What a CHRISTMAS Week :)

It was so so great to be able to talk with you all on Christmas. Such a wonderful Christmas gift that is given to us as missionaries. I enjoyed every second. Dad. I have been thinking A LOT about your question and the day after Christmas that is actually all I studied about. I was truly thinking about the importance of Repentance. As I contemplate why there is such a need for it after we are baptized the thought that comes to mind is what Erika and Natasha and i think all of us were thinking is the need for CHANGE. here are all my thoughts. We desire to return and live with our FATHER in Heaven again and time and time again we are told that we cannot "enter into his rest" if we are unclean. Yes it is important to ask for forgiveness for the things that we have done that are wrong but as my companion and i were teaching one of our investigators(Randi) who is 71 we both had inspiration when the thought crossed her head that she not only needs to repent of what she has done wrong but also of what she hasn't done. I hope i am making sense. I think that is SO TRUE! not only is repentance about being forgiven and having that guilt removed but its about CHANGING and really changing to become like our Savior Jesus Christ. more to come on that later;) 

WOW! we had such a week. We met with the McNamara family who is so amazing. We were teaching about the Book of Mormon and towards the end the parents looked up at both of us and said... "okay.. SO.. how will we know when we are ready"! WHAT!? They have talked a lot about how this is just the right time for their family. I love hearing that. I love seeing when FAMILIES are so ready to grasp on to the gospel and just HOLD on. It is so important to help others stay active in the church. That's a life long calling:) Let's strive to be better at reaching out to those that are in need of something this week! 

We have had so many neat opportunities past week to share the gospel. We met a man named Kennedy who is from Cambodia. HE speaks little English but we were able to teach him the restoration. It was such a powerful lesson as he read the first vision in Cambodian. I could truly feel the spirit and we know that he felt it too. He was able to come to church this week and it was so cool to sit next to him and watch him try to listen so close to what others were saying. 

one funny story before i end. We are helping Randi prepare for baptism and she seems to be so ready but their are a few things that she is still working on to know. She came to church yesterday and we were talking with her and out of no where she looked up at us and said.. "ya know what, I think i am coming closer to entering into Gods bathtub" Oh my goodness. It had to have been such an unforgettable moment. I couldn't tell if i wanted to laugh or cry because of what she had just said to us. I love that. I love when they finally get it and they understand that its for them and they have their own testimony of it. 

My testimony of the gospel has increased. I have such a deeper love for the Book of Mormon. I love feeling so accomplished at the end of the day. It is truly a feeling you just cant describe.!

love you all so much. thank you for all the prayers and all the support. I can feel them:)

Sister Norton

The picture is of Janet. she thought it would be fun for me to look like an African

Merry Christmas from our house to Everett!!!

What a highlight to be able to Skype with Sister Norton on Christmas day!!!!
It was so nice to be able to listen to her share stories from her mission!
We miss her! What an example she is to us of love and dedication to our Savior!!

We love you too!!!!!

Oh come let us adore Him!!!

MERRRYYY CHRISTMAS! Feliz NAVIDAD

Oh all the wonderfulness of the Christmas Season, i love the hustle and bustle and the way that people are so willing to listen to us at this time of year. I love how we are able to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I Love this time of year especially as a missionary. It is almost too crazy to think that it is already my second Christmas as a missionary. Time just seems to be flying right before my eyes. I have gained such a better appreciation with being away and being with others at this time of year. I also am going to keep this one shorter duet to the fact that i will be able to talk to you guys super SOON!.. crazy.

 the BIG NEWS.

 So lets begin. WE have been so unbelievably blessed in CITY of Everett. We have an amazing Bishop that is once again so missionary minded in all that he does and we were able to set up a lesson this week with a great family. It had to have been one of the best and most inspired and spirit filled lesson of my entire mission:) it was so amazing. We have so many part member families that we are working with which can be such a great privileged to put together the missing pieces and help them feel the joy that the gospel can and will bring into their lives. As we taught the Restoration the spirit touched the hearts of these people and they truly felt it. My companion and i walked out of the house and were speechless for a while. I felt exhausted in the best way possible. They are so ready to receive the gospel and they want to change. the mom was baptized when she was 8 but stopped going to church when she was 10 so everything is new to her. They are just an amazing family and we are so excited to be able to work with them:)

oh and then.... i went to Ferndale this weekend. IT was a miracle:) We found a member ride and drove all the way up there so i could be there when one of my past investigators got baptized. I loved that special opportunity to see some many people that i loved so much and to see Elizabeth. She was glowing:) oh and did i mention that I sang..yep! With a couple other sisters. It was so neat!

So much good is going on! I truly feel the peace that the gospel brings into my life. I have been reading this scriputre over and over again this week and i thought you all could benefit from it as well.

1 Nephi 11: 20-23

 20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.
 21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?
 22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.
 23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.

Gods love is perfect. It is as simple as that. God loves us no matter who we are, or what we have done. The gospel of Jesus Christ is simple. It is steps that truly allow us to return to live with our father in heaven again. I have truly felt the spirit of the lord this week and i hope that all of you have as well. Jesus Christ is our savior. He lives and he loves us. That is something i know.
love you all! and Merry Christmas!
Love, Sister Norton
SEE you SOON!:)

"Welcome to EVERETT"

Hello Hello:)

 This week has been a learning and refining week. It is so humbling to come into a new area where you hardly know where you are going, who you are going to see, and how to work with your companion. The coolest part about it all is that as I have put in all that I could this week we were so blessed with so many wonderful tender mercies and so many miracles! I love serving in Everett with Sister Johnson. She is a crack up and so patient with me:) grateful for companions! The area is so huge and we have so much work to do! So many people to be seen and so many children of God that need and want the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

 Week in Review:

 Tuesday: HOLY SMOKES. 2 words. ELDER CARDON, front row and center. okay maybe more than 2. Anyways. back to Tuesday. Elder Cardon from the 70 came to our mission so speak and address us. We went at 8 in the morning and finished at 3! yes. you could say it was "spiritually exhausting", every moment of that meeting was truly inspired. We all went away with a new and different perspective from chapter 4 in Preach My Gospel. The spirit is a very strong and powerful thing. I love it. I learned so much that I will have to share when I have more time....one thing that he talked about was the process that happens when the general authorities decide where missionaries are to serve. It was mind blowing. I had heard it before and read it many times but for some reason hearing it form him was different.

 We went on exchanges and I got to go with the same sister that I went with up in Ferndale because we both got transferred into the Samae Zone which is awesome. We spent the whole day on bike talking to everyone that we could handing out He is the Gift cards. It was pouring rain and we still managed to talk to 40 people! the lord blessed us in so many ways. I love seeing his hand in this wonderful work! also we drove past Boeing.. it was the first time I had ever seen it. Yep. crazy. its like a small city! HUGE.

I love love love sharing the gospel. I know I sound like such a missionary but its true! Its the most rewarding thing. I love knowing my purpose and why I am here. The mission is for every person that is willing to give it their all. It has been a refining time for me in my life. I love being in the scriptures daily and bearing my testimony frequently. I love to hear investigators pray for the first time.. they know who they are talking to. I love, loving people for no reason and caring so much for them. I have learned the importance of this... When you are helping someone... you should really help them and serve even if no one else is watching.

We have encountered so many neat experiments and It is my hope that they will continue to happen. I love the Christmas season. I know that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he is my savior and redeemer.

LOVE YOU ALL!!!! talk to you soon.. ahhhhh CHRISTMAS!!

Love, Sister Norton:)

Ferndale- people I will miss!

 Matthew Carlson

 Jennifer Michaels & Sister Garn

 Sister Christensen great member missionary

 Leah and Kash Boyd

 Hard to say good-bye to so many from Ferndale!

 

Well it happened...... Transfers

Okay. Oh goodness. I have now been in Everett for almost a week. OH YEAH. I got transferred!! i found out last week right after i finished emailing. I defiantly wasn't thinking that i would get transferred, and i wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to Ferndale and all of the people there. I really gained a huge love for the members, the investigators and for pretty much everything! I learned so much there and i was hard to say goodbye.  SO i went home and packed up and then made my rounds and said my goodbyes to everyone... and then i was off the next day to the mission home to find out my new companion and my new area. You could say i was a little nervous but also excited. I was handed my slip and read the new area and companion and i couldn't believe it. Sister Johnson! YES! I had to do a double take and then say a prayer of gratitude. I love this sister missionary. We have served in the same area at different times and also we were in the same district. MIRACLES DO HAPPEN! She is so much fun to serve with and we are having a blast together!

 EVERETT. So since i was called to serve in the EVERETT Washington mission i guess it only makes since that i will finally serve in EVERETT. We are in a car and have bikes. Its a very LARGE area FULL of lots of people which is SUPER great! We have a lot of good things happening here. I am just making my way of remembering things and getting to know the area better. I feel like my whole mission heavenly father has really blessed me to remember more than i could  have ever wished for. I love being on the Lords errand and just being the mouthpiece for him. A mission has to be hard because it requires us and allows us only to grow and to become better. The gospel of Jesus Christ is my favorite. I love the simplicity behind it all. Sorry this is so short. I am short on time! I promise next week will be better. 

LOVE YOU LOVE  YOU LOVE YOU!!!

Love Sister Norton

Christmas Miracle!

HELLO HELLO!!

WOW! I can not believe it. Happy December:) This week was a little long but full of surprises! key points..

dog attack, frozen dishes, frozen faces, brrrrrr, SNOW, he is the gift, thanksgiving dinner, crazy 7 year old. oh the joys of being a missionary! 

 One thing that I have come to LOVE is this. As a missionary you plan each night for your day. You and your companion knell down in prayer and ask the Lord for help and guidance as to where you should go and who you should see.. and after that is all said and done you go out the next day and do those plans. It never fails that something unexpected comes up but it is exactly what needed to happen. You plan your day and then you give it all to the Lord and he helps you. He promised and we promised as well. I think the hardest part about all of this is... TRUSTING and going forth with faith with the TINIEST promptings you receive. Before my mission i thought that when i was a missionary i would just automatically know where to go and know how to teach and so on ans on. Come to find out.. its a lot different than that. You do the work and you do as much as you can and after all of that is said and done the Lord provides. He will make of us something BEAUTIFUL. a new us! Change. That is what the gospel is all about. Never ending change. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true.. and that is why i am out in rain, snow, or whatever it may be sharing the happiness of the gospel! and i Love it! 

 Elizabeth: oh my goodness. She is taking big steps in preparing to be baptized. This week we did some of her dishes for her because she is without a dishwasher... and she has no hot water. It was so worth it. Service can heal you. We talked to her this week about the importance of coming to church and she committed to come..Then we stopped by on Saturday to make sure everything was still a go and her 10 year old daughter came to the door to tell us that they wouldn't be able to make it.:( noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sunday came and we decided to text her anyway.. we received a text back saying that she was on her way! what?! We ran outside and saw her pull up. the smiles on our faces were probably priceless. We had to help her 2 kids get out of the car who weren't as excited as we had hoped. But we got in to sacrament just in time. It was a MIRACLE! she loved it and picked out her day to be baptized.. December 20th is the day that we will be working towards. 

HE IS THE GIFT. if you guys have not seen this video. go and watch it. We are being pushed to share it as much as we can. It is truly and an amazing video that simply teaches the importance of Christmas. my favorite part is... "embrace it" 

Then... the day after Christmas it snowed! it never snows and it snowed and we had a blast. although it was cold it was so much fun and people just thought we were crazy. 

oh and then a dog attacked us.. thank goodness for companions. 

love you all to the moon and back!!
love Sister Norton:) 

Happppppy THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe it!? its that time of year again. Oh how I seriously just love the Holidays! As a missionary it has been quite the different experience but I still can't help but just LOVE it. What i love most is being able to see so many different families interact with each other and see the importance of families. It makes me so GRATEFUL for my family. I am so grateful that I know we will be able to live together forever. What a blessing that truly is. I love to see all of the families different traditions and see how they like to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

 These past couple of days i have really been thinking what am i thankful for besides my family, the gospel, food, clothing, a place to live, the list could really go on and on. What i am truly thankful for this week is the plan of salvation and the scriptures. Man did i used to take this for granted. We taught the Plan of Salvation this week and for some reason it hit me harder than it ever has before and it was probably because of this. We are teaching a man named Victor who is 28 and is dating a member in our ward. He has a basic belief of Jesus Christ and is wanting to really know what the "Mormons" believe. We have taught him a couple times and will be able to see him tonight! While we were teaching the Plan of Salvation he asked so many great questions that really got me to thinking about some things. I don't know everything, but there are a few things that i do know. I do know that there will come a time when we will be able to see our savior again, and oh what a joyous day that will be. I want to stand before him and take me by the hand and tell me that i did a good job and i want to be welcomed into his kingdom. I think Enos states it best when he says: d

 27 And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in theday when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall standbefore him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will sayunto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared foryou in the mansions of my Father. Amen.

I know that this scripture is true and when i read it i get chills. There is a place prepared for us after this life and we have so much reason to rejoice. That is why i am so grateful for the scriptures. I really used to think of reading them as a chore and just that if i read them i was done and good for the day. I look at it so much differently now. I LOVE to be reading them and although i don't always understand everything i read it is Heavenly Fathers way of answering my questions because it can be quite hard to speak over my loud voice. haha There have been so many times where i will be reading in the scriptures and i find EXACTLY what i need. God does hear us. That is something i know. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon. it has changed my life and if you have not read it... READ it.. and if you have then read it again. I promise there is something in there that you can and you will benefit from!:) 

This week! We have been working with Elizabeth who is doing so great! She is progressing so well and is so ready to make these changes in her life. Its amazing to see. She has given up smoking and this past week she gave up her coffee. This women has strength, i want to be more like her. She has no support whatsoever from her family and yet she keeps going. She knows the lord is on her side and so do i! 

Jennifer our recent convert is just so funny. It has been such a joy to work with her and to see her continue to progress and learn after her baptism. 

We got so lucky this past week. We had been out on our bikes all day and ran into this man who had met with missionaries in the past and he began to talk to us and tell us how he really needs to make time for god and then he asked for our number. YES! it was so awesome. 

We are working closely with the ward and to our surprise it has done wonders. The ward here is great and so willing to come out with us! We have been so blesses in so many ways. We have been trying to push every member a missionary and to get them more and more involved. I love it up in Ferndale. I know i have said that a couple times. but its the truth. Its great! 

We have our preparation day on Thanksgiving this week and we will have to be in by 6. We were just given a hour to email today:) We will most likely be going over to a members house for dinner and then who knows!

I love you all!! oh and real quick. The funniest and most ironic thing happened this week when we were knocking on doors. We walked up to a house that was playing the song. "ya gotta have faith" (not sure of the title) but it was funny because the women who answered told us she was a non believer and it was something that i was really not expecting.. okay.. i think you really had to be there for this one. it was funny. i promise. 

I am thankful for all you! i am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the support that you each give me. I love you all so much and i wish you the HAPPIEST THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!! 

Love Sister Norton:)  

Charity is all you need

hello:) 

Oh how lovely it is to email all of the people that you love so dearly. I have finally gotten the swing of this thing that you call missionary work. It has defiantly been a marathon of learning and every day is a journey, but i wouldn't trade any of the experiences that i have had for anything else. I have learned first and for most how to trust in my father in heaven and to rely on my savior Jesus Christ. He really is my best friend. I come closer to him through reading the Book of Mormon. As i was reading this week i was in 2 Nephi... oh which can be rough.. especially for me because i am trying my hardest to really understand Isaiah and it is HARD. BUT it was really cool because each morning right before i read i would pray and ask Heavenly Father to just show me one thing that i could learn and he totally did. Awesome!  I know that god hears and answers our prayers. 

 This week we were blessed with miracle after miracle after miracle. It was the craziest thing.  was filled with the love for this people more than i had ever before felt. I truly felt like Nephi this week. In 2 Nephi ch. 33:3 we read 

But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem itas of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.

yep. i have felt that this week. its been really neat but also really hard. I so wish that every single person could just grasp on to the gospel and would listen to us. But it really isn't that easy. We were out the other day and we had the neatest experience. Lets begin. We came to a door and Monica answered. She began to tell us that she went to local church around here and that she had already tried to listen to the Mormons before and that she just wasn't interested. all of a sudden the next thing i knew was that she asked for a phamplet and wanted to learn more. Its moments like those where you just know that it wasn't you talking it was the spirit and those moments are priceless. it makes up for all those hard days. those 5 minutes when someone listens, it turns your whole world around. 

Elizabeth. WOW SHE DID IT. She quit smoking. She is amazing and is on track to be baptized in the first week of December. It is the coolest thing to work with someone who has all these outside forces that are working against them and yet they know that this is the path they need to take in their life.

Silver family. wow. Saturday For the past couple of weeks we have been trying to see this family in the ward who are less active. We decided to see them on Saturday and to our surprise we got in! don't know how that happened but we did and we were able to teach their son who is not a member who is 10 the restoration. It was the neatest thing because as we taught we saw the light turn back on in this mothers eyes. When we got to the picture about Joseph Smith this little boy got quiet. For a moment i thought he had stopped listening. Then he sat there for a moment... looked up at us and said. "wow.... so this really happened to him?"  the spirit filled the room and we were able to testify to him how we had come to know and how he could do the same thing. We then had him say our closing prayer and it was the first time this little boy had prayed. such a sweet prayer and right after the mom invited us back over next Saturday

i have been a little bit all over the place in this email. SORRY! I want you all to know how much i have been able to see how the gospel of Jesus Christ truly blesses families. it is so much fun to be able to go into different homes and see how families work. oh the things you learn on a mission. Its life changing and i have no clue where i would be without this experience. Its been an amazing year! i know that with the Strength of the Lord i can do hard things. 

i love missionary work. Let us all try a little harder this week to reach out to those that are in need. become TRUE disciples of Jesus Christ. 

love you love you! 

Love sister Norton.. 

p.s. we wear this vest at night so we don't get run over and it gives us a way to talk to more people!