"Everyone tells me that I have the Andelucía accent which is like more.... more.. hick ish.." (Sam)

"I don't talk like no hick!"

Good morning family and friends!

   The ESPAÑA MÁLAGA mission is the best!

   Things are great! Alcoy is a very hard area but Elder Pascua and I are tearing it up! :) ¡Estamos a fuegote! (we're on fire!) :) Later in the email I´ll update you on everything.

   First things first... Papa, about picking us up from our missions.. I´m easy. I´ll do what the mayoría wants. My opinion would be wait till after and visit both places like you said. They advise us to not be picked up directly from the mission.. and I think more than anything its because it messes with the visas. And with the visas... how they are... I don´t want to be adding to the problem. I think it would be better that way anyways. Me da equal if we go to Ecuador or España first... I´m good with either way... but I would LOVE to go see ecuador. Ohh! I would love to. Anyways, thats my opinion.. but like I said, I´m easy.

   Ok, anyways! I sent you my address just barely in another email... and we are waiting for a couple things for Elder Pascua here at that address so we will be here a while. We both hope to change pisos after he gets his stuff though so I´ll keep you updated. I´m really glad you got my package! Hah it totally arrived late.. but just cuz I didn´t send it with enough time before christmas. The mail systems get all clogged up, I know, but I had to learn it the hard way. hah I don´t know if you remember during our phone call on christmas, I paused for a second like I was going to ask you something and then I said.. oh nevermind....... haha I was going to ask if you had gotten the package.... haha but you hadn´t said anything about it so I left it alone.... so that it´d be a surprise! :) I´m glad you enjoyed it. Sorry the presents are kinda dumb.. haha I couldn´t send too big of things cuz it costs a ton but I found what I could. :)

   Elder Hafen has called me a couple times with questions or little things and he said that the day I left (I left early in the morning) two letters arrived to our piso.. hah.... one from you guys.. probably the christmas card, and one from the Luis´, the family in our ward I think. I still don´t have them but i´ll get´em soon. No os preocupéis.

   Ok, a little update. Last week was great! Los estandartes de excelencia de la misión or The Mission Standards of Excelence are the goals that we want to achieve every week. We set specific goals for our areas every week as companionships but Los estandartes and mission-wide general goals.. The goal for amount of lessons taught in one week is 20 and obviously depending on the area and the missionaries and everything its different.. but this last week we taught 14 and we are very content with that. We are reopening the area.. the missionaries from before left us with........ nada.. basically.. haha and we have also heard that ´´when alcoy was part of the barcelona mission it was a dead area..´´ PSH! WE LOVE THIS PLACE. :) yes its hard but that doesn't mean its dead! It just means you gotta look harder and smarter in the places you haven´t looked yet! We´re really enjoying this place and we have several awesome families we´re working with right now.

   The ward here is good. We have heard that there may have been some confusion somewhere in the past here that helped the branch receive its own capilla and become a ´´ward´´..  There are few priesthood holders.. many many less actives...... its a very interesting situation.. ... Anyways, there are great people here! Really. .........  We´ll see how everything goes! Jacob 2:11-14&19-22......

   Elder Pascua and I are getting along great. I´ve been really tired lately and every once and a while I´ll get kinda sick of speaking spanish all the time and he´s really good cuz he´s more than happy to switch over the english and work on his english. Thats one thing we need to do more of is practice his english. He knows bastante but we just need to practice more. The language here is cool. This part of spain is super prideful and there is a huge part of spain that considers itself its one country... like not part of spain. Or they are trying to separate themselves from Spain or something dumb.. but they all speak this other language, Catalán.. and then there´s another separation inside of Cataluña (the part that wants to separate)... and thats Valencia.. and they speak valenciano...... which is the exactly the same language as catalán.. its just they are too prideful to agree on a name.. so anyways, here, ´´they speak valenciano´´ cuz they get offended if you call it catalán.. and Elder Pascua grew up in Barcelona learning Catalán so he´s teaching me. Everyone speaks both languages here. Valenciano (catalán) and Spanish (castellano they call it). Its super complicated but everyone speaks the spanish i´ve been learning my whole mission down more south in murcia and malaga and whatnot. Haha its funny though. Everyone tells me that I have the Andelucía accent which is like more.... more.. hick ish.. or more just like a different accent. One of the first member families that we ate with was commenting on my accent and everything and how they liked it and thought it was funny and one of the older women said to me.. ´´I´ll be honest, its better to have the accent that you have.´´ She was like... ´´You don´t have an american accent at all...´´ :) Yaaay!!! That made me super happy! I´ve been working really hard on my accent and that it flows out fluidly and not all choppy and that felt really good to hear that. Dad, what did you think of the lispy ´´graTHias´´ ´´diTHe´´ accent?´´ :) Did you notice it? It´ll be really fun to all speak spanish together!

   Oh, a couple things...

-Pops, I got the jump drive thing. Its awesome! There is actually some music still left on it. Like rock or country or somethin.. haha can I erase what i want? Thanks again, it works great!

-THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL MY CHRISTMAS STUFF. I never really thanked you for everything. WOW. Thank you so much for the candy the presents the notes the cards and letters and clothes, everything! Thank you!

-Oh, hah.. I thought of something the other day.. next time a package comes my way could you stuff so good beef jerky in the box. :) No rush.. just the next one. That would rock.

-Could you please send me my priesthood line? If you could, I would like a smallish page or something with my priesthood line back to Jesus Christ. We obviously teach that point a lot and its one thing to explain the unbroken chain to Christ, and its another thing to show them la cadena ininterrumpida. :) Maybe something the size of like an english Book of Mormon cover. That size of paper. I have a side bag that I carry with me and a paper that size would be awesome. Ask me if you have specific questions of how you should do it. I trust your judgement.

-annnd thats all.

   I love you all very much! Thanks for your support and prayers! We feel it.

   Read daily! It will give you strength.

-Elder Norton

Christ=Christ....Mas=More......... Go figure! (Sam)

Hello! Its december here in Málaga and it doesn't look at all like Christmas! :( haha Yesterday, Elder Hafen and I were in short sleeves the whole day... Although I haven´t actually been dreaming of a white christmas, I have been singing the song every time we walk into our apartment. :)

   Things are great here! People have decorations and stuff up but it just doesn´t compare to the mass amounts of christmas lights and pine smell that is found in the states... Be grateful for what you have!! You don't realize how much you take for granted! The states are the best!

   First off, Dad, of course I remember Jordan! Go by maceys again sometime and tell Jordan hi for me. Tell him to keep shooting the 3 ball, no body could ever stop that kid around the 3 line. :)

Things are great with M. and his family. The whole family attended M's baptism ....... they came to church together the next morning, and everytime we have passed by to visit them, the entire family is there ready to listen and learn. The gospel is the glue that is holding their family together. It is slow going but I know it is blessing them and bonding them again. They have a bright future.They all came to church again yesterday and they all went to the ward Christmas activity on friday. They have fechas for the 29th and we´re working hard with them.

Wow...
   We set fechas with I. and 2 of her daughters! What an awesome family and lesson! We have a lot or work to do with that family but we´re excited and so are they! I´ll keep you updated.

   I have recieved 3 packages.. and I have a slip of paper from the post office that says there's something waiting for me there... haha probably another one.. you´re awesome! Elder Hafen´s fam sent him a package but it still hasn´t gotten here and he just kept giving me more and more flack every time I get a package  or a letter.. haha so we walked in the other day and I had another package and he starts giving me flack and whatnot :) and I look at it and read on the side where you'd written "for your companion... elder hafen?" and I got a huge grin on my face... haha so we got in the elevator and I lift it up and turn that side of the box to him and I said..  "oye, mira..." and he turned and looked at me and was like what?... and then his eyes flickered down to the box and I watched him read it.. and then he grabbed.. and was like.. "whaaat??" :) haha so we walk into our place and he´s already opening it. :) He was probably supposed to wait to open it.. but he didn´t. haha he was really happy though.. his family´s package still hasn´t arrived.. :\

   If Ty and Allie really wanna bring me a box or something they can... :)  A JUMP DRIVE WITH MUSIC and or CHURCH MOVIES would be SUPER awesome. :) Or talks.. orrr stuff like that. fyi, each piso in the mission/a little dvd player screen thing for missionaries to watch the district videos on.. and it has a usb slot so put whatever music or talks or church movies or whatever you want on there. I would really appreciate that. :)  I don't really NEED anything. I´m very happy and healthy! :)

   WOW! Stacie and Janessa going to the same missions! I love love love hearing about people and missions.. So please keep me updated on mission calls and people. :) And tell them both congrats and that they´re gonna rock!

   mom! I´m so proud of you for playing at the recital! I remember them being more nerve wracking than they should´ve been. I´m really glad you did it. :) you´re my hero!

   Anyways, two things real quick, tell Mo Jennings "hi" for me if you see him. Also, we don't know anything about making Christmas calls yet .... just that WE CAN USE SKYPE. :) I think we´ll find out more soon. I´ll let you know.

   I love you all! I have to go but I love you and hope you all have a very merry and white Christmas.

     Christ=Christ....Mas=More.........  Go figure!

Love you!

"I can´t speak or type in english.. I know what it says in spanish.. but I don´t know how it is in english or how to put it in english.... HA. FAIL." (Sam)

Elders Norton and Lyman in Malaga - up for the sunrise

Hello!

   Wow! So many changes! So much is going on right now! Like 20 missionaries go home this wednesday and I think 6 come in...... :\ So several areas are being closed.. I don´t know which but i´m sure they have to close several for a while. In Málaga, I´m staying and taking on the investigators and everything of the two companionships with my new comp that comes wednesday.. and his name is........ DRUM ROLL PLLLZZZ.......... Elder Hafen!!!

   I have met the kid a couple times and he´s a máquina! (your spanish homework for today) And everyone that talks about him says he rocks and that we´re gonna baptize a ton. :) Always like to hear those kinds of comments. And Núñez is going to San Fernando.. a city outside of Cádiz.. or how they prounounce it there in Cádiz.. Cáai. Yes, how you prounounced it right there is how they pronounce it. Their accent is absolutely terrible.. haha the way everyone explains their accent is that they ´´eat´´ the ends of the words.. or like the just don´t finish any of their words. So anyways! Maybe

I´ll get lucky enough to go there some day! :)

WOW. I´M OVER 8 MONTHS IN. You guys remember when we all went to eat at like cafe rio or something right before I went in??? And brother and sister jennings were there and Chad took a bunch of pictures of us??? Yeah, that was over 8 months ago. Woooah.

   Well anyways, everything is great! I have been working with both companionships here in Málaga to get to know all of the investigators so that when everyone leaves, I already have a relationship with everyone and its really fun! I love meeting people. We have a baptism this saturday!! M, I don´t know if you remember that name or if I´ve mentioned him, he´s an Argentine that Núñez and Long (the comp of Núñez before I got here) found. He´s a friend of a member that has been super floja... super.. almost inactive for the lack of a better explaination and it has been a huge blessing for both groups. The member and her son are activating and the son passes the sacrament every week (i´ll try to find a picture of the family).. and M is like 26, really chill, really creyente... or believing i guess.. and he is extremely smart. The other day he found the scripture in 3rd nefi chapter 16 that says...

1 And verily, verily, I say unto you that I have ^aother sheep, which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister. 2 For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice; neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them.

And in spanish the word for ´´land´´ is tierra which also means ´´earth´´... so anyways, he obviously had tons of questions and we had a fantastic talk about God, who he really is, what His purpose is, what he is doing and how he is doing it.. So anyways, He is really progressing and yesterday in church he was super involved in the classes and was answering a ton a questions. He´s awesome. He´ll be more awesome in all white..... WET.

   We´ve had a really hard time getting ahold of I again. She works a lot but we just need to teach her about el día de reposo, the sabboth day, and she will commit. She is amazing. L works Sundays but is trying to change that. She only has fridays off and this last friday we met with her in the capilla and set a pretty good fecha bautismal for the 5th of January. We´ll see how that goes. She needs to keep reading, praying, and find a way to come to church so that the Lord can really give her a firm answer. Pray with us!

   We´ve heard that almost all of the visas right now are held up...... :\ so a lot of missionaries are held up in Provo. The missionaries that are entering the mission field right now are all either natives or people from countries close by.

   I got a note from both R and P a little while back. I think I may have told you..  she is an amazing woman though. Let me know if you still need her address or if you got it with the letter she just sent.

  (I told Sam that Hilary prints off her emails in the morning, reads them, then gets back on the computer later in the day to write so that her computer time isn't used up reading, thats what he is referring to here) We could do that here with the emails and stuff. We could print them off to read, but.. i dunno. Guys don´t think that far ahead... :) haha just kidding. I´m gonna suggest that to hafen when he gets here. We´ll see what he says. I think the guys i´m with right now would just be like..... ehh! too much work! :) QUE BAGOS. P-day is lazy day I guess. Ha!

   Ahh! Squid Merryweather! If you see her again tell her HI! and yes, to write me! :) De hecho, I honestly wish I could make a list of every name that I want you to say hi to but it would take waay to long, so whenever you see someone that you know I know, tell them I say hi. :) Honestly, tell them, Hey! Sam---- Elder Norton say hi! :)

   I´m so happy and proud that you are loving piano. Piano doesn´t come fast for anyone. I still struggle with some hymns.... and ive been playing a LONG time. Haha.. just go poco a poco. Little by little. AND.. something very very important, is Play Songs You Like. Don´t just play to get better. Play And Enjoy. Thats what gave me drive to keep playing. I found a couple of songs that I knew from movies or what not and even though they were too hard at the time, I wanted to learn them soo bad that I pushed myself and spent more time than the ´´30 minutes´´ that was on the ´Jobs for Today´ list you´d make. :) Start paying attention to songs you hear and tell your teacher which ones you want to play and she´ll find copies at your level. THAT is how I got better. Playing songs that I liked.

   KEEP ME UPDATED ON STACIE AND HER CALL! WOW.

   Anyways, we gotta split. One other thing....... and I feel super super selfish and horribly childish for saying this.. I was talking to E. Lyman about the shirts you sent me a while back and how I sent that one back that had no front pocket and he turned to me and was like.... are you serious!? You sent it back??.. He was like... Those are the best for sundays! Plus you have your clip nametag the you can clip onto the collar... and I was like... you know what.. he´s right... so anyways, first off, sorry for sending it back.. Haha and second off, if you haven´t send the Christmas  stuff yet, if you could put that shirt without the pocket in there I would be endlessly grateful. Hah.. sorry. I love you!

   Its always so great to hear from you! I love you all and think about you all daily! I hope all is well and that you are happy! Just like Nefi says as he comes closer and closer to the end of his life that despite their afflictions, they had a happy way of life. (I can´t speak or type in english.. I know what it says in spanish.. but I don´t know how it is in english or how to put it in english.... HA. FAIL.

   I love you all! Don´t just read the scriptures, delight yourselves in the words of christ. Really study with a purpose!

-Elder Norton