Okay, hey all! Hope this letter finds you happy and healthy! What a great weekend, right? And today also has been so nice. Life is really good.
Okay, first of all, girls can leave at nineteen!!!!! Just like Mom said, the minute President Monson made that announcement, I knew it was a divinely influenced decision. I immediately thought of A . And next, all the C. girls. I am going to write a couple letters and send them home for you to deliver to these girls, Mom, I am so happy that these blessings and this opportunity is going to be so much more available to so many girls. What an incredible blessing this will be. Wow.
Okay, so conference in general was so amazing. Below is what I wrote to President Ghent.
All is going so well here. What a great weekend. I love conference and especially listening as a missionary, from a totally different aspect.
I am so so grateful to be companions with Hermana Marca and we are working really hard right now. We haven´t seen immediate results to our efforts, but we have been doing our best to continue working with faith that God will keep His part of the promises He gives us. He will bless us and we will see the fruits of our labors. Near the end of this week we felt like, although our lessons weren't perfect, we had really strived to do all we could to bring the Gospel to our investigators. We decided to fast and leave it up the Lord. Sunday morning we met an investigator who sincerely has the desire to be baptized and realized that God will always answer our prayers in HIS own way.
It was really neat listening to conference with a few investigators in mind and also being able to feel the Spirit so strongly. There were a few moments when I received impressions and answers of ways I can help the people I am teaching. I am so grateful for our prophets and the leaders of our church and how intune they are with our needs.
A few of my favorite messages were from Larry Echo Hawk on the Book of Mormon, from Robert C. Gay on integrity and repentance, from Scott D. Whiting, from Elder Eyring, and, of course, from Elder Holland. A few thoughts I gained from this weekend.
"The Lord knows the level of our efforts." Scott D. Whiting
"His time should be enough for us knowing that He wants for us only the best. ... The Lord's delay often seem long... but they are always calculated to bless." Elder Eyring
"Love God and remain clean." Elder Holland
"He is aware of our needs and will help us if we call on Him." President Thomas S. Monson
One thing that is so interesting to me about conference is that although the messages are generally on topics we are familiar with, they will touch our hearts in new ways. Something else I learned this weekend also is that as I promise people the answers to their prayers, I need to remember this promise applies to me as well. God knows me better than I realize and He has my best interest in mind, as well as the best interest of each person here in Ecuador.
So this morning I received a little piece of revelation that I have been searching for for months. It came so unexpectedly as I was applying my mascara and the minute it came, all my mascara washed off. It was a really special moment and when I think about it I want to cry again. It was really comforting and empowering and I just want to re-testify that God knows us all so personally and sees the future and is guiding us in every way.
Mom, I don't know if I can express to you how much this birthday gift is meaning to me. So many of these letters have included EXACTLY what I have needed to hear this week. I don't know if all who wrote me realized what a blessing this would be for me. Thank you times a million Mom. I love you and am so amazed by all you do for me. All I know is this is the best gift I have ever received and November 1st will be a lonely morning.
Dad, How incredible are these experiences you are having right now? I am amazed. How cool that you were able to answer so many of her questions and be prepared to be exactly what she needed. Elder Holland always teaches of how we should return home from the mission, but never leave the mission field (something along those lines). Your missionary efforts, Dad, have gone so much farther than Chicago, Illinois.
Oh, funny story! The other day a man chewed us out for not knowing Quichua... I'm sorry; it hasn't made it on the priority list since I still am learning Spanish and I am worrying about the salvation of these people here! :)
Well. I have more to say, but I have to go soon so I'll finish up here.
I love you all! Thank you for everything.
Hermana Norton
Love God and remain clean!
Hi Family,I hope you are all doing so well. We have had quite the week. We had a lot of lessons and we have really seen a difference, which is so nice after for a while feeling like our work was profiting nothing for anyone. Okay here is a part of what I wrote to President Ghent (the stuff in italics in blue is what I sent him):We have had quite the week here in Imbabura. We had a few days that were so excellent. We have had our share of trials. Yesterday I really felt like I felt a tiny part of what Heavenly Father feels watching His children. We have been working really hard with a family of five kids and a single mom
(This is F, J , L, C, A, and S. The picture I attached is J and C. C. is the younger of the two and is so adorable. He calls me his princesita and the other day he gave me this little heart pillow and said "Hermanita! Le doy mí corazon!")
The children really have desires to progress but the mom has been harder to work with. We really thought we had a break through the other day. But something I have had to learn is that as much as I can do on my end and as much as Heavenly Father wants this work out for them, they will always have their agency. I feel like I have been able to get a glimpse of the love and respect Heavenly Father has for each of His children in giving them their agency but also giving them so many opportunities and blessings and reasons to choose the right. It is tough to see, but Hermana Guevara and I have been working hard on applying what we teach, with having hope and faith and patience in God's timing and will. (Yesterday I had a little break down. We have literally done everything we can with this family. We visit them daily. We are praying and fasting. We have spent so much time working through doubts they have had. But no matter what we do, she (F.) won't hold up her end of the commitments. It is so so hard to care about someone so much and then see them reject the blessings that are waiting for them.)
FE. is doing really well. His progress has been such a blessing to see. We have had a few of those shining missionary moments when everything pays off. He wanted to change and has really changed and has so much faith that his baptism this week will make such a difference in his life. He is really going through some hard times but has put into practice the repentance process and is starting to see differences. It is a blessing to be working with him and to see how the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives.
(Yesterday we had a lesson in the church with FE and as we were walking to the chapel with him, the member who was with us asked him how we had found him (he's a contact). He said something along the lines of, "Me salvaron. Estaba en oscuridad y vi una mano... reaching down to me." ("I'm saved, I was in darkness and I saw a hand..." .. something like that) Later in the lesson he was telling us about the trials he has had recently and he began to cry. This grown man. It was really powerful. And what else is so powerful is his faith. He knows what blessings stand in store for him after his baptism.)
Okay I am attaching three photos. The other day we met/exceeded our goals and it was a super awesome day, so we bought ourselves this mousse thing. The minute we tasted it we realized it was coffee.... Hahahah so that was pretty funny. We were like, "Cool. So much for that." Jajajaj.
Yesterday was a dedication of a new chapel here in our stake. It was so beautiful and the chapel is so beautiful. There were sooooo many people all in their traditional dress. I attached a picture of that too. Really really cool experience.
Dad, I love hearing about the experiences you have had recently. Do you keep a journal of these things? I hope so. I feel like I am constantly learning new things and receiving impressions from the spirit as a missionary. It is so cool to be in a position where I am worthy of receiving the whispers of the Holy Ghost. I remember thinking before my mission that I hoped I would be able to learn to recognize the spirit more in my life and how I receive promptings so that once I got home I could be more in tune and use the spirit more in my life. One thing I learned is that before I wasn't doing everything I should have been doing to be WORTHY of the spirit's guidance. I think there was a lot of static and I couldn't hear the answers that the spirit was trying to give me. I remember thinking "Whhyyyyyyyyy am I not able to recognize answers?! Why don't I know what Heavenly Father wants me to do in this situation." But it was because I think it was like I was out of hearing range, and it was definitely my fault. Anyway. My mission has saved me in more sense than one. I believe I have really been converted and have really recognized what it means to live righteously. And I have a very firm testimony of the atonement and the power it has to change lives.
Okay, well I am going to write Sam and Mitch real quick. I love you all! I am doing well. Thanks for writing! Keep praying. Read the Book of Mormon everyday. It is the KEYSTONE to our religion! I didn't used to understand why people said that, but now I do. Pray and read. I love this gospel with all of my heart and I know that it is true. Every once in a while I really try to renew my testimony of the truth of the things we teach, so it doesn't dry out. Everytime I recognize that THIS is the truth, the next thought that comes to my mind is "Why on earth did I get to be born into this? Why was I chosen to receive all these blessings? What makes me worthy of this?!" I haven't answered that question yet... And I guess really, nothing makes me worthy of this. God is just merciful and I don't think we will ever be able to comprehend how much he cares for us.
Okay, enough rambling. I love you all so much!
Hermana Norton
