"I have my personal computer/desk... I have like 10 of those wire baskets... I have an ELECTRIC STAPLER... Its the real deal." (Sam)

WEIRDEST WEEKS OF MY MISSION

baptism goal for the month?

   Hello family and friends! Thanks for reading and writing! I love the updates I receive from you guys.

Don´t worry about last week on saturday! It gave me a little extra time to write an email all in spanish. :) It was actually harder than I thought it would be.. but I have to get used to it now.. seeing that its what I do here in the office. A lot of what I've been doing these last couple of ´´weird weeks´´ has been communicating with landlords and companies that are the mediators between the ´´renter´´ (me) and the dueños or landlords. So a looot of phone calls and a looot of emails. All in spanish... all about a stinkin 11 page apartment contract..... :) haha Its veery different than what I was doing two and a half weeks ago.

   Several days ago, we received the ´´transfers´´ from President............................... the BIG FAMOUS TRANSFERS. hah and we in the office received it right when he finished it so we could make the mission travel plans and the new phone lists, etc. Anyways, its been really weird and crazy around here because we HAVE to get some of these things done... like by deadlines is what I mean. So its less ... "go out... and find people... and teach.... and try to baptize monthly..."  but its more like..."ok here´s the transfer information that no one knows about yet.  By saturday midday the travel plans need to be done. By Monday morning all the mission tickets have to be bought. On tuesday, 17 new missionaries will arrive and will meet their trainers and after need to reach their designated areas by midday the next day... and etc..." haha its different. The responsibilities are completely different. I was talking with one of the other office elders a day or two ago and we were talking about how it is honestly like a full time job... hah... I have my personal computer/desk... I have like 10 of those wire baskets... I have an ELECTRIC STAPLER... Its the real deal. :D

   So wednesday started off kinda rough. At 4am we left to take Elder M to the airport........ yeah. My first ´´hijo´´ in the mission. He's been having sporadic health/heart emergencies and he had to be sent home. :\  It was nice to be able to give him one last hug in the airport and hand him a little letter I wrote him and picture of when we met at the mission home. He´s content with what he has done in his mission thus far. Which is important. I just hope he´s alright.

   Anyways, this last week and I think this following week will be the longest and hardest of my mission thus far. O.O... the week before transfer day and the week after transfer day. PRAY FOR US PORFAVOR. hah not to mention that President already gave me the list of the 7 new apartments I need to rent for next transfer. :)

   Although I know it sounds like i´m complaining a lot, know that I am pumped for this and excited !! Talking about it is how I show i´m looking forward to it! I honestly feel so so... useful! or needed! or... trusted! I don´t mean to boast but I´m just happy to be here and happy to give my work and energy. Missionary work on the street can get you down quickly if you are rejected by those you put your hand out to.. but being here i choose what I do and what I do is helpful. :)

I love you all! Thanks for everything again! CHALENGE FOR YOU. Go listen to President Hollands talk, ´´Safety for the Soul´´. We have it playing right now here in the office and its is amazing me. Elder Holland testifies with incredible power. It is each of our responsibility to KNOW with the same surety and testify with the same energy of heart. ´´lift where YOU stand´´

-Élder Norton

Go HERE for Elder Holland's talk 

"The Only Reason that we do not progress or learn something new EVERY DAY, is because WE have chosen not to... or because WE have missed our daily lesson" (Sam)

Hello, the church is true!

   Things here in Sevilla are going well! The zone leaders here had been working in their area and in our area and so when we got here we already had several people to work with. It was really nice. And the Lord has blessed us a ton with interested families and creyente (believing or faithful) people. I really like Sevilla.

    Sevilla is huge! Its the biggest area in our mission.. and the only way you can get around here is my bus.. Sometimes we walk to citas but the capilla for example is on the other side of the city.. hah so we have to take a 40 minute city bus ride and then walk five minutes to get to the capilla.. kinda chungo. This area is a lot like Malaga just cuz its big. Alcoy was kinda like Huercal overa cuz it was small but it was full of spaniards instead of south americans.. I like sevilla a lot.

   Elder Martínez grew up in the states. His father passed away when Elder Martínez was 13.. so thats bascially when he stopped speaking spanish.. Its getting a lot better though! He is amazing. He is a convert as of a year and a half ago..... WOW. so his testimony is so new and so powerful! When he speaks about his life and how the missionaries found him (5 minutes after he had prayed for God to send them), it brings the spirit so strongly... so strongly at times that I don´t want to try to keep teaching cuz its gonna break the mood....... I just feel the spirit so much and I just wanna say...... ´´¡A LA PILA BAUTISMAL, VÁMANOS!´´ (to the baptismal font! lets go!) Haha he's a really good guy. Learning, like everyone, and a really great guy.

   Mission calls! I love hearing about mission calls! The church is so true! :) ¡QUE NO TENGAMOS MIEDO DE NADA! ¡PREDIQUEMOS EL EVANGELIO! Keep the updates coming please.

   Mom! I´m excited for you and your spanish classes! Even though you only have one class a week, be constantly thinking about spanish. ALWAYS have a little pad of paper or somewhere in your iPhone to write down english words you don´t know, spanish words that you hear, or new definitions you hear. And then impliment those words into your life... even if you end up saying a weird irrelevant sentance just to practice a word.. :) I do it all the time!.......... Hoy, quiero comer....... GUSANOS! :) por ejemplo.... keep going! Don´t stop studying! And learn with adam as well!

   I´m happy to hear that all is going well in your new calling. The spirit is an interesting teacher. I have found that when I don´t listen to his promptings he stops giving them to me. And when I do, even if it doesn´t result to anything, he is more willing to trust me with promptings that DO result in something...... :) The spirit rocks! I am also convinced that The Only Reason that we do not progress or learn something new EVERY DAY, is because WE have chosen not to... or because WE have missed our daily lesson. This is a life of learning, change, and repentance (which is change). God gives us daily opportunities to expand our understanding THROUGH EXPERIENCE, to deepen our trust and faith THROUGH TRIALS, etc. The list is endless and IT IS ALL DEPENDANT ON US......... he is waiting, arms open... we just need to listen and learn daily. The question... ´´Have I changed today?´´........ I have learned to LOVE questions on my mission. Questions are a much much better way to teach than by talking. I would endeavor to say that questions are a better way to teach than teaching is to teach....... does that make sense?? When someone makes their own realization about something, THAT is what is going to stick with them.. not what you have said to them.... "Have you changed TODAY?" THAT is how we use the atonement.

 I have pictures.. I´ll send the card next letter.

   Hey, gotta go. Tell EVERYONE I say hi! De verdad! I wish I could say hi to everyone! but I can´t so you´ll have to do it for me. :)

-Elder Norton

"we basically got dropped into Sevilla with a map and a pat on the back........" (Sam)

Good Morning!

   We´re in Sevilla! And its amazing! Sevilla is the capital of Andalucía.. and its the biggest city in our mission. We went to Málaga on thursday to get our new trainees and then we basically got dropped into Sevilla with a map and a pat on the back........ :) Naaa actually the Zone Leaders helped us ton but its pretty crazy being dropped into a huge city with a new comp relying on your every step... Ha!

   My HIJO! His name is Elder M and he´s 

awesome! His father is from Mexico and his mom is from spain so he already speaks and understands like everything. He´s awesome! His spanish is a little rusty but his gonna learn really fast.. we´re pumped! We already get along well and we´ve set some good comp goals.

   I got one of the two packages before I left Alcoy and Elder Pascua called me and told me that the other one had arrived. He´s gonna take care of getting it to me.. no worries. :) I LOVE READING THE LETTERS EVERYDAY. They are the best! Thank you mom! Pssssssstt!... Mom... (whispered)... elder M´s birthday is the 16th. :) send him something if you can. A letter or something. It would mean the world to him!

 On Saturday, there was a baptism and we got to meet a bunch of members and stuff and yesterday we went to eat with a family in our ward They invited a bunch of friends and family over and we all ate together and when we finished they brought out an awesome cake with candles and everything! :) It was awesome! Prayers are answered mom! Haha I love that we are one big family here in the church. Everyone worries about everyone. We are 

constantly thinking about others. Its how Christ would want it to be.

 I´ll fill you in more on my comp and stuff another day.. our piso is alright. Its good and it was really clean when we got there. The ZLs are treating us well. :) Anyways, our new address is.......

         Elder Sam Norton

C/ Alcalde Juan Fernández

               #25, 8°C

           Sevilla 41005

                España

   Sorry this email has been a lot of nothing... Sevilla is awesome and next week I´ll be able to update you on a lot of people we´ll be working with.

 I love you all!

-Elder Norton