Testifying to the "testigos"

What a week! The truth is that this week started out pretty hard, but it actually was an incredible week to help me learn! I got thinking and I started to talk to my compañero and I realized that we don't normally get up exactly on time, and that we were normally like 5 minutes later, and then with everyone needing to shower, we nomally didn't start our studies on time either... :/ I wasn't really feeling to good for the first couple days, but then Elder Toxqui and I talked and we started being more obedient. Guess what happened?!? Things got better! SHOCK!... We found some investigators that we hadn't seen in like a week and they told us we could teach them; we sat down on the curb and taught the vision (the first lesson that we teach to invite people to be baptized) and they both accepted!! Their names are Raymundo and Edgar! They are awesome, and they brought a third friend named "moises" (Moses) to church with them on sunday. IT IS A SIGN!!!!! :)

I have really gained a testimony of the importancee of obedience this week. We started being more obedient, and God started to bless us more. I have derived this formula to help illustate my point: ·$%&%$·&% + 283645/!·$%&% + the sum of your foot size = &%$%&/&·"! Got it?! I will interpret. GO TO CHURCH! READ THE SCRIPTURES! PRAY WITH REALLY INTENT! KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS! after doing this, YOU WILL RECIEVE YOUR ANSWER (blessings). Ok, now that we have established that concept, on with teh following topic of today's lesson. Any Questions? Wait.... I won't get them til next week anyway.... Just do your homework and you will get the answers!! :) haha 

ok, so Jehova's Witnesses are called "Testigos de Jehova" in Mexico. this week we successfully entered teh houses of 2 Testigos to teach teh vision. The first testigo we were really expecting a fight, and if it happened, we were going to leave, but it never happened.... We got through the whole lesson without many stumbles or stories and then we invited her to be baptized. She has been a testigo for 5 years, and she didn't understand why we recieved the spirit by teh laying on of hands... Acts 8 and 19!! She said she will do some research and will tell us on thursday! I just hope she doesn't want to argue... I don't like to argue because it truly does push teh spirit away, but we'll see what happens!!

Round 2!!! FIGHT!!!!!! In this corner we have the good looking american from las vegas and his equally awesome companion from Puebla Mexico! In the  other corner, we have the Varona Familia that lives on calle 26... It wasn't really a fight, but we did gte to teach them. They said the name Jehova like 5000 times and each time they said it, I thought to myself why do they keep saying jehova and then Jesus Christ. I know the beliefs of the J-Dubs, but still. We taught the lesson and we invited them to be baptized. They accepted.... But then they said they mainly want to hear more the God's word and find the truth, because they don't believe the true church of God was on the earth..... YES IT IS!!! DING DING DING!!!! FIGHT! This time, I did get a little more out there with my words because the truth is that if we don't help these people understand the truth and feel the power and truth of this Gospel, they might not ever find the truth in this life. I asked them to listen carefully and to pay a lot of attention to their feelings in the following minute or 2. I Testified that this church, the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the one true church of God on this earth, and that they didn't need to search any more for the truth because they were listening to 2 messangers from God to help them understand the Gospel and someday return to his presence as an Eternal Family. My companion then extended the baptismal invitation again that "if they can know for themselves that this is true, if they will be baptized into the true church of God?" They said that if they know, they'll do it!! YES!!!!! Our next lesson with them isn't til the Next sunday, but I KNOW that they can accept this gospel and be able to progress!

Last experience, and then i have to go take a nap before our Junta at 6 in the church. We went to visit the familia papas (potato), but that's not really their name. Everyone only knows them as that because they have a potato chip shack thing outside their store. But anyways, we went with them because we couldn't find ANYONE to teach and they are always available before lunch. We went, and we met them in teh street, they were leaving..... :/ They were going with a sistr that hurt her back about a month ago, and now she can't walk nor come to church cause it hurts her too bad. We get there. We knock. She yells to us that no is their and that a sister that lived about 15 minutes away had the key. We didn't know if the sister was home, but just before we went to leave, the door opened. The sister had gotten out of bed and had walked like 70 feet to the door to let us in to drop off the food!!! Sister Papas grabbed her to prevent her from falling and then I ran and grabbed the walker to help her walk. She went into the kitchen with sister papas and we helped hno. papas fix the door and grease up a few things in teh house to fix them. WE then entered the kitchen and offered to give her a priesthood blessing. She said yes, and asked if I would give it. As I put my hands on her head and began the blessing, I began to feel a tiny bit of the love that God has for this woman, and that love filled me with a love that helped me give this sister a blessing. I finished and I saw this sister differently. She wasn't just an injured sister, she was a loved daughter of God that he wanted to help. I was going to help her stand up, but she said no. She said through grunts of effort " YO TENGO QUE PODER!!" (I have to be able to do this) in this moment, this sister became an example to me. We face so many trials in this life, but we have to make our stand and say "TENGO QUE PODER!" I know that God is with us, and for that experience, my love for God's children has grown and I have been able to see the blessings of God more in my own lfe. I have been thinking a lot about what I want to be someday, and I have truly felt impressed to study in teh field of Physical Therapy. There is so much gospel application and I love helping people. Also if it wasn't for physical therapists and good doctors, I wouldn't be able to run, play sports, or even lift my arms..

I truly know that this church is true, and testify of it's divinity and perfection. God has put this gospel on the earth to help us find the right path and help us bless the lives of others. I know that the book of mormon is true and that with teh bible, we can be fortified in our knowledge o the truth. I know that I am in Mexico for a reason, and even in hard moments, we all need to push ahead with faith and then God with help us with the part that we lack. "TENEMOS QUE PODER!!!" (We have to be able to do this)

I hope you all have an incredible week, and know that I love and appreciate each and every one of you!

Love Elder Norr!

19!? Wow, that was fast!!

well, this has been a fast week, and also a really awesome week! We found 2 new investigators this week and they are truly incredible! They love the gospel, and showed up to church a half hour early without a fellowshiper to help them or to pass by. They have the baptismal date for the 29th of March, and I truly know that they are prepared for the Gospel! Also, I would like to formally say thank you to all the people who sent me a shout out on my special day! This day has been cool and I loved the Ties I got sent!!! Thank you! YOu guys know me so well! Ties... YES I love them so much!!!! This week has been pretty cool, and I guess I will start with this last week!

Tuesday: Pretty normal. We worked hard, and we found the new investigators Soñia and her mom Concepcion. They are awesome!

Wednesday.... ok, I can't write lame letters like that that go day by day. I just don't have the capacity to wrie well in that form. This week has been good, but it has also had it's ups and downs. One of teh recent converts started to have a couple problems, but he is super strong and wants to serve a mission. He is currently the young men's president and he does a great job! We went to eat with teh bishop on wednesday, and he.... wasn't home.... again... So we went to this economical kitchen and they gave us lots of food! For 2 bucks!!!! SWEET!!!!! This week should be a good week, but I really don't have much to say this week! It's not that this week wasn't cool, but nothing super exciting happened... oh, so we went with a brother who has been really inactive for the last couple of years, but his family is super active, and his wife is the relief society president.  We started talking to him and he just unloaded questions on us and I honestly felt like he was trying to fight with us. He couldn't get

 passed how the book of mormon says some stuff, but history says something else. The truth I learned is this: We have to be firm in the truths we have recieved in our lives. If we begin to question, or wonder if something isn't true, in that moment, satan jumps in and starts trying to tempt and confuse us. We need to be strong, firm, focused, and then God will bless us with the testimony that something is true. Also, a family asked me to say the prayer for the food in English... couldn't do it.... It is now harder to speak english than spanish, so I almost never speak spanish. I stumbled so much in that prayer and I was trying to directly translate everything.... SO HARD!!!!! THIS IS WHY WE SPEAK SPANISH IN MEXICO!!!!!! Gosh, no wonder not many people speak english here, it is SO HARD!!!!!! 

I just want to finish with my testimony, and I only pray that you may feel the way I feel when reading this. I know that this church, The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the ONE and ONLY TRUE CHURCH OF GOD ON THIS EARTH! I know that the priesthood was restored by heavenly messangers to Jose Smith. I KNOW the book of Mormon is True and that it contains the gospel of jesus christ needed for our salvation. I testify of the importance of a testimony. a testimony is a shield, a testimony is a sword, a testimony is power. I know that if we live the commandments of God, we WILL RECIEVE A TESTIMONY. I know that this life is a life of sacrifice, but I also testify that God will always give us a greater blessing for giving things up to fulfill his commandments. I know that each time we bear our testimony, we become stronger in that testimony because we are proving to God and ourselves that these things are true. I know that I am in Mexico for a reason, and that even when I have days that I miss my family and friends, if I keep working, God will make it known to me through his other children. I know that THis is the only church on this earth that possesses the true priesthood of God, and that having that power is a privelege, not a right. We must earn the blessings of God! I know these things are true, and I will never grow tired of sharing my testimony, because IT IS TRUE! I love you all, thanks agin for writing me on my special day!!! The time goes by really fast, enjoy the time that you have!!!!!!

Have a great week, and know that my love is with you all!!!

Elder Norr

3 Dollars and a wal-mart watch...

Well, this week has been a struggle, but it has also been one of the most strengthening weeks of my life! This is going to sound really weird, but no body freak out. This week, my testimony of the truth of the gospel was really tested... We talked to so many people, and no one accepted us. I constantly just had doubts shoved into my mind about things that just made me feel miserable for a bit, and i could hardly study, or feel the spirit... It was tuesday when I had transfers and got to my new area: it is called Maravillas. The spirit was so strong on tuesday, and then something happened on wednesday and thursday and the truth is that I almost did not feel the spirit; it felt so week during the lessons, and I felt that all our teaching, no matter what teh members told us, had no affect and wasn't helping anyone... My new companion, Elder Toxqui, and I talked about it in the street, and came down to the resolution that we needed to be more prayerful, and more careful with how we act. That day, we really didn't feel much of the spirit.

Finally on friday, we were doing our studies, and I honestly cannot describe the thoughts and Feelings I was having. I had hundreds of thoughts that just jumped and i felt aweful... Finally, I bowed my head, and without saying a word, bore my testimony in my head to myself. Little by little, as I expressed the truths that I have recieved from God, satan and his thoughts were pushed out of my mind. I kept bearing my testimony in my head until I no longer felt like I was being attacked. I then offered a prayer to our Heavenly Father and pleaded for his help to help me keep my mind clean and free from doubts. I have never felt so strong and so much comfort in my entire life. I felt like in that moment, my mind became a vault, and I could easily focus on my studies and feel the spirit. It was truly and incredible and tender moment for me and for my testimony of the church. I have been made stronger now than ever before, and I feel ready to now go out and help other people resolve their own doubts and find their own answers from god! I truly know that this church is true, and that God is truly watching over each and every one of us. I found an awesome scripture in D&C 105, and it is before verse 20. It explains a promise from god that "he will fight our battles for us" I think verse 16. I found that about 5 minutes after this experience!

Other miracle! So I got pretty sick on wednesday night. I got the chills, my head was killing, my intestines hurt, and I just felt weak. We called the doctor, and he told us to go to a Pharmacy and buy a really long complicated sounding medication. We went to teh first Pharmacy, and they told us we needed a reciept from the doctor to buy it because it was an antibiotic... We go to another Pharmacy, nope.... Another....Nope..... I was silently saying a prayer this whole time, but no one gave us teh medicine. We decided to head home early, and as we walked down teh sidewalk, I offered an earnest prayer to God to please let us go somewhere where we could buy this medicine to help me. Elder Toxqui said "lets check the pharmacy below teh house before we go home" ok, we went. He asked if they had my medicine. They did. Without a reciept, he gave us teh medicine, and it cost 50 pesos.... All the other pharmacies were going to charge us 500 PESOS and we needed a reciept! Medicine in hand, we went into teh house, and the realization his me like a brick. I began to weep as I realized that God had answered my prayer. I know that God is watching out for us, and that he will bless us!!!!!!!

Ok, so now that the really cool stories are out of the way, here is a little about my new area. My companion, Elder Toxqui, is 20 and has 3 months in the mission, and is from Puebla (a city less than 2 hours away) He is really chill, and he is really open with me. We have had no problems and we get along great. He is teaching me slang spanish so I can understand some of the people in our area, and he is really patient with me. We are in an area called maravillas, and I'm not going to lie, we have some work ahead of us. We currently have ZERO INVESTIGATORS,  and on the first day we went to eat with the 1st councilor in the bishopric; he gave me the very special assignment to reactive someone..... THE BISHOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, we currently have a less active bishop that comes to church about once a months, and he is also a doctor. His family gives him no support, and they are also less active... :/ OK THEN!!! Let's GO!!!! We are working really hard because he have to have between 45 and 55 lessons each week!!! I truly encourage you all to love the missionaries!!! We go to some of these members houses 3 times a week! They give us food, and often express how much they love to have us over. Please, let the missionaries into your homes, and help them with this work. It is really hard to just find people in teh street that have teh desire to hear about the restoration of the Gospel.

Ok, so lot's of you are probably thinking about my title this week "3 dollars and a Wal-mart watch?" WEll, that's because we got robbed on sunday... We walked right out of our house, and we were jsut chillin on teh corner waiting for a combi (paid van thing). This guy walks by, and asks (really nicely an upbeat) " Are you guys those mormons that have the temple in San Juan?" I reply happily "Of course we are!" and then teh conversation goes a little like this:

-"ok, cool, well I am going in that direction, can you guys give me 3 pesos to pay the combi?" (lots of people ask and then after we give them a peso, they leave)

Sorry buddy, we don't carry money, we're missionaries.

-Come on, I know you guys have some money.

Ok, (i fished out 2 pesos) here you go.

-Come on guys, I know you guys have more.

Dude, we are missionaries, we're not rich.

-I am asking you guys nicely, if I wanted your money, I could just rob you guys (gets a little serious)

Ok, whatever, here are 10 more pesos (I gave him)

-Ok, I know you guys have more money. (he then takes out a 4 inch long 6mm wrench, that isn't sharped, can't cut, and it tapping it on my companions leg) 

In my head, I thought "are we really going to give this guy money because he has a plastic baby wrench?" the answer to that question is yes.... :/

I gave him the other 30 pesos in my pocket, and he told my companion to take off his watch. He then turns to me and tells me he wants mine too. I ask him "really?" He then says yes, and I give it to him...

Probably the more lame robbing in my whole life. We could have beat the crap out of this dude. He was like 5 "3 and super skinny, but he probably did it because he needed it more than us. It's weird because he didn't check my suit jacket for money (I had 100 pesos for fast offerings) and I had my god Temple pin, CTR ring, and everything. He didn't take a thing. Only 3 dollars worth of pesos, and a Wal-Mart watch....

Needless to say, teh other missionaries laughed at us when we told them what he robbed us with.... but it't not  big deal :)

The services on sunday wer great, and I felt the spirit really strong. I taught sunday school about teh atonement, and that wen't well, but the people weren't very reverant...

Overall, I love this area, and I KNOW THAT WE WILL HAVE SUCCESS! Oh, and by teh way, I got the 2 packages that you guys sent me! THANK YOU!!! THat book is awesome, and I am looking forward to opening the otehr things on my birthday!!!

I know this church is true! WE will all have doubts, and we will all have challenges, but if we put our trust and faith is God, he will fight our battles for us, and we will become stronger. I know I am here in Mexico for a reason, and I will send pictures this next week! I love this gospel and truly know that God is watching over us! Take care and know that I love you all!!!!

Love Elder Norr!!!!!

Goodbye Juan Escutia..1st Transfer--7 Months Out

well, it's been a good run, but after 7 months of my mission, I am going to have changes out of my first area. ok, I really don't have much time because I have to go say bye to lots of people and take lots of photos, but this week has been truly INCREDIBLE!!!! First, Guess who has permission to play sports again?!?!?!?!?!? That's right!!!!!! THIS KID!!!!! Fun health fact of the week from mexico: did you guys know that shark cartiledge is a great vitamin to fix problems with your joints? I am officially on a life time of SHARK PILLS haha! ok, I probably should have said this first, but I was really excited. We also baptized this week............... 8 PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These people are so great, and they need the gospel in their lives! One lady, blanca valencia, has lots of health problems and stuff, and to make things better, she is deathly afraid of water; to make things even better, we get there, the sisters told us everything was ready, we entered the water.....FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Blanca had to look up at the ceiling so she wouldn't freak out in the water! I told her it would be quick. I said the prayer, and (i'm not sure this is a the best word to use, but it is the most accurate) I threw/ dunked her and then brought her back out. I didn't realize it, but I had lifted her out of the water, and her feet weren't touching the bottom of the font haha but she had some troubles and it took her a minute to get herself together, but after that, ALL SMILES!!!!!!!

Also, this week of miracle, a mom that said she would never get baptized told us during a lesson "hermanos, I want to be baptized in this church" ummm...... YES!!!!!!!!!!! She told us that she finally got the answer she was looking for and wasn't going to deny that answer. Only problem.... not married....living with her boyfriend..... 2 kids. What did we do???? We MARRIED THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a different experience, but it was awesome!!!!!! I lvoe these people and it is so sad to have to leave, but they will be ok.

other stuff! Ok, just so no one freaks out anymore, yes, I got my insoles (they are incredible), Yes, I am doing ok, and No, I am not sending my shoes home yet (just needed the insoles and they are doing great again! The mission choir was good! The spirit was really strong, and it was a really great experience to hear from a 70 and also the general mission president of Mexico! Ok, so I have never really tell you guys about chico, but he is great! He loves to dance, and he has helped me out with so many things. We always sit on the beds at the end of the day, look down, and then have belly fat conversations :) haha, but also kinda gross... Hey, my address will still be the same, so don't worry about if my stuff will still get here! Who knows where I'm going, but I have to go finish packing ;( Hope you all have an awesome week, and know that I love you all!

This church is true, and I know that the power of the preisthood has been restored in our day to bless our families and those that we love. I know that if anyone wants to find out what is right, they can knee down and pray to god, and THEY WILL RECEIVE ANSWERS! I would like to invite all of you (member, nonmember, less active, weird people too) to ask what is the truth and how they can prepare to have forever families. I know that I will be with my family some day, and with how time is going right now, it won't be too long until I am with them again. We need to give of ourselves and of our time freely to help those around us, only then will we be doing the will of god! I love you all! Be active! Learn some spanish! Eat lots of tortillas! and maybe someday, you too can be happy like Elder Norr!!!! haha Have an awesome week!!!!!

Love Elder Norr

With the jimenez de leon family

  

 hermana cruz (nicest old lady) and then I told her to do a gang pose. She tried to do Bunny Ears on me, but poor old lady, she wasn't tall enough.

we are messing around after weekly planning

 Baptisms!!!

  this is the valencia family