Saturday, September 25, 2010

Pictures from the MTC

Here are a few pictures Spencer sent from the MTC.

Classic map shot



Spencer's Companion Elder Green.






The whole District.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Email 9/11/10

Dear Family,
I'm doing great here on Tarawa. First off to answer your questions Kakai is a girl. She's really cool, we had dinner with her family last Sunday. They're all really great her uncle just got released as a counselor in the branch presidency. I guess that answers your other question, we just have a branch in our area but hopefully it will soon be a ward.The members we have are awesome they feed us all the time and are really good about finding us people to teach. I don't really know how to describe Tarawa, it's hot all the time, They call the towns here villages. They are all mostly really small and they just kind of flow into each other, but my area is really spread out it's like small pockets of houses quite some distance apart. There are a few people here who speak English but even if they're really good they are to shy to use it. The language is going really slowly but I'm working at it and Elder Rameka has been really great at working with me. I've already had a ton of cool and interesting experiences. I wish I was fast enough to write them all here but I'll be sending a letter probably on Wednesday. It's been hard to find time to write so its taken me a while. I'm glad to hear that everyone doing well, tell Matthew Durrant congratulations from me that's awesome. I'm not sure what to write all the interesting stuff is in the letter I wrote. Like I said I'm doing really well. We have some great people we're teaching, there's one kid named Atuti who's been awesome. We met him just this week and he already has a baptismal date. He came to church on Sunday so I'm way exited about him. Well I'm sorry this is so short I hope you all continue to do well I love you all and thank you for all your prayers in my behalf.


Love, Elder Norton

Monday, September 6, 2010

Email 09/05/10

Here Is the latest Email from Spencer, we received it on the 5th even though he sent it on the 6th. It's crazy to think that he is a day ahead of us.

Dear Family,
I don't really know where to begin, when we got here we stayed with the zone leaders Elders Vinici and Green, Elder Green is white but he jokes and tells everyone that he and the Elder Green who came with me are brothers. After we met them they took us to the Phipens they are a senior couple who I guess kind of stand in for the Mission President in Kiribati. After we met with them we talked with the Mission President on skype. He will be coming in a couple of weeks so I will meet him then. My area is a part of Tarawa called Temwaiku. My trainers name is Elder Rameka he is from New Zealand, so far he has been really cool.

I had my first baptism already, an 8 year old named Kakai. They wanted the Elders to do it so they asked me. I had to say it in Kiribati so I had to do it a couple of times but it was really cool. The people here are incredible. They are so kind and welcoming ,they feed the Elders almost every night. The Elders say that we don't really go out tracting here, we usually always have lessons lined up because the members are really good about finding people for us to teach. I know this is all really random but I'm just so slow. If you send a package send it to the mission home address, if your sending a letter you can send it to P.O. Box 217 Bikenbeu, Tarawa Kiribati.
I'm doing really well ,I'll try to get a letter out that has more info. I love you all and hope you all are doing well

Love, Elder Norton

P.S. I forgot to say mauri that means hi and ti a bo which means goodbye the ti makes an s sound.

Journey to the Islands

On Monday mom waited anxiously by the phone all morning in anticipation of Spencer's call. He called around 9:30 The phone kept disconnecting so after a couple of calls he finally went to another phone and was able to get through. He was pretty Emotional about leaving to an unknown place and knowing he wouldn't see us for two years ,but I think that's normal. He told us that he would be going to the Kiribati Islands and that is where he will be serving. He will be learning the native language there. He flew to Honolulu and someone from the mission there picked them up from the airport since their layover was over 24hrs. The Next day He called from the airport in Honolulu .He said that some senior missionaries picked them up and and took them to the Elders apartment where they would be staying for the night. Spencer and the other missionaries went with the Elders to teach a lesson. The Elders taught in marshallese and that kinda freaked Spencer out. After his call they all flew to Fiji and from there he and his companion flew to Tarawa.

When he arrived in Tarawa he sent this Email letting us know he arrived safe.

Dear Family,
I have arrived in Tarawa safely. This is where I will be serving. I don't think I have a lot of time right now but my p-day will be on Monday. I have not met my companion yet. Kiribati is beautiful but very different, the language is crazy but I hope I will able to get it eventually.Well I love you all and hope that you all are doing great.

Love, Elder Norton

Letter 8/27/10

Spencer sent us a letter just before leaving the MTC. It was pretty basic he didn't really say much that was new. He got himselt a nice new haircut, and has had a bad cold, Most of his district has been sick.He says thanks for all the letters "it is always good to hear from home" Elder Holland came to speak and it was really good. He also told us he would be calling from the airport so to be ready on monday.

He also included a few pictures from the MTC, However we still need to scan them in so they will be coming shortly.