure why ... sorry. I love you so much and I'm sad that you may have thought I didn't write :(  Anyway, I have copied and pasted it below, just in case you check again. Love you!

Mom

 

Later that evening I got this from Sam: 

 

Mama! I knew I needed to get back on! I emailed earlier, like you know, and then we left and did things for Pday. We just got all ready for dinner and the rest of the day and we had a couple minutes. I finally convinced my comp we should go check our emails one more time and i´m glad I did. Its so funny to me. I have seen so many people, friends, a brother, cousins, everyone who go on missions, and you wonder what they do all day and you wonder so much what they are thinking about. I want the family to know and You especially, that I think about you constantly. Constantly. Not in a homesick trunky kind of way, but rather loving, caring, connected kind of way. I feel the same thing  about Hilary. KNOW that we love you and think about you as much as you think about us. I Love You Mom.

Your grateful son, Elder Norton

 

 then he added   THIS 

We interrupt the previously scheduled missionary post ...

..... for this Public Service Announcement on the importance of handwashing

HOLA FAMILIA (beware: this email contains severe Spanglish) Hilary's first email from Peru

                                                                                                  Wednesday, May 23, 2012 10:03 AM

HOLAAAAAAAA. ¡I love you all!

I´m in Peru! So cool! Today is Miercoles pero we don´t get our first p-day until next miercoles, entonces.... they´re letting us email you right now!

So since we got off the phone yesterday, much happened. Our flight was delayed three times.... We were supposed to depart at 5:20, but didn´t end up leaving until 8:30 or so. Thus, we landed in Lima at about 2 am Lima time (which I believe is just one hour ahead of Utah time). We got to the CCM (MTC) and into our rooms by 4 am. Luckily they let us sleep in till 8 ish. (HA. funny sidenote. A native Spanish-speaking woman just made an announcement over an intercom that reaches all of the CCM and said "Elder Wheeler and Elder Harding, please come to the menstruation office. Please come to the menstruation office." I think she meant to say the administration office. jajaja) I'm still with mi compañeras from Provo, pero only for class. For everything else, they pair us with a native spanish-speaking companion. Mi native companion's name is Hermana Masquez (Ella es de Peru.). She is so sweet. This morning they tried to wake us up for breakfast but since our schedule was different we were like, "oh, it's okay, we get breakfast later" (en Español, of course) and a few minutes later they came back with apples and hot dogs for us. jajajajaja. The hot dog mi compañera gave me was half eaten. jaja. Anyway, I just adore all of the sisters here. They're all so excited to have us and they are patient with our Spanish. That was a major eye-opener. They literally know no English and said they don't care to learn. So. A blessing in disguise, I'd say.

The ciudad is very similar to what we saw in Mexico. We only drove through at night, pero it reminded me a lot of Central America. The buildings and houses and everything. Just wider street and a little more modernized. I can already feel the humidity. Hermana Ellis and I were saying it might just be in our heads, but we can already tell a difference in our skin and hair. Also, the sky during winter is covered in a mist/haze. You can't see the sky. And all the sisters are cold, but being from Utah, we are not. It's "raining," pero it kind of feels like walking under one of the fruit misters at the grocery store or something. You know what I'm saying?

The CCM is beautiful and surrounded by gates and a security guard. As we were driving through the city last night I was getting a little concerned. Then we drove passed a nice building and I was like "Oh, I wish we got to live there!" and then we pulled in. So. That's nice.

They gave us some paperwork last night that says families cannot send packages here because they´re very expensive. So be aware of that. What's new? Please write, I would love to hear from everyone. I have a feeling this is going to be a bigger adjustment than I thought. But I am so excited to be here and to get to have this experience. Apparently they were planning on getting 40 missionaries from the Provo MTC, but it only worked out for 16 of us. Somehow the whole Visa thing is working in my favor. I don't know why!

How soon does Sam go out into the field? Could I get his snail mail address please?

Also, I sealed that envelope yesterday with the letters to Dad, Mitch and Adam and put a stamp on it and addressed it and everything... then misplaced it. I'm hoping that some kind soul at the SLC airport discovered it and threw it in a mailbox. Sorry :(

Okay, I have to go. I love you!

-Hermana Norton

Photos from Hermana Norton!

May I introduce you to Las Tres Hermanas!

Hermana Giles and Hermana Ellis

in the classroom...

at the Provo temple ...

at the Provo temple again ...

Hilary loves her companions so much! I'm so grateful they have each other!

And please tell me how the cat is doing! I don't like him very much, but I'm concerned about his welfare! (Hilary's 2nd Email)

Whats not to like?

I LOVE YOU ALL. I want to hear from you more. Please please Dear Elder me. Adam, please email me! How is school? How's baseball? I heard about your homerun; I wish I could have been there! Write me and tell me how things are going and what the latest is with Korrah.

Dad, did you get my letter? I love you and hope to hear from you soon. My Espanol scriptures are the size of normal scriptures. Could you send the list of take-off scriptures in Espanol? That would be so helpful. I've already used it quite a bit and everyone in my district is muy jealous. Not in a bad way... Just like, "Oh that's waaay cool." Also, Abby wants a copy of it too. But currently she's in the UK so we'll worry about getting that to her later.

Mom and everyone,

Thanks again and again for your packages. I feel the love. Dear Elder me every day. Just tell me the funny things that happen. Tell me how you're feeling. Tell me what you're up to. Tell me what you learned in your personal scripture study. ETC. Literally, one of my comps (No, we're still in the trio, she was just sick the other day so we had to switch off going to different meetings, etc.) get's 3 or more Dear Elders a day. Her mom has written her every day she's been here. That's a little much, but I do want to hear from you more!

I have a few items of business I need to take care of before I talk about the week.

1. Please Dear Elder me ASAP and tell me how much money is in my account. I can't check and have no idea how much I have and if its in checking or savings. Please just move things around if necessary.

2.  Some people have written me but provided me with incorrect addresses or no addresses at all. :( I want to have addresses to write friends and family.... please tell people to send their addresses!

3.  Please forward Sam's emails to me. I haven't gotten any since I came here and I'm anxious to hear how he's doing.

5. On my blog I posted a quote about work. It was last year I think. It's pretty long and very redundant... But that's the point. It's really good. Can you find it for me and send it to me?

Mitch, I love you and miss you so much. Write me more. I'm glad you like Gotye (you're such a scenester), PERO I hate Gotye. Okay, hate is harsh...

Okay, back to the real email. I'm so glad Mother's Day went well. I love you and wish we could have talked. But I'm glad you got to talk to Sam! Have you been getting my letters and cards? I've been sending quite a few.

The food is okay here. I'm not so picky. This morning we went to the temple and did sealings (never done that before; so cool) and then ate breakfast there after. It was REAL food and SO NICE. We were very happy. We wake up at 6:30, generally earlier, and are in bed with the lights out at 10:30. All throughout the day, we're studying and studying and studying. I'm taking my vitamins, thank you :)  JAJAJAJAJAJAJA (so glad you used that Mom :))

I've taken a few photos. I'll send you the SD card. I just bought a new one, so tomorrow or Monday I'm going to send you a package with some stuff and I'll include the SD card with the pictures. I wish I could include captions.

Mom, I'm sorry things are slowing down for you. I feel like you're Elizabeth once her BFF gets married and moves away and her sisters are all traveling and Mr. Wickham is gone. She says, "The view from my window is rather grey." I hope you get to work at the temple. That would be so AWESOME. It would absolutely put some color in your life. And please tell me how the cat is doing! I don't like him very much, but I'm concerned about his welfare!

We've had Elder Christofferson and Elder L. Tom Perry come speak to us. Really really neat. Things are going well. I have thirty seconds left! Ahhhh. The Spanish is really coming for me and I love my comps and district. I'll write a letter. Things are going really well with our new investigator.

Okay, SORRY THIS IS SO SCATTERED> PLEASE DEAR ELDER> I LOVE YOU>

Hermana Norton

Sam's 5th Email Madrid Spain

Hello!

  So good to talk to everyone! Some people really had a tough time getting back in the groove after talking with thier families but our phone call just gave me a lot of energy to keep working and learning and growing. Thanks again! I´m glad to heard that Mother´s day went well! :)

  Thank you thank you for Hilary´s email! I loved it! The food here isn't bad, just different. I am getting used to it and I actually eat everything that I am served. Another elder and I always check each others trays to make sure we ate everything. :) So no worries about the nutrition. And honestly, I have not gained or lost 1 pound since the day I stepped out of the car.... everyone is changing weights and stuff and I honestly have not changed at all. I think i´ve been this weight the last 5 years of my life.... Haha

 We don´t know exactly when we´re leaving for our missions but it will be like..... the 29th or 30th. And I think we just go straight to our area. We´ll see. I will not be with Elder Vosters.. I will be with my trainer.. AHHHH.

 Let me know about that referal from the Robleys and tell her thank you! They don´t really teach us the cultural side of things.. I think just cuz its hard to say exactly what it is.. you just have to experience it. No worries. I´ll catch on quick! :) Thank you for the spiritual thoughts! So good!

A couple things..

I´d love to hear how dads calling is going.. specifics por favor.. I wanna see some pictures of the yard and the chickens and the coop/tiles. Email me some! :)

Love everyone!! Glad to hear everyones doing well! Godspeed!

Everythings great! My comp just wanted to go quicker today..... :/ haha no prob. Love you! Love everyone!

-Elder Norton

So, that was a very short email, I guess at the request of his companion, but I also received a letter from Sam this past week. It was a beautiful Mother's Day / Birthday letter, and here is a portion of it I want to share:                                                                                                             Joanna

"I don't want to stop writing because for some reason this feels more real than emailing ...:) Everything here is great! So, so good. It is all etremely hard. HaHa  I'll be honest ... but the positive consequences of our doings are great and thats what allows us to continually move forward and learn. I am constantly amazed by the missionaries that struggle so much with the language, or don't know a lot of the doctrine, or have families that aren't supportive, (I've seen many of these) because they are so filled with determination and drive! They keep moving forward, even through struggles. They are amazing!

  One thing I have come to know for sure is that through total devotion, meaning as much as you can give at that moment in your life, the Lord can do amazing things for you and with you. When we devote ourselves as much as we can to His cause, we become instruments by which the Lord can bring others into the fold of His happiness. If we are living that way, we only have to be ourselves and Christ will shine through us in order to bring Eternal happiness to others.

  I love you Mother! Not a day goes by that I don't think about you and everyone back home."

 - Love, Elder Norton

and now ... for our top story in sports ...

the home-run ball!

This post has nothing to do with missionaries .... but we have four great kids and only two are on missions right now ... so I may occasionally sneak in a non-mission post.


Last night, Adam's baseball team, The Rocks, was playing at the Orem city baseball park against one of their biggest rivals, The MoJo. We were down by several runs and Adam was up to bat with one of our guys on 3rd. He took it to a full count and then gave it all he had hitting a towering fly over the fence almost to the next field! We didn't get the win, but it was Adam's first home-run and a game we'll never forget! Way to go, Adam! You Rock!

Sam's 4th Email Madrid, Spain MTC

This .....

plus this .....

equals THIS!

Hello everyone!

¡Todo bien aqui!

Everything is really great here! Learning a ton, being expected of a ton.. hah learning even more! Meeting legit Spaniards and understanding more and more each time.. getting used to everything here.. aka lots of fish (probably 5 lunches a week and 3 or 4 dinners a week are fish), I´m adjusted to the time change.. more or less adjusted to the sleep schedule, adjusted to the workload and daily study schedule.. really really pumped about being able to spend more and more time learning the gospel more deeply, and about being able to share these truths with so many in Spain.

Hermana Norton´s farewell sounded super funny! Happy to hear that Elder Alder is home. Tell him hi for me! It also sounded like the mtc drop off was crazy! Haha I LOVED the picture of her being dropped off! And all the other pictures too! Haha so great! ADAM. What a boss! And I know exactly how you feel about being able to hear their voice through the text... I can hear each of your as well. Thanks for all the support. I really do love all the emails and we were notified that we are allowed 1 hour to email instead of just 30 mins. Everyone was trying to finish in 30 and just going over and then someone told us that we have an hour so family emails are welcome. I´ll try to communicate with everyone!  I´ll do my best ! We do get to call on mothers day!!! WOOOOP!

I will be calling on Sunday at 5:30 pm HERE and it will be 9:30 AM THERE, IN UTAH. I think your church is at 1 so I hope that will work. We get 30 mins to talk and we call from the mtc so we don´t need any cards or money or anything. If that time or something doesn´t work just email me asap and i´ll let them know. As for the package... I just finished those chocolate covered raisins (they are theee best treat to have cuz basically no one here likes then but I love them so I get them all to myself... :)) so if you have room for those that would be nice.. Haha also, so more asea again, I mentioned that last time.. my first camera card (cleared off) with some of the best pictures printed off would be cool. A picture of Christ taped on the box helps the packages to go untouched as well. Everyone says that mail system here is good. Lots better than some south american countries but still it wouldn't hurt to tape one on. And that's all! Thanks! Packages are taking about 2 weeks so if you send it soon(next 1,2,3 days), send it to the madrid, mtc.

Now for my semanalmente lista de random cosas!!

-I just got called to be District Leader. Cool! :)

-Haha I was looking through those pictures you attached to the last email and I was looking at the one of Hilary and Samantha and the elder next to me was like.........who's that??? and after I told him hes like..... Well... I'll be facebook friends with her after the mission?! :) hahah so funny.

-Sooo coool! This mtc is for missionaries that will serve in Spain that come here to learn Spanish, and ALSO for missionaries from European countries that will be serving in their native country that need to go to an MTC for three weeks to go through the teaching and doctrinal training and whatnot so its so awesome here! Our first three weeks, we had like 10 missionaries that are from Portugal that will be serving in either Portugal or South Africa and most of them only spoke portugese.... no idea how to spell that... and then there were a couple, including their teachers that could speak portugese, spanish, and most of them english as well so it was soo cool to hear all the languages. NOW, because we just finished our 3rd week here, they all left and like 12 or 14 Russian, Ukrainian, and Italian missionaries just got here yesterday! SOOO COOOL. We did a session this morning cuz we do one every week and this one was in russian for several of the missionaries that hadn´t yet gone through. It was so interesting! We get little radios and head phones that have all these different language translations too so we can listen to it in spanish and english. I´ve been doing a little of both to help me learn. Its fun. :) Anyways, its super cool. I really would love to come home and learn 1, 2, 3 more languages. There's a teacher here that knows 7 languages and is currently working on spanish and portugese. He says after you learn your second and third language it get easier to learn cuz you know how you learn and they best way to learn. AHH so cool.

-I sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" this past Sunday.

-We heard the goals for barcelona and malaga... barcelona´s yearly baptism goal is 600 and they met that last year... and malaga´s is around 350 a year. :) exciting. I guess the malaga mission surpassed that last year too. So pumped!

-Aaaaaaaand thats all!!!!!

I love everyone!! So much! Mother! Happy mothers day very soon! We will talk sunday morning at 9:30 am, utah time. Remember, every missionary a member, every member a missionary!!

-Elder Norton

Hilary's 1st Email

                               Hola!

  The day has finally come when I am able to write you. HOORAH. It's Thursday May 10. I mean, I've been at the MTC for eight days! Wow. Okay, thanks for your packages and emails! I feel so loved. I love you so much and miss you greatly. Okay, let me start from the beginning.

  The first day at the MTC is sort of like a movie. There is an orange sticker on your tag that you have to wear your first day which causes everyone on MTC campus to say, "Welcome Sisters!" in their new language. I felt like I was Zach Efron on a Disney Channel movie or something. Everyone was walking passed me and smiling and greeting me (and everyone else that was new). But Disney is a good analogy. The MTC is the happiest place on earth. No, I'm being completely serious. Okay, I'll get to that stuff later. So on my first day I had soup all over my dress and in a workshop I introduced myself as Elder Norton... It was a humbling day. (And that was not the last time I've introduced myself as an Elder. I don't know what my problem is.)

   My companions are great. Yes, I'm in a trio. Sister Giles is from South Jordan and Sister Ellis is from Kearns. They're both hilarious and we get along so well. Sister Ellis and I were talking about how concerned we are about being in different companionships; the standard has been set high.

I've seen many friends here at the MTC.  I've seen a picture of Sam Miller on his mission and also, there's a giant picture of Parker Wilson knocking a door. Crazy! I've seen a LOT of my friends from BYU that work here. I saw David Doxey. He's such a good guy. I saw Sister Howe and Sister Wilson. The MTC is just such a happy place. You don't realize how good life can get until you get to do things like this.

   My Spanish teacher's name is Hermano Loaiza. He is fantastic. He's a really sweet BYU student who is a native Spanish speaker. He's a really good guy and I'm so grateful for him every day. The spirit is felt very strongly in his classes and I'm so glad to know the MTC hires people who are pure and who care about the important work. Everyone here is fantastic.

   Yes, class is 100% Espanol. It's so great though. I feel pretty comfortable with the language. I mean, it's VERY challenging, but I know I have help. On our second day, we taught our first investigator, Martin. We met with him five times and now we're moving on to a new investigator. Things were hard with Martin. We committed him to baptism, but I just felt like there was so much more that needed to be accomplished that we just COULDN'T because of the language barrier. We've had a couple workshops where we've had the opportunities to teach in English and I love it. I love bearing my testimony and promising others blessings I know Heavenly Father wants to give them. BUT. Until I learn more Spanish, I can't do that. HA. I mean, I can, with the Spirit. But it's just very very hard. Our first few lessons with Martin were terrible. We decided what to say beforehand and went in and just read it straight to/AT him. Saturday night we hit rock bottom. We were all really frustrated. Sunday was a good break and after fasting and studying and listening to many great mission conference and fireside talks, I felt a lot more prepared to teach the gospel. I realized (D&C 84:85) that what we needed to do was just depend on the spirit. If we did what we needed to to understand the doctrine and have the companionship of the spirit, he would carry the message. And he did! Basically I had a really great conversation with Martin and was able to answer some questions he had and I felt like he was really beginning to understand. Anyway, overall it was a really good learning experience. I look forward to female investigators who I feel like I might be able to connect with better. Most importantly I look forward to understanding the Spanish language better so I am a more functional instrument through which He can share his messages.

   Elder Clinger is great. He's a really good kid. So is Elder Christiansen. Both are in my district, which is literally the greatest. My first letter was from Lucky, I've also heard from Paul Park and Mitch and Abby :) I love everyone. I hope everyone is doing well.  I'm so glad to hear about Adam's games! And about the gifted program. YOU ROCK.  I can't call on Mother's Day, but I will call when I'm traveling, which is May 22.  I'll be sending some things back soon. Thanks for all the food! I'm not so hungry though; I'M JUST HUNGRY TO HEAR YOUR WORDS! SO WRITE ME :)

LOVE YOU

I miss them!

Looking through some old photos and ran across these. I don't really remember Sam and Hilary looking like this ... must have been those awkward junior high years.

Nutella and the Giant Finn (Sam's 3rd email from Spain)

 

Hey hey hey!

Thanks for your e-mail!  That article is so awesome. We honestly just walked in from doing a temple session today so everything is fresh. Interesting stuff.. :)

  Ok, so i´m emailing a day early, yes, because today is our p day this week. Today is Labor Day and tomorrow is another holliday for Spain.. so all the teachers had to switch their schedules around and it would work better to have pday today so anyways, sorry if this throws anything off but today is pday and then next week it will be back to Thursday.
  Soo everything is suuper awesome. It really is! I love it. We´re working super, super hard and trying to SYL/HSI (speak Spanish exclusively) a lot.. its just hard cuz we are all so close and we want to just talk and talk all the time and its tough.. :) esta bien!

Haha honestly.. this is random but I can´t help but express how good life is right now. I wish I could share what I am feeling right now.. I love you all so much. There is so much love in our family and I can´t help but feel it day in and day out. Thank you all for the love you have showed to me through the years and also for all the little emails and things that I get from you. I miss you all so very much but I know i´m where i´m supposed to be. I´m serving our Savior and I know He will bless me and Hilary as we serve, as well as the family at home for supporting us. Thanks. Never take anything for granted because it ALL comes from the Lord.

-My comp and I are doing sooo good! We really have been working way hard and I am so amazed at how much we're learning and retaining. It is hard. It´s really hard but he´s doing it. Basically everything we were taught in the first 3 and a half weeks, he has relearned as we´ve worked together in just over a week. We´re both learning so much and maturing so much and I know it is all thanks to the Spirit. Please continue to pray for me and Elder V. as well. Thanks!

-Oh, this is kinda funny... You know Nutella... The really good chocolate spread... Well I don´t know if they eat it in spain a lot but they have it in the mtc here and everyone loves it. Its soo good. Haha so we basically have nutella every meal... :) Whether its with fruit... or on bread or toast... orr.... with whatever! We have it all the time. If you don´t know what i´m talking about you haven´t lived yet.........

-Haha we have this super funny companionship in our district. Funny/ikindaworryaboutthemsometimes... Its this kid from Orem high who is a sick wrestler, ju jit su (?) fighter, and UFC fighter basically.. and his comp is from Finland...  just think of the epitome of a northern europe fin and thats who this is. He´s like 6´3, a little bit bigger, and he has like the driest sense of humor ever. He´s kind of intimidating sometimes. Haha so put him with a short, stalky ju jit su fighter that doesn´t like people touching him.... They're so hilarious together. They're actually doing well though. They´re both softening up a little and becoming more humble so its great. The fighter one was shining his shoes the other day and actually offered to shine my shoes for me... Hah.. I was like yeah sure! And he´s like.. just a little charity.. :) Now I just gotta get him to have some of that charity for his stubborn Finish comp. :D

-Oh! I´m playing tons of piano.. tons. Like, basically all the meetings I play the prelude, the hymns, and the postlude. Theres one other guy that plays too but people always ask him to acompany them in musical numbers so he was like, "you can play the hymns during meetings". I´m really glad I am cuz its forcing me to use my music and try to learn more. I constantly have a list of like 10 hymns that I´m trying to play well enough that they could be sung to.. Its hard when people are singing and someone is leading the music cuz you have to stay in time.. we´ll see!

-ADAM. Pull out your ESPAÑOL sticks!!! Helaman 10:4-5!!!!!!!! Hah those two verses use a word that I knew and no one else knew. You wanna know how I knew it?¿?¿? YOU!!!!! Thank You BRO.

- Yesterday we had this maestra with a wigidy wack accent. I wish I could record a couple of sentences in normal spain spanish that we´ve been hearing and then the same sentences in her spanish cuz it was weird! Like... any word that ended in an N she would half swallow the last part of the word and put a Gish sound after the N... its hard to explain.. just say ´´con´´ and then say ´´cong´´... or say ´´situación´´ and then say ´´situacióngg´´........ basically that. Oh and plus that ´ceta´ so it would be more like ´´situathióngg´´.. she would also drop the ends of the words sometimes or just totally drop our ´S´s entirely.... like for example if she was saying madrid spain it would sound like Madri Epañia instead of Madrid Españia. or instead of felizidad for happyness it would be felithida... mas or menos. Haha I was understanding most of it but still it was... weird. :) If Hilary reads this before she goes in, (........ AHHHHHH..........) just be glad your learning that spainish... Haha I don´t know if i´ll be saying that when I come home.. I may have too much spain spanish pride but it is definitely difficult.

-Last thing I'd really love to get addresses of where my friends will be in the summer and fall so I can write to them. Can you guys try to get those for me? thanks!

Anyways! I love you all! Hilary, I love you! Do well in the MTC! You´ll do great! I´m over 1/24th done! AHH! :)

-Elder Norton

MTC Day for Hilary!

"You have NO IDEA how much we're going to miss you!"

Is it just me or does she have kind of a "deer caught in the headlights" look about her?

Hilary Set Apart as a Full Time Missionary

Tuesday night at 7:00 pm we went to the Grovecreek Stake center to have President Gleason set Hilary apart as a full-time missionary. We had a really nice visit with the stake president and the blessing was very sweet and comforting. Just as we were about to leave he told Hilary one last thing .... "I hope this isn't offensive, but you don't look a day over 14!"
Hilary was not offended at all, she hears that type of comment often. (in fact the last few times she has answered the home phone she has been mistaken for Adam, her 12 year old brother) Later that night she was laughing about it and said "I guess I'd rather be mistaken for a 14 year old girl than a 6th grade boy!"
Way to look at the bright side, Hil!

Hilary's Farewell - Sunday April 29th

A big THANKS to all our friends and family that came to support Hilary. We love and appreciate you all!

Please Stay Tuned ...

Just got back from the Provo Mission Training Center. I have so much to share ... Hilary's farewell photos, Hilary's MTC drop off, Sam's newest letter, etc ... but I'm just not up for it today. Even the pink tulips are feeling blue. Check back tomorrow, please.
I did update the sidebar with both new addresses, though, in case anyone wants to write! Thanks