"Accomplishing things that are easy doesn't feel as great as accomplishing things that are difficult." (Hilary)

Amo lo que hago!

The lovely and wise Jane Austen

Dear Mom,

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
I love you and miss you so much. I have a little time left but when I get back I won't go far. Then when we have rainy days we can watch a Jane Austen film together or sew something or go to Taco Amigo.

Things are going well down here in Ecuador! Yesterday was "cambios" (transfers) and there are no changes for us, which is a good thing. The day before transfers is always full of mixed feelings. I am so glad I get to spend more time here.We have a couple baptisms lined up that I really really want to be here for. Speaking of... M A is going to be baptized!! We have seen such an amazing process with him and I am just so happy for their sweet family. 

He accepted a baptismal date the other day and we left their house singing. I called the district leader that night and when I told him, he was like, "Yes!!" It was so great. It has been a really tough road with M , but I like it that way. Accomplishing things that are easy doesn't feel as great as accomplishing things that are difficult.

Y was baptized Saturday and confirmed Sunday. He is a rock. He bore his testimony about how he knows the church is true. It was a great baptism and we a had a good amount of members (and investigators) there supporting us. His mom went and she got all teary eyed. It was sweet.

J is really looking forward to Saturday. In our Principios del Evangelio class we all introduce ourselves and she stood up, introduced herself and said, "And you are all invited to my baptism this Saturday." It was neat. She has attended a lot of churches and really been searching for what's "right," she says.

Yesterday we were able to have a training meeting as a ward on missionary work. It went well. We were hoping that the ward missionaries would attend, but only a few came. But other faithful ward members were there and really have a desire to help this work move forward. There was an excitement we saw in them as they asked us for folletos  (literature, pamphlet) and they asked if they could practice what we were teaching. Overall it went really well.

Mom, first of all, I am sorry to hear that you didn't feel good about how the piano recital turned out. But just know that what you are doing is so respectable. Like Sam said, you are so humble and that is what makes you YOU! That's why Heavenly Father called you to do all that you do in your calling and as a mother. Because of your willingness and your humility. Mom, I respect you so much. I love you with all my heart. I hope that your birthday goes well. Be happy!

Well, I had written down everything I wanted to write about, but in my last agenda and today I started my new agenda. So. I am sorry I don't have more to say.

Mitch, thank you so much for writing. I love the pictures and the tidbits. Also, I laughed SO hard when I watched the video of your boys singing happy birthday to mom. They're so great and so grown up! They're going to be really different when I get back! How bizarre.

Dad, thanks for writing. Enjoy your "off" time because you do so much and deserve a break. Tell Madeline I say congrats!!!! She is adorable! I am really happy for her! I hope Adam gets better. I have been sick all week again. It is getting old. I have been drinking a lot of Asea. I have strep and I am feeling like I have parasites again. So many people have gone home sick. The idea literally haunts me. When I look at pictures I long to be with everyone I love so much, but I know I truly want to be here right now. Congrats on your golf game. I love hearing about your little adventures and what you're all up to.

Love you all!

Hermana Norton

"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

Christ=Christ....Mas=More......... Go figure! (Sam)

Hello! Its december here in Málaga and it doesn't look at all like Christmas! :( haha Yesterday, Elder Hafen and I were in short sleeves the whole day... Although I haven´t actually been dreaming of a white christmas, I have been singing the song every time we walk into our apartment. :)

   Things are great here! People have decorations and stuff up but it just doesn´t compare to the mass amounts of christmas lights and pine smell that is found in the states... Be grateful for what you have!! You don't realize how much you take for granted! The states are the best!

   First off, Dad, of course I remember Jordan! Go by maceys again sometime and tell Jordan hi for me. Tell him to keep shooting the 3 ball, no body could ever stop that kid around the 3 line. :)

Things are great with M. and his family. The whole family attended M's baptism ....... they came to church together the next morning, and everytime we have passed by to visit them, the entire family is there ready to listen and learn. The gospel is the glue that is holding their family together. It is slow going but I know it is blessing them and bonding them again. They have a bright future.They all came to church again yesterday and they all went to the ward Christmas activity on friday. They have fechas for the 29th and we´re working hard with them.

Wow...
   We set fechas with I. and 2 of her daughters! What an awesome family and lesson! We have a lot or work to do with that family but we´re excited and so are they! I´ll keep you updated.

   I have recieved 3 packages.. and I have a slip of paper from the post office that says there's something waiting for me there... haha probably another one.. you´re awesome! Elder Hafen´s fam sent him a package but it still hasn´t gotten here and he just kept giving me more and more flack every time I get a package  or a letter.. haha so we walked in the other day and I had another package and he starts giving me flack and whatnot :) and I look at it and read on the side where you'd written "for your companion... elder hafen?" and I got a huge grin on my face... haha so we got in the elevator and I lift it up and turn that side of the box to him and I said..  "oye, mira..." and he turned and looked at me and was like what?... and then his eyes flickered down to the box and I watched him read it.. and then he grabbed.. and was like.. "whaaat??" :) haha so we walk into our place and he´s already opening it. :) He was probably supposed to wait to open it.. but he didn´t. haha he was really happy though.. his family´s package still hasn´t arrived.. :\

   If Ty and Allie really wanna bring me a box or something they can... :)  A JUMP DRIVE WITH MUSIC and or CHURCH MOVIES would be SUPER awesome. :) Or talks.. orrr stuff like that. fyi, each piso in the mission/a little dvd player screen thing for missionaries to watch the district videos on.. and it has a usb slot so put whatever music or talks or church movies or whatever you want on there. I would really appreciate that. :)  I don't really NEED anything. I´m very happy and healthy! :)

   WOW! Stacie and Janessa going to the same missions! I love love love hearing about people and missions.. So please keep me updated on mission calls and people. :) And tell them both congrats and that they´re gonna rock!

   mom! I´m so proud of you for playing at the recital! I remember them being more nerve wracking than they should´ve been. I´m really glad you did it. :) you´re my hero!

   Anyways, two things real quick, tell Mo Jennings "hi" for me if you see him. Also, we don't know anything about making Christmas calls yet .... just that WE CAN USE SKYPE. :) I think we´ll find out more soon. I´ll let you know.

   I love you all! I have to go but I love you and hope you all have a very merry and white Christmas.

     Christ=Christ....Mas=More.........  Go figure!

Love you!

Was the Grinch in Ecuador?

I think the most likely reason of all, may have been that his heart was 2 sizes too small

Dear Mom, Dad, Mitch, Jennica, Sam, Adam, Caden, Branson, and Sienna,

I love you all and hope that December is off to a great start! I love this month and I am so shocked at how quickly time is flying by! I still feel like a new missionary! But yesterday I completed seven months! And although I miss you all so much, I am realizing more and more every day that I don't want this all to end, and especially not in eleven months.

So, was there a car accident with a BYU student on their way home for Thanksgiving? I saw what Dad wrote to their family. So sweet. Brought me to tears though to see that that happened. How painful. 

I did get the Spanish "Grinch" book. I haven't read it yet, but I do know who I will give it to. I love these people so much, Mom. If I didn't have a family, I would move here. They have all accepted me like family. 

So, I am going to go over the week because a few things have happened.

Thursday mornings at 10:30 are our district /zone meetings. We gather in the new chapel that was just recently dedicated in September. This Thursday we got there at about 10:10 and the two elders with the keys (Elder LeBaron and his companion) had already been there for about forty minutes. When we walked up the stairs they were standing in the doorway and they looked absolutely distraught. They took us on a tour of the chapel and showed us how the whole thing had been robbed and destroyed the night before. This new chapel is giant and really, really nice. The alarm hasn't been functioning and the company who set up the alarm is in Quito and they haven't made the time to come down and fix it. I feel like that means that they will have to pay for the damages. But, even knowing that doesn't settle your stomach after seeing what had happened. All the churches here have gates with giant locks, but the robbers had clipped the gate hook and destroyed a door to enter. They literally took everything of value -- computers, televisions (they hacked down the doors literally), cords, systems for different microphones and the satellite. They were people who know the church, too, because they pulled out the microphone for the Sacrament. They took the piano. They took the gas tanks. They searched the bishops and secretaries offices for the donations and offerings, but thankfully, they weren't there. They took two paintings: one of Joseph Smith and one of Christ in the Americas (?). The rest they left. Strange. Anyway. All the windows and doors are destroyed and it was so painful to see. I have never seen anything like it. Anyway, the poor members here are so distraught and the elders who attend church there were in tears. Elder LeBaron had a feeling that morning that they should go to the church early, so they went and by the time we had arrived had already called our stake president. Anyway, so sad.  I couldn't help but just feel so sad for the people who had done everything and even more sad for the members. 

But yesterday they all still attended church in their building and for me it kind of felt like a "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" moment. They can take away everything we have and they can destroy our building, but we still have the Gospel, and really we don't need anything else. "It comes without ribbons. It comes without tags. It comes without packages, boxes or bags."

Saturday we were doing divisions or splits. We like to do that about once or twice a week because we have so many helpful members and we always feel like the work is moving so much slower than it should be. I was with a couple sisters from our wards and we were getting out of a taxi and I made the same silly mistake I have made many times in my life by closing the door on my fingers. This time it was my thumb. Jaja. Pretty funny. Anyway, it hurt pretty bad and now is so ugly and who knows if I will have a fingernail here pretty soon. But it reminded me of when we got home from Lake Powell and I did the same thing and Jay Gassman was helping me to take care of my finger when Jason and Dalton entered the room with a video camera recording everything. They're funny.

I. P. is one of the people God sent to us last Sunday. Her story is really neat. Her youngest daughter is sick and they haven't been able to figure out what is wrong. Finally a neighbor recommended that she do what she needed to get her life in order with God. That Sunday, I. P. asked the permission of her husband and she and her three young children took a bus out of their little community to find a church (passing the Catholic church that she grew up in but now does not feel comfortable with). She was seated by the window when she saw a few members walking to church with their scriptures in hand. She and her children immediately got off the bus and slipped into the meetings. We met her that Sunday in the meetings and she accepted a baptismal invitation that Tuesday. We are working on helping her recognize all of the answers she has had in her life because the Holy Ghost is testifying to her often of the truthfulness of this church.

Saturday and Sunday I gained a strong testimony of the principle of the fast. I am so grateful for all the means that God gives us to keep this work moving forward. I can honestly testify with all of my heart that God answers prayers. I am as sure of it as I am of anything else.

One thing I am growing to understand here on the mission is the innocence and godliness of children. Whenever we are teaching I. P., all the neighborhood children come gather around us and just listen with their eyes wide. I love it. They are so adorable and I hope to become more humble and childlike every day.

Yesterday we watched the devotional. How hilarious that President Eyring gave his seven year old son a barometer! I was a little confused at first listening. "Am I translating that word correctly? Is that in Spanish what I think it is in English?" Anyway, I loved seeing Temple Square with all the lights on the trees! I hope you enjoy every minute of this December!

I love you all! Find comfort in the scriptures - they fill us with the Spirit, aka THE COMFORTER. Keep reading everyone :)

H. Norton

"I can´t speak or type in english.. I know what it says in spanish.. but I don´t know how it is in english or how to put it in english.... HA. FAIL." (Sam)

Elders Norton and Lyman in Malaga - up for the sunrise

Hello!

   Wow! So many changes! So much is going on right now! Like 20 missionaries go home this wednesday and I think 6 come in...... :\ So several areas are being closed.. I don´t know which but i´m sure they have to close several for a while. In Málaga, I´m staying and taking on the investigators and everything of the two companionships with my new comp that comes wednesday.. and his name is........ DRUM ROLL PLLLZZZ.......... Elder Hafen!!!

   I have met the kid a couple times and he´s a máquina! (your spanish homework for today) And everyone that talks about him says he rocks and that we´re gonna baptize a ton. :) Always like to hear those kinds of comments. And Núñez is going to San Fernando.. a city outside of Cádiz.. or how they prounounce it there in Cádiz.. Cáai. Yes, how you prounounced it right there is how they pronounce it. Their accent is absolutely terrible.. haha the way everyone explains their accent is that they ´´eat´´ the ends of the words.. or like the just don´t finish any of their words. So anyways! Maybe

I´ll get lucky enough to go there some day! :)

WOW. I´M OVER 8 MONTHS IN. You guys remember when we all went to eat at like cafe rio or something right before I went in??? And brother and sister jennings were there and Chad took a bunch of pictures of us??? Yeah, that was over 8 months ago. Woooah.

   Well anyways, everything is great! I have been working with both companionships here in Málaga to get to know all of the investigators so that when everyone leaves, I already have a relationship with everyone and its really fun! I love meeting people. We have a baptism this saturday!! M, I don´t know if you remember that name or if I´ve mentioned him, he´s an Argentine that Núñez and Long (the comp of Núñez before I got here) found. He´s a friend of a member that has been super floja... super.. almost inactive for the lack of a better explaination and it has been a huge blessing for both groups. The member and her son are activating and the son passes the sacrament every week (i´ll try to find a picture of the family).. and M is like 26, really chill, really creyente... or believing i guess.. and he is extremely smart. The other day he found the scripture in 3rd nefi chapter 16 that says...

1 And verily, verily, I say unto you that I have ^aother sheep, which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any parts of that land round about whither I have been to minister. 2 For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice; neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them.

And in spanish the word for ´´land´´ is tierra which also means ´´earth´´... so anyways, he obviously had tons of questions and we had a fantastic talk about God, who he really is, what His purpose is, what he is doing and how he is doing it.. So anyways, He is really progressing and yesterday in church he was super involved in the classes and was answering a ton a questions. He´s awesome. He´ll be more awesome in all white..... WET.

   We´ve had a really hard time getting ahold of I again. She works a lot but we just need to teach her about el día de reposo, the sabboth day, and she will commit. She is amazing. L works Sundays but is trying to change that. She only has fridays off and this last friday we met with her in the capilla and set a pretty good fecha bautismal for the 5th of January. We´ll see how that goes. She needs to keep reading, praying, and find a way to come to church so that the Lord can really give her a firm answer. Pray with us!

   We´ve heard that almost all of the visas right now are held up...... :\ so a lot of missionaries are held up in Provo. The missionaries that are entering the mission field right now are all either natives or people from countries close by.

   I got a note from both R and P a little while back. I think I may have told you..  she is an amazing woman though. Let me know if you still need her address or if you got it with the letter she just sent.

  (I told Sam that Hilary prints off her emails in the morning, reads them, then gets back on the computer later in the day to write so that her computer time isn't used up reading, thats what he is referring to here) We could do that here with the emails and stuff. We could print them off to read, but.. i dunno. Guys don´t think that far ahead... :) haha just kidding. I´m gonna suggest that to hafen when he gets here. We´ll see what he says. I think the guys i´m with right now would just be like..... ehh! too much work! :) QUE BAGOS. P-day is lazy day I guess. Ha!

   Ahh! Squid Merryweather! If you see her again tell her HI! and yes, to write me! :) De hecho, I honestly wish I could make a list of every name that I want you to say hi to but it would take waay to long, so whenever you see someone that you know I know, tell them I say hi. :) Honestly, tell them, Hey! Sam---- Elder Norton say hi! :)

   I´m so happy and proud that you are loving piano. Piano doesn´t come fast for anyone. I still struggle with some hymns.... and ive been playing a LONG time. Haha.. just go poco a poco. Little by little. AND.. something very very important, is Play Songs You Like. Don´t just play to get better. Play And Enjoy. Thats what gave me drive to keep playing. I found a couple of songs that I knew from movies or what not and even though they were too hard at the time, I wanted to learn them soo bad that I pushed myself and spent more time than the ´´30 minutes´´ that was on the ´Jobs for Today´ list you´d make. :) Start paying attention to songs you hear and tell your teacher which ones you want to play and she´ll find copies at your level. THAT is how I got better. Playing songs that I liked.

   KEEP ME UPDATED ON STACIE AND HER CALL! WOW.

   Anyways, we gotta split. One other thing....... and I feel super super selfish and horribly childish for saying this.. I was talking to E. Lyman about the shirts you sent me a while back and how I sent that one back that had no front pocket and he turned to me and was like.... are you serious!? You sent it back??.. He was like... Those are the best for sundays! Plus you have your clip nametag the you can clip onto the collar... and I was like... you know what.. he´s right... so anyways, first off, sorry for sending it back.. Haha and second off, if you haven´t send the Christmas  stuff yet, if you could put that shirt without the pocket in there I would be endlessly grateful. Hah.. sorry. I love you!

   Its always so great to hear from you! I love you all and think about you all daily! I hope all is well and that you are happy! Just like Nefi says as he comes closer and closer to the end of his life that despite their afflictions, they had a happy way of life. (I can´t speak or type in english.. I know what it says in spanish.. but I don´t know how it is in english or how to put it in english.... HA. FAIL.

   I love you all! Don´t just read the scriptures, delight yourselves in the words of christ. Really study with a purpose!

-Elder Norton

"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

You would be acting against your purpose not to obey these simple commandments. (Sam)

Hello!

   Not too much happened this last week.. but what did happen was great! Do. and his wife R. were baptized this past saturday! So exciting! The lady that lives with them, M, wants to take a little more time. We´re still working with her and we are expecting next saturday or the next. Mx. had a really bad tooth infection and we had to postpone his baptism.. :( Its ok.. he´s ready to take upon himself the covenants but he will keep learning and he will be baptized soon.

   That is by far the best feeling on the mission. Pulling out the long sleeve white shirt, the white pants, finding that pair of white socks, and tying on a completely white tie. :) THATS OUR PURPOSE! Whooo!

   The spliting of our area has been pretty rough!.. My new comp is awesome. He´s from California and he is very smart. He knows soo many words in spanish. Even little random words.. basically he knows em all.  ....... long story edited ... So anyways.. its been kinda rough ... and our numbers are down ... but We´re good. I have things that the Lord needs me to learn and maybe its the same with Elder Lyman. We´re working hard and if we match our will with the will of the Lord, we don´t have to worry.  Sorry if that was a little heavy! :) Things are great.. the mission is just full of ups and downs. Gotta keep working through em!

   Last night, Elder Lyman and I and another companionship in the other ward, traveled to Fuengirola, the neighboring city and we visited this senior couple of missionaries, Elder and Hermana Spainhower... and they made us dinner. :) And it was like a huge breath of home. Honestly, we ate enchiladas that reminded me of moms... they weren´t as good but they reminded me of yours, and we had these other burrito things, and we had this apple crummble stuff and vanilla ice cream..... ahhh so good! and then we walked out onto the back balcony and they look out right over this golf course............................. I JUST ABOUT DIED. I want to play soo bad! :) .......i hope you guys are practicing........... imma come home an beat you! But their window is right over the tee box of the dog leg right par four.... I wanted to grab my hybrid and go hit a nice little fade up onto the green.. :).... We´ll see! A sister missionary here in Malaga, hermana Latendri, and I are trying to organize a pday where a bunch of us go hit the range. So.... another thing to pray for I guess!......... O.o.. :) just kidding.

   I helped our bishop the other day with a song that he wrote. He wanted to put it down onto sheet music and so we set up an appointment to meet at the church and he sang the song to me and I found it on the piano and wrote it down on some blank sheet music. :) Kinda fun. He was super appreciative and wants me to help him with another one soon.

   Anyways, our times up.. lemme see if there were any specific questions you had..... Oh, i´m glad you got the letter! Sorry for the one pager to mom and dad and the 25 pager to Adam. I promise I love you all equally :) I just email you guys every week and Adam almost never. haha anyways, send me the card whenever. The one i´m using now still has a lot of room so we´re good.

   Thank you for that spiritual thought. Loved that story!

 

   I love you! Ask everyone to write me letters! I love letters! And tell everyone you see that Sam says hi... cuz if I were there I would tell them hi... :)

Love you all! Read more!.... actually STUDY more! Pray more... actually talk with your heavenly father more! And never miss a church meeting or activity. ITS THE REASON WE´RE ON THE EARTH. You would be acting against your purpose not to obey these simple commandments.

BYE!

-Elder Norton

Happy Monday from ESPAÑA! (Sam)

Happy Monday from ESPAÑA!

   Wow. Things could not be better! So much going on in the mission its crazy! I think I may have mentioned it last week but I can´t remember so I´m gonna say it again. The transfer ended yesterday and this transfer Elder Núñez and I are getting new comps.......!!!!!!! Wow! Its crazy! We´re both staying in our area and we´re both getting new comps! We´re gonna have four elders in our piso. I´M PUMPED. My new comp is named Elder Lyman and he gets here tomorrow so I still don´t know him. We haven´t completely decided what we are going to do but we´re thinking about splitting the area exactly in two and then just going to work... then again, Elder Lyman and I may end up working in a pueblo just outside of Málaga thats called Torre Molinos.. ooorrrrr we may just not split anything and just work together in one big area. We haven´t decided yet and I don´t think we will until we´re with the newbies that are coming. We´ll see!

   We haven´t talked or visited Mx since last week............. and he didn´t come to chruch....... :( but he told us in the middle of the week that he was sick so we´re thinking thats why. No worries. That guy read all of 1st Nephi after the first visit that we had with him and by the third he was done with 2nd Nephi.... . Its only a matter of time ..... :D. He lives a ways away and its kinda hard for us to visit him cuz we don´t have a car.. thats another reason my comp and I might just travel out there every day.. We´ll see. Do., R, and M are awesome!! They had a poor experience in church and then didn´t end up coming this week but they are progressing and learning and growing soo much. They have kids and were worried that their kids were going to be making too much noise in church and then when they got there, they sat in the back and all the other little kids and the whole ward was making more noise than they expected (just cuz its a ward full of mormons.. sorry.. we have a lot of kids..) and they couldn´t hear much of anything... :\ but they were super cool about it. E. Núñez and I knew they hadn´t really enjoyed church so we were going to just let the topic settle and not talk about it but basically right when we got there they opened the conversation up and were like.. hey! we´re gonna be honest.. we didn't really enjoy church.... there was too much noise! Haha... We´ll see. I have seen that people come to a point where the gospel begins to fill wholes and challenges in their lives.. so much so that there is little to nothing that can take them away from it. They see and feel and come to know the necessity of it in their lives and it only becomes a matter of time before they choose baptism. Not to say that Elder Núñez and I are going to let up, just saying that they are doing well, seeing the importance, learning, and keeping their commitments. The baptismal fechas for Mx, Do, R, and M are all for the 13th of Oct and everything's looking good. 

   Mom, to answer your questions... Everyone is safe and well in the mission. It rained for a day and half where we are and...... not anymore. :) Yeah there´s been some flooding in Spain but nothing for us. P-day was great. We (Elders Núñez, triana, geest, bailey, jones, pallas, forrest, neira, and I) went on a hike with a girl in one of the Málaga wards thats thinking about a mission. Kinda cool. I was telling her about Hil.. and how she didn´t know if she was gonna serve and that she´s out there baptizing the world right now.. :) We came back to Málaga and found M in the street and started talking. All is well. The ward(s) are are awesome! We´re serving in the 2nd ward but the 1st ward attends our building as well and so we meet both wards. A lot of the members that pertenecen............. are in our boundries... go to the other ward.... I don´t know why..  but we´re trying to get it all figured out.. We eat at our bishops house every other saturday. He's awesome. He loves music and he asked me to help him put this song that he made up onto sheet music. Service hours! :) We´ll see how that goes! Tell Sister Erekson thanks again. REALLY, she´s awesome. The youth here are awesome! Most/basically all are from barrio 1 buts its ok. I play piano in Priesthood and I am growing to love the piano more and more. I took it for granted at home. I love to just sit down and play now. btw, next package, I would love a copy of ´´waterfall´´ and ´´all of me´´ from the jon schmit book. Thanks. We don´t teach lessons during church hours like we did in HO.. I kinda liked that cuz we could teach to our investigators needs.. but no problem. Anyways.. thats all for now. I have letters for the fam that I haven´t sent yet. THE MISH IS CRAZY. Sorry. Ask people to write me! :D Thats all from me! 

Love you all!  BYE.
-Elder Norton

"One of those mission moments that makes all the hard times worth it ... I sound like a parent" (Hilary)

"Consider the Lilies" courtesy of ldsfriends.com

Hey all! I hope your Monday is going well! I have good news! The mission rules changed and we get an hour on the computer now. HOORAY! So I plan to give many details about what is going on lately.

Okay, so to begin with, Dad thanks for what you said in your email. I needed to be reminded of the importance of submitting my will to that of the Lord. Things have been tough in this exchange. This morning was really tough, but then I read your email and remembered that there is a reason I am being tried right now in this situation and that I just need to push through.

So, ABBY GOT HER MISSION CALL!!! SHE IS GOING TO ROME!!!!!!!!! I received her Dear Elder Friday after a zone meeting and all the elders were laughing because I was freaking out. I felt like I had received my own mission call. She is going to be so great and I am so thrilled for her. It is perfect.

Okay, so this week has been pretty eventful. Tuesday the mission secretaries called us and told us that my companion`s visa had expired and she had to take a trip to Colombia... But President didn`t want me to travel to Colombia, so she went with another Latina Hermana and I stayed behind in a different sector. It was tough because we tried to cover the important appointments in my area as well as hers, which was exhausting. But it was a really good experience. It was nice to have a little break and work with someone new. There is always something to learn from each and every person. Also, she is from the states, so it was nice to have a little time to talk in English and our study sessions were awesome. There were a few times when we had to do divisions with members because we had so much to cover. It was cool though because I really felt comfortable and was able to carry the lessons. We had a lesson with a sweet girl named N. and she had a question at one point. Her family is super Catholic and have been giving her a really hard time. Her dad took her Book of Mormon and wouldn't allow her to attend church. Anyway, at one point in the lesson she said, "I have been reading in Moroni and I read verse 27. If I continue in the Catholic church, when I see God at the judgement bar, this is how it will be." And then she began to cry. It was tough to see, but at the same time, cool, because it was a moment where we could say, "That's why it is so important that you receive your own testimony of these things. Because once you know what is true, once you know what God wants you to do, nothing else matters. It will be hard. But the good thing is God is on your side." Anyway, it was a really neat moment, to see someone realizing the importance and weight of the everything. I am so grateful for the environment where I grew up. I have been very blessed.

One man we have been working with is named F. He is great. He really really wants to change. He has problems with drinking, and yesterday we taught the Word of Wisdom. We had touched on it a little before, so it wasn't a huge shock to him. But as we were teaching he was really excited to change and was finishing our sentences. I was saying, "It is not going to be easy, but Hermano, I know that..." and he says, "It won't be impossible. Y yo lo voy a hacer. (and I am going to do it.)" It was so cool. One of those mission moments that makes all the hard times worth it. (I sound like a parent.)

We are also working with a woman named F. and her kids. They are great. I feel like they are my younger siblings. Every time we see them they run up to us and hug us. It is really nice to feel a little love from the people here. They feel like a little bit of family here in Imbabura.

Okay, Mom, thank you so much for being so willing to help me in all the things I need. Good luck on the piano. I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT. And when I get back, I am going start practicing again. I have been playing here in Imbabura for one of our wards for chorus and it isn't pretty. Haha. I am excited to practice at home. Things you can include if you have more room - "Missionary Pal" book, Lectures on Faith, pic of all of the family, including Sam, pics of Sienna, cartoons for lessons I teach to kids about like the plan of salvation and the restoration (remember the ones in those old manuals? Can you send some copies that I can color and cut out and use with kids?), and a simple cookie recipe.

Oh! So I have been on and off sick lately. A couple weeks ago I was super sick with a sinus infection and the medications I was taking made me super super sick, so I had to stay one day with some members while my companion went out and took care of our appointments. They were so sweet. It was so so nice. My health really improved and I felt like their faith and love (CHEESY) was exactly what I needed. It was a really cool experience. Anyway, last Monday we went to that waterfall and I got attacked by bugs. I am going to send pictures. My legs were COVERED in bug bites. Then my legs and and ankles and feet swelled up. Literally my ankles were the size of tennis balls. It was so bizarre. Anyway, some of my shoes didn't fit and I had a really hard time walking. It was the wierdest thing. But I have been taking some pills and using this cream on my legs and they are healing. Anyway, there is an explanation to go with the pictures I will try to send.

Okay, gotta go. I love you all.

Mom, answers to your questions: Imbabura is significantly different than Quito. We walk and hike so much more. It is literally what you see in Nat- Geo magazine. M. is doing well and her family members are not members of the church. Luckily the younger people here speak Spanish, so she speaks Spanish. She is 16. And we wear the traditional outfit on Sundays. I love it!

Hermana Norton.