"And thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God" (Hilary) and photos!

Hi everyone! Love you all! 

Although I LOVE missionary work, 

I have to admit, I LOVE Mondays as well because I LOVE hearing from 

my family and friends. 

You are all the greatest!

Okay, last week was LOCA! We worked so hard and it was so rewarding. The divisions went really really well. I had a lot of fun with these sisters. I am learning from them and I hope I am helping them.

So, today/yesterday are "transfers" and Hermana Galdame is going to head back to her area now when she receives her new companion. Guess who else is going to be receiving a nuevita.... YO. Finally I am going to have an HIJA. I have finished the training of a couple missionaries, but never started the training, so I hope it turns out okay. I am excited. We'll see how it turns out with our assignment as sister leaders as well. It will be a lot of balancing and everything, but it should be cool. I am excited. I'll let you all know what happens this week.

Okay, usually I write down a list of all of the things I need to write about, but I forgot to this week. I apologize!

Dad, I love you and hope you are doing well!   Mom, I couldn't read all of your email yet, but how cool that you ran into that couple! Please ask her from what part of Quito!!! Maybe I can visit her family (the daughter that is still here...). Please send me a copy of your notes from all those classes! They all sound soooo good!!

I don't know what to do about BYU yet. I will probably talk to President next month... Don't want him to think I am trunky yet. And about housing. When Sam Harris was here we always said we were going to live together. But she might be getting engaged soon and from there who knows what will happen. Kenz said that there is a girl in her ward moving out for winter semester and she asked if I wanted her to save the spot for me. I know you are soo sooooo busy, but if there is a day you find yourself in Provo, can you go see what the apartment complex THE COLONY is like. I asked her what the girl's roommates are like. I might just want to choose a place when I get home, you know? It seems like there are always people rushing to get out in November/December when they get engaged/get a job/get an internship, etc. What do you think?

Sam, I have an investigator here that has lived in "las isla canarias" for ten years. I don't remember how to say that in English. What is the latest? I miss you. I didn't get any email this week. Hope you are doing well.

Okay, everything is great! I love being a missionary and I love MY mission. The most random things make me reflect and remember how happy I am and how grateful I am. SERIOUSLY SO BLESSED, ¿sí o qué?

Okay, love you all! Thanks again for everything! I am sending photos!

Sister Norton

          

"Choose to have a good week!" ( Hilary )

Beautiful Hermanas!

We didn't hear from Hilary this week but thanks to a couple of friends of hers I have these excerpts to share. 

The first is a little bit of an email from Sister Ghent, her mission president's wife:

Hello Sister Norton,

I just saw Hermana Norton this afternoon and she looked beautiful and is a mighty missionary.  President Ghent gave Hermana Norton the additional assignment of being a sister leader in the mission, so currently she is in a trio and being trained in that assignment.  Hermana Cantos, who is also wonderful, will be Hermana Norton´s companion when Hermana Cooper returns home this Tuesday.  As a sister leader Hermana Norton will attend the Mission Leadership Council meetings, travel and train the other hermanas in the mission.  This Saturday the mission will be divided, the Quito mission and the Quito North mission.  Hermana Norton will be in the Quito mission and President Richardson will be her new mission president.  We have great confidence in Hermana Norton.  She is so thoughtful too.  For Mothers Day she wrote me a beautiful note which meant a lot to me.  We will miss Hermana Norton, she is petite, yet she possess a mighty spirit which lights up a room.  She will continue to do great work for the Lord!

The second excerpt is what Hilary sent to a friend

My assignment consists of doing divisions with each companionship of sister missionaries to help them for a day and train them in what they might need. We help out with any problems and answers questions that the sisters have. It is a very broad assignment, me explico? Anyway, it's super cool and super fun and super exhausting and I love it.

Hermanas Harris and Norton

Ofelia Pusuqui is my new sector and my companion's names are Hermana Cooper (from Texas) and Hermana Cantos (from  Ecuador). They are so great! We are having so much fun. They are really sweet. This sector is literally the middle of the world. It is really hot in the day and really cold at night! Sam Harris started her mission here! Everyone talks about her, I love it! Hermana Harris had to go home sick a little while ago. I hope she is doing well. If you run into her tell her I love her!

Okay, we have an investigator who will be baptized soon who was living with the father of her daughter, but they aren't married. This is a huge problem everywhere.  Anyway, she wants to be baptized (he's already a member) so the other day we explained the law of chastity and the following day we visited them and he was living in a different house on that same property. They are great and both really want to keep the commandments. Saturday we were going to have a baptism, but it fell through. The font was full and everything. That is one of the most dreaded mission experiences and I thought I would make it through without that. R was going to be baptized but there was a whole bunch of opposition suddenly from her daughter and she called us saying she wouldn't be able to be baptized and that she was sick, etc... So sad! I hope we can help her out this week because she had already had her interviews with the district leader and with our mission president's counselor and everything and she was so sure! Pray for her! The good thing was that yesterday we did have a confirmation of a kid who got baptized with his mom and then hadn't ever gotten confirmed. It was like five weeks later, but hey! He had a huge change of heart and is really doing good now!

Be happy! Choose to have a good week!

Hermana Norton

"I am grateful every day for the privilege it is to be here ..." (Hilary)

December 1993

Dear blog friends,

Hilary was transferred from the Imbabura area to another area this past week. The last few days there were very difficult. She was very invested in the welfare of those great people and I think a piece of her heart is still there.  Please keep her in your prayers.

Joanna

 Dear Fam,

I love you. KNOW THAT EVERYTHING IS GOOD: I AM SAFE AND GOD IS WITH ME.

Love you all and hope you're all doing so well. We have had a lot of changes lately. 

President,

To begin with, I want to thank you for the opportunity I have been given to help finish training the Hermana Davila. Although it is hard to say goodbye, I am really looking forward to starting my time here and I am excited for the opportunity.

What happened Tuesday really threw me off for a little bit . Our leaders were explaining to us how we needed to move forward and not put attention on what had happened.  I can testify that when I am trying to do what I know God needs me to do, He is 100% willing to support me. He gave me strength and comfort and peace throughout the week, which is exactly what I was praying for. I think the whole experience has just helped me recognize how real God is, as well as the necessity of opposition.

Our numbers for this week weren't as high as we would have liked for them to be. In Imbabura I have found that the weight or responsibility of the missionaries is as much re-activating as it is working with investigators. I have really seen conversions in Imbabura (with converts as well as with members) and I think there is nothing as satisfying knowing that you are able to play a part in that. I am grateful every day for the privilege it is to be here and I want to keep working harder to deserve the confidence of my leaders, as well as my God, as a representative for this perfect church.

F. and L. were able to be confirmed yesterday; they live far from the chapel and have a lot of responsibilities Sundays. They have been waking up hours earlier than usual to finish they chores so they can attend church. After what happened last Sunday, I think they recognized even more the need to strive.

Yesterday in the morning we woke up at 5:30 to travel to a community where a few of our investigators with baptismal dates live. We arrived and did what we could to invite them to come to church. It is really disappointing to work really hard and do everything within our control and watch the members and investigators unwisely exercise their agency, but I guess it will give a little more perspective to life. Hermana Packard reminds me of what great training the mission is for parenting. I am grateful for the experiences and the lessons learned here in the mission.

I want to mention how grateful I am for the time I had with Hermana Marca. I don't know a single person that is more humble than her, nor anyone who tries harder to better themself every day. It was a privilege. She is a great missionary. I hope to be able to apply what I learned from her and pass it on to the members, investigators, and other missionaries.

Hermana Norton

Well, we had transfers, as I am sure you noted. I am finishing the training of Hermana Davila. She is great. I am a little nervous to be senior companion and to be training!!!!!!!!!! BUT. I am excited more than anything. Tuesday we are going to try to call at ten. My skype account is hermananorton or Hermana H. Norton. I put that I am in Ibarra Ecuador. Look me up and add me so that when I log on Tuesday I can accept your request and call at that moment. I love you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

PS. Got a couple packages and letters this week!
THANKS PATRICK!  LOVE YOU, ABBY.  WRITE ME, VERONICA.


This photo to the right was Christmas morning 1993. She looks pretty excited about seeing what Santa brought ... and who wouldn't be? 

* a "Beauty and the Beast" poster
* pink legos
* a Jasmine dress up set (from "Aladdin")
* a hot pink "Fashion flip phone"
* and "Barney" in the stocking ... oh wait ...
that's Mitch's stocking. What in the world was Santa thinking? Sorry, Mitch!

Joanna