"anyone reading this preparing for a mission, 3 things ...." (Sam)

click the link below for reality TV ... missionary style

¡Hola! ¡Buenas Días!
   I hope everything is well back in the states. The mission is the best! Its crazy and I love it!

   Things in Málaga are great. Elder Lyman, my comp, and Elder Phillips, Elder Núñez´s comp, are both dying (going home) the 6th of December.. so things are getting pretty weird around here. They want to spend alllll of pday just buying presents and souvenirs (sp) and whatnot.. and back at piso they are completely torn between talking about investigators and talking about their families and friends. Don´t judge them, its harder than you´d think. 2 YEARS WITHOUT YOUR FAMILY... and now they are soo close they and taste it. Its super interesting and almost hard for Núñez and me cuz at points we honestly feel like we´re going home too.... Hah but things are great. We´ve been working hard when we can, even though we´ve been sick lately. Lyman was sick when he got here to Málaga, he got better, then a couple weeks ago he got sick, and then I got sick with something else, and then we both got better and then he got sick with what I was sick with...... :\ kinda chungo.. but we work when we can!

   The Hondurans are doing well, L works in the house of this old man all week and its all they way on the other side of the city. She has fridays off and so we planned to meet in the capilla this past friday.. so we were waiting and waiting.. and finally we called her and it turns out she had been waiting in the house of the man where she works........ so she appologized and felt really bad for not coming. She realized that we had agreed to meet at the chruch for the lesson and she felt really bad.. so anyways, we´re gonna meet with her this friday. Hopfully she comes to the church this time. :)
 The Spanish woman I, is doing soo great! We called her saturday, early in the afternoon to see if we could pass by and visit one more time before sunday and she answered in a kinda hurried/busy voice for like the first 10 seconds of the phone call... and I was like...... uhhhhh.. so.. you can come to church tomorrow or you can´t?.. and she was like, "no no thats what i´m explaining! I was going to have to work sunday morning but I changed it to tonight so that I could come!!"...... and I just about lost it. :) I was so excited! She had changed her schedule at work and was working the saturday night cleaning shift at her work so that she could come with us to church the next day! :) So anyways, she came with two of her daughters and they all loved it! The two girls, 13 and 9, immediately found some friends, I don´t know if they knew them from school or what.... but they loved their classes and everything.. and I, was super attentive in Sacrament and really fit into the relief society. :) WE´RE EXCITED! We´re gonna set some baptismal dates this week!

   The District is the best! AHH I love it! Anyone reading this that is preparing for a mission, THREE THINGS... Book of Mormon. Preach My Gospel. & The District videos. :)
  
   We don´t know yet.... but we think that when Lyman and Phillips go home, Núñez will be transfered and I´ll get a new comp here. WE DON´T KNOW.... We´ll hear this week though. Núñez has one transfer more than I do here in Málaga so I personally think he´ll be leaving the 6th of december... If you want to send him something, you can send it to the mission home and he will get it no matter where he is.
   Ave Jesus santos reín 2,3 D-E
   29640 Fuengirola (Málaga)
   ESPAÑA
   You can still send my mail and packages to my Málaga address. Its pretty sure that I´ll stay.
   I did get your turkey/nerf package!!! We LOVE IT! Best idea ever!! Hahah and we loved your spanish directions! It get here last monday, right after we did emails. I think a lot of mail and stuff gets places on mondays.. just weekend buildup I guess.. but I always tell you I haven´t gotten stuff and then I get it later that day. :) sorry and yes we got it. Its awesome.

   The sd card i´m using is almost full. I deleted a bunch of pictures which opened up some room but whenever you can get that other one back here, that would be great. Thanks! :)

   Thanks for Hil´s and Eric´s info! I can´t believe he´s going to stinking FIJI!! Hah how awesome! I´m totally gonna write him! What an adventure! One thing i´ve realized lately is how different every mission is! We teach the same stuff everywhere but it is soooo much different in each mission. For example, here in Spain, there are constantly, constantly people on the streets. Almost always, with exception of medio dia, between 2 and 5 when everyone goes and eats and naps.. but other than that, from early early to late late they are people, families, ancianos, kids, buses cars, music, fútbol... always. So a lot of what we do, is our street image and talking and finding on the streets and stuff. We are constantly stopping people and talking to them right in the streets. :) Where as in the states, missionaries could walk for hours and get passed by 1000 cars and 8 people... which makes the entire work change. Its just so interesting the experience we have on the mission and I know that each missionary is given and will experience what the Lord has prepared for them. Anyways, kind of interesting.. THE MISH IS THE BEST.

   I´ll think if I want anything for Ty and them to bring.. I can´t think of anything. Plus, I and I know you and they will understand, but if they come they would need to drop it off at the mission office... cuz we aren´t supposed to receive visits from family or friends. Tell them thank you so much!

   Quick question... Are the sacramento kings now the LA Kings?? I saw a jersey the other day............... just wondering!
   Also, this awesome Ecuadorian family came up to us one Sunday and asked if we could come do FHE every Monday.. cuz they needed ´´help´´. :) Awesome Ecuadorians. So we´ve been going over there for 3 or 4 weeks now and they´re doing so well. I finally figured out what Hilary´s area was called and she was like ´´I lived there!´´ So anyways, she told me to tell you and HERMANA NORTON that she lived in the Imbabura Estaca in the Quinchuqui rama of the Otavalo Barrio. Something like that. She said her mother or sister is named R. I don´t know if Hil´s by there but the lady here is named N and J is her husband.

   Anyways, I gotta go! I love you all. I hope your Thanksgiving was great and I hope you ate as much as I did! :) We had a big zone specialized trainging that day and we ATE GOOD! :)
-Elder Norton
click here to watch "The District"

"WOW. What a miracle filled week!" (Sam)

Hello family and friends!

   WOW. What a miracle filled week! 9 NEW INVESTIGATORS this week. Wowowow. The Lord and his mysterious ways! :) We have been working and really been trying to make new goals and continue moving forward and this week the Lord opened one of the windows of heaven above us. I testify of the Reality and God´s love and blessings in our lives. When we work hard and are obedient, blessings come. Sometimes not right away.. for example last transfer was pretty long and we felt that we had very little success and right at the start of this transfer, the Lord blessed us with a bunch of new investigators. DON´T DOUBT THE LORD´S TIMING. Everything he does is for our BENIFIT. Doubting the Lord´s judgement is a fire that can quickly grow out of our control. Trust his judgement and humbly obey.

   Sadly, the Nigerian family I talked about has more or less dropped us... :\ they are very busy and are never home...Its basically that they are not keeping the commitments. :\ So anyways, we´ve received several awesome references lately from some members that are trying really hard to involve their friends in the church. Some names are R and L, several honduran friends of a member named N. Also, L, a bolivian friend of N. We met this awesome spaniard single mother of 4 that is super creyente and is super excited to listen to us. Her name is I.  We have this other investigator named P that is soo smart.. and he over thinks stuff sometime.. so pray for him. Anyways, thats how things are going right now. Things are awesome! We´re just trying to find the right balance between finding a ton of people to always be teaching and focusing enough on each person so that they arrive at the waters of baptism... really tough balance.

   Sooooooo it rained A TON saturday and sunday. A bunch of streets got super super flooded. Like SUPER flooded. haha like 4 or 5 inches above the gutters, all the way across the streets...... if you can imagine what i´m saying. Anyways it was alright, Elder Lyman was super sick that day so we ended up in piso all day anyways. :) He chose a good day to be sick! Hah

   Saturday and sunday were stake conference and it was awesome! Sunday we all got a bus and went out to Granada.. like an 1 and a half drive. The presidency was reorganized and it was absolutely amazing! The new president is this guy from switzerland that has been living here with his family for a while now and he speaks like 5 languages absolutely perfectly. Its kind of rididulous. I have said it before but I will learn more languages when I get home. For some people, math or science or art or whatever just clicks in their head... for me, I have learned here that languages just click! I have been learning a little portuguese and some  kechua (the dialect spoken in ecuador and several other south american countries like bolivia.. yes n and l taught me :)) and although I have no time to apply what I hear and learn, I would love to come home and immediately start to learn another language. Anyways.. whatever the Lord has in store, but those would be my hopes! :)

   Ok, a couple things...

  Adam, you are a boss! I´m still thinking.......... puedes darme una pista?¿?¿?¿ :)

  I got the letter with the photos of you and me, mom. Thanks for sending those, they´re perfect! Also, I got the letters from sister wilson and sister robley! Ahh so awesome! Tell them thank you!

  Do you know anything about Eric Schofield?? I thought about him the other day and was wondering if you fill me in. :) and Kevin Fonseca?? MISSION CALL BABY.

  Can you get Clay's address for me? That would be awesome. Also, Hil´s mission home address?

  How many postcards can I send to Ellery? I´ve sent one but I´m willing to send more... :)

  Papá, do you still have those Málaga references? If not no worries, I just need to know.

   Mamamadre! I have a couple things that I would love for Christmas.  Ties are always awesome. :) I need a good grey and a good brown... I need some other p-day shirts.. thats something that I could buy here. Oh, also, I would love christmas candy. The usual that we have at christmas.. :) like the mint tootsie suckers... AHHHH. I need a sweater.. a dark long sleeve orrrr.. a sweatervest would be cool too. The ones I have that I just didn´t bring would work perfectly. Also, please send 2 of those ´´mirror cubes´´ the rubiks cubes that are all the some color but change size as you turn them.. I have several on my dresser down in my room. I would like to give one to núñez for Christmas and I want one as well. :D Last thing.. ´´Barron´s ´Spanish Vocabulary´ second edition´´ its smaller.. and yellow and red and white. I already have the verbs one but that one would be awesome too!

   Anyways.. sorry thats super scrambled mom... HONESTLY, you know how hard it is for me to make christmas and birthday lists.. I´m not one to expect a ton so don´t feel like you need to send me a botrillion things. :) I am happy as can be! Thank you for always making me so happy. You are the best mom I could ever dream of.

   DAD. HOLE IN ONE. AHHHHHH. And even more important, 10 stinking meetings in ONE DAY. You are my HERO. One day I will be able to compete with you! :D

   Hey one last thing.. Will you update me on Trevor and his girlfriend and also Tanner and his girlfriend...? :)

   Thanks for everything! I love you all! Make a journal. It´s more important than we think!

-Elder Samuel Parker Norton

ps. ¡la ´THeta´ aqui en eTHpaña eTH lo mejor! ¡Que no THe burlen de la THeta!! :)

You would be acting against your purpose not to obey these simple commandments. (Sam)

Hello!

   Not too much happened this last week.. but what did happen was great! Do. and his wife R. were baptized this past saturday! So exciting! The lady that lives with them, M, wants to take a little more time. We´re still working with her and we are expecting next saturday or the next. Mx. had a really bad tooth infection and we had to postpone his baptism.. :( Its ok.. he´s ready to take upon himself the covenants but he will keep learning and he will be baptized soon.

   That is by far the best feeling on the mission. Pulling out the long sleeve white shirt, the white pants, finding that pair of white socks, and tying on a completely white tie. :) THATS OUR PURPOSE! Whooo!

   The spliting of our area has been pretty rough!.. My new comp is awesome. He´s from California and he is very smart. He knows soo many words in spanish. Even little random words.. basically he knows em all.  ....... long story edited ... So anyways.. its been kinda rough ... and our numbers are down ... but We´re good. I have things that the Lord needs me to learn and maybe its the same with Elder Lyman. We´re working hard and if we match our will with the will of the Lord, we don´t have to worry.  Sorry if that was a little heavy! :) Things are great.. the mission is just full of ups and downs. Gotta keep working through em!

   Last night, Elder Lyman and I and another companionship in the other ward, traveled to Fuengirola, the neighboring city and we visited this senior couple of missionaries, Elder and Hermana Spainhower... and they made us dinner. :) And it was like a huge breath of home. Honestly, we ate enchiladas that reminded me of moms... they weren´t as good but they reminded me of yours, and we had these other burrito things, and we had this apple crummble stuff and vanilla ice cream..... ahhh so good! and then we walked out onto the back balcony and they look out right over this golf course............................. I JUST ABOUT DIED. I want to play soo bad! :) .......i hope you guys are practicing........... imma come home an beat you! But their window is right over the tee box of the dog leg right par four.... I wanted to grab my hybrid and go hit a nice little fade up onto the green.. :).... We´ll see! A sister missionary here in Malaga, hermana Latendri, and I are trying to organize a pday where a bunch of us go hit the range. So.... another thing to pray for I guess!......... O.o.. :) just kidding.

   I helped our bishop the other day with a song that he wrote. He wanted to put it down onto sheet music and so we set up an appointment to meet at the church and he sang the song to me and I found it on the piano and wrote it down on some blank sheet music. :) Kinda fun. He was super appreciative and wants me to help him with another one soon.

   Anyways, our times up.. lemme see if there were any specific questions you had..... Oh, i´m glad you got the letter! Sorry for the one pager to mom and dad and the 25 pager to Adam. I promise I love you all equally :) I just email you guys every week and Adam almost never. haha anyways, send me the card whenever. The one i´m using now still has a lot of room so we´re good.

   Thank you for that spiritual thought. Loved that story!

 

   I love you! Ask everyone to write me letters! I love letters! And tell everyone you see that Sam says hi... cuz if I were there I would tell them hi... :)

Love you all! Read more!.... actually STUDY more! Pray more... actually talk with your heavenly father more! And never miss a church meeting or activity. ITS THE REASON WE´RE ON THE EARTH. You would be acting against your purpose not to obey these simple commandments.

BYE!

-Elder Norton

ELDER HOLLAND ROCKS! (Sam)

Elder Holland speaking to the press about missionary age change announcement

Wow! Conference was awesome! Soo many questions answered! Don´t you just love the spirit?

  Its great to hear from everyone! I love getting your emails and whatnot. Updates, info, questions, everything. Life is so great! ´´So much to be grateful for´´.

   So my new comp´s name is Elder Lyman. He´s from Riverside California and he has 22 months in the mish. So in our missionary terms.. he´s going to die here in Málaga. :) I´m gonna ´´kill´´ him. Haha so i´ll be here in Málaga this transfer and then the next as well. I´ll probably be here till after Christmas. Which is good cuz I don´t want to have to move right before Christmas and not know anyone. Málaga rocks. The members here are THE BEST.

   WOW. Wasn´t conference just awesome??? So, so powerful. I know we´re not supposed to choose favorites or anything but........ ELDER HOLLAND ROCKS. Woww.. they announced that he was going to speak and I got goosebumps.. :) he didn´t even have to speak and I had goosebumps! Then he blew my face off with his talk. Wow. "Do.. You.. LOVE.. ME?" So much meaning!

   Well things are awesome here. We have 4 in our piso now. We only have one bathroom and everyone sleeps in our room cuz there´s AC.. its un poco chungo... that means.. like.. its a little sketchy. Anyways, everythings nice so I can´t complain! We have 5 fechas right now. D and Ro, the couple... M, the lady that lives with them... Mx, the argentine guy... and a Nigerian named N that we was a reference from a recent convert. We´re working with his wife as well. We want them to be baptized together. We´ll see!

   My comp has finished on the computer and is ready to goo...... so I have to go. But I love you! I´m soo so excited about the new announcement about the missionary age! So cool! Mom, do you remember exactly 1 year ago, the morning session on saturday, I slept through the first 15 minutes of saturday morning conference and when I came up you were like.."you missed it! They just announced that you can go when you're 18!" And I almost died??? You remember that? I lost it when I heard it was real!! :) Mom, don´t ever doubt that you can receive personal revelation! :)

   I love you all!! Please keep me updated on the world. I love, love updates on random interesting things... your lives, stocks, sports, byu, earthquakes, technology, elections todo!!!! ADIOS.

-Elder Norton

Here at the Norton home we are HUGE fans of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland ... follow this link to learn more about him and to connect to several of his recent talks click here