"I´m singing bass even though I should probably be in the tenors.... I just try to burp when we get to that low F part" Catching up with our Elder Sammy! and PHOTOS!

I'm a little behind with my blogging….

but, Elder Norton has had a great couple of weeks so 

take a minute and get caught up on his latest happenings!

Elder Norton with companions and friends from the ward

November 30, 2013

Hello! Hope you all had a very happy thanksgiving!

Both last year and this year I´ve been blessed to be in Málaga or the málaga area for thanksgiving. Last year we were having a conference on like the day before thanksgiving and one of the elders in málaga sorta assigned himself to organize a HUGE thanksgiving feast.. so the conference happened and then there was a feast after. This year, Hermana Deere kind of headed it up and organized a big thing. It turned out really well and there was a lot of food! Haha after, we (about 30 elders and president) went outside to a little tiny park down behind the back of the church and played a game of football. :D You HAVE to meet president someday. He is incredible. Spiritual, inspiring, friendly, etc... but when he doesn´t control it, his Jr. High Football Coach side comes out a little bit... :P so we´d huddle up and he was calling this great plays left and right! "You two line up on the left, and create a hole here. Elder, your find the hole they make and run a buttonhook. Turn around and I´ll hit you there...." :) or "Alright, Listen. Where´s my tall man? Elder bird! We need a first down. Run straight up the middle 6 yards. Eeeelder Crapo aaand elder turley, be there and you´re going to put your hands down at his knee level. He´ll step into your hands and you´ll lift him up as high as you can and I´m gonna throw it to him! BREAK!" :D Hahah best one by far those was a handoff to Annie, his 17 year old daughter. He handed it off to her and then yelled at the top of his lungs "DON´T TOUCH HER!!!" Hahaha she ran straight in for a touchdown. :P The Turkeybowl lives on. EVEN IN SPAIN.

So good to hear about your missionary work with your friend! Please keep me posted. Love the idea of doing a FHE with her. Be sure to play games! As silly as that sounds, the spirit is just as easily felt by being with pure and happy people than it is by learning pure and happy doctrine. Be the normal fun smiley you and she´ll feel the spirit.

As for a quick update of the mission, lots is going on. So, I´m going to try to give a quick update. Big picture, and personal.

Over the last 8ish months, the mission numbers have gone from 100 to right now we are at 231. About 90% of the areas have more than one companionship.. and about 80% percent of the areas have both elders and hermanas. I came into the office about 6 and a half months ago and since then have seen almost every single missionary in the entire mission. Between ZL and Sister trainers trainings, District Leader trainings, missionaries coming in to pick up their new companions, and the influx of 130 MORE missionaries. I personally know Every Single Missionary in the mission. We did some numbers the day before yesterday and with the tentative data we have right now, we are estimating a net drop of about 4 missionaries in the next 5 months... which means that Elder Flint, the new financiero may not rent one apartment during his time here. He´ll actually be CANCELING some. Hahah funny how that works....... During my time here, everyone (EVERYONE) has at least been transferred once. I am currently the missionary with the longest amount of time in my area. :P Some missionaries have been transferred twice and I think one or two have moved three times while i´ve been here. haha the members are starting to get suspicious... hah. The 4 missionaries that were supposed to go home at the start of January have been moved up to the middle of the transfer, the 12th of december, to be able to go home before Christmas. I´ll be leaving the office on that date too. They are all in trios right now, which was smart planning on president´s part, but I can now safely guess that my next companionship with be a threesome as well... cuz there won´t be any holes. When I get to this new area (don´t know where yet), I´ll have 2 and half transfers left and it will almost surely be my last area. WEIRD. I´ll probably see both of my companions leave, and the companion that comes will take over they area when I go home. I did the math and I´ll have been in 7 areas and had 16 companions. That´s a lot of both. Haha

Thats the update for now! I gotta head out.  

Love you all! See you soon enough! I´m puuumped for Christmas SKYPE TIME.

Élder Norton

P.S. I´m excited to come home and SHOW each of you how much I love you. 

Peace and plenty here abide,

Smiling sweet on every side,
Time doth softly, sweetly glide,
When there’s love at home.

Elder Norton with friends

********************************************************************

December 7, 2013

Hi everybody!

This last week has been great. I feel like I say that every week. I love my mission.

   I´ve actually been thinking a lot about my mission lately. I´ll be completely honest with you all. Its been kinda tough recently with my current situation. (every single missionary could say that right at this moment. Lots of tough things in the mission).. I think it has to do with my somewhat extended stay/long amount of time in the office... cuz I feel very stagnant right now. I know its coming to a close and that the office work is super important, but this last week I´ve been thinking about that so that´s what I´m writing about. Its fun cuz I get to see the future secretaries of the mission really settling in and learning but "training" someone to take your spot just puts you in the weird awkward spot. Haha the old AP (they´re in a three some right now) and I call ourselves/president started calling us the "lame ducks" :P thought that was clever. Elder Bird, the AP thats going home leaves midweek this week, which was the original date that I was going to leave the office. Like I mentioned earlier, Elder Castillo talked to president and changed my date just a little so I could come to the concert. :D I´ll be leaving the office I think next saturday or sunday. Don´t know where I´m goin yet! :\

 So, about the christmas concert. A choir of missionaries is being put together for an annual christmas concert that´s held in the granada stake center. I guess missionaries don´t usually perform but they asked for a huge group this year and Elder Castillo and his wife have headed it up. We have a group of like 40 missionaries from

Fuengirola, Málaga, Almería, and Granada that are all practicing 4 or 5 different christmas songs, all in english, to perform them in Granada in a week. There´s that triple quartet that´s gonna perform too. Total of like 12 people, 3 of each singing part. Its gonna be a blast. Hah I´m singing bass even though I should probably be in the tenors. They needed bass.. guess I´m gonna have to stretch a little.. we get down to a low F... :\ or maybe I should say THEY get down to a low F... I just try to burp when we get to that part cuz its the only way I can get down. :)

   The hike was good today. After, we came back to the church grounds and played some soccer and basketball on the court/parking lot.

   Don´t worry about the packages. They´ll get here. And if not before I leave, the Castillos are planning on (THEY ARE THE BEST) doing a "mission tour" as they call it, and just drive everywhere basically just a couple days before Christmas and drop off the packages to everyone that hasn´t gotten theirs yet. Haha so don´t worry. Funny side-note about packages and working in the office. Everyone sends packages to the mission office... which works... its not the greatest way to do it.... cuz technically the person that is receiving the package has to be there to present the package....... :\ but the mail people know us now.. but anyways. Our numbers have gone up to 229 missionaries. There is a family behind each one of those missionaries......... and you can imagine the mail company (called correos) when they start receiving ridiculous amounts of packages all for the same office building. Haha its been hilarious cuz Elder Flint and I had to run to Correos one day to send some stuff and when they saw us they were like.. "Oh yes!! You´re here! DO YOU HAVE A CAR??? Look how many packages we´ve received for you guys!!" and they wheel out a full grocery cart and another smaller cart full of them.... We went back to the office with like 16 packages all addressed to OTHER PEOPLE. Good thing we´re really charitable and didn´t open them and eat all the candy....... O.o So hah needless to say, its been fun cuz every day the mailman comes with another cart of boxes... I think he´s getting pretty ticket actually cuz they´re probably paying him the same as the mail-lady for the next block. :P

   Good to hear that Adam is playing what he loves. I loved and will love hanging out with him again and it makes me happy that he is excelling in basketball. (HEY adam, I was shooting today and am totally off. HELP ME with my three when I get home alright???)

   Last couple of things. Tell the Rice family I love them (I HOPE YOU´RE READING THIS ANYWAYS) and that Jennica will be in my prayers. Also, mom, I read your story. Love it. I love that it started with one who many would see as less capable. Good for him. Lastly, my release date is the 2nd of April. I obviously don´t really know that much yet but usually people fly out thursday mornings. I´ll probably leave here (málaga) thursday (3rd or april) morning at like 4am here. Pretty sure notification papers will be sent withing the next monthish or two maybe.

Love you All!!

Élder Norton

"Don´t have as much time … but its for a great reason! (Sam)

Hey!!

Don´t have as much time as I wish.. :\ but its for a great reason!

A year ago when I was serving in Málaga with Elder Núñez, we taught and baptized D and R (you might remember the names) from Ecuador and Uruguay. In their apartment there was another ecuatorian lady named M that started listening and was almost baptized the same day that D and R were. She ended up backing out and the area was split right then and Elder Núñez and his companion continued teaching her. Well she never got baptized and ended up moving back to Ecuador. A little while back, the Elders in my old area told me she was back (in Spain) and they were teaching her again. Then like 4 or 5 days ago they called and said. She´s getting baptized this saturday and I get to perform the baptism!  :O............ WOOO! So today's the baptism and it starts at 6 in Málaga.

Now, I wouldn´t be in so much of a hurry cuz theoretically we could just drive in quick....... buuuut..... we can´t get into the parking garage where our car is cuz we locked the clicker in the car. The castillos have a clicker but their traveling right now so we have to wait till tonight late late when they get back before we can get it out...... SOOOO... we have to take the subway train thing into malaga and we have to catch it at 5. Innnnnnn and hour and 7 minutes.

Quick update. The castillos are bringing my replacement in tonight! Elder Flint! COULD NOT BE MORE HAPPY WITH ELDER FLINT. I´ll tell you more about him later but I am really really excited and actually relieved to be passing my position over to Elder Flint. Great guy.

Mmmmmmmm can´t think of the other things.. Oh it was soo great to see those pictures of you with Hilary! Tell her that I love her and that she should write me an email. :)

Love you!

Élder Norton

ps. Dad and Adam, I watched the video you sent me of Adam shooting hoops probably a hundred times. Ask my comp. I just put in on repeat. YOU´RE LIKE A LITTLE BALLER. I´m starting to get a little worried about that in´n´out bet we made over skype when we talked for mothers day. Adam, ¿¿¿recuerdas??? Love you guys!

What are YOU thankful for? 
Did your blessings made this list?

"we can't ever lose faith" (Hilary)

mustard seed ...

mustard tree!

Dear Mom, and Dad, and Mitch, and Jennica, and Sam, and Adam, (and of course Branson, Caden, and Sienna, who cannot read)

How are you all? I hope you are doing so well. I hope every day you are becoming better people and I hope that you all recognize how blessed we are. I hope you can always see and feel God's hand in your life. And I hope you never lose faith, because without faith we're nothing. We can't ever lose faith.

I am excited to write you. It is always the best part of my p-day for some reason. Today has been SO fun. This morning we played basketball and soccer with the other companionship of sister missionaries that are pretty close and with a few sisters from one of our wards. It was so so great. So much needed. We played for about two hours and I don't know if we got more exercise by playing or by laughing. Hermana Marca is super athletic. At first we were all laughing because the rest of us are so so. But by the end, I was stealing the ball from her. Haha it was really great, and I think the mission is super great for girls because it causes us to drop our barriers and just love and be friends with everyone (something that does not come naturally for girls). Anyway, before the mission (I can't believe I am using that phrase) I didn't ever have the desire to play sports. But since the Lima MTC I have really fallen in love with playing. When we get home I want to be able to play with Sam and Adam (and Mitch, when we are in the same lugar). I will start practicing more to prepare myself.

So speaking of getting sick, I too caught a bug this week. Actually, I think I ate something that my stomach didn't agree with. Tuesday I woke up super sick and spent the day throwing up, including on the bus. The bus worker was super upset. Ha. SORRY. Didn't want to do it. Anyway, we were traveling to Gualsaqui, where L lives, and I started throwing up so we got off the bus and this sweet little indigenous lady came running over to us talking in Kichwa. Hermana Marca understands a little Kichwa because it is a little similar to the native languages in Bolivia. Well, the little lady gave us some advice on what to do when you are pregnant and sick...  super hilarious. All of the community (sp?) knows though and they are all very concerned, so that was sweet. Ha. And speaking of health, the cures and solutions here are super hilarious. A few examples: whenever anyone has a cold, everyone says they need to wrap a scarf around their waist/lower back. Tuesday a few members gave me water with oregano and told me to bathe myself with cold water mixed with weeds... And Hermana Marca told me that I probably got sick because I slipped in mud Monday... Okay. Yesterday Hermana Marca told a member that jammed their finger playing basketball that they need to put some part of a cow testicle on it overnight. A recent convert, L, also has cancer. When it gets bad, they give her a vitamin mix to drink... An elder was telling me about an experience he had recently with a doctor... I just don't know how much I trust the medics down here! So.. in response to your comment on M.. we are praying it some mistake that they diagnosed her with breast cancer. 

So, yesterday was a really great Sunday. To be completely honest, Sundays are tough here in the mission. But yesterday was golden and an answer to a million prayers. God sends us trials to test our faith. We have been working really hard here in our sector and this past week a few things fell through and I was left sincerely pondering on what more I need to do to earn God's help. Saturday my hope was hanging on a string. But Sunday was exactly what I needed. Sometimes Sundays here are hard because 1. in our wards, I don't understand the meetings in Kichwa, and 2. attending church seems to be the hardest commitment for some investigators to follow through with. But yesterday was a really important Sunday for me because one of our bishops gave a talk that was exactly what I needed to hear. It was really amazing. One of those moments where you just want to say, "Thank you for following that prompting you received to talk on that, because it was the way God answered my prayer and addressed my need." Also, Saturday I had been wondering where all of the people Heavenly Father had prepared for us were. When we had that training meeting the other week, I found a lot of comfort in the message that there are certain people here that are prepared and they are who we are looking for. I was really praying to know why we weren't finding them. Sunday he sent two our way. I am constantly reminding myself to have more patience and confidence in God's timescale.

This morning I found a lot of comfort reading in Mosiah 4. I especially loved verses 9-12. My goal this week is to stand steadfast in my faith in Christ, no matter what happens.

Mom, I know you just sent me a whole bunch of packages, but I have been wanting to ask you for something more. I really would like two or three pair of skin colored, patterned tights. All the skin color tights here are 1. not my skin color and 2. plain. And, they just aren't cute. But I really need tights because my legs are covered in bug bites still. Anyway, I used to have some that were like fishnet, do you remember? Don't send fishnet, but like stripes or zig zags or some design like that. Thank you! I love you!

Adam, I love you. Don't worry that you can't write much. I hope you are enjoying all that you're reading.

I am so glad you all had such a great time in Cali for Thanksgiving! We didn't do anything here in the mission, (for Thanksgiving) but I did remind everyone we taught Thursday to be grateful. And Wednesday a few really nice people helped us out in little tiny ways and it made me think that perhaps that was my Thanksgiving gift. It was just what I needed.

Tell Stacie I say congrats. She is so great. She will be a really powerful missionary!

I love that you are playing Charlie Brown Christmas music on the piano Mom! I love that movie. And the Christmas music is my favorite. Christmas will be interesting here in the mission; it is a week after transfers. I hope it is great.

Dad, I love hearing about your BYU ward. And tell them all I say congratulations!

Oh, by the way, I sent some stuff your way! Please tell me when you get it! There is a package coming, but it is pretty light. The gifts are for Christmas. The letters for as soon as you get the package. 

ÑUKA KANKUNATA JUYANY
Hermana Norton

"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"

"when I say "Thank you," there is much more to it than just those eight little letters." (Hilary)

Dear family,

I love you all so much and am so extremely thankful for you in my life. I love to give thanks, but sometimes I hesitate because I know I can't express what I want to. But (I received the November package, thanks Mom :)) feeling gratitude and not expressing thanks is like wrapping a present and not giving it. Every second of every day I feel grateful for my family and friends. Know that when I say "Thank you," there is much more to it than just those eight little letters. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Okay, we had an eventful week and I am so excited to be able to write you all and tell you about it.

So, to begin with, here is part of my letter to President.

We have spent a lot of time in this transfer, as well as the last, with an investigator, L, who has progressed so much. His life has changed so much and he is so much happier. His baptism was planned for Saturday, but Thursday he told us he wouldn't be baptized (This might have been one of the saddest moments of my mission. I cried in front of him, which I really didn't want to do, but couldn't help.). He said he enjoys reading the Book of Mormon and will keep attending church and he promises the change in habits will last, but he says it isn't yet time to be baptized. It is not something he has ever wanted to do. When he told us all this, we were heartbroken. It was a moment I took to really reflect on what I am doing here and the purpose of my mission. We did everything we could, and continue to help him, but we are now waiting on the Lord's timing and L's willingness to obey completely.

Once again, this week we found a few people who seemed to be amazing investigators. Only a little later did we realize that they are already members (who somehow hadn't remembered that they had been baptized into the church until a member reminded them). It is neat to be able to work with them though, and bring them back to the church. I have a firm testimony that we can achieve the greatest amount of happiness when we base our lives on the principles of the Gospel of our Savior.

F and L are two children of an older couple that we contacted. When we visited them, a family member of theirs reminded them that they (the parents) had already been baptized. They told us that Sunday that had to build a bathroom (They have been living without a bathroom for years after some natural disaster or something. [Sorry, still have a few small holes in my understanding with the language barrier]) and couldn't attend church, so Saturday we helped them with that so that they would have time to attend Sunday. The ward was extremely warm and receptive and F and L are really looking forward to being baptized.

Cool. Okay, so to respond to a few things, Dad, tell Michael Kimball I say hi! Of course I remember him. We were in Missionary Prep together. He is a good kid. Also, I am looking forward to reading your talks. But, did someone record it? Because, I want to hear it, too. I know I am asking a lot. And, Dad, know that your mansion in los cielos is getting better and better every day. I have always been really impressed by your humility and willingness to do all that is required of you. Thanks for your example.

Mom, don't worry. You are not sending too little, never worry about that. I love receiving packages and letters from home and Hermana Marca tells me that it helps me keep going, so much good comes from it.

Okay, how cool that The District is going to be a TV show. I can't wait to watch. Yes, missionary work is so incredibly hard. Outside of the mission it is not something you can comprehend. But. It's important. It's what God asks us to do.

So, the other day we knocked on M's door and she answered crying. She has been super sick lately and finally the doctors told her she has breast cancer. What I have learned I guess is I really am able to see how God blesses us with trials and challenges that really match our capacity to withstand. M is the strongest teenage girl I have ever met and she is sure that God will help her along the way. She has really had some amazing experiences. I admire her a lot.

So funny side story. There is an hermano here in one of our wards that is so great. He has a car and drives us around to a few of our appointments that are really far away where there are no buses. He always teases me about his brother who goes to BYU. Anyway, yesterday we were visiting his family because his dad is the bishop and we were having a little meeting with him to really figure out how we can work more effectively with the ward members. We are in their home talking with the bishop when we hear the Skype sounds going off on their computer (that they recently just got, along with internet access). For the first time since 2006 they were able to see and talk to their son. Anyway, he lives in King Henry and was talking a lot about Utah. It was a really weird moment for me. I got a little wierded out thinking about it/listening. But it was good, because I realized there is no part of me that wants to be anywhere but in the mission.

Okay, well time to go. But I am still waiting to see pictures of Caden's birthday party. I hope you all have a good time in California this week as a family. I love you all. Happy Thanksgiving! I will pray for your investigators, Sam. Please pray for mine!

ADAM I LOVE YOU.

H. Norton