Latest Email 4-28-14

All goes well in Tuxtla everybody! Working hard in Real de Bosque. Guess what? We had a baptism this saturday! It snuck up on us. We invited him tuesday, and he got baptized on Saturday. I will send a picture of him. His name is Jesus Francisco Gordillo Cañas. He is 28 years old, and his wife is a member. She couldn't come to the baptism because she just had a baby, and is resting in her parent's home which is 3 hours away. Other things of the week. Well, Adriana finally accepted being baptized this coming week. Sergio's mom said that he could be baptized this week. And a kid that just turned 18 can get baptized this week as well, as his parents can no longer say no. Adriana's testimony has come a long way, and she now diffends her new religion, fighting against the lies of her catholic aunts and parents. 

The rainy season (which lasts a few months) is coming quickly. I Think it will be here in a few weeks, maybe less. One bad thing though, it smells really bad here, as people dump sewer water in the streets. We have a rat living in the area that we wash our clothes as well. He is the size of a chihuahua.

So all is good here, and it is really hot. A member served us some illegal food from the black market, and it was really gross. I felt bad afterword, because I have seen videos on the discovery channel about how people steal this stuff and it is causing them to go extinct. And... I ate... Turtle eggs that were raw! Yuck! They pop a hole in the top, put habenero sauce on top, some salt, and lemon, and then suck it down. Gross!

Love you All,

Elder Norris

                          Sunset with two of the youth members of  Real de Bosque.

                                    Turtle eggs!

                                              He will eat almost anything!

                                                          Sunset in Tuxtla.

Email from 4-21-14 The subject line read: Toodles lost his marbles again

Howdy Grandma From way up north,

Nice to hear from ya'll. My new companion's name is elder Cerdhé. He is half Mexican, but extremely white, and is from Arizona, and spoke no spanish before his mission. He is twenty, and went to college for two years before his mission. He has a degree in graphic design. He wants to learn martial arts from me so it makes a great way to do our exercize in the mornings.

The members are not really helping right now with referrals. And we don't eat dinner, we don't really have time for that. But I make my companion and I breakfast in the mornings. It is usually something like eggs, with Chorizo and garlic, and onion with bell peppers and jalapeños and salt and pepper and mushrooms and other random stuff. 

Well, you will be jealous, but here all people really have to do is plant a seed and leave it alone, and it will grow all by itself. No need for care or fertilizer.

Yesterday we tought some people how to do a family home evening. We had it on their roof. (not really allowed) But we had a fun activity, and I did some card magic tricks that they really liked. Afterwords, we had a testimony meeting under the stars. The investigators were bearing their small but grand testimonies, and we sang Divina Luz (lead Kindly Light) to end. We all knelt down on our knees for the closing prayer. I loved the whole week. Thanks so much for the prayers, and for the letters and e-mails. 

Love you all,

Elder Norris

 He has lost some weight. Don't know if you can see it because the picture is small, but, his pants are cinched in at the waist by his belt. Those were snug when he left in November! I love getting these pictures.  It is so good to see him.

Companion Elder Cerdhé and Alex. Silly boys! You can tell they are doing well.

Email from 4-14-2014

I have been having a blast here. My investigator Adriana has invited a friend to sit in on the conversations and she has already asked if the Book of Mormon is true, and says it is! We are working with them every day. we have ten people with a baptismal date right now. working hard and trying to find time to relax a little bit. not really happening. Any ways, I will have more to report next monday, and will wright you first instead of last. I don't know how to wright goodbye in french, but owavwa (Ya gotta love it! I am not editing his emails, I put them in just as he writes them.  Well, I do edit out the personal stuff. )

Email from 4-7-2014

Well, the people aren't so humble in Tuxtla, but we are teaching some fantastic people here! I will send you a picture of Henry (big guy) and Adriana and Rogelio, some of our investigators. They are great people, and we have tought them almost every day this week. They came to general conference in the stake center. It is kinda funny, general conference is kinda like the super bowl for missionaries. Well, Adriana had some doubts about some of the church doctrine, but had a testimony about the Book of Mormon, so I bore my testimony about the truth of the church, and the prophets, and told her to doubt her doubts before she doubts her faith. I went to the ruins this last monday! Super exciting.  I listened to all of general conference, and loved every darn minute of it! We have running water, but from a cistern in the ceiling. I had to climb to the roof and drop some chemicals in it to kill bugs that were living inside. We have a nicer fridge, but it is way hotter in this house! We have hammocks to sleep in as well. A cockroach climbed up my leg while I was taking a shower today. I did a pretty weird dance to get that thing off of me as fast as possible! I have lost a bit of weight though. Well, maybe that is a good thing! haha.

 (I forgot to ask him which ruins he went to see)  Great picture of the Elders there though!

 Henry (big guy) and Adriana and Rogelio