welcome home elder palmer!

Selamat pagi! First things first ... Welcome Home Elder Palmer! I know you were an amazing missionary and that the people in Japan are missing you like crazy! (Someone please dearelder me with Matt's address. My MTC address is listed on the right side of my blog. Thank you!)

Sorry there's nothing way interesting this week. But, I am officially half-way through the MTC! And my ankle is almost normal size again! It really is a miracle. I walk with a little bit of a limp (and there's some nasty nasty bruising), but the physical therapists are shocked that I've come so far in a week. Well, they're shocked and they're not ... they said that there's this amazing thing about the MTC. Every injury they see takes half as long to heal as it does in "the real world." I like it. Gym time (which is every day) is now physical therapy time for me. I hated it at first but it's helping so much that it's hard to hate it anymore.

Ok so TRC last week. No one showed up (no one ever does for us. There are like five Malay speakers in Provo other than our teachers.) so we talked to our very own Bro Maynes! He was being a goof as usual so we were all laughing the whole time we were speaking in Malay, which turned out being exactly what we needed. No pressure=our Malay was flowing. We were just cracking jokes and having a grand old time inviting this "investigator" to come to church with us. Then, we taught lesson 2 (Plan of Salvation) to a girl in English. Totally committed her to being baptized (it's all practice. Even though she's already a member of the church I still almost cried when she said she would ... can't wait for the real thing).

Sunday's fireside was pretty awesome. The main thing I got from it wasn't anything the speaker talked about though. It just suddenly hit me out of the blue, that I want to do therapy with teenage girls at risk. That's it. Feeling great about it. I love the Holy Ghost!

Tuesday was a BIG day. We had our first SYL (speak your language) day. Obviously we speak bahasa every day, but this was a no English allowed day. And my brain was so messed up by the end of it. I had to re-write a sentence four times in my journal that night (writing in English, I couldn't figure out sentence structure). It was crazy hard but more encouraging than discouraging. I found out that I know a lot of Malay! It was pretty cool for all of us to see what we're capable of.

Have I told anything about my sisters? I love them. Sister Jensen and I are getting a little nervous that we won't get another chance to serve with each other in the field. We are very different people but we compliment each other and we do have a lot in common. I'm so glad I got a companion who I actually like being around. (Dax: she's basically my Szekely.) Sister Kubota: our Hawaiian auntie. She knows how to keep everyone in line but she's hilarious and I love her. When she starts laughing (only her crazy-eye laugh) there is no chance for me. We have so much fun. She has a killer testimony too and I can't wait till the field when we'll (hopefully) get to be companions. Sister Ferguson: Fergie Ferg. Our Maryland Sister. She's a genius and so so funny. And she snores super loud which makes all of us laugh at night (only a few times. we're good about no talking after 10:15). And introducing our new sister: Sister Wright! She's going to Tonga and she got in yesterday, but she's a solo sister ... with a solo elder ... which creates sticky situations. So she's in our classroom any time there's no teacher in hers. We love her already.

Our Malagasy elders are leaving next week. Some of them are like brothers to me and it's going to be so sad when they leave, but I'm excited for them to get out there and do some work. NATALIE, your little bro will be in the classroom right next to mine! That's so exciting, thank you for telling me! I will be sure to go welcome him. SARAH WESTOVER .. .You didn't give me your full address so your letter was returned to me. Is it street or road ... what? send me a dearelder with it please :)

That's all I have time for folks! Super enthralling right? Let me leave you all with a little commitment ;) Conference this weekend (it feels like Christmas, that's how excited I am): write down some questions you have about anything in your life, pray about them. I promise the Holy Spirit will bring you your answers.

I love you all!

Dengan kasih,

Sister Norton

HFI

(Note from Mikelle's Mom ~ Mikelle keeps asking me to send her a dearelder.com with any comments made on her blog ... and um, yeah ... I haven't seen any?? So please ... make a comment someone ... anyone :) Thank you.