“I will tell you in your mind and in your heart,

by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.”
D&C 8:2

This week was empenada week. Well not literally, but for my companion and I. We ate empenadas 4 times this week! I'm not complaining, I love me some empanadas. :)

Nelida went to church!! This woman is an angel! She is 78 years old, in a wheelchair, because she is disabled from the waist down. How did we meet her? As we were walking in the street, we passed her and her daughter-in-law. We said, "Hola!" but kept walking. After taking a few steps, my companion and I stopped walking at the exact same time and looked at each other. Without even having to say anything we went back to talk to Nelida. It is INCREDIBLE how the Spirit works! My companion and I both felt the same impression, and I am so glad that we followed the prompting. Nelida has never been super religious, but she has listened to basically all types of religions, but she said she never felt like it was right. In our 1st lesson with her, she asked us when she could be baptized. She wants to be a member of our church NOW! Yesterday, we went to pick up Nelida for church with a member in their car. It was super difficult getting her in the car, and it was painful for her to move. So after church, which she really enjoyed, she said she felt a peace in her heart that she has never felt before. Instead of riding in a car, we walked her all the way home. It took us an hour and a half pushing her in her wheelchair, but it was so worth it. She is such a miracle....love her!

We also had interviews with Presidente Chaparro, he told me exactly what I needed to hear. Grateful for him.

I also had to give a talk Sunday about families. As I studied about families and how to have a home centered on Christ, I couldn't help but feel grateful for my family. I'm blessed with amazing parents and siblings that I love SO MUCH!

This week is my Grandma Ho Ching's birthday. Since I have been a little girl, my grandma is someone I look up to. She has supported my Grandpa in all of his church callings and never complained about being away from family, my Grandpa being away, or wanting to do things that she would like. I admire her beauty and her friendliness to everyone. She is one of my heroes. She is selfless, always taking care of others, especially the elderly.  Thank you Grandma for your example, for your love and support and for always spoiling us grand-kids! I love you! Feliz Cupleanos all the way from Argentina!

Con Amor,
Hermana Norman

One of the many roads we walk

See the snow-capped mountains?

That means winter is coming!!!

FELIZ PASCUA!!

our chocolate eggs

Hope that everyone enjoyed Easter! I definitely enjoyed my Easter spent in Argentina. The traditions are very different. There actually aren't many traditions....jajaja. The only things are 1) go to church and 2) eat a chocolate egg. But this week was spent studying attributes of Christ and learning to be more like Him. We used the #PRINCEofPEACE video in many of our lessons with investigators. They were really moved and could really feel a spirit of peace. In one lesson, after watching the video, the whole family was silent, then the mother said, " I feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. I feel an overwhelming feeling of peace all throughout my body." Seeing people receive confirmations fro the Holy Ghost may be one of the bet parts of the mission. <3

I would like to ask for everyone to pray for Graciela, an investigator that we met last Monday. It was Pday, and we didn't want to cook so we walked around looking for something to eat. We found Graciela selling empenadas. Long story short, as our empenadas were cooking, we had a really great conversation with her about our purpose as missionaries and the message that we share! We have visited her a couple times since then. She is open and receptive and I hope that she continues to progress. Its pretty cool how we find, and have found, many of our investigators. The Lord truly is preparing the hearts of these people and is placing them in our path!

I was studying Alma 5 this week, and wowza! I love this chapter SO MUCH!!! There are many questions in this chapter and I reflected on how I could respond to these questions. This chapter is basically a self evaluation! Makes us ask, "okay, how am I doing?" I want to invite everyone to study this chapter and also follow the counsel of Elder Ballard (conference talk read here) and reflect on our vision and goals.
He said, "the key to happiness is knowing what destinations matter, and learning to set our own goals in the frame work of God's plan."
Do we know where we are going?
Are we headed in the right direction, or maybe we need to take a U-turn and start again?

ALMA chapter 5

The mission has helped me so much to learn to set goals and make plans to achieve those goals.

I KNOW MY FINAL DESTINATION!!

Have an amazing week everyone!

Con Amor,

Hermana Norman

The flowers here are beautiful

I cut my hair this week! Ends were pretty damaged. So it is right below my shoulders now...pics of it next week!

Easter bread thingy...actually tasted gross! jaja

pics from last day that didn't get downloaded

Elders think they are Backstreet Boys! jajaja

“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of Him,...

...this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of Him: That He lives!”
D&C 76:22

The church is true and I KNOW IT!
We had many lessons with investigators and they had many doubts. They had looked online for answers about the church and ended up losing a lot of faith reading false information on random websites. But as they were bashing our church with misunderstood information, my faith never wavered. If anything, I felt more confident when I testified of Joseph Smith and the fact that we enjoy the blessings of having the restored Gospel.

Also, after studying Elder Rasband's General conference talk, my companion and I are doing everything we can to "let the Holy Spirit guide". We are learning to respond and react to those "nudges" that we feel, and every morning as we pray together, we tell God that We Are Ready! We are ready to let the Spirit guide. This isn't our work, this is His work, and as we have humbled ourselves and truly strive to follow the promptings of the Spirit, we have been blessed to find new investigators, and have had many spiritual lessons. Learning to speak the language of the Spirit is not easy, it requires a lot of effort, but I know that it will help me so much throughout the rest of my life. I encourage everyone to study Elder Rasband's talk! And commit to follow the counsel he gave, I'm doing it too! You can read it here: Let the Holy Spirit Guide
We ended up having to "break up" with our investigator, Alberto. He was more interested in being our friend rather than coming unto Christ. It was very sad, but I hope that a seed was planted and that someday, he will be ready. Now that it is getting cold, it is really hard for investigators to get to church early Sunday morning. So this week we are going to focus on the commitment of attending church.
Also, everyone should participate in the Church's initiative #PRINCEofPEACE. Everyday is a different attribute of Christ, and this will help us prepare for Easter Sunday.
FAITH
GODS WORD
COMPASSION
GRATITUDE
PRAYER
FORGIVENESS
REPENTANCE
HOPE
Easter isn't really big here, there are no bunnies, no easter baskets or eggs, so it will be a good opportunity to really focus on my Savior.

I hope everyone has an amazing Easter Sunday!

"Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives, I know that my Redeemer lives!"

"Yo se que vive mi señor!"

Love you all! Thank you for the love and prayers.

Also Happy Birthday to one of my best friends, my beautiful cousin, Vaofua Kaili!! Happy 20th, Love you!!

Con Amor,

Hermana Norman

There is beauty all around...pretty flower

Divisions with Hermana Hill

Starting to get cold again...

Our neighbor below us is a baker. Made these chocolate eggs. We helped put them all into plastic.

Mi compa...Teleferico AGAIN for Pday! 

Hermana Ferriera, Hermana Oliveira, Hermana Barnes and ME!

Heraman Barnes and myself

Our beautiful Salta!

Where can I turn for peace?

  Where is my solace
When other sources cease to make me whole?
When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,
I draw myself apart,
Searching my soul?

  Where, when my aching grows,

Where, when I languish,
Where, in my need to know, where can I run?
Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only One.

He answers privately,
Reaches my reaching
In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.
Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.
Constant he is and kind,
Love without end.

(Hymn no 129)

April 3, 2017

What a week! It has been such a spiritual week, feeling super pumped and ready to put in action everything that I've learned int he past few days.

Okay, Friday: zone conference with President Chaparro and Hermana Chaparro. We learned a lot about the importance of commitments promising blessings and always bearing testimony. It was a powerful training. Learned a lot, and it is always good to gather as missionaries, share ideas, share experiences and strengthen each other. But the hi light of the conference was the new Easter initiative that the church is doing. #PrinceofPeace We were able to watch the video, and if you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. Click on link to watch: #PRINCEofPEACE

When the video finished, we were left in silence. I and many other missionaries had tears in our eyes. How amazing is it that we have a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, and that HE lives!! So grateful for the peace that comes from this knowledge. As missionaries, we are going to do everything to share this message and video for Easter, but I want to invite everyone to share this video and initiative. Post it on social media, share it with friends! This initiative is inspired and I know many miracles will result from it.

And then, of course, General Conference!! I was so spiritually edified as I listened to our leaders speak and bear testimony of the gospel. Felt so good to hear our dear prophet, Thomas S Monson. And 5 new temples were announced!! One in Saratoga Springs!! THE WORK IS MOVING FORWARD! But the easy part is over...we all received lots of counsel and now it is time to apply it!

I had a really crazy experience when we went out to work after watching the conference.  We were talking with an investigator, Claudia, who doesn´t see the need of changing her life if she already feels that God is always with her.  We had a really great lesson, but in the end, she still said that she just didn´t want to change. She already had a good life.  Tears filled my eyes when I bore testimony that even though she has a good life, our Heavenly Father has so much more in mind for her.  In this moment, I truly understood the scripture in Mosiah 28:3.  I barely knew this woman, yet I felt that I had to do everything in my power to help her, I truly desired her salvation! It was an incredible experience that I will never forget, and I hope to keep this feeling in my heart. I want everyone to know about this incredible message that we have!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Con amor,

Hermana Norman

my zone

Elder Utai and I are in the same zone again

General conference food. We make lots of apple pies

Comida China

when a preying mantis flies into your apartment...excuse my man voice, I am sick with a cold...jajaja