October 2012

October 2

Hello everyone!

So the reason I said that the next 6 weeks will be tough is because missionary work is tough (definitely fun :) but definitely tough. Especially because Elder Stewart is goin home next tranfer! He's a really hard worker and he and I have been doing a lot of work in this area...

So my bike tube is getting fixed right now. It's about the 15th time it has gone flat. Not cool. So we've been walking everywhere. Yesterday we walking for about seven hours. It's built my testimony that Christ knows what I'm going through. Everytime I want to get upset at someone for cussin at us while they drive by in a car, or when people "forget" about our scheduled lessons, or anything else, I know that Christ has already experienced it. He did the hardest thing there was, and He never complained. It makes me feel bad for all the times that I complain. It's so hard not to murmur. I feel like Laman or Lemuel. That's gotta stop! haha

Anyway, we are finding many people and there are many people who are finding us! I just hope the Lord will continue helping us. I know that He can only bless us as we are obedient and trying our best to work with all of our heart, might, mind and strength.

So, Kimberly still has to be interviewed, but we were informed by a Seventy that it's just our Mission Pres who needs to do that. So that's exciting! The Cooks didn't come to Church this week :(. Many of the friends we are teaching haven't come to to Church in the past couple weeks because of the Temple Dedication and now General Conference this weekend. Which I'm going to this Saturday! HOLLA!

Mom and Dad, I'm praying that the house will sell as well. I'm sure it's not fun driving everyday, back and forth from Duncan to Thatcher. I hope you guys don't wear yourselves out too bad!

Anyway, I know that there is a lot going on in all of our lives. Especially you at home, but the most important thing that we have is our testimony's and faith in Christ, Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost!

I love you all! Hurrah For Israel!

Elder Norton3

October 9

Hello everyone!!

First, mom, if you could send Chris's coat that'd be best. The one I sent home won't fit over me if I have my suit coat on. So if that isn't too much trouble that would be awesome. Gloves and ear muffs would be good too :) Nothing special, just anything that will keep my and my tush covered hahaha.

CONFERENCE WAS SICK!!! That announcement definitely shows that the Lord's coming is near. That is what I feel anyway. Even though 18 and 19 year old's might not have "life experience" I think they will be more humble and willing to be obedient. They'll see that the Lord really needs them to step up. I think Jefferson, only being a senior, is ready. If you have a testimony of Christ and a willing heart, then you're called to the Work. Studying PMG is the absolute best thing he could be doing!

We should be having several baptisms this month! I'm so flippin excited! :) We are teaching two families and will be teaching another family this weekend! The Work is here, we just have to be willing to roll up our sleeves and do it! I'm willing. There is absolutely nothing better as a missionary, than to come home at night and be physically and spiritually drained. For me it's like working out, if you aren't sore you arent' growing. The Lord has helped me this whole time to accomplish the things I have. When I was at the MTC I wanted to quit very badly. I was scared. I felt like I knew nothing. I couldn't teach worth a darn ahaha. BUT, I knew that if I put faith in Christ, I could do it. He really is my best friend. This past week there have been some challenges. Things that I don't have control over, but I just think of the things Christ had to go through. He lifts me up when I have fallen. I trust me, I've fallen down :)

But Jesus really is there, just like our Father in Heaven is there. We have to do our best to live the things we say we believe. The more and more I look for the positive and the miracles in my mission the more and more I see the Hand of the Lord.

I love being a missionary:) I love Jesus Christ. I want to be like Him and I want others to know He is there!

Well, Mom, keep being a great example. Keep working hard and your work will pay off. I know that when you all move down to Thatcher, the house will sell. If you can send a few bucks that would be awesome. I need to get some DI suit coats for the winter, suit coats that I can beat up a bit :)

I love you all! Build the Kingdom, that is what I got from conference and from the Prophets! Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Norton3

October 16

Hola mi Familia!

So first, about the missionary announcement from President Tommy :) It's amazing! Missionary work is really important, and it shows how much The Lord wants all of us to be prepared to share the Gospel. Our calling as disciples of Christ is to be like Him. Christ's preached the gospel and preached salvation. He was the example of love and service and so if we want to be more like Him we have to do the things He did! So I'm working hard on being a better disciple of Christ in all I do!

4 of our friends we are teaching came to Church! It makes me so happy! There are two sisters we are teaching, their names are Yessenia and Valentina Cardinez. They are both awesome! Though we haven't been able to meet with their parents yet, those two are progressing in the Gospel. Yessenia is 15 and Valentina is 8. Yessi told Elder Stewart and I at Church that she wants to serve a mission!! How shweet is that!? That announcement that our Prophet made is affecting those who aren't even members yet! I love it!

Also, Saturday night, President Reyna who is a member of the stake presidency here in the Mt Lewis Stake asked us to speak with him Sunday morning. So of course we said  yes. He asked us to go by the Spirit, so that is what we did. That night as I was reading in the Book of Mormon I felt impressed to talk about Lehi's Dream in 1 Nephi 8. I really didn't know what I was going to say but that's what I felt prompted to talk about. As we were sitting on the stand I was pretty nervous as to what I was going to say. But as soon as I took the Sacrament I felt filled with the Holy Ghost. I really did feel Christ's love for me and I felt the enabling and healing power of His Atonement. I felt like Lehi as he partook of the fruit of the Tree. And at that moment I knew what I was going to talk about. Our lives are exactly like those in Lehi's dream. We do our best to follow the Rod. We do our best to do what is right. As I was speaking I felt like I should talk about verse 30 of 1 Nephi 8 which says:

30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.

As we do our best to follow God and His example, as we endure, we will one day be able to come before Christ, fall at His feet and worship Him. Partake of His love. Just as we partake of the Sacrament! So sacrament on sunday was a revelatory experience!

So yeah, there are two Elder Nortons in this mission. It's terrible. We are always having to take eachother's letters to eachother. So Mommy, if you could let people know to address my letters to "Elder Joseph Norton or Joseph C. Norton" that would be awesome.

I serve with a lot of the missionaries that I was in the MTC with actually. One of my ZL's is a missionary that was in the MTC with me.

I do see the Elder who was supposed to be my trainer. He is cool but I'm grateful I was able to have the trainers I did have. I do love my companion but he is definitely trunkified. Let's just say I've had plenty of time to update the area book. Maybe Andrew and Chris know what I'm talking about. Haha. We get along, I think that he could focus a little more. :) That's enough about that!

Anyway, I'm doing well here in Ogden in the Mt Lewis Stake! I love being a missionary, and it is definitely and honor and privilege to where this tag that I have! I love you all!

Love,

Elder Norton3

p.s. I attached a picture of me that Elder Heap (from Pima :) just took of me! He's such a silly missionary hahaahaha

October 23

Hello!!

So Ogden is still Ogden! I love it here and hope that I'll get to stay here in this area with Elder Stewart next transfer! The Mt Lewis Stake is awesome and I know that there is much work that I can still do! I don't want to leave knowing that I could have and could still do more work! I think that is what is hardest, knowing that I could have done better. Everyday I do my best trying to leave it all out there. I have definitely been strengthened the past couple weeks.

Let's see, I'll talk about a few different people we are teaching. first, is Yessenia and Valentina! They are amazing young girls. Yessi is 15 and Valentina is 9. They have come to Church the past 2 weeks in a row and to ALL the meetings! How sweet is that! Valentina even read a short talk in primary about how the Book of Mormon can help us learn truth! She loved it! And she loves Jesus! Everytime we have lessons with her and Yessi she always wants to talk about Jesus! (I wish I would have been more focused at that age!) Yessi is amazing too. She is going through a tough time right now. She has done things in the past that she is very sad about and wishes she could change. The thing she needs most in her life is the Spirit and the knowledge of Christ's Gospel which has been put here on the Earth to help us know that we can change and grow!

Next is Dan W! This guy is a stud! We've been teaching him for about a month now. He takes notes and loves reading in the Book of Mormon. He wants to get baptized, we just need him to be at Church! The other day he brought his wife (who is a member) and their kids with them to Sacrament meeting! Sick! He loved it! And he'll be coming back next week. He's lived in UT his whole life and has never met with missionaries. He wants to KNOW the truth and through reading the Book of Mormon and continuing to seek Christ, he will find the Truth :)

Another guy is Marc! He's funny and kinda crazy! He's from New York and is an awesome guy. He came to Utah to leave his past and his drugs too. He comes to Church weekly and loves meeting with us. We are known to him as "punks" and he calls himself the lonely Jewish New Yorker! HA, the Gospel will mean so much for him if he will focus on the things that Jesus and our Eternal Father would have him do.

Well, I'm trying to thing of some more people I could talk about... The CxxxS! They are a small family of 5. The parents are members but the kids are not. Bailey and Riley are two awesome girls. Riley is 11 and Bailey is 15. We challenged brother Cxxx to get himself prepared so he can baptized his kids! I'm so excited to see that! Riley just sang in the primary program Sunday... I made faces at her through out! HAHAHA,  she came down off the stand after sacrament meeting was over and she wanted to beat me up! HAHAH, it was great! I love teaching youth, it's so cool. I learn with them that is for sure!

Well, those are some of the people we are teaching. We are teaching many more people as well, but those up there are some of my favorite:) GASP! Am I aloud to have favorites? hahah, yes I am!

I hope that I can be a good example to my compadre! He goes home soon and really is a good missionary, I just need to stay strong and a goodexample and I know he'll be awesome!!

I love you all so much! This Gospel belongs to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! Through them we can do all things that are expedient unto righteousness! I know that The Holy Ghost waits for us to be obedient so He can give us the direction that Christ and our Eternal Father are waiting to give us! I hope everyday that I can be worthy of that guidance!

Hurrah For Israel!

Elder Norton3
 

October 30 

This is Elder Josie Posie!

HA, so this week was pretty good. Elder Stewart was sick all week. So needless to say we haven't been out much. It's terrible. There is nothing worse than sitting and waiting for the day to pass by. UGH! So I'm hoping that I don't have to worry about that problem this week. There is a family we are teaching right now that I talked about in last weeks email. and this was the highlight of my week!

The Cxxxs are the family that we had a lesson with. But this time, the whole family was there! The 20 year old son Clayson, 15 year old Bailey, and 10 year old Riley! And Bro and Sis Cxxx were there as well! We taught the Restoration this time. Usually that is always the first lesson we teach but I know why we taught it this time. Brother Cxxx served a mission in Georgia. And as we were teaching it reminded him of all the memories of his own mission. (he told us this as we were leaving) The Spirit was strong as we were teaching them all. After I shared Joseph Smith's experience in the grove, I asked Riley how she felt. She said, "I feel very thankful! I'm thankful because Jesus Christ wants us to follow Him, so Christ and Heavenly Father gave us a Prophet again!"  After she said that I wanted to jump for joy! It's amazing that a young girl who loves soccer and just being a kid, can recognize the Spirit and the importance of following Jesus Christ!? DAD GUM!! (in the Mater voice from Cars)

So that definitely made my week. And I don't know if I've ever talked about Kimber D but she is amazing!! She was raised in a polygamist home (she knew it was wrong) and we have been working with her for a while. She was supposed to get baptized about a month ago but still needs approval from Salt Lake. I'm just crossing my fingers hoping that process will move swiftly.

We should be having 2 baptisms this Thursday! A mother and a son! Shweet! Pray for them!

Last night was the Missionary Musical Fireside! The theme of the Fireside was Come Unto Him. We had over 1000 people attend! AWESOME!!  I was able to sing in the Missionary Choir and a quartet and I even had a solo at the beginning of The Spirit of God. The choir sang The Spirit of God to start the Fireside. I started it off and boy was it fetching scary! But "scary" really is a good thing. A little bit of nerves usually helps me much, but I felt Christ there singing with me. I felt him calm me and I felt His Spirit testifying that the "Latter Day Glory [HAS] come forth." It was really cool to say the least. I saw former President Olsen at the fireside and gave him a hug. I told him that he should have been tougher on Drew! HA, I'm only kiddin! I told him Drew is married and going to school. And also that my older Brothers are both awesome examples! Because they really are! I feel like I'm Laman or Lemuel and my older brothers are like Nephi and Sam! hahaha. I wanted to get a picture with Olsen but there were many other missionaries speaking with him so I decided not to. Instead I just had another missionary take a pic of me sitting down at the fireside, so I'll attach that along with a few others.

Well, I love you all. I know with this Gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that we can be healed spiritually and be strengthened in Him. Through Christ, Heavenly Father made all things and through Christ we can return to live with our Eternal Father again! And this life is all about learning and knowing our Father and Christ.

"This is life Eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent." St John 17:3

Christ said it best when He said that. I know the my Redeemer lives and He loves me too! And all of you! And everyone!

Hurrah For Israel!

Love,

Elder Norton3 (aka Elder Josie Posie)