Not Much Time....

Well, I don't really have much time but I will be quick about things.

First, our investigators Deisy and her daughters Jimena and sofia. They are SO CHOSEN! I was on divisions with an other elder in the district, but they get there, and they ask "did you read the book of Mormon chapter we left?" (3 nefi 11) She says "not much, sorry....". "ok, well what did you understand from what you read?" "well" she says, "God the father introduces his son Jesus Christ to the inhabitants of the americas through the holy ghost, and then Christ calls a man names Nefi and names him the prophet and gives him the authority to baptize correctly; then he establishes the true name of the church..." 

US: ................... WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?! SO CHOSEN! They are so great and they are planning on getting baptized this saturday and being confirmed on Sunday!

Second, I would like to invite everyone to try something. Every morning after starting your studies with a prayer, open the book of mormon, the bible, or the ensign (preferably conference edition) to wherever it happens to be. God WILL GIVE YOU A MESSAGE. I had an AWESOME experience this week and i would love to have to guys be able to feel the same! 

Third, I'M PREGNANT! yep, baby number 3 is on the way from the MTC this next tuesday in the changes! I'm sad that Harper and I are having changes, but it is part of the mission and I know it will continue being a great learning and growing experience for the both of us! :)

Finally, We went to a stake mission activity on saturday night and it was awesome! We got to do guidedc visits of the church and explain about the baptismal font and how there we can perform our first covenant with God! I will send pictures because then there were native mexican performances by the wards and then a huge dance party afterwards, but it was an awesome chance to talk to people and have fun! :)

Well, I think that's it for now. We have to get to the district meeting and then we are going with a sister to find out how to make white flour tortillas! Turns out, there actually isn't any white flour.... But I'm going to be a cafe RIO expert before you know it!

Every day is a gift! Every day is a chance to make our lives and the lives of others better! Let us use the days that we still have wisely so that we may be tools in the hands of God! :) LOVE YA!

Elder Norr!

A couple of native mexican dance numbers 

 Elder Harper us with Hermano Villaseñor in his matador suit! SWEET!

Quick Week

Hijoles! Esta semana fue, pero se fue con un rapidez impresionante! (Elder Cuscagua aka my colombian kid's favorite word)

This week really went by quickly! We started off last week with a zone conference! It was so great! The president stutznegger and his wife are gust so great and they love us soo much! Every time we get out of a zone conference with them, I just feel a higher level of the spirit and i just want to go preach to the peeps on the street, mototaxi and all! 

We FOUND SOME NEW PEOPLE! First off, Luis. He is 20. He goes to a christian church and he's a little hard to get a hold of (especially when we don't have a phone...) but every time we are with him, the lessons have the strongest spirit, I JUST LOVE IT!

Second, Brenda. She's 29. has 3 kids. We taught her and after explaining everything I asked if she had a question. She was like "nope. I'll just have to keep having you guys over and I'll go to church and I think I will be able to get a hold of things after a little while.... (jaw drop9 she didn't come to church, but we are going to pass by with her early this week!

Ok, well anyways, Daisy. We contacted her on friday morning and put an appointment to see her in the afternoon on friday. We went and she said "I thought you guys weren't going to come...." But we did! We taught the restoration and the spirit was really strong. We asked her to be baptized and she said YES! We then invited her to church and she was ready.... at 7:15 in the morning!!!!!! That's right! Let's us all take some notes because the lord knows that even we have problems with that :) haha on sunday, the stake presidency came and they talked all about self-suffiency... for the whole 3 hours... Afterwards I talke to daisy (like 35, 2 kids, married) and I asked her how she liked it? She said" Wow, that was awesome, I loved it!"..... The is so great and we have an appointment tomorrow with her!!!! :)

This week i got thinking about the temple. By the time I go home, I won't have gone to the temple in almost 2 full years. I am saying this because the temple really is SOO IMPORTANT! It is where we become more one with God and learn his teachings at a level that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. I hope that each of you who has a current recommend is using it often to go visit the house of the Lord because there is no other place like it in this world.

So, this week Elder Harper finished building our home gym. We go through about 2 gallons of milk....each week. and we have been filling up the milk jugs with water and we use a broomstick for a bar. we then have a rope to do other exercises with the jugs. I am currently up to lifting a gatorade bottle... lame :/ but the shoulder therapy will pay off someday! 

I have really enjoyed this week and the sweet spirit that has been present in the work. I know that this church is true and that our resurrected savior Jesus Christ stands at its head. I know the book of mormon is true, and if you are feeling like you need a special message from God, offer a prayer, open it up to whereever and start reading; GOD WILL SPEAK TO YOU! I know this. I know that the holy ghost really is a sacred privelage that we only recieve by living worthily and keeping the commandments. I love the Lord, this is his work! I hope you all have a wonderful week! love ya!

And thank you for all the letters! I love getting emails and pictures; it makes my monday! Oh, and tomorrow is MEXICO'S INDEPENDENCE DAY! Should be sweet!

Have a great week!

Love Elder Norr

Finally, DAISY.,..... buh buh buh buh, CHOSEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok, so this computer is being stupid and I don't want to wait 50 years for it to load so here is elder harper and I today in front of our new curtain! VIVA MEXICO! :)

13 Months Out...Building up to Saturday

Hola guapos! Como estàis? Espero que todos estèn bien! Esta semana estuvo CHIDA!!!!!!

Well, how do we start things off. I will probably put in some random stuff that doesn't make sense, but it will all fall into place at the end. Sale? Ok, so this week has really been a week of small miracles that have been given to us from a loving father in heaven. We started this week without investigators, and we haven't had investigators that have progressed in almost 10 weeks... Pues, NI MODO! We stacked tuesday with 8 set appointment with potential new investigators to go teach! They all fell through.... We stacked wednesday with another 8 set appointments to find some new investigators... they all fell through... Thursday we had 1... nope. Friday we hade like 4 or 5.... nope. Saturday!

Backstory: So we went with the familia Mendoza to visit on Monday night. We shared a spiritual message and then they invited us to eat dinner with them. we ate ham and cheese sandwhiches with onion, tomato, mayonaise, and cheese, DELICIOUS, and very popular here. They had one of their daughter's friends over to do math homework named "rubi". I helped the girls with their math homework while we were eating our sandwhiches.

ok, so saturday we had 4 plans to find new investigators. One of which was "javier". We contacted him friday night and he told us to come over saturday at 10 in the morning. DEAL! Alli estamos! We get up on saturday, and everything was normal, but I just had a weird feeling, wasn't sure why, but i did. We called Javier about 9:40 to see if he would be home. yep! Sweet! We did our hair, put on our shoes and left. We get to his house. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.... no one. Again, KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK, but again, no one. This guy comes walking up the street smokin (not javier) and asks us who we are and what we were doing. I replied that we were missionaries and that this man had asked us to swing by to share a message of god. He just keeps talking to us for a minute, and I just decide to contact him, give him a plan of salvation pamphlet, and invite him to read it.

Long story short, this guy tells us some pretty strange stuff, and it just never really clicked that this guy wanted to rob us... I finally just leaned into him and asked "are you trying to rob us? do you want our money?" 

Just so turns out that he did. So I gave him our phone and the 20 pesos I had in my pocket and he took harpers watch and wallet (which included his idaho driver's license, his mexico identification, his temple recommend, his insurance card from home, and his missionary insurance card). I told the man to have a nice day and we kept knocking on Javier's door. he didn't ever come out. Elder Harper and I were laughing that i had to ask the guy if he was robbing us, and it was really calm. Nothing happened. we are completely ok, and we kept working like normal. But then I asked harper what he had in his wallet. he told me. OH NO. So, we just happened to be on the other side of our area and swung by the store to break a bill we had to have some change for the day. We looked around for a minute and then went to check out. We were checking out when rubi (the little girl from monday night) comes up behind Harper and taps him on the arm. We turn around and in Rubi's hand are harper's things from his wallet! MIRACLE ALERT! We got robbed on the completely other side of our area, but this little girl and her mom just so happened to find harper's things thrown on the street and then they ran into us. harper had told me that he prayed, and IT WAS ANSWERED! 

So, we went to eat tacos with the same familia mendoza from monday because they have a breakfast taco stand. We went to english class at the church and then went to wash a dog! The little girls in this family are so cute, and when i took out the camera to take a picture with them, the 2 that are always pretty rambuncious and fighting started posing! (i will send a picture) So, the rest of our new investigators on saturday fell through until we got to our last appointment at about 8 with a lady named "lluvia". She ACCEPTED THE BAPTISMAL INVITATION! WE HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT WEDNESDAY AT 7:30!  I am SO HAPPY! This week was just so full of little miracles and fun experiences, including getting robbed. I am ready for another great week!

I really do knowt hat this church is true. I can't believe that I already have 13 months! The time really has went so fast. I testify that my redeemer lives, and that he stands at the head of HIS church: The church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints! I know the book of mormon is true and I know that it holds of special message for each and every one of us each time we upen its pages! I truly do love my family and I know that we will be together forever! Thank you for all that you guys do for me!

have an awesome week!

Love Elder Nathan Norr

us with them and the dog we washed!

us with them and the dog we washed!

a couple shots of the area.

The huge mexico flag that harper bought on thursday because independence day is next week!

Flu bug... great leadership meeting

hello there everyone! How have you all been doing?!

Well, by now I know that you all know that "the mexican adeventures of Elder Norr" just so happened to be out of comission this last week. I apologize for that, but we had district meeting in the morning and afterwards, my companion was shaking saying that he was freezing. We got him home, and he just crashed on the bed all afternoon. Then, at about 10 o'clock on monday night, "hey, elder norr, could you go grab me a bucket? My stomach is a little upset." I went, got a bucket, give it to him, and lay in my bed...one... two.... BLLLLAAHHHHHHHHH! cough cough cough BLLLLAAAAHHHH! Harper starts throwing up... So the next day I get up and harper still isn't feeling good. He threw up again during the night, but we had some important citas so I went to the doctor in the morning to have my last checkup for my UTI and then I go work with Elder Puello for a couple hours. We get back, I get some food in me, and then I realize "hmmmm, I'm not really feeling so hot either. Before you know it, I went to bed with a fever and chillswith my stomach not knowing what was really happeneing either. Long story short, the 24 hour flu bug hit our small apartment, but thursday we were good to get working again! :)

 

So, we had a leadership meeting a 2 weeks ago on thurday. Elder Valenzuela, a member of the area presidency, came to talk to all the zone leaders and district leaders. It was so great, and I absolutely loved it! He shared the question if Abraham had told his wife when he received direction from God to sacrifice his son Isaac. He explained the importance that we are all "one" in the mission, in our districts, n our companionship! We talked a lot about love, patience, understanding. I truly felt a very strong and sweet spirit in that meeting!

You guys probably want to know about our area. Things have been going a little rough lately... We haven't had a new investigator (we had 1, but after the first visit, we never found her) in the last month and a half. The work here in our area has been a little slower, but I know that this week is going to be SO GREAT! We just need to show our desire and faith by action and diligence! I heard a quote this week that I liked in church. " When much is given, much is required. When much is required, much is given." I think that is a big thing in missionary work. We are fighting for the most precious thing on this earth: Truth. We need to show how much we are willing to do to help God establish that truth here in this part of mexico!

I really don't know what to write this week. Things have been a little frustrating lately and I am trying to work out how things are going to be smoother in this next week...

I'll just end with my testimony,

I just hope you all know how much I love you all, and how much I love the gospel. It has truly changed my life, and my being. I pray that it keeps on doing so because i have a long way to go to one day become like our savior and redeemer Jesus Christ! I know that this church is true, and I know that God has a very special, perfect, and timed plan for each and every one of his children. Each second of every day is part of it! I know that christ is our savior, and only through him and by him may we once again return to the presence of our beloved Father in Heaven with our loved ones for eternity. I heard that the mission is like ice cream: If you eat it,enjoy it, and savor it or not, it is still going to disappear. May we all look for the most in each day, and look to our savior for the perfect example of how to do so! Such is my prayer! I know that this week will be a great week! I may be a little down on my weight, but the Spirit is going to be way up this week! Love you all!

Well, this was interesting...‏

Buenas Tardes Guapos y Guapas! Espero que cuando lean esta carta, todas sus vidas sean llenas de paz y amor! 

This last week was pretty crazy, but to start off, the less important, not so spiritual stuff. I have been feeling GREAT!!!!! I get up each day with energy, and I can lift weights, I am eating well (normally elder harper and I go through 2 and a half loaves of bread, 18 eggs, and almost 2 gallons of milk each week.) I am doing a lot better with my shoulders and my knees are getting lots better witht he meds i take! HEALTH TIP ALERT! ONE WORD!!!: CHILLA (you pronounce it like a chilla pet) It is called the "marathon seed". What it does is it helps your body work more efficiently (take in more nutrients from food, helps conserve energy, helps you focus, helps your body digest and recover easier and quicker) and the great part is that you can buy a 2 and a half pound bag of these little suckers for 10 bucks!!! It is a really small seed (ize of a fruit fly) and you put 1 spoon full in like 32 oz of water and drink it throughout the day! I have been feeling great and i think it helps me with the sun too!

Ok, so I have been loving the calling as a district leader, but the first few days were pretty rough. We were jumping in between an enormous hill and our large area for almost 3 days, and then at the end of the night we would just get home to crash, and I would then have to report and check up with everyone. ut now that I "made it til sunday" (mtc saying) I am SO READY! I just love the elders here and I know that this next cycle is going to be the BOMB! I am so grateful for this calling, and I am ready for the new adventures we are going to have in these next 6 weeks! (changes are tomorrow. Elder Harper and I are still together)

ok, so now the good part. I feel the same, but i also know that I have changed a lot. This week was pretty rough. We would check with people before te appointments, and then we would get there.... knock knock knock! ..... NO ONE.... We were teaching like 4 or 5 lessons each day, and that is in total, not just investigators. we were just going around trying to contact everyone and do the best we could. I have really noticed that my way of thinking has changed. Instead of getting to a fallen appointment and thinking "oh crap, where are we supposed to go now?", I now think "who is the person God has prepared us to help now?" and then we just go about talking to people, and I have found that after each appoinment that falls, we almost ALWAYS find someone that accepts our invitation to learn more! It truly is amazing how the plan of God works in our lives! :)

So, I think that is about everything.. we are just sitting normally at a balmy 90 to 95 degrees down here with 60 percent humidity and free afternoon bathething here in the beautiful city of Chimalhuacan. I really miss air conditioning... haha I have really come to a greater knowledge of the gospel and especially what God has in store for us. I have seen some of the greatest missionaries I know get frustrated because there has been some problems (me included), but the truth is that the plan of God can't be frustrated. We just have to keep moving on in faith that HE KNOWS! I also have a testimony of what my president says: "YA GOTTA WANNA" followed by "Poder es querer!" "to be able to is to want". This gospel, and this life, are for progress. I saw a saying above Elder Harper's desk that I like "Who we are is God's gift to us. Who we will become is our gift to God!". I truly testify that our eternal progression is going to be at one point or another our own responsability! May we look to the lord for the strength to change and the peace in our moments of hardship! I love you all! Take care, and don't eat weird things! hahaha

Love Elder Norr

ok, so I am going to send pictures first!

First, these papers are always out in front of this church, and they always looked really cool, so I got a pictures with em.

 This is me and Filiberto! He is probably one of the greatest men tat I have met in my mission and I love him to death (from my last area)

 This is my pimp mobile. This is public transportation here. It is called a Micro, and they pack like 40 people in these things and pretty much race on the streets. When you need to get off, you touch the doorbell, andthe driver slows down enough so you wont die when you jump off! haha

umm, my bedroom I think

 My companion and I rockin a "selfie"

 and i don't remember what the last thing is...oh its my english preach my gospel book

Also, Elder Harper i roasting marshmallows on our little heating coil haha

 I found a 5000000 peso bill! high rollin in Mexico!!!! Totally fake!

 ok so heres is my Neck beard that I got a couple of weeks ago inthe hospital.

Wake up call.... Surprise!

So there we were! Lounging around on a calm monday morning; cinamon french toast was cooking in the kitchen with the warm smell of summer and food filling our home. Imagine it! There I was. Lounging on my bed, calm music playing, hot delicious french toast on the plate, and then... President calls! YES! I love our little chats! And this is what then came to pass...

President: Bueno.

Me: Bueno Presidente!
President: hey elder norr! How ya doin buddy?

Me: (thinking he just wanted to see how I was feeling after being sick) I'm feeling great president! What's up?
President: Well, a lot of stuff is up.... are you ready? I have news....

me: (freak, gut drop) Ummm... sure...
President: ok, take a deep breath.

me: OK.....
President: As of right now, you are the district leader in your area... Is that ok?

me: ummmm...... (freak)... yeah that's fine.... 

So, after a short series of rather unfortunate events, Elder Kelshaw has been transfered to go help another district that has been having some problems and I have recieved the calling to serve as the district leader here in Xochitenco (sochi-tank-o). I am honestly so nervous, but I have really in these last few weeks been prepared by the Lord. I am normally a guy that likes to be in charge of stuff, but especially after being sick, I have come to the conclusion that "Everything is part of the perfect plan made by our perfect father in heaven. He doesn't make mistakes. He knows exactly what is going to happen and we just have to be wiling to accept it with faith and diligence"

I'm not going to lie, this is a little different for me, but it's a new adventure, and for those of you who know Elder Nathan Bill Norr, he's definitely down for a new adventure! I just love this work and the joy and peace that it brings! Now for my health...

I have been feeling pretty good. I am trying to do a little bit of exercise in the mornings, but I find that my body after walking all day still doesn't want to get up at exactly 6:30, but we're doing our best. I have started taking my vitamins that should help me have more energy and help keep me well nourished. I am weighing about 133 right now, but I'm on my way back up! If you ask my companion elder harper, I have been eating us out of house and home! For example, one day I at 5 pancakes with banana and strawberry jam inbetween, with a cut-up apple, a glass of juice, and then a bowl of cereal... The next day I ate a 3-egg ham omlet on a sanwhich with a cut-up apple, banana, cup of juice, and a small sandwhich about an hour later. So, I am eating, but my body is still trying to get used to the fact that I no longer have a diet haha, but we're gettin there!

NEWS FLASH!!!! I officially have a YEAR!!!!!! I feel SO WEIRD!!! I CANT BELIEVE IT! So, I wrote a letter.... in the mtc.... to be read when I completed a year.... I was honestly afraid to open it. I finally read it on sunday, and I found that I am actually doing pretty good with the type of missionary I want to be. I'm not perfect, far from it, but I'm slowly getting there. Here's the weird part! I wrote part 2! It was the weirdest thing I have ever written because all of it was how I should be at THE END  of my mission... I sealed that in a letter and it has been thrown into the luggage...

I really don't know how the time has went soo quickly... All I want to do is be healthy in the service of the lord, so that I can truly serve with my heart might mind, and strength! I truly do love this gospel, and I pray for heavenly help this week as I try to invite others that they too may make a place for it in their homes and hearts. I love Jesus! I love our father in heaven, and know that he has a plan for each and every one of us. Let's not get mad, or upset because things happen, better, let us be GRATEFUL IN OUR CIRCUMSTANCES (Elder Utchdorf in this last conference) I truly do love you all and I pray that you guys are doing well! I hope you all have an incredible week, and we will see if I am dead or stronger on the other end of this next week! Have a lovely week!

Elder Norr

Hump Day...Good News! Didn't Die!

Hello there everyone! These last couple weeks have been a little different than normal... As you have probably all heard, I did get salmonella, then a seriously nasty UTI, and we were pretty much in the hospital and then our house this week... The Good news! I didn't DIE! The bad news: I have a year in the mission! I'm not ready yet! I still feel like I am just starting and learning... For those who didn't know, God has blessed me with an incredible mission president that did call my parents and let them know how I was doing and he with my companion and God (God is really the first and most important) have been taking great care of me!

This week we didn't get all that much done. We were out in the street very little and were in our house reading very much. I have truly grown to love elder Harper. Everyone seems to want a profile of my companion so here it comes:

Name: Elder Scott Harper

Age: 19 years old

From: Rexburg, Idaho

Likes: Lord of the rings, foam sword fighting and designing, movie theme music, karate (he's a black belt), drawing, music (he was in the marching band 9 years and plays the clarinet).

Other fun facts: he is the oldest of 8 children, he knows a lot about the gospel, He has a great testimony, we speak with weird accents in the house, he's an eagle scout and a very avid scouter, and lastly.... He has become my brother! I love this kid to death and he has helped me with so many things in the time we have been together. Yes. Pictures will be included in this email!

other than that not too much has been going on, but this week is giong to be different! More than anything, I am learning to take care of myself and just do my best so that God can do the rest!

I know that this church is true and that God has a special plan for each and every one of us that is perfect so that we may someday return to live with him and our families forever! I know that God has called prophet in our day named Thomas S. Monson and I know that by listening to him and other inspired church leaders we may find peace in this every worsening world. I know that the book of mormon is true and that it contains the truths of the gospel, and last of all, I know that God gives us trials so that we may learn and become better!

I hope you all have a wonderful week and know that I love ya all lots!

Love Elder Norr

P.S. I am very grateful for the prayers and blessings that have been sent my way! may god bless each and every one of you!

ok, so I will try to describe these!

First, Elder Huizar (missionary in our district) giving my companion elder harper a shoulder massage. (those are very common in our mission)

I think it's my bed

Elder Harper and I hittin up some selfies on p'day

and my nasty neard (neck beard) that's what happens now when I don't shave for 5 days of being sick...