"I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, I'll be what You want me to be" (Sam)

Most productive week of my life.

Hello!

Wow, incredible week this week! Really.. I have honestly been seeing the Lord´s hand and the talents he has given me working together in preparation for this transfer. That may sound boastful but hear me out! :D So last transfer, as you will remember, it was a group of 37 missionaries that came in.......... which is the largest group of new missionaries the mission has ever seen. EVERYTHING was crazy. Preparation was not just normal preparation.. it was preparation times three....... just because of the mass numbers. What President ended up doing was instead of spreading ourselves too thin when that big group of missionaries came, he decided to form quite a few trios of missionaries to compensate for the high influx of missionaries and then the outflux of missionaries that will be happening this transfer and the next. That actually relieved some stress off of me because instead of creating more two somes and needing more apartments, three somes were made.

This transfer, those trios are all separating, and we have a group of 12 coming in.. and what early on seemed like a relatively normal transfer for the things I´m in charge of, has expanded and hit all at one time. Last transfer I was given quite of few (probably 7 of the 15) of the areas that were going to open up about 9 weeks in advance so that I could start renting the apartments early on. Then I received the other areas as the transfer got closer.. that also relieved a little pressure. This transfer, we all expected things to be a lot more simple.. hah but as I explained.. about two weeks ago, President realized how many areas would have to be open due to the trios changing to duos and whatnot............. so basically what I´m saying is.. that within the last 2 or 3 weeks, I have had to do almost exactly what I did in about 9 weeks last transfer.. that is, rent 14 apartments..................................

Now... go back up to the top of my email and read that first line........... I wasn´t boasting.... I´m just stating what I´m seeing. :) I just hit 3 and a half transfers here and I´m realizing that The Lord Prepares Who He Calls. I really have seen everything come together reeally really miraculously this week. Almost every day this week has been full of effective consistent work. I get home aaaabsolutely exhausted.. :) but from the time I get up till the time I walk in our apartment at night, I´m doing something productive. IT FEELS GREAT.

Its interesting the things that the mission teaches you. I have learned a lot of things here.. but one that has really jumped out at me lately is that the more you require of someone, the more they will give. The bigger ´´the shoes you have to fill´´ are, the more you will fill them. I´m excited for a lot of things in my life head of me, but one thing I´m really excited for is hard, effective work. Whether it be at school, at work, at church, at home, wherever.. I understand hard effective work.

I hear elder Crosland went by and visited!... :D thats cool! He said you weren´t home mom. I can not believe he is home. I can´t believe it. Elder Jeremy Jensen is finishing in a couple of weeks and I think elders harding and harris go home the first couple weeks of november. Elder Harris broke his right arm and might have to have surgery. :///

President called me last week while in a meeting at the mission home with the APs. They were finalizing transfers and the changes that were going to happen and he needed to ask me about how I felt about staying in the office a little longer. I think it had something to do with the january transfer that was moved up several weeks to fall before Christmas. Because of the change it falls right in the middle of the transfer and he was wondering if I would be willing to stay not only to the november transfer but till the middle of december. I told him I would and I think that means I´ll be here till like the 17th of december. Happy to be where the Lord needs me!

I did get your letter and I´m glad you got my SD card. Empty it off onto the computer if you can and send it back in the package. :) Thanks! I actually do have a couple requests before you close it. Mint or double stuff OREOS :D. Cool, upbeat, or musical CDs that missionaries could listen to. Maybe a christmas one or two.. If you could look up some of these names you might find something good... Kalai, pianoguys, vocal point, eclipse.. or whatever else you think I might like. :D we have some music here but it gets old.... and especially the christmas stuff we have. Might as well ask for it now and get into the Christmas spirit early! :P Thanks!

Just one more thing! I love seeing pictures of you guys! And stuff you do or things you see or the family or the house. Like dads arm for example.. no surgery or anything right? Those would´ve been cool pictures. :)

I love you all! Thanks for your prayers! Keep praying for the missionaries but pray that you too can find missionary opportunities. I hear somewhere recently that most members DON´T pray for personal missionary opportunities because they are scared they will recieve one! Ha! D&C 100: 1-8

 Therefore, verily I say unto you,

lift up your voices unto this people; 

speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts,

 and you shall not be confounded before men;

 For it shall be given you in the very hour,

 yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

  But a commandment I give unto you,

that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye declare

 in my name, in solemnity of heart,

in the spirit of meekness, in all things.

 And I give unto you this promise,

that inasmuch as ye do this

the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record

unto all things whatsoever ye shall say.

LOVES

Élder Norton

Mom, we as a mission have just started the Book of Mormon again. President has challenged us to read it before Christmas and I´m doing what you´re doing. The only thing I am highlighting this time is the ´´happenings´´ the places, actions, and storylines.. to get the same overview that you were talking about. If you haven´t grabbed a new blank BoM to read I challenge you to. Its soo much better than reading in the scriptures that already have markings and notes, cuz it makes you pay attention. :) your choice but i´m sure the missionaries at home would have an extra blank copy lying around.... :D