Dear Family;
How are you all doing? It’s a normal October day here on Guam 85 degrees with sunshine and a chance of rain in fact it already has rained couple of times. Tomorrow it will be 85 degrees and partly cloudy with a chance of rain. It has not varied much since we got here just more rain on some days. It is interesting that the trees seem to know its fall and have been dropping their leaves but the weather is the same. Thanksgiving and Christmas should be interesting with 85 degrees partly cloudy and a chance of rain.
We got to go on a hike with the Institute young single adults last Saturday to Terague Beach on Andersen Air Force base. I took some nice pictures. It is so beautiful here. Just after we started Sister Norton had to use the bathroom so we hustled through the hike and she found a nice restroom at Bamboo Willies. Elder and Sister Jex thought we were racing with them as we were done with the hike about a half hour ahead of them and the rest of the young adults. I guess our morning walks are paying off as we can walk along pretty well now.
We have been busy working with the investigators, new members and less active. Steve who was almost baptized a few weeks ago but had a problem the night before with a bunch of Chuukesee (so called friends) who got him to drink and fight with some native Chamorro’s . This resulted in the whole family having to move out and we had to postpone his Baptism. I guess there is allot of resentment for the Micronesian people coming here to Guam, the young people both male and female, find it easy to get caught up in gang wars of sorts. But the Gospel changes hearts and our youth the white Navy kids, Micronesian kids, and native Chamorro look out for and seem to love each other unconditionally allot of missionary work, if not all, is done amongst the youth. We Love our YM YW and young single adults.
There is always a blessing in disguise and Bishop Dana found Steve and his family temporary housing away from a cranky relative, now they are together again including Steve. Steve is just a great young man who needs the gospel to give him a purpose to life. We had a service project Monday morning and when Steve came over he saw the coconut trees palm fronds needed to be trimmed so he pulled off his shoes took his machete and off he went straight up the tree some about 35 to 40 feet, it was amazing to watch. I believe Steve felt true remorse last Sunday he wants to accept God and follow Jesus example. Acts 2 37-39
37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and Brethren, what shall we do?
38. Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39. For the promise is unto you, and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Steve has asked for forgiveness. Our God is a forgiving and Loving God and Steve will be baptized this Saturday, Nov 3, along with Tony Kinianwe are excited for these Baptisms as we see so much potential in these two men.
When we first got here we taught a little girl named Meyline Kinian and then we helped teach her Brother Calvin, Tony is the Father and he has given up chewing Bettlenut finally. I think I told you about Bettlenut it is addictive chewed along with tobacco and therefore a word of wisdom issue to overcome for most all the Micronesians, he was chewing 30 times a day. His wife Brenda is so happy that he is joining with her and the family. They live very humbly but are very industrious, He weaves belts out of nylon strand, I have one of his belts (I am wearing it now). He has come to church three weeks in a row and now the good news is we will have another family complete!
Bettlenut stains teeth badly and it is a tell tale sign of a bettlenut abuser, but Tony cleaned his teeth up nicely. Today we were at another investigators home and he too had cleaned his teeth. They looked nice and we asked how do you do it? We get one of those green pot scrubbers and just scrub our teeth clean. I did not ask if he used a little comet with it, it’s probably not the best idea but I guess it works for them! FYI we also found out you can use coconut to make a toothbrush somehow.
I thought I would share with you a few notes from our zone conference a few weeks ago. I Love these meetings as we are taught by the young Elders and our Mission President and his wife. President and Sister Mecham are awesome and we Love them as well as our zone leaders. My notes…..
“If you’re not progressing it’s like standing on an escalator going down”
“Your minutes are numbered!” (Our awesome district leader Elder Dalmer is going home next week we will surely miss him)
“Heavenly Father wants to bless those who consecrate their lives.”
“You don’t know what you can’t do!”
“Push yourself past your fear; people listen when you rely upon the Lord”
“The best missionary work begins where your comfort ends. Get uncomfortable!”
“When you have no were else to turn rely upon the Lord”
“Trust in God, not in the arm of flesh”
“Exercise faith to invite miracles in the lives of our investigators”
“When you have been called of the Lord and when you are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. Then you will speak the Will of the Lord, the Mind of the Lord, and the Word of the Lord”. D&C 68 3-6 Alma 29:4
“USE the Book of Mormon in every lesson, Study it every day!” (So you can recall it)
“ Preach my Gospel is scripture study it every day!” (Ditto)
“Doubt not, Fear Not” D&C 6:36
“For Heaven’s Sake Be A Little Persistent. These are your Brothers and Sisters!”
“Think Big Expect Success!”
“Courage, for God has not given us the spirit of doubt!”
“By weak things of the earth shall great things happen.” ( 18 and 19 year old missionaries coming? )
“Help people believe, believe, believe. Bust the crust off their hearts!”
“Every day at 6:30 am we all need to unite in prayer that the Lord will pour down his spirit, that the people of this Island will recognize the message. We must pray for and ask for the miracles we seek.”
We set a zone record for Guam in September (42 seven better than ever before)) let set another one in October. Do not let the holidays stop you, set Thanksgiving Day and Christmas day as a day to baptize, why not? Don’t let people tell you it’s a holiday come back another time, remember to be persistent, our message is the best gift they could ever receive. Imagine a family all dressed in white standing near you and a baptismal font on Christmas day.
Does this get you excited to do Missionary work like it does for me? We Love our Mission!
Love you
Elder Norton
Pictures
Meline and Calvin Kinian Baptism Tony their Dad and entire family to in front of me and to the right of me.
Service project at the Burgess property (our Landlords) Steve has the green dew rag.
Steve climbing the coconut tree it takes a lot of leg and arm strength to do this about a 35-40 ft tree.
Up on top of the tree
We got to go to Henry Duenas nieces first year birthday celebration (a really big celebration) this is the pig they roasted
The in laws are from Inarahan where they fish so they did the sea food table. all locally caught fresh fish crab etc.
You name it they had it all local chamoro dishes.
FHE at Henry home we were supposed to have the Seniors over to our house but Henry had a surprise visitor and invited all of us to come and celebrate.
President Pulisher do you remember this Elder who opened Talofofo area and Baptised Henry?
Sister Norton getting ready for a fast hike (we were not fishing in case you wondering)
did not swim either
Bamboo Willies restroom
