"Hmmmm i´m gonna keep pondering it." (Sam)

Hello! 

Happy Birthday Mama!! I´m glad you got my letter! :) I figured that just having sent you a letter for mother´s day and having just talked on skype, that you´d have heard enough of my words. :P I´m glad you enjoyed the letter.

While its on my mind, can you send me Elder Holland's talk from conference on a cd? and his talk from grandpa's funeral. Keep me updated on the mission calls from the ward and stake!  Dad! Tu eres un máquina! teach adam well! we´ll go play that fathers and sons tournament! :)   

Oh yeah.......... forgot to tell you guys...... President called me on friday................ O.o....... YEAH.

   We are in the middle of the transfer right now and he called me and asked me if I would be the mission financial clerk.... I leave wednesday for Fuengirola and will be working the mission office in the mornings with the mission secretary as my companion and the two APs in my district.. :D :D:D I´m really excited but tired of "despedidas" (goodbyes)... oh well.. thats the mission right? Elder Larios and Elder Vergara have got this place memorized and under control. I feel very good leaving it in their hands.

   My new address is just the mission office address. 

   Paseo Jesús Santos Reín #2, 3ºD-E

      29640 Fuengirola (Málaga)

                ESPAÑA

   Quick update... Things are great! The ward had great attendance this week including 4 investigators. Really great feeling and spirit there in the church. Its amazing how much investigators can progress in 3 short hours in the church. When we, the members, have true, pure desires to teach the doctrine and help the people, the spirit is felt and the investigators learn and progress. I´m excited to see what happens in this area in the next transfer or two.

   I don´t know if there is some message I have to learn or if there is some purpose behind all of this but I feel like a plant A LOT in my areas... and then just cuz of circumstances in the mission, I have to leave before I can really harvest. The truth is that it doesn´t really matter WHO harvests.... but I do wonder sometimes the reasons why i´m sent to help people FIND the path but that i´m not allowed to be there when they reach baptism... Hmmmm i´m gonna keep pondering it.

   I Love my mission! I am learning so much! Our awesome zone leaders put together a great zone meeting last wednesday and taught us to pray always! Literally! They gave us little stickers to put on our watches so that every time we look at our watch, we see a little sticker that says ORAR.

-Let God guide you. Let God teach you. Speak with Him always. Ask Him for answers and help in situations that you have never asked Him before. You will be surprised at how much He helps and how much closer you feel to Him.

I love you all! Thank you all for you support! See you all soon!

-Elder Samuel THE LAMANITE Norton

To listen to or read Elder Holland's talk

 "Lord, I Believe"

CLICK HERE

"Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever 

fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe."

"Never feel you are too unworthy to pray" (Hilary)

Hi, Family,

 The week has been super eventful. I have so much I want to write, but the next Monday will have to do. Like I said, I am so sorry that I can't write much. Thanks to everyone who wrote! I love you all so much! I saw that you mentioned something, Mom, about more clothes. Don't worry about sending it at this moment. I will write more Monday. Please tell Adam that I am praying for him. Tell him to be strong in every moment. Also, please have Mitch write me. I haven't heard anything about NJ. I love you so much. THank you for listening to the Spirit in every moment. Mom, I am going to send you something really cool. Study a lot of the talks by Elder Scott. Almost always talks about revelation and inspiration and the Holy GHost.

Please pray for me and for my companion and for this work! 

Hermana Norton

Since Hilary didn't have much time to write I thought I'd share this message from Elder Richard G. Scott, who she had referenced.

How to Pray and Seek Answers

Prayer is a gift of our Father in Heaven to every soul. Prayer is most effective when we strive to be clean and obedient, with worthy motives, and are willing to do what He asks. Humble, trusting prayer brings direction and peace.

Don’t worry about your clumsily expressed feelings. Just talk to your compassionate, understanding Father. You are His precious child whom He loves perfectly and wants to help. As you pray, recognize that Father in Heaven is near and He is listening.

A key to improved prayer is to learn to ask the right questions. Consider changing from asking for the things you want to honestly seeking what He wants for you. Then as you learn His will, pray that you will be led to have the strength to fulfill it.

Should you ever feel distanced from our Father, it could be for many reasons. Whatever the cause, as you continue to plead for help, He will guide you to do that which will restore your confidence that He is near. Pray even when you have no desire to pray. That is when you most need to pray. Never feel you are too unworthy to pray.

Often when we pray for help with a significant matter, Heavenly Father will give us gentle promptings that require us to think, exercise faith, work, at times struggle, then act. It is a step-by-step process that enables us to discern inspired answers.

His answers will seldom come while you are on your knees praying, even when you may plead for an immediate response. Rather, He will prompt you in quiet moments when the Spirit can most effectively touch your mind and heart. You should find periods of quiet time to recognize when you are being instructed and strengthened. Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes.

It is so hard when sincere prayer about something you desire very much is not answered the way you want. The Savior taught, “Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you” (D&C 88:64; emphasis added). At times it is difficult to recognize what is best or expedient for you over time.

You are asked to look for an answer to your prayers. Obey the Master’s counsel to “study it out in your mind” (D&C 9:8). Often you will think of a solution; as you seek confirmation that your answer is right, help will come. It may be through your prayers, or as an impression of the Holy Ghost, and at times by the intervention of others.

An important aspect of prayer is gratitude. When we contemplate the incomparable gift of prayer and the limitless blessings that flow from it, honest appreciation fills our mind and heart to overflowing with thanksgiving.

Learn more about Elder Scott HERE

"Food update: Cow tongue, Chicken heart and "Igado" ... which, I have yet to find in my dictionary" (Hilary)

Dear Family,

Happy Monday afternoon. I hope you're all doing well. What are you up to? It's really warm here in Ibarra; I feel like it's a July afternoon.

It has been a long, crazy, eventful week. Admittedly, the first in my mission when the thoughts, "Ah, what a long week," and "I want to be at home" have crossed my mind. But don't worry. I am doing well. I promise I don't want to leave. There is waaayyyy too much to do here and I have not made a dent in this work. I like the line in the hymn "Come, Come Ye Saints" that says something about how 'Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? Tis not so!' The other day I read all the talks from the Women's General Conference session of October. They are so incredibly powerful! I was on an emotional/spiritual high after reading all that. Just crying like a baby. But one Sister talks about how incredible some of the women pioneers were that had to bury their children in a bread box on the side of the trail and keep pushing forward. THAT is hard. I could never. Every day I realize more and more how weak I am. God has a good eternal perspective. That's why he sent me to such an easy life, knowing that even though I've got it made, I'd struggle and stumble.

We are working with D., who has really seen a huge change since he began attending church. He has a lot of family problems, but he is making the changes and giving a really great example for his family. He was telling us the other day about a notebook he bought for himself. He has been writing down his mistakes and sins on one side of a sheet and the commandments on the other to remind himself. The other day he was worrying because when he prays at night he often opens his eyes to read the list of the things he has to repent of, because he says often he forgets. I am really happy to see that he has recognized the real happiness of living in the world, but not of it.

We are working with D.'s cousins, who immediately accepted the baptismal invitation. They are really smart and are really intune with the spirit. We taught them Lesson 1 and the following day we shared with them the short video of the restauration. Afterward, the hermana explained that although it was "interesting and new" what she saw in the video, she admitted she felt something in her chest confirming it. It was a really neat moment for us to be able to teach about the Holy Ghost. They are working on getting married so that they can be baptized.

Food update: Cow tongue, Chicken heart and "igado" ... which, I have yet to find in my dictionary. Could someone translate that for me? Thanks.

Some members here are wondering the following: How much is BYU tuition (undergrad and grad school) for members that are from foreign countries (i.e. Ecuador). Can you also let me know about that as well?

H. N. 

"igado" - a delicacy made up of pork tenderloin, liver, heart and kidney 


To read or listen to the Women's General Relief Society Meeting click HERE then scroll down