Elder Normandin has been a super busy Missionary these last few months so I thought as Mom I would post a few things to keep a record of events that have happened with Elder Normandin.

~ Elder Normandin has just pasted his 18 month mark!! Which means he only has 6 months left till he comes home! He is doing great work and I know he is loving being a Missionary and loves serving the Lord in the Phoenix Arizona Mission.

~ Elder Normandin was made a District Leader in November 2021. Here is the Letter we received from his Mission President. Elder Normandin has been District Leader since this date, in both of the areas he has served.

30 Nov 2021

Dear Brother and Sister Normandin,

I am happy to write you and let you know how impressed I am with your son, Elder Zachary Normandin. His dedication and willingness to work hard have truly set him apart.

Your son has shown great talent and ability in sharing the Gospel. He has gained the respect of his companions and trust of his leaders. This letter is to inform you that Elder Normandin has been assigned to serve as a District Leader and as such will be directly responsible for the work and welfare of four to ten missionaries. More responsibilities will bring more opportunities to help and influence others. He is ready for both. I am confident in his ability to serve in this assignment.

Thank you for supporting your son as he continues to make a positive difference here in the Arizona Phoenix Mission. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with him. It is a joy. You can be proud of all the good he is doing in the lives of so many. We pray our Heavenly Father will continue to bless your family for the sacrifices you are making.

With love and respect,

President Brik V. Eyre

Arizona Phoenix Mission

~ We have also received 2 email letters from Ward members telling us how well our son is doing in their area. It is such a blessing as parents to get an email about the kind of Missionary our son is. Here are the 2 email we received.

Sent to us in December of 2021

My name is Travis Midgley. I’m in the Surprise 1st ward. Your son served in my ward. It’s come to my mind to send you a quick message several times, I’ve typically brushed the feeling off but today I put pen to paper to write you.

I am very impressed by your son. We moved into this ward a couple months ago. The Elders were quick to schedule a visit with us. Our family is active; we attend church weekly, have callings and do our best to pray together.

Despite that, the Elders, felt inspired to visit us often. He would always challenge us to do something to improve our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Through his service and testimony, he has reignited my desire to be a missionary.

At this point we haven’t helped anyone to be baptized or listen to the lessons but we’ve had wonderful experiences as we’ve reached out to others and tried to be more Christlike to them.

The world can use more people like your son. He is an extremely focused and disciplined missionary. Im proud to have met him and will forever be grateful for his willingness to challenge me to get out of my comfort zone and live the gospel so others can receive it.

He and his companion taught gospel doctrine in our ward a few months ago. He opened by saying that they are just two 19 year old kids teaching a bunch of adults. To me, they are more then just 19 year old kids. They are dedicated disciples of Christ. I hope that he knows how much I appreciate all that he’s done.

It was sad to see him transfer areas. We wish him all best as he finishes out his mission. Thanks for raising such a great man that served here.

Regards,

Travis and Cathy Midgley

Sent to us April 2022

Dear Parents of Elder Normandin,
I wanted to thank you for raising such a great young man as Elder Normandin! He has brought the Spirit into my home each time he has visited. He is in tune with the Holy Ghost as his words have brought answers to my prayers. In my opinion, he is a Spiritual Giant! Thank you for having your son be prepared to serve his full time mission, and bringing the Spirit with him!
May Heavenly Father bless and keep yall safe,
David Archdeacon
Estrella Hills Ward

~ The last event I wanted to share is Elder Normandin had the opportunity to have a visit from a good friend of his and his father from our Ward in Oregon. They were going to be in his area for other reasons and Elder Normandin got permission to have a visit with them.

This is the post Bro. Watkins made after them seeing each other.

The best part was the first part. Ethan was given a rare opportunity to visit with a friend from home who is serving a church mission in Phoenix. Since Ethan is planning to serve soon himself, they likely wouldn’t have been able to see each other for about 3 1/2 years! We spent close to two hours with Elder Zach Normandin and the confidence and growth displayed by this young man is one of the reasons why it is such an invaluable experience for young people. We are so impressed with the man he is becoming and I’m so personally grateful for the role model he has been to Ethan and the encouragement he has provided that has helped Ethan gain a desire to also serve. I love both of these young men and it was such a blessing to be able to watch them together today!

~ We want to thank everyone who has helped in supporting Elder Normandin during his time as a Missionary. I know he really enjoys the letters and emails he receives. We as parents made it hard on him by moving in the middle of his mission so all the love you continue to send to his is much appreciated.

~ We are excited to see what the last 6 months has in store for Elder Normandin. Here are some pictures from over the last few months