Hilary in the mission field ... and photos!

Okay, hello everyone.

Thanks for all the emails. I love you all so much. I printed some this morning and was walking down the sidewalk reading them and just smiling and laughing. People were staring; then again, they always stare.

I love my zone. I love this work. It feels so good to be out in the field. We´re in an area called Santa Ana. It's so pretty. Green and hilly. Our apartment is up pretty high and we have a giant window with a gorgious view. You should google earth it. From our window we can see a giant statue of some virgin and also a huge basilica (which we visited today which was amazing!).

My companion is Hna. Rodriguez and she is great. She's funny and knows her way around and does a good job teaching. She is from Mexico.

Okay, I know I shouldn't be worrying about things at home, but I really need to know 1. What's the status with my car. 2. with my computer. and 3. Can you check my grades? go to byu.edu

Okay, so before I left the Lima CCM (mtc) I had to give a talk. It's nerve wracking because every week they give everyone a topic and then in sacrament meeting they announce who will speak. And I was called. It went well though. I've been complimented multiples times on my pronunciation and grammar... So, that's reassuring. I think it is obvious to some that I'm trying so hard to be grammatically correct and for that reason I talk somewhat slowly. But I know that when I work hard, Heavenly Father blesses me with the gift of tongues, as well as the gift of interpreting tongues (jaja because the people here speak so quickly and I am actually able to understand them.) That same Sunday, I had my farewell interview and the branch president told me that he wished I was staying in Peru and he hopes more Hermana Nortons come to the CCM. Haha I thought that was really sweet.

Okay, did you get my request for a package with scriptures? What's the update there? You could just order them online and have the shipping address be my address. If you have bought them already, and have yet to ship them, let me know because I have a couple other things I need. Thanks!

Okay, things in the field are going very well. Almost every day we eat lunch with a member family and they take such good care of us. We're so so blessed. We have a baptism set up for this Friday for a very special woman named G. This week, we're going to invite four people to be baptized. They're all very ready and I have really high hopes for them. Please pray for Y., A, F, and E.

I need to go, but I want to let you know that every day I'm out here I realize more and more of why I'm serving a mission. It's not just for the people of Quito or for me, but it's also especially for my children. Please look up the quote by President Hinckley about sister missionaries. Okay, I love you!

Hermana Norton

The quote below is the one Hilary was referring to. It is powerful! joanna

“Today many sisters are being called to serve. Many more are preparing to serve. Not because they aren't married or don't have anything else to do, but they have the desire to serve. One reason that the Lord wants more sisters to serve is because within the next generation He will send His priesthood army to the earth. He wants to send choice spirit children to mothers who have been prepared, properly trained, and taught in the gospel. What better schooling can a mother have than the experience and growth she gains through serving a mission.” --President Gordon B. Hinckley