"Are you from here ... Spain?" (Sam)

Wooooah!!! Hello!

   The mission is a big whirlwind right now! So many new missionaries and soo many changes.. its awesome! There´s a picture on the blog of all the missionaries that are serving in Málaga right now and they are like all missionaries that weren´t even there when I was there! Its crazy how fast changes happen and how in 4 or 5 months all the missionaries that we in one city can be changed out.

   Elder Jones, my papa in the mission, was serving as Zone Leader in Sevilla when I got there.. I don´t know if I mentioned that earlier.. so that was super fun to see him again, but there there were other mid transfer changes cuz of new missionaries getting the mission so he left..... TO MÁLAGA. :) Kinda fun. He´s in the area of malaga that is right next to my old area. He´s zone leader there right now... and then right after he left, I left too... hah.. I will be honest... it stinks getting changed so much! Haha cuz its hard to really help people make changes in their lives in 3 weeks, or 5 weeks..... but, its not hard to get close to them and to start a good friendship with them.. so my last two areas have been... arrive, get to know all the members, memorize all their names, visit their houses, get to know all the investigators, look and look and look and find new people, start to explain them about the church.. and then get pulled out........ and have to say goodbye to everyone........ :\.. BUT! If we are obedient, and this happens, we know we´ve done all we could. I just hope something I have said or done has at least made a little difference in the lives of the amazing people I´ve met. I could honestly do this my entire life.

   I got a huuuuge compliment yesterday!!! WOW I was flipping out! Yesterday, we went and visited this member that wasn't in church to check up and see if there was something we could do. She is an older woman and her husband is older as well and very sick. Turns out her granddaughter was sick and she couldn´t leave the both of them home sick and come to church, which is understandable... but anyways, when we first walked in, she started to just talk talk talk with my comp, Elder Blanch, (EVERYONE HERE ADORES HIM) and so I was pretty quiet for the first 15ish minutes before we could even have a prayer or share a message.. so anyways, we just there listening and listening. Then we said, ´´alright well can we have a prayer and share a message?´´ And she was like ´´ohh sure! ummmm lets see.... how bout your new companion. Can he give us the prayer?´´ talking to Elder Blanch (like I wasn´t going to be able to understand her or something... :) gotta love it ) so he was like... "sure." So, I say the prayer, say this, that, the other...  and then I end the prayer and the first thing she says when she lifts her head up from the prayer is... ´´¿Tú eres de aquí?´´.... or...... ´´Are you from here (Spain)?´´....... HAHAH! :D and I was like.. ´´No...... I´m from the United States..´´ and she was like ´´Wow, ¿que bien hablas español!´´.... or....´´you speak spanish really well!´´ Super happy and relieved about all my spanish studies and stuff..... D: anyways.. just kind of a fun compliment!

   Our area is huge!! I don´t remember what I wrote you guys last week and what I wrote in my journal but I´ll re-explain it real quick. Our area is called Aljarafe... and the truth is I don´t even know if thats a city or the region or what... but our area consists of like 25 different pueblos... like 25 different towns and cities and suberbs of sevilla. We are right next door to Sevilla.. actually we are in sevilla right now doing emails.. cuz we had to come here to drop something off to a missionary here.. So anyways, we´re close. We live in a little town called Castilleja de la Cuesta.. but we have a car and we visit aaaall over around here. We visit the pueblos.. camas, santiponce, gines, san juan, bollullos, olivares, san lucar, etc.. etc... hah so i keep getting mixed up cuz Elder Blanch just drives me all over the place between pueblo and cities and all over the place. Its crazy. Pray for me! I have to learn them all in the next 2 weeks!!

   Yes, Elder Blanch is leaving in two weeks. He is already over his two year mark but ended up extending his mission a little bit. When he finishes, he will have been on his mission 25 months. He´s from Missouri and is going home to his girlfriend to get married! Amazing story! They almost got married before his mission and then received a super bold priesthood blessing that changed his mind. Since then, he has served a mission and his girlfriend served a mission to Argentina. She has been back several months now and is just waiting for him to get home so they can get married. :) She is Elder Blanch´s first convert. Yup, thats right, he baptized her. :) I´m super pumped for the kid! He´s amazing!

   MY NEW ADDRESS............

       c/ Convento #42, 1ºH

   41950 Castilleja Cuesta, Sevilla

               ESPAÑA

Thanks for the mission call updates and everything! Ahhh! So much is going on back home! Its probably crazy! Tell everyone hi! and congrats from Sam <----WEIRD. MY REAL NAME....... :) Tell them I say... ´´Book of Mormon and Preach my Gospel. Book of Mormon and Preach my Gospel. Book of Mormon and Preach my Gospel.......´´ :)

Anyways, I´m out of time. Thank you for everything in your emails. I have read everything even though I haven´t answered back. Thanks again, I love you all!

-Elder Norton

"I love this gospel ... It is the most beautiful thing." (Hilary)

"There are feet to steady, 

hands to grasp,

minds to encourage,

hearts to inspire,

and souls to save."

"Willing and Worthy to Serve" – President Thomas S. Monson

Have you seen this? Click the link below to watch

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/mormon-messages?lang=eng&start=61&end=72&order=alpha#2012-01-008-rescued-by-christ

QUÈ TAL. ESPERO QUE TODO BIEN. LES AMO DEMASIADO.

Okay, everything is so good here in the mission! I am happy as ever. Hermana Ellis is the greatest companion. I have never felt the spirit so strongly in the mission. I think because we are working so hard and feeling so humbled (by the fact that we are two gringas), the spirit is really with us in every moment. I haven't cried many times on my mission (go figure), but we have had a couple really cool lessons this past week when I was not able to hold back tears. 

I feel so strongly about what we share. I love this gospel. I love what it has done for my family and my friends and me. It is the most beautiful thing. Heavenly Father has really blessed me in so many ways, but one thing I am so grateful for is that He helps us feel His love for His children that we meet.

Well, I am a little sick right now. Since Saturday I have just been feeling really awful. I spoke with the nurse today and she took me to get some medications .... So I hope I get better! Mostly just because being sick is so frustrating during the mission. At home, you can rest. But on the mission, the last thing you want to do is rest! We have a lot of investigators that are progressing and I just feel so anxious to get out and help them! Also, the mission nurse just told me that Hermana D. is in the hospital to get her appendix out!!! Please pray for her!

So Calderòn is great. We share the ward with a pair of elders because it is really big geographically and there are a lot of people. The elders are great. We are having a lot of success here as a zone and I just feel so excited to be a part of this work.

Well, I can't think of much else to say, and I am going to write a couple more emails. We have a conference at 4:30 and we don't have any idea of why. I will let you all know next week! Thanks for writing! I love you! Keep praying! (Don't forget me and my investigators please!)

Hermana Norton

"I´m thinking about making my own verse to that hymn" (Sam)

Hello! It is great to hear from you!

   Things are going really well here in Sevilla. I think I may have mentioned the capilla here in Sevilla... its really big in comparision to all the capillas her in spain.. Like really big.. its basically the size of our stake center in.... but with two floors... O.o kinda cool. :).. and the best part is that its right on the corner of one of the buisier (busier?) (more busy......?) corners in the city.. so eeeveryone knows it. Its actually a lot more helpful than you´d think because there is a lot of good creyente people here but they just need a bump in the right direction to find the truth.. so when we mention that thats our church they say ´´ooh really?? I´ve always wondered what its like there. I always see it when I go over there..´´ so its kinda fun. :)

 

.................................... WOAH... acaba de llamarnos Presidente Deere............. O.o that means... President Deere just called us... I´m getting moved....... Hahah! Wow...

 

   Explanation... long story , edited ...What has been decided is that Elder Martínez is going to ´´Puerto de Santa María´´ to be with two other elders and I´m going to a place called ´´Aljarafe´´........ hah and I know like nothing about it! I´m pumped! I´ll be with a missionary thats about to end him mission at the end of march.. his name´s elder Blanch. His comp went home yesterday because he broke his foot and had to be operated on.. :/ he´ll come back in a couple months when he gets better. The area i´m going to has a lot of pueblos and therefore........ WE HAVE A CAR. :D :D :D I'm actually super pumped!

   President told me that in the next two days, we have to transfer all the investigators that we have back over to the Zone Leaders here in Sevilla because they are staying here and we are both leaving....... :\ its a bummer that we have to do so much changing but I know that there are so many things for me to learn in the next couple months! I´m am surprisingly excited!

   President also mentioned something about all the new missionaries and all the changes constantly happening and he said, ´´If you could see all the changes going on here you would be proud of how little i´ve made missionaries move and change areas. BUT there are one or two exceptions... one of them is Elder Norton´´. :) He knows and recognizes that I´m moving a lot.... haha I was basically emergency transfered from Málaga to Alcoy.. I was in alcoy for one transfer and then I left, and I´ve been here three weeks and now I´m leaving.......... Ha! Its crazy and he recognizes it. He told me sorry but I don´t worry about it. It doesn´t bug me.

   Anyways, I´ve gone over on my time today.... :( haha so I gotta go. Just know that I am doing great and I am loving my mission.

 I know that my Mission President is the Lord's servant and that I am just an instrument in the hands of the Lord.

 "I´ll go where you want me to go"..... 

even if you want me to leave right after 

I get there....... :)

 I´m thinking about making my own verse

 to that hymn. :D

   I love you all! I actually had ZERO idea that there were 58 newly announced missions........... así que, FILL ME IN. WHERE? WHEN? HOWWW? :) Love you!

-Elder Norton

 ps: I´M SO PUMPED TO TALK WITH ALL OF YOU ABOUT MY MISSION! We´re gonna have a million stories to tell you guys when we get home! Missions are the best!

-Elder Norton

"We had explained everything we could and then just left it in the Lord's hands, and He worked things out. He always does, right?" (Hilary)

Um ... no thanks

Well, GOOD NEWS!

This last transfer was shorter than usual, because of some timing with the MTCs and all the new missionaries and I don't know. So, yesterday were transfers and ... although Hermana D had already had three transfers in Ibarra (and she had literally already packed everything but her sheets and her clothes for the following day and she had said goodbye to everyone and everything), I WAS TRANSFERED TO QUITO TO BE COMPANIONS WITH HERMANA ELLIS. Yes, you read right!  I had had such a hard time for a couple weeks. I have been working so hard to be a good, humble, loving companion. I have been working on being the person that lets things go and keeps moving forward with a good attitude. I felt like I had done my part and fallen to pieces a few times just praying for the strength to move on. Of course, Heavenly Father always blessed me with what I needed. I had to keep reminding myself that He wouldn't give me these tests if I couldn't make it through them. It was a great learning experience and I feel like I am becoming a different person.

2 of the 3 amigas ... together again!

Well, now I am in C. Quito. Hermana Ellis says that the members are so great. As we started arriving to the area in the bus, I just became overwhelmed with a feeling that there are people here who need this. Looking at all the houses I just thought "we are going to have a good change". So. I am going to keep striving to do everything I need to do to be the missionary this area needs and the companion that Hermana Ellis deserves! She is the greatest and I feel like I am dreaming a little bit. I am having a hard time comprehending that we get to just be companions and have so much fun doing this awesome work! It was funny - when my zone leaders told me who I would be companions with, they were like, "The assistants told us to tell you 'No pajama parties.'" I just laughed. Tras muchas aflicciones vienen muchas bendiciones.

Well, thank you all so much for everything you wrote. Tell Sister Jaccard thank you so much for the email. I really appreciated what she shared. And it is true. The mission wouldn't be the mission without the hard times! I love you all and I pray for you daily as well. And I want you all to know, I have felt your prayers this week more than ever.

I didn't hear about the new missions, but they did tell us that our mission is being split. How weird! I might finish in a different mission than some of my companions or President and Sister Ghent. They're so great! We will have to see what happens!

Well, not yesterday, but the other Sunday was elections day in Ecuador, so we weren't allowed to leave. We could only attend church and then we had to stay in the house. I spent a lot of time reading my notes from talks and my study journal from the MTC. It was really cool and gave me a new desire to work. I was so excited. I love this work.

The other Thursday we had a training from President Ghent, Sister Ghent, and the assistants. It was really good. Super powerful. It wasn't a super èxitoso week in the mission numbers-wise, but I felt like numbers can't show all the we were able to learn and do. It was really cool.

I have been really worried about F. lately. When I left he wasn't attending church because he was working to pay off his mom's debts. A few times I have seen the sisters there in Imbabura in trainings and interviews and things and they can't find him. The newer sisters there don't know him, so I think they don't feel the drive to search for him as much as I would. I dream a lot about the people I have gotten to know here in the mission and just wake up worried about them! I want the best for them. Please pray for the people here in Ecuador.

The other day we went to the market to do our grocery shopping and there was a kid standing on the corner with a group of goats, selling goat milk. Hermana D was so excited. She ran over and he pulled out a plastic cup and just milked the goat right there in the middle of the street and she just drank it straight up. It was bizarre.

I wanted to include a little miracle that we were able to see the other week. Like I said a couple weeks ago, A2 had a really tough experience and was convinced she would not return to the church for a while. Right after her baptism. It was so sad. I just felt like a huge failure. I knew there were things I probably could have done better and I just felt horrible. Well, we spent the week just praying and praying for her and that Heavenly Father would change her heart. And He did. She was so convinced that she wouldn't return for a while, but a few days later she told us that she realized she needed to return. It was really cool. We had explained to her everything we could and then just left it in the Lord's hands, and He worked things out. He always does, right? And something I love that Elder Eyring taught in his October conference talk was that, even when the Lord's timing isn't the same as ours, it should be enough for us, because we know that He has our best interest in mind.

Well, that is all for now. I love you all!

Hermana Norton

... the envelope, please

Did you watch the Academy Awards last night?

well... neither did I

but ...

I did catch a couple of the highlights on the news this morning:

In the category of MOST DAZZLING BABY GIRL the winner is...

Baby Sienna!

and

In the category of MOST CHARMING SIBLING DUO the winners are...

Caden and Branson!

I MISS MY GRANDKIDS! :(

"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

"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