Dear loved ones, The weeks are flying and I dont seem to get many letters written. My productivity level is going down with each year of age. The Christmas season was very full with helping and getting reports from our 28 missions on their three big Christmas Open Chapels, where we generated more refurrals than all the rest of the year. So the Churches Light the World campaign was very successful. We trully are hastening the work to share the truth with all the world. Many missions gave out hundreds of Books of Mormons with dates set up to viist the people that recieved them. We just turned in our final report for last year since we came in May and we have had a total of 22775 total visitors, 5080 non members came into chapels to learn about us,1269 less actives attended , and 6129 refurrals were obtained. from our open chapels.Every event has miracles, lots of baptisms, less actives coming back to activity and members strenghthened. When the members get involved with the missionaries, we really have success. The Church is also doing an Easter campaign, so we are gearing up for that and getting dates set for special events. Our goal is to have every mission having open Chapels every weekend. Right after Christmas we flew to Salta and spent the week doing trainings for the zone leaders and sister trainers and then each night a training for the different stakes and districts. One day we drove 7 hours to get to the farthest Santiago del Estero stake. The members of the church are as wonderful as are all of Gods covenanted people. The biggest challenge here is less actives,if a ward has 100 attending sacrament each week they usually have 1000 that arent coming. So lots of work to do. and the culture is very laid back. Like January and February the kids are out of school so people are on vacation and not much gets done for those summer months and it is hot and humid. IWe love reading Lisel and Caydens emails, as we feel like the missionaries we work with are each our own grandkids. We are so grateful ours have chosen to serve from our family  and all that they are learning about whats really important.So fun Cayden and Lisel got to see each other this past week.. thank you for participating in the 25 days of service during December, what a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of our Savior, and continue all year to try to be more like Him in thinking of what we can do to lift and bless those around us.

We had a training for the facilators for Luhans Stake selfreliance groups last saturday at 6 and the Smiths from Washington state wanted to see the Zoo at Luhan so we went a few hours early and got to hold baby lion cubs and pet the lions and tigers and feed a giant white Bengal tiger chicken wings through a hole in the glass, and the elephant ate right out of our hand and the monkeys took my glasses off my head. It was amazing. You could never do that in the states, they would all worry about getting sued if anything happened. The Smiths sat through our 11'/2 hour training that evening just to go to the zoo.

This past tues we had another training, got there got all set up and our computer was not charged and we forgot the cord, a senior moment that morning when we left to go to the office and then meet with the Area president in the afternoon and then get to the training. Well we said a little prayer, as 10 people where there waiting for our 10 training videos that the church has produced on our laptop. Just the week before we had helped our church selfreliant employee move way out of the city with her little family, so we called her and she was 30 minutes away and said she would run her laptop over for us to use. So we took everyones order and ran four blocks away to mcdonalds brought back dinner for all of them and two children, just as Veronica arrived with computer and we had a wonderful training. We certainly are not in charge and its a good thing.

Each Sunday this month I was able to sign up for the missionarys to come to our house and eat on sunday because we are in town. Its so fun to watch how much they like to eat. Especially meatloaf and choc chip cookies and lots of mashed potatoes. This sunday we have to leave by three to get to a 4.00 training of the missionaries going home in the Buenos Aires East mission, so Ive got to have something ready right after church. So glad for a crock pot. They dont really have them here, so mine was given to me from the Splinos when they left with a big transformer so I wont blow it up with the different power voltage.

One of our favorite couples go home Feb 2, the Weise from Farmington. They are trying to buy a house right close to Chuck and Anns, because they sold their home while they were serving. We will miss them so much, they picked us up at the airport when we came and they have been our tour guides as they know where so many things are. They have been Public relations missionaries in the area. We like to go to a movie and dinner with them on friday nights when we arent at trek or out of town, or have a training

Im sure glad Ashlee told me to take my hair cutting stuff, as lots of the Americans have me cut their hair. Sister Packer in the Area Presidency had me cut and weave her hair. What a trick finding colors with totally different brands and numbers. I sure prayed alot in that beauty supply store. It turned out a beautiful color, but I sure wished Ash was here, as I got lazy the last few years and gave all my weave clients to her. and she is so much better than I now. Plus I need a good hair cut, cant seem to get a good Ash cut down here.

So fun to watch Joce help Ash pick out her lights for her new home on line and save a bunch of money. The mixture of Don and I that I see in our kids is quite interesting, Im always greatful when I see more of Him in them. The compulive, empetuous, opinionated, impatient, strongwilled, adventurous characteristics take alot more influence of the Holy Ghost to smooth off the ruff edges.The wonderful ability to meticulously and patiently shop for great deals certainly comes from grandma Norton and Don. and some of the kids definately got the genes.thank goodness.

You will all be happy to know they have found a couple to serve as trek missionaries. So we will go to Cordoba the first week of february and  fourth week of March and then we are done for the trek season. and then the new couple will come before the next season and they wont ask us to stay past our release date (well I wont guarentee that) and do another season. This couple is from Washington DC and he is a retired coronel and has done lots of treks and his wife served her mission here in Rosario ARgentina and they are so excited to come.

Better stop and get some work done.... sure love and miss all of you.. Keep holding on tight to that Iron Rod.. Love, Nan and Pop

After one of our capilla abierta trainings

Feeding baby lion cubs a bottle at the Luhan Zoo

The Elders calling home from our house on Christmas Day

Elder Maza from Spain who knows Lisels mission companion