February 2011

Feb 7, 2011

Dear family!

What a week! We had the wonderful opportunity to meet as a mission to hear Elder Bednar speak. Also the presiding bishop David H. Burton was there. ALSO, Elder Snow of the 70 was there and another 70 Elder Posey was also in attendance. So basically I was rebuked and round house kicked in the face by the spirit!!! It was awesome! Elder Bednar talked a little bit about these two talks he gave that he asked us to study before he came and then we just had a 2 hour long Q and A with him. It was pretty cool. I was telling dad that he looks a lot smaller and older in person, but when he spoke there was no doubt of who he was. They all at the end gave there "special" witness of the Savior. It was powerful. I know they are called of God.

We had a good time on Ft. Knox yesterday. 3 soldiers were baptized. We have 8 scheduled for next week and then 2 and 3 in the following weeks. It's a really great experience. As far as the E-town work goes, Bro Bailey is progressing well. He gave us all of his coffee and his coffee pot this last week. It was sweet. We're teaching a lady named Rhonda who is doing great as well. She is progressing towards the 26th of this month. We received another miracle referral this week. This man who has been to temple square before and has had small contact with the church was calling in to cancel his comcast last week and it just so happens that comcast and the church HQ referal centers number is just a number or two different from each other (I'm sure that wasn't an accident either) and so a week later we showed up on his doorstep. He has 3 kids, 2 of which are of age. His wife has some different beliefs but he is going to work on her. We taught him yesterday and committed him to be baptized and he accepted. I'm not trying to be greedy but I still don't feel like this is our family. It's definitely another blessing! The Lord is just handing us those who are prepared. Kinda cool. I do have to say that that's about all that I focus on "attracting" is those who are ready to just act. Pretty cool when it just works. We're also teaching a foreign exchange student from Germany. She's awesome. We've committed her to be baptized but she has a social concern. What will my friends think? My family doesn't want me to do it. I won't know anyone when I go home to Germany in the church. The first and last ones are definitely easy to resolve, but as far as helping her overcome mom and dads disapproval...... it's going to be rough. She feels what we teach her is true. She feels that this is right, she just doesn't want to disappoint anyone. Her mom and dad will let her make her own decision, they just don't want her to do it. So it's hard right now for her. I know the Lord will take care of it though.

That's about all as far as the work goes. Life is pretty much great. We were teaching Leah yesterday, she lives with members by the way and we looked up your mormon. org profile mom. The member mother and Leah both commented on how "pretty" you are mom :) It's definitely true! They were touched by your profile. I really enjoyed it as well! I'm definitely praying that all will work out for the house. It definitely depressed me to see that picture of the house. Sounds like the Lord has already made plans for it though :) It's good to know He's in charge. How's drew and joseph doing with the piano tuning? Hope that goes well for them! Well I know this one is pretty short but I have to get running. I love and appreciate all that you do for me family! Have a great week!

Elder Norton#2


Feb 14, 2011
Short letter about frustration, better to skip.

Feb 21, 2011

Dear Family!

Sorry about my bad mood and attitude last week. Uncalled for! Never again. I had a great week starting from success in the zone to interviews with President Glende to baptisms at Ft. Knox and in our ward. It was just all around great! I don't why I let the stress get to me. To be honest I don't know what it is. I'm just working hard on being positive and happy. Wherever the stress comes from I'm sending it back. I am glad to hear that things on the house are improving. I wish I could fly down and help you guys paint in my spare time, not that I have any but it's the thought that counts right? While you're painting walls I'll be helping people paint their sins white! :) I love the Lord! We had such a great week!

Brother Bailey was baptized Sunday. I'll attach pictures! One of his soldiers that he was in charge of came up from Ft. Bragg, North Carolina to baptize him. What an awesome experience. Not too many soldiers get the opportunity to baptize their drill sergeant! The spirit was strong and everything went perfect! I don't know if you remember Brian Regans little soldier skit he does on dads tim and willy cd. He talks about making everyone sit on the same row at his sisters wedding and always says "OUTSTANDING!" I don't know if Brother Bailey has heard that before but he always says it. He kept saying it at his baptism, but in a funny way like Brian Reagan does it. You'd have to be there but he's just having so much fun with his conversion. It's just been a great experience! Ft. Knox was awesome as well. Sunday morning we interviewed 4 soldiers and took them over to our old building and baptized them. I had the privilege to be the one to do it. It was great. It's a little more difficult to do then it is in the Ohio River :) but still a humbling and spiritual experience. I'll send a picture of that too! We're just having a lot of success teaching the soldiers. I'll never forget this experience. E-Town ward is doing great as well. We have some people we're teaching who are preparing for baptism.

Our investigator Lea is still nervous about baptism. She knows and believes it's true, just scared about family and friends. We're fasting for her today. Rhonda had some concerns come up that will probably delay her baptism a couple weeks. It all happens for a reason though. We're having a Mini MTC in our ward this weekend. We gathered up 6 companionships to teach and go out with the young men of some of the surrounding wards to help them prep for missions. It's going to be sweet! Friday night we'll be teaching classes about PMG and mission success and what it's like and things like that. Then Saturday morning we'll be splitting up, one missionary to every 3 boys and go out and teach some lessons. It'll be really fun. We had a baptism lined up to take place right when it ended so all the young men could witness it but it looks like it won't happen :( It's ok though. It is going to be a great weekend.

That is AWESOME about Eric! Yeah I remember him! He was on my T-Ball team a long time ago. The KC Royals I believe? He's a great kid! For some reason I wasn't surprised when you said he was baptized. I can just see him being a member. Great job for the missionaries! Give them referrals!

So I benched 225 this week! It's was awesome! When we worked out in the morning I tried it twice and couldn't get it up. At the end of the day we were still in our dress clothes shirt tie and all and finished planning and I told Elder Fielding I was going to try it one more time. He told me to probably wait another week but I knew I could do it. I have had 225 Hooah! in my planner the past 6 weeks written down so I look at it every time I open it up. It has been on my mind. So, I sat down on the bench and did it with ease! It was sweet. So now I have to set another goal! Vision Board! :) There's a member in our ward who is a police officer and he works 3rd shift so he gets off at 6 in the morning so he picks us up and takes us to the police station and we work out every morning in their private gym. It's sweet. We started yesterday and it will probably be a regular thing. The only sad part is that when Elder Fielding asked for permission for us to do it in his interview with president, he was given a hint that he will probably be transferred :( That is next week! AHHHHHH!

Mom how's sister mosely doing? I was wondering if she's doing ok if you could ask her to arrange a musical number on called to serve. I will have a lot of buddies back before me who spoke spanish and a lot of english buddies as well and I think it would be cool to do a musical number with all of them right before I give my home coming talk. Sing parts of it in spanish or portugues or whatever they speak and then parts of it in english. Wouldn't that be cool? All of my RM buddies wearing their suits singing called to serve? Idk it has just been a thought on my mind. Maybe run it by Sister Mosely and see what she thinks.

We receive transfer calls on Saturday. I think a lot of our zone is going to be switched up. We've been the same for the past 3 months so there will probably be a lot of new changes. Mom could you get on face book and get Elder Ralstons address for me? I want to write him but I don't have it. Elder (adam) Wright wrote me by the way. It's good to hear from him. Crazy he goes home so soon. Well I had another good story about a RC of ours that I want to share but am really out of time. I'll share it next week. It was pretty cool. Basically she went to the hospital for emergency surgery and it just so happened that the nurse and doctor and some other ppl that were working on her were LDS and so she was able to receive a blessing and she just recognized that priesthood holders were all around her and just bore testimony of how she felt protected by the Lord. Man it makes me tear up every time. The Lord knows them that are His. You make promises with Him I know he will keep His end of the deal. Well I love you all so much. I hope this letter is ok. I'm trying to do better! Tell my brothers and sisters I love them. I'll talk to you next week. Hurrah for Israel!

Love,
Elder Norton #2

Feb 28, 2011
Hello family!

This is going to be short and quick. Good news, I'm staying in E-town Hooah! The only bad thing is Elder Fielding is getting shipped to Lexington. He's going to serve with Elder Thompson! They'll have fun together. My new companion will be Elder Robbins. He's a great missionary. I haven't served around him but I have been to meetings and things before with him there so it should be fun. He played college football I think. He was a fullback. He's a pretty thick kid. So yeah we'll have fun working out! Anyway Bro Bailey was confirmed yesterday and received the Aaronic Priesthood. It was awesome! The mini MTC was really cool as well. We had 12 missionaries with about 24 youth so it was a good to go out and teach with them. Afterward we had a testimony meeting and all the young men got up and bore their testimonies. It was very spiritual. That's sweet about Josephs papers. Whenever he chooses to go will be the time the Lord wants him to. I almost want to say tell Olivia to wait so I can come home and baptize her but that would be selfish of me. I wouldn't put it off, but if you do wait until I come home I won't complain :) I feel like I have a lot more to talk about but I don't have the time dang it. We have a bunch of stuff to do today. I love you all. Hope you have a great week!

Elder Norton#2