January 27, 2014

Hello everyone! 

This week was great. We have lots of people to teach and the work is rolling. I've noticed that the more we're obedient, the more the Lord blesses us. Simple, huh? But so true. Sometimes our obedience needs to be coupled with patience and endurance, but being patient and enduring brings blessings all the same. I am so grateful to be a part of this work.

This week we saw wildlife! True story! We saw a bunny, an owl, and a falcon! And that's a big deal for Vegas. There's like nothing out here. The only wildlife we usually see have huge spiked pink hair and piercings all over their face. But we actually saw animals. Big deal. Even though we're pretty sure the bunny was a house pet that had just escaped. Nuance. 

Also, super cool, this week the Sam Boyd stadium for UNLV held the International Rugby 7s Tournament. Why does this pertain to us? Well..... That stadium is in our area!!!! Some of the polynesian elders in our mission got permission to attend and seek out referrals from all over the world there. Since it's in our area, we were also allowed to attend. I REALLY wanted to, but the tickets were like 85 dollars. I don't have that money.... So maybe next year! I'll save up. But we did have the chance to go talk to people outside the stadium. Lots of tailgating and events. A very nice Samoan lady bought us some delicious Samoan barbecue and we talked with a lot of people. It was really exciting, and I may have to come back some day to actually watch the rugby. Apparently, New Zealand and South Africa played the finals. I'm not sure who won. COOL!!!!! Sometimes I wish I was Polynesian. 

And then yesterday, my companion was sick. So sick, that we weren't able to attend church or go work. So I went crazy, being stuck inside. I did have time to clean out the Area Book, redo all the whiteboards that we use to organize the work, start on a back-up area book, clean the apartment, color a Curious George coloring page that I found in the apartment, put together a pirate puzzle that included a whopping 20 pieces, and eat left over Samoan Barbecue.

But the best part of the day was when I had some personal time with the Lord. I was reading in Enos in the Book of Mormon and I really wanted to have an experience like him. Although I couldn't actually pray all day and all night like he did, I was able to pour out my heart in prayer for a really long time. I won't say how long. But it was excellent. While "struggling in the spirit" like he was, I received a prompting to open the Book of Mormon again. This time, I was led to study the most mighty man ever, Captain Moroni. I learned things about him and pondered what made him who he was. I received inspiration on what I could do to be more like him. It was an answer to a prayer that I had asked months ago. 

I am a witness that God answers prayers. I am a witness that if we come to him, he will teach us. The answer to that prayer took a long time to come, and took a lot of effort in praying and studying. But I know that as we give our all to him, he will teach us. It takes effort. That's the point. We're supposed to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, as it says in the Bible. The best things don't come easily. The things of most worth appear when we put our soul into it. I invite you all to have an Enos experience. I invite you to pour our your heart to him and struggle with the spirit to receive answers. Take the time to ponder. It's worth it. I promise you that what you learn will bring you closer to your Savior. I can promise that because I've put it to the test. I love this Gospel. I love this Church. I love my Savior. I pray for you and hope you're doing well. May God be with you always.

Elder Norton 

January 20, 2014

Hi Momma! 

I'm doing well. We're working really hard and we're seeing miracles. One of the biggest ones is from one of our investigators named Tim. When we met him 3 months ago, he considered himself the most irreligious man in the world and had sworn to never set foot in a church again. Well..... 3 months later, he's come to church 3 times, has us teach him weekly, has us teach his FAMILY weekly (separately from him) and told us he's ready to change his life. WOW. I knew the gospel changed people's hearts, but I got to see this one first hand and be along for it. We really didn't do much to change his mind. We just did our best to bring the Spirit into their home and showed our love for the family. For example, for one object lesson, I ended up doing 300 pushups in 10 minutes to show how Christ had to pay the price for our sins. It was amazing. Completely worth it. The Spirit was strong and I got to show them how much I personally would be willing to do for them. He'll get baptized someday. I know it. So incredible. 

Satan works hard on me every day to diminish my faith. I recognize his efforts to just keep me from going all in. It's a real battle but with Christ, I'm just fine. I've been thinking a lot about how repentance is tied to sacrifice, and how an increase of charity affects an increase of sacrifice. The doctrine of Christ is SO COOL. It's so in depth! Anyway, I hope things are going well for you guys. I'm still doing well. Healthy and working hard. Some days are better than others, but I really do love my mission. I love you guys. Thanks for your support. That does so so much for us out here. It's so great to know we have a foundation to lean on. You're the best!

 Thanks 

All of my love,

Matt

Happy New Year from Nevada

Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I certainly did! We took a little part out of our day on Christmas and went to the small commercial center in our area and passed out a ton of candy canes and pictures of Christ. It was really great to wish everyone I could see a Merry Christmas and have the opportunities to bear my testimony of the Savior. It was great!

Thank you all for your letters and Christmas wishes. I appreciate it so much. It's great to hear that you are all doing well. Keep going and keep the Lord first! Special thanks to all my extended family who sent letters for me to read on Christmas morning. For a little bit there, it felt like I had the whole family right in my apartment! What a great feeling.

This week I had several opportunities to testify and teach about the Book of Mormon. I LOVE this book. It is my favorite book in the world. It has brought me closer to God, given me greater understanding of the Bible, and been an anchor of truth for me. The Book of Mormon is special because it comes with a promise. That promise is that anyone and everyone who reads it, ponders on what it means, and asks God in the name of Christ if it is true, WILL receive a confirmation that it is true. That is a very special promise. It is something I've tested, tried, and invited others to do as well. It is a true book of scripture. It shows us that God loves all of His children in every corner of the world and in every era of time. I'll never forget the feeling of joy I had as my companion and I literally sprinted down the street as fast as we could with a stack of Book of Mormons (Books of Mormon?) to share it with a family. Each time I testified of it, I felt the Spirit confirm to me again that it is true. I love this book. I would invite everyone to read it, to think about it, and especially to pray about it. Even if you've already done it, do it again. The feeling will be there every time. That's how special it is. 

I hope you all have a safe New Year. 2014 is going to be full of miracles. I pray for you and I trust that the Lord will lead you and guide you to where you need to be. Faithfully keep keeping the faith! It will all be worth it in the end. Love you all!
Elder Norton