"THANK YOU to every single one of you supporting the missionaries" (Sam)

Helllooo!

   Wow! What an amazing conference!!! I was SOAKING in every second of it! I filled like a thousand pages of notes in my notebook. The bummer is that with the time change, they don´t aire the Sunday afternoon session here in the capilla cuz it would start at 10 pm and end at 12-midnight....... :/// so we missed ELDER HOLLANDS TALK. Please please please send me a copy! Or even better, a copy of it on a CD. POR FAVOR.

   :) thanks mom. You always find the good things about me and my emails and teach me from my own letters. Thanks for what you said about me choosing to try the hard things. Often times I don´t really realize, but you always point out the good attributes in me and help me learn. I really enjoy translating. I love languages as well. I really really would like to learn at least one other language when I get home... and I don´t know how plausable this is but i would love to go live in france or germany or somewhere where they speak a language I don´t speak, just to go learn the langauge. I would love to learn french.

   I do play piano in the ward. Well I did. Elder Larios is basically mozart............ so when he got here we started switching off between the second counselor (the american that was out of town), elder Larios, and myself. I am little by little forgetting ALLL the other music I used to play. I´m gonna spend more time on the piano when I get home.

   FINALLY I HEAR SOMETHING ABOUT WILL MONTGOMERY. I have been wondering!! I wrote him a letter a while ago but I sent it to his house in georgia. They may not even live there anymore. Anyways, good for him. He´s so awesome. I spoke with him like one day for I went into the MTC. I was walking around some... like.. ´´Staples´´ I think it was.. buying pens and my backpack... and we talked on the phone. If you read this Will, WRITE ME A LETTER. :D....... plus will you teach me french when I get home???? :)

   Well, things are good here. I can get around fine in our area... but its tough cuz I don´t know PEOPLE..... Elder Blanch knew how to get around and he also could just be driving along and name 10 houses in any different town where less actives lived... or old investigators.. or members..... and I´m still kinda lost. We teach a lot of the same people as before but we are needing to branch out a little more to find more people and its difficult to do when you don´t know where anyone lives.. You can actually waste a lot more time than you think and a lot more GAS than you want looking for one family. :) We had a slower week.. we have been trying newer, different techniques for finding and they haven´t given fruit yet.. we´ll see!!

   I´m a little behind on writing people so I´m gonna close there. Sorry its been short, its whats on my mind. :)

   A couple things...... THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to every single one of you supporting me/us as missionaries. This is a difficult thing. The words of support. The prayer every night, the letter in the mail, the faithful tithing for our materials, IT IS MUCH APPRECIATED. Thank you.

   Thats all! Love you!
-Elder Norton

"I didn´t hear, THANKS TO MY DEEP SLEEPING, but my comp didn´t sleep a wink." (Sam)

Hello family and friends!

   What an awesome week! I hope you all had an enjoyable week and Easter as well.

   What´s new here in Spain and the mission field?? President visited our zone last week and we had an awesome meeting with the zones combined. I asked to translate.. :) which I ended up kind of shooting myself in the foot. I thought I was just going to translate Hermana Deere´s talk into Spanish for the natives here that don´t speak English but what ended up happening was that I translated that part to spanish and the rest of the meeting into english for this senior couple of missionaries. :) Hah it was fun though cuz it made me realize how BAD my english is right now. I was saying english words but putting it in spanish order and with spanish grammer.... ha! I need to practice both languages now!

   We have really great investigators right now that are very stable and have very bright futures... there are obstacles that  need to be overcome so they can be baptized...but, It is almost innevitable that they will all be baptized. How long? We don´t know.. Haha so we are all looking forward to this general conference and the fast sunday after for some direction and divine help.

   DAD. HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. Sorry to jump the gun.. :) I just won´t be able to email you on your birthday so i´ll send it to you now. Hey fill me in on the golf tourney that you played in when you were in italy!! I wanna hear how it went! Hey, Elder Olsen comes into the field next transfer I think... If not next transfer it will be the next. We´ll see where he goes and who he´ll be with. I´ll keep you updated.

 

Semana Santa in Spain

 The week of easter is CRAZY in spain!! Look up ´´semana santa´´ in google. It isn´t just a one day celebration. It is a week long celebration. Random fairs or circuses. Random bands walking through the streets at random hours of the day or night. I think thursday night every single person in spain was awake the entire night... they had a celebration and played drums and trumpets all night. I didn´t hear THANKS TO MY DEEP SLEEPING, but my comp didn´t sleep a wink. :(((( :D So anyways, its super crazy here. Look on the mission blog. Hermana Deere posted a couple pictures and some explainations of the week. We as a mission decided to really try to plan the week ahead of time.. so people were expecting our visits instead of trying to plan it as we went. That way people would be waiting for us instead of trying to ask them to make time during "Semana Santa". It worked well and we had a successful week. President Deere is extremely smart and very imspired.

   Our ward right now is a very small ward. In fact, it is the same size as a fairly large branch. The average attendance is like 55 people... Our second counselor, american btw, that is living with his family in spain for work, has been traveling europe with the fam this last three weeks. So I´ve been taking over teaching the young mens class. I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT. Yesterday was the last class i´ll teach and it was on the doctrine of Jesus Christ. I use the classes to prep the boys for their missions.. aka I make THEM teach ME... :) and then I tie it back to them to help them apply the lessons to their own lives. I LOVE TEACHING YOUTH.

   Sorry my memory card took a long time. I´m glad you enjoyed the photos.  And, keep going mama! Use this time wisely! You have the right to be ´´on vacation´´ right now. :) you need to recuperate so don´t let people expect you to do things! Relax and read the Book of Mormon or spanish. Everyone wishes they could have a ´´break´´ like you have right now. Relájate y disfruta. :)

   Tell all the one-year-older-than-me guys ´´hi and to go get married´´ -from elder norton. :)

   I love you all! Reread the story of Abinadi and recommit to having greater faith in the 

Lord´s will.

-Elder Norton

Mosiah 17: 20 And now, when Abinadi had said these words, he fell, having suffered death by fire; yea, having been put to death because he would not deny the commandments of God, having sealed the truth of his words by his death.

Don't know the story? CLICK HERE

"Don't let His suffering and death go in vain" (Sam)

HELLO FAMILIA,

   Woooah! Whole new look at the mission. Loving having my "child" or trainee and enjoying DL so far. I love working with people and being able to work with people and serve people and although no one has to wait till you have a calling to serve someone, I feel almost like a greater desire or a right or something to be able to serve the district. :) I´m excited.

   My new companion is awesome! His name´s Elder Larios and he´s from California. His mom´s from Mexico and his dad is from El Salvador so they speak spanish in their home. Its great to have a companion that speaks BOTH languages PERFECTLY. :) It takes a little load off your back. We are teaching well together and actually finding a lot of great people to work with. We are helping the Gospel to become part of these people´s lives and that is what I love. We were working with two investigators the other day, E and F, with a member there as well. They (investigators) said.. "We feel weird now when we don´t pray before bed or when we´re not in church on Sunday. I often find myself just reading the Book of Mormon now."  :D Soo great! F has a fecha for the 21 of april. He´s rreeeeeally looking for his answer. Pray for him. and E please.

   I sent the memory card home. Sorry it took so long.

   We are loving the area and the car! We were playing basketball and soccer today in the stake center in Sevilla with a bunch of elders and when we finished up we all walked outside and everyone started walking away and we got in our car......... O.o :D so great! We sat down and my comp was like... "We´re so blessed to have a car"  :) and then we high fived. Hahah  and Aljarafe actually has very little south americans or people from other countries. Its almost aaaaall Spanish and I love it. You just have live their culture. You have to live it and eat it and speak it. :) Its fun.

   Thanks everyone for your emails and whatnot. Love hearing from you all. I will write you all back!

   ADAM. Keep tearin it up on the court or on the field or whereever you are. :).. but don´t tear it up when you read the scriptures..... you´d really regret that later. :)

   I´m good on camera cards mom. The camera I have only takes the little ´´mini´´ cards and I have a converter thing so I'm good. For example, I moved all the photos and videos from the little mini card to the card that I sent home to you guys no problem so we´re good.

   Anyways, its been short and swe...... not even that sweet. :) Love you all!

   Don´t forget, this week especially, that Jesus Christ, 

your older brother, died for you. 

Don´t let His suffering and death go in vain. 

Spend a little more time on your knees tonight to demonstrate your gratitude and to ponder on the things the Atonement can change for you. 
Repentance is Change. Change every day.

-Elder Norton

Watch this beautiful EASTER message    

“Forever—is composed of Nows.” (Sam)

Hello everybody back home!

   The mission´s great. Another transfer just ended yesterday although it feels like I started a week ago. President Deere called to fill us in on whats going on in this area. Elder Blanch is all packed up and pumped to see his family. He´s made soooo many people cry here. They love him in this area! They tried to plan a surprise goodbye party through me and he kinda figured out..... D:.. haha go figure.. we´re together 24/7... but we pretended like he didn´t know and it turned out suuuper good! They were all really excited. You´ll see all the pictures on the camera card I send home (still haven´t sent it yet WOW. SORRY. Its at the TOP TOP of my to do list) from my NEW CAMERA. I bought a new camera and went a little bit up to get a good quality one. I´m really pleased. Thanks for chipping in. I actually have desires to take pictures now cuz they turn out well. :) We´ll be able to enjoy them for the rest of forever.

   Real quick. My international drivers thing expires the 21st of april. If you could get another that would be awesome. Whenever you can.

   Mom, don´t worry about the surgery. :) Instead of counting down the days till you´re better, use this time as a hard core study of the Book of Mormon or Spanish. That will help you keep your mind off of getting better. Set an awesome goal and then IMMERSE yourself in trying to achieve it. How lucky you are to have 6 weeks to accomplish an awesome goal! That´s what peolpe wish for! :)

   I´m out of time. I love you! Thank you for the quote mom!

Oh... :) I'm training again and I was called as District Leader. :) I´m really excited to serve! BYE!
-Elder Norton

 

Thursday March 28, 2013 will be the one year mark or "The Middle" of Elder Norton's full-time mission in Malaga Spain. During that one year he has lived in 7 places: Provo Utah Mission Training Center, Madrid Spain Mission Training Center, Huercal-Overa Spain, Malaga Spain, Alcoy Spain, Sevilla Spain, and Aljarafe Spain.

Keep up the good work, Sammy!

Always in the Middle

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

By many world calendars, July marks the middle of the year. While the beginnings and endings of things are celebrated and remembered, the middle of things often goes unnoticed.

Beginnings are times for making resolutions, for creating plans, for bursts of energy. Endings are times for winding down and may involve feelings of completion or loss. But with the proper outlook, considering ourselves as in the middle of things can help us not only to understand life a little better but also to live it a little more meaningfully.

The Middle of Missionary Work

When I speak to our young missionaries, I often tell them they are in the middle of their missions. Whether they just arrived the day before or are to depart for home the day after, I ask them to think of themselves as always being in the middle.

New missionaries may feel they are too inexperienced to be effective, and so they delay speaking or acting with confidence and boldness. Seasoned missionaries who are close to completing their missions may feel sad their missions are coming to a close, or they may slow down as they contemplate what they will do after their missions.

Whatever the circumstances and wherever they serve, the truth is that the Lord’s missionaries are daily sowing countless seeds of good tidings. Thinking of themselves as always being in the middle of their missions will embolden and energize these faithful representatives of the Lord. As it is with full-time missionaries, so it is with all of us.

We Are Always in the Middle

This change in perspective is more than a simple trick of the mind. There is a sublime truth behind the idea that we are always in the middle. If we look at our location on a map, we are tempted to say we are at a beginning. But if we look more closely, wherever we are is simply in the middle of a larger place.

As it is with space, so it is with time. We may feel we are at the beginning or end of our lives, but when we look at where we are against the backdrop of eternity—when we realize that our spirit has existed for time beyond our capacity to measure and, because of the perfect sacrifice and Atonement of Jesus Christ, that our soul will exist for an eternity to come—we can recognize that we are truly in the middle.

Recently I felt impressed to redo the headstone on my parents’ grave. Time had not been kind to the grave site, and I felt that a new headstone would be more fitting for their exemplary lives. When I looked at the birth dates and death dates on the headstone connected by the usual insignificant little dash, this small symbol of a lifespan suddenly filled my mind and heart with an abundance of rich memories. Each of these treasured memories reflects a moment in the middle of my parents’ lives and in the middle of my life.

Whatever our age, whatever our location, when things occur in our lives, we are always in the middle. What’s more, we will forever be in the middle.

The Hope of Being in the Middle

Yes, there will be moments of beginnings and moments of endings throughout our lives, but these are only markers along the way of the great middle of our eternal lives. Whether we are at the beginning or the end, whether we are young or old, the Lord can use us for His purposes if we simply set aside whatever thoughts limit our ability to serve and allow His will to shape our lives.

The Psalmist says, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we [should] rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Amulek reminds us that “this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors” (Alma 34:32; emphasis added). And a poet muses, “Forever—is composed of Nows.”¹

Being always in the middle means that the game is never over, hope is never lost, defeat is never final. For no matter where we are or what our circumstances, an eternity of beginnings and an eternity of endings stretch out before us.

We are always in the middle.