Ano Nuevo

Santa came to Paraguay?

Oh, but yes, I did get my Christmas Kiss under the mistletoe...

Mango plus Leche = Mango Milk Hetere'i

Boy was it so great to see the whole fam bam on christmas, they are the best!! It is really weird to think though that life still goes on back home ha My little sister isn't so little any more!! 

So I got sick on Christmas Eve, and we had to cancel all of our christmas plans and stay inside while I recovered. Bummer. I hope New Years eve works out a little better for me ha 

"A man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is unfit for the kingdom of God" -Luke 9... near the end of the chapter ha The scripture of the week to keep me focused on the work here at hand, and not letting myself get distracted. Speaking of missionary work, we ALMOST had a baptism this last week, but of course the night of his interview he decided to move to Brazil. Dang.

Have you ever tough someone using a language that you don't know, or can't speak? I have! It happens quite a bit, since a lot of the older population here ONLY speaks Guarani, the native indian language. It's all gift of tongues, because I don't know how, but I can understand like almost everything, and explain a few basic principles of the gospel, invite them to church, and have a very basic convesation with them. We also have an 80 year old investigator who only speaks guarani, and can't read or write. That bring with it a lot of challenges to teach her. We have to use lots of pictures, and bring members with us to help out, and somehow they end up being really spiritual lessons. She's been coming to church, and is really being a huge missionary with her family. She invited her daughtes and one of her sons to church on Sunday, and they filled up a whole sacrament bench. It's been way awesome to see her progress. She has a baptismal date for this next week. Ñapumi. 

Love you guys! Have a Merry Christmas

Elder Horton

I'm Dreaming of a White (people) Christmas

Me and the gang.  Zone 10

Me and the Guys (Utah State) 

Christmas Lunch

Me and the group.  (Biggest in Mission History.28)

Christmas in Paraguay is.... fun? People just get together and drink. Supposedly Paraguay is one of the countries that consumes the most alcohol, and I honestly believe it. There is a Bar on every corner, and it's dirt cheap. BUT I won't let that get my christmas spirit down!

So nobody in the ward planned anything as far as a christmas party goes... We are having to put something together as missionaries. Tomorrow, we are going to have a little get together in the church, and we put together a choir with the youth, and then we are going to watch Meet the Mormons and eat food. We will see how it turns out, after all it was planned by 19 year olds ha

Gave a talk in church this past week about christmas. It went okay, I didn't feel like it left from my heart everything I said. Maybe jsut because it's a bit more difficult to express myself fully in Spanish, in that it's not as easy as in English. It also hit me that I know the members here WAY better than I know the members in my own Ward back home HA How sad

So we had our christmas activity as a mission this week, bottom line, it was the best day EVER. We put together a presentation here in our Zone, and sang a song about a missionary getting Dear Johned, and then busted out into chistmas carols that finished with an Elder (Who weighs 250 pounds) Dressed up as Santa break dancing, and doing the worm. It got a few laughs hahahaha!

Love you guys!

Elder Horton

Ka'akupe

This week... where do I start... So much happens in one missionary week!


How about with the title: ka'akupe. (Translated: Behind the leaf) Dia de la virgen de Ka'akupe was this tuesday, A national holiday where 2 million people parade from crazy distances, and gather in a city about an 8 hour walk from where I'm at to worship a giant doll that stand on a banana (It's acutally a half moon) Tuesday night, the streets here were filled with devout catholics pioneering their way towards the city of ka'acupe


On this same day, we woke up early and went to Asuncion for a lidership conference. It pretty much changed me, adn my atitude that I have been develpoing lately, what the president shared with us. He did us a question: What is the one thing that we have, that is truly ours, that we can give to God? The answer: Our will. It really touched me, and made me think if I am doing things in my way, or God's way? We have chagned a few things up in our area, and have really been focusion on 100% obedience, which is SO hard for me ha BUT we have seen so many blessings for doing it. We ahve recieved refernces out of no-where, and we even jsut ahd a guy show up to church for us to teach him this week and.... a BAPTISM Wooooooo!!


Soooooo the storm cleanup is slowly kicking into action. We live in a part of Asuncion pretty far away from the city itself, so its been taking a while. We have light and water about half of the time. I feel liek this storm has really waken me up. Like before, I dunno i thougth I was giving it my all, but my heart really wasn't in it. I was working with all my Mind, Might and Strength... But I wasn't doing it out of love for others, as I should have been. maybe it's jsut been the whole routine thing: 10 months is a long time in one area. But My heart was jump started this past week with the storm, and I really starting seeing others through "Heavenly Fathers eyes" as the new apostle said this past conference, I don't remember hsi name ha And doing so has helped me REALLY give my all.


I love the attitude I have seen from the Parguayn people. They are so great! I love them haha For example, we went to a lunch appointment, only to find out it been canceled, we turned bck to go home and cook, when we saw an old bald guy putting his roof back together. We offered him help, and he gladly accepted. He siad " This wind was so strong, it blew my whole roof apart! And it took my hair with it!" HAHAHAHA I laughed so hard. Another member lost his whoel carpinter shop, and so we went to help him piece it back together. They still ahven't had water for the past two weeks, and jokingly said "Well, looks like we are going to have to start bathing ourselves with Coca Cola!" hahaha They are just such a happy, and light hearted people.


Studying a conference talk this pst week entitled "What lack I yet" (i think) from this past conference. talked about the parabole with teh young rich man who kept all the commandments, and asked Jesus "What lack I yet?", but couldn't complete with the difficult, yet divine instruccion to "sell everything and give it to the poor". The speaker then invites us to make similar, self-reflective questions, to find our status with God, especailly while we are taking part of the Sacrament. I put it in practice yesterday, and the Holy Ghost whispered to me through the meeting as we listened to the talks "Be patient with the local liders, they do the best they can", and a quote from I forget where kept coming to my mind, how "We so easily find fault with others, especilaly leaders, without realizing and seeing how God's hand works through them to bless the lives of others" Although the local liders here really don't do well their callings, I need to cut them a bit of slack. I mean, 90% of them have been baptized in the past 10 years.


Well, love you guys! Happy Holidays!


Elder Horton

Super Storm

Wow. What a week. So I stayed in my area... to witness the biggest storm Paraguay has seen in years...


Let me start off by saying I have not showered since Wednesday night. There is no running water, or electricity. Thursday morning, a huge electric storm hit, at around 4:30 in the morning, and lasted about 2 hours, during which it was impossible to sleep. Water was seeping in from who knows where, and we spend the night clearing our house of water, even though we live on a 2 story house. But I have no room to complain, seeing what has happened with all the Paraguayans... Many simply don't have houses anymore. Simply put, nobody was prepared for such a storm. Some shut themselves in their wardrobes to avoid getting blown away, one mom wrapped here kids in their foam mattres s and put them under the bed to keep them protected. I feel like this week has changed me more than any other. I feel sad... but in a humble way. Like sad to see the people here have to suffer.


Needless to say, we have had many opportunities to serve others. From cutting down trees, to helping people put make together their roofs, to bringing people water. We luckily have a huge storage tank in our house, so don't you worry Mom ha


I don't have too much time, but just know that I'm safe, and that the people here could really use your prayers. Love you guys! I will try to send pics, but we are emailing from a different cyber, we had to travel an hour or so to email today. Love you guys


Elder Horton

Transfer Week

Soaked from head to toe, due to torrential tropical rainstorm

Snap shot of Paraguay

This is the week of transfers... will I go or stay? I fell like I'm going to stay, but if I do, I will officially be the laughing stock of the whole mission... because I will complete one whole year in this one Ward! That hasn't happened in the history of ever ha But we will jsut have to wait and see


Learned a good lesson this week about Patience:


I. Love. Mangos. So here in Paraguay, about every house has a mango tree. As of right now, the mangos aren't quite yet ripe, but just starting to change from yellow to green, or from yellow to red ( depending on the mango) so they just all sit there taunting you as you walk by, it's really quite ironic, because there are SO many mangos, just none of them are quite ready yet. Sooooo I commented this to a member, and he told us that he knew of a tree where they were already ripe and ready to eat. Without hesitating, i told him "Vamos!" so we went, my mouth watering the whole way, ahhhhhhh i wanted a mango so bad! ha So he walks over to the tree, plucks a seemingly ripe mango, all big and red and juicy looking of the tree, and brings it over for us to enjoy. He cut off the first piece, and offered it to me, I took it in my hand but it looked a little too green for me still to be ready, but after walking so far I honestly couldn't have cared less, I just wanted to eat mango so I took a big old bite, but tasted nothing but bitterness. "Ndirachori!" (Dang!) it still wasn't ripe yet.... Little did I know that eating unripened mangos REALLY does to you. I found out later that night, when I layed down and tried to go to sleep, but my lips were burning, no stinging, no scorching hot! haha I woke up my comp up to tell him, and that's when I found out that unripened mangos are dangerous, often times so acidic that they easily burn skin, often times leaving scars. Boy do I regret eating that mango, because I have slept very little these past few days haha BUT it is getting much better, don't you worry mother


Patience: Trusting in God's time table. Satan tempts us into thinking that now is the time to kick back and relax, luring us into partaking of the juicy mango, that seems so delicious, leading us to think that sinning a little here and there is all right, but little aware are we of the often times eternally painful consequences of our actions. We must ALWAYS trust in god's time table for us, enduring patiently until the end. Patience is the test of our faith as James teaches us, so let us do as it teaches us in Hebrews 12, (rough translation) "Put off every sin that so easily both beset us, and run paciently the race that we have before us, with our eyes on Jesus, the author and Finisher of our faith" I know that doing so brings belssing both temporal and spiritual, for I have seen it in the lives of so many people, and in my personal life.


Love you guys! Have a great one


Elder Horton

Dia de Gracias

I'm not going to be eating turkey on Thursday, But I am grateful for the opportunity I will have next year to enjoy it with the fam bam :)


While teaching a Less Active guy this week whop is starting to go to church again, (Got baptised and sealed about 20 years ago in Argentina) we decided to talk about temples, and to help him put a personal goal to prepare spiritually to enter into the temple once again. He told us that here in 2 years, he would be worthy to enter into the temple, which is a long time! haha I asked him why he would wait so long to receive such great eternal blessings that the temples offer us, and he responded by saying he couldn't complete with one law: tithing and offerings. He then expolained to us how he had recently bought a Motorcycle (Pretty much a Harley Davidson Parguayn style) that costed WAY more than he could afford, and that his páyment would end here in two years, and then, and only then, could he enter into the temple once again. We tried reasoning with them, but he had obviously letten the things of this world become more valuable to him than the things of the eternity. The whole time his super sleek black chromed motorycycle was sitting behind, and seemed to be just mocking him. Sad Stuffffff


As lately I have been studying a lot out of Jesus the Christ and the Bible. It really touches me and moves me thinking about all that our Savior has done for us. His teachings truly change one's character and form of thinking. If I have learned anything out here on the mish, that's one of them


But seriously though the mission is jsut a great school, where one travels from place to place, family to family learning what to do and what not to do. Learning how to Endure paciently and enjoy it, learning from the scriptures and more than anything, how awesome it is to have the spirit with you in almost every moment. But although we learn all this in the mission, that isn't why we serve a mission. Even though we become much better people, that's not the reason why one should serve a mission, which took me a while to figure out, but I feel like the Lord is teaching the very important lesson, that we must always serve others, and do it with an attitude of "What can i give" and not "What can I get"


Well, that pretty much sums up my thoughts ha Lvoe you guys, enjoy your thanksgiving


Elder Horton

WET

The Zone

Nightly bathroom cockroach kill.  be grateful you aren't in a country where these little creatures fly...

Bout to get my hair cut!

Pigeon eggs.... Delicious!

I am constantly soaked, whether it's sweat because it's so hot, or from the rain, like I am right now hahaha Ohhhh Paraguay how I love you


And I was going to be wet from a baptism we had planned for this last week BUT it fell through.... MAN! Oh well we will get em next time


New Rules we given this week by the President, and it honestly is going to make it very difficult to work like we were before. To have a lesson with someone of the opposite sex, you HAVE to have an adult present (18 years and up). This changes everything, I mean lets be honest, 90 percent of our investigators are women, and no guy is available until about 6 o'clock at night. Like what do we do during the sacred hour of the ciesta? (National Nap time) It's been tough this past week, to say the least. Lots of walking ha


BUT we did find a cool fam to teach yesterday. A less active kid showed up to church today, and he is super awesome, gave us a bunch of references of his family. I swear, the spirit of the church here is in the youth. It is difficult to get adults involved with the missionary work,. especially the men, but hey watcha gonna do.


I almot have 10 months in this area.... I think the Lord is testing my patience. I know he is! 10 months ago was last Februrary. HA So much time in one Ward, it's been quite the challenge lately. I feel like I have already talked to everyone under the sun here. Just gotta hang in there I guess


Welllll Love you guys a ton!


Elder Horton

???

Yes Mom, Im super happy I promise!  

Well, sorry there is no Subject for the mail my mind is blank ha I can't come up with anything! Like how could I possibly sum up a week of Missionary work in paraguay in one word?

This week was fantastic. We have been finding some awesome investigators, and let me tell you how: Our President of the Branch told us his conversion story the other day, how he lived right next to the church for 7 years growing up, even went and played soccer at least once a week there, but not once was invited to go to church, or talk with the missionaries. They never stopped by or contacted his house! I feel like as missionaries, and humans we search for complicated solutions to simple problems haha SO instead of looking for people an hour walk from the church building, we focused our efforts on the people who live RIGHT next to the church, and that way we saw more investigators in the sacrament meeting

While we were contacting by the church, we ran into an old lady sitting in her chair who jsut happened to be reading her Bible when we contacted her. We started talking,a nd found out she was a missionary for some Christian church. We invited her to come to church, and started to discuss various topis of the Bible, but I felt like we were jsut losing our time. Sooooo I was jsut about to say we had to go, but then she said the most wonderful thing I have ever heard, that completely changed my mind about leaving: You guys look tired. Would you like to sit down and eat some of my cake I jsut made? hahaha It was THE BEST. We sat there eating her delicious ice cream cake as shse rambled on about who knows what. At one point she even whipped out her Hymn book and started singing hahaha But we were too focued in on eating, it didn't even bother

Love you guys!
Elder Horton

Templo

Took a temple trip this Saturday with the Jara family, what an awesome experience. We left at like 10 in the morning, and didn't get back till about 9 that night! After the session in the temple, they took us out to dinner: Empanadas and Soda. The best part about dinner was watching Nacho Libre on the televsion in the restaurant haha It is theri favorite movie, and we spent the whole dinner alughing our heads off! hahaha Best. Halloween. Ever. They are such a specail family to me... One I will NEVER forget :)


I found out why Paraguay is the happiest country in the world: They have practical joke videos playing on the televisions in about half of their public transportation (Busses)! So you can laugh your head off on the move. What a brilliant idea


We had Lidership Council this past week. the new president is changing a lot of things, I think for the best, as we focus ourselves more on the new converts and less actives and keep baptising.


We have to come up with a talent as a Zone to perform in the Christmas Party, so we got together a bunch of guitars and electris pianos this week. We are getting together everyMonday to practice! We will see what we can come up with.


I love you guys a ton! Thanks for your support :)


Elder Horton


PICS:
Familia Jara

Vaca Acanguay (Cow Head Bone)

This was the highlight of my week for sure: Showing up to lunch on Saturday and seeing a Cow Head on the grill. I thought they were kidding, but turns out that legit was our lunch. I had the pleasure of eating the: Lips, Tongue (Actually not too bad), and a little piece of the brain! (That one was tough going down) hahaha Delicious

Milking a goat was a lot of fun. Drinking the milk I had jsut taken out of it not too much


Just read my email from the mission president! Annndddd I have permission to go with the Family Jara to the temple!!!! YEAHHHHHH Temple trip


This week was an awesome week. Lot's of teahcing, and finding great investigators. We had some extremely spiritual lessons yesterday with a less active family (Who were once temple workers) and then with the neighbor of a member who is looking desperately for a church to join. We based both lessons on the proclamation to the world about the Family. We just read it, and let the spirit take over. Both the less active family and investigator ended up tearing or crying in the lesson, you could really see that they had desires to change and come unto christ


Coca Cola is doing a promo where if you bring in 5 green bottle tops and a coca cola 1 and a half liter bottle, you get a coke for free. We have been searching all week long for green bottal tops, and we havwe amassed quite a collection. We even turned it into a game! If you find a bottle top, you ahve to contact the first person you see haha It's been a week filled with talking to a bunch of random people it's been so much fun. haven't found anybody too great yet, but I still ahve the hope that we will ha


Love you guys, have a great Halloween!


Elder Horton


It's raining today, but just yesterday it was 111 degrees! Oh Paraguay...

Prayerguay

The comp, Elder Cutera! He is half Peruano, half Brazilian! 

It's incredible how fast the weeks fly by here in the mission, I can hardly believe it. Every day is such an amazing adventure here in the mission. This last week has been more normal than the weeks before, lots of work, but we saw little to no results in the church on Sunday. Looks like we will be changing our vision and way of working to see if we can see more results.


Convert updates:


This last week, a family in my last area that we had helped reactivate, and start going to church again asked special permission rom the mission president to see if we could go to the temple with them (Me and my last comp Elder Savastano) So I am sure hoping that they give us permission to go!


Cinthya, the girl that got baptised like 6 months ago gave a talk in church a few weeks ago, and is getting her papers ready for the mission... cheeaahhh


Thats it for now ha


This week, we have recieved a lot of help and references with a member, the Hermana Olga. She is a lady who recently got baptised with all her family like 10 months ago, and she helps us out so much. She is honestly so cool too haha We are always stopping by her house and she hooks us up with the best food. She even has a herd of goats that I'm going to milk this week haha But she just takes us around to visit all her friends, it's so dope! haha Found like 4 more families to teach with her yesterday


Love you guys!


Elder Horton

Woops no hay tiempo

This week has been so insane. Long story short, we lost our keys to our house, hitchhiked to the city to get them at about 11 oclock at night (Left them in the house of other Elders), I was sick for two days, probably the most sick I have been in all my mission, and had my first baptismal interview with a murderer. Turns out the guy had killed someone!! I had to call directly the president of the mission, and then return to the interview to get more details of what happened exactly, how long ago and everything. He had killed someone 24 years ago, and served 5 years and 6 months in prison (The time one serves here for killing someone) But other than that, didn't want to tell me any of the details, so I imagine it was pretty horifying ha We have to send in a letter to the first presidency to see what this guy has to do to get baptised! Usually about a year straight of church attendance without missing. We finished his interview at about 9:30, and ended up having to just spend the night in that city we were in (About 30 minutes bus ride away from our house) There wasn't any room to sleep, so we had to put thier 2 beds together and sleep nice and cuddled up ha Needledd to say I need a nap today ha


Love you guys all! Have a fantastic week


Elder Horton

Conferencia General

Me and the Gang! We all got to Paraguay together 1 year ago this week. It's been such an awesome journey!




Me and my converts who got baptized last general conference exactly 6 months ago. They have come so far since then. It's been awesome to see their growth.


General Conference as a missionary is literaly better than christmas. I couldn't sleep the night before I was so excited! The messages that were given were truly inspiring, and inspired, seeing that here in the Church of Jesus Christ we have living prophets and apostles. My favorite? Couldn't choose... But if I had to it would easily be the talk by Elder Jeffrey R Holland about motherhood, mothers are the best, and by Mom's the best, so that makes her the best of the best! haha On a more manly theme, I did really enjoy the talk given by Deiter F Uckdorf in the Priesthood session about Daniel the prophet. He applied his life's story so well to us as priesthood holders, and members of the only true church to stand up for what's right. In short: Best. Weekend. Ever.


Other than that, it was a pretty normal week! It rained on Wednesday, well I guess more like it troipical rainstormed on Wednesday. We left the house anyways, determined to share the gospel with all the world!! So we walked around, clapping in front of every door (They clap here), but nobody wanted to let in two soaking wet missionaries. Sooooo a few hours later we decided to just go visit New Converts, and in the process found like 5 new investigators! Jsut comes to show that members are the key ha


I'm 6 foot 5, my comp is barely 5 feet tall. I feel like a giant 24/7


We are going to grill a bunch of meat on our roof today in a "Parilla" or grill that we borrowed from our neighbors. Che aipota so'ombichy heterer'i.


Love you guys!


Elder Horton

Semana Mbohapy

This week... has been a rollercoaster. Wow. I could spend hours writing individually about every day, and all the crazy stuff that happened. But easily the craziest thing that happened this week was this:


We had to deal with a few missionaries who were being very disobedient. It started on Mondy when we found Movies in their house that they shoudln't have, and escalated tueday when these missionaries left their zone to go shopping downtown, and go visit one of the elders old areas, and to top things off 125 dollars went missing in a district meeting. The president called emergency interviews with the zone, and the whole day was spent investigating the situation with the missing money. Eventually I went on divisiones with an asistant, and we had to go the the disobedient missionaries house and search through all their things to find the money. As we were looking through everything, we just happend to run into a LOT of stuff missionaries shouldn't have (PS 4, etc.) The president was pissed. haha Mannnn long story short, there was emergency changes, and a few elders changed areas/or went home, I'm not too sure. What punks. ha The whole time I felt like an FBI agent. I might look into that when I get home hahaha


Also the wedding fell through... And it was postponed until next saturday!


Who's stoked for general conference? I AM


We contacted a man yesterday, and had a great lesson with him. At the end, we asked him if he would like to come to General Conference with us this week, and he just looked at us and smiled ha I though he was already a member or something! Butttt it just so happens that he is driving the bus that will take us to the stake center on Sunday, so he will for sure be there :) hahaha!


Love you guys!


Elder Horton

Springtime in Paraguay

In very short terms: It's hot! Oh hakuetere'i en guarani. This week has been so crazy busy... There is so much more to do, so much more responsability. We had our Zone Conference this past thursday, and I thought it went really well. It was a 3 hour presentation, but I felt like the missionaries all left muy excited to get out and work. Between all the calling, taking numbers and planning, there absolutely no down time. It's all the stress and work as before, but doubled ha Not to mention the activities we have planned for this week! On Saturday,we are having an activity called "Zapatos Misionales", where all the members are missionaries for a day, and they go visit all the less actives, it should be pretty good.


On top of that, this Friday, an investigator is getting married!!! Woohooo!! My first marriage of my whole mission, I'm so excited. Her name is Ruth, and her husband is a member (less active). Ruth has want to get baptised for the past few months, and always goes to church, but her husband never wanted to get married or anything... Until this past week when all of a sudden he just had a change of heart, and told her he wants to get married. It should be awesome!


Baptism of Beta this last week was great, almost didn't show up to get confirmed because she was embarrased because she didn't have a dress to go to church in, but we convinced her last second to come, and she got confirmed. Phew! ha Close call


Love you guys!

Z.L (Zone Leader)

This week... has been so crazy ha So the changes were this past wednesday! Annnndddddd well I'm a Zone Leader...! The Zone Leader here in Posta Leiva! haha So all I did was move over an area... new comp, new house, new area, but the same branch I have been in for the past 7 and a half months! haha It's such a crazy change. Like one like this has NEVER happened before to any missionary! So it must be for a reason. But yeah, so in the Mish, there are 14 zones, and starting from 1 - 14, as you go up the numbers of the zone, the farther away you get from the city (Asuncion) And me and my comp (Elder Cutera from Peru) are in charge of Zone 10! There are a total of 16 Elders, and two districts, adn covers about the area of Taylorsville and Murray put together. More details to come!


Today we had to travel to Asuncion for a Leadership Training so I am honestly so tired. Just got back not 15 minutes ago! But there are a lot of changes happening in the mission, so it will be a challenge being part of it all.


The new area is great! I had been here before on divisions, so nothing too new, and plus I know all the members. Honestly the Elders have been working half hearted here for a while, My comp doesn't even know all the active members that live in our area, so there is a lot of work to be done. We have a baptsim this week though, and a couple will be getting married and baptised the 26th, so that's good news!


This Sunday was stake conference, and one of the seventy came and talked to us (Elder Ferreira) ALL about Sabbath Day, and keeping it holy. Way cool experience. Love you guys!


Elder Horton

Eu esto fallando moitu

This week... was fantastic. Seriously one of the best weeks I have had in a while. Did divisions with a brazilero this week.... hence the title! He's been helping me out with the portuguese haha It's pretty much spanish, Just spoken really badly.


All week was spent preparing for the "Bautismo Guazu" Or "Big Baptism" we had on saturday. It takes a lot of planning to get 5 people baptised holy moly. Finishing teaching them all the lessons, interviews, getting the time set for the baptism, cooking cakes, filling the baptismal font, cleaning up the flooded church after forgetting to turn off the baptismal font, assigning talks, and not to mention the clean up! ha But I'm not about to complain... Because I was able to be an instrument, play just the smallest part, in God's hands in bringing 5 people into the waters of baptism. And it's stressful to think about how it doesn't end there, and how we are responsible to help them be nurtured, and spiritually grow. But the baptism went great! All the families invited their realtives and friends, and more than 6 new investigators ended up coming to there baptism, which is a huge blessing. the spirit was present in their baptism, so I hope they were touched.


This week is the week of changes... oh boy!! I have 7 and a half months here in this area... so it's likely I leave. BUT whatever the lord suits best. I'm super down to stay! I love it here! But 4 and a half months with the same comp... that's a lot. haha We NEED a change. haha But whatevsssss


Anyways, love you guys!


Elder Horton

Un Ano...

Family Night with a convert family

This week was fantastic, seriously one of the best weeks that I have had in my whole mission, and lemme tell you why...


First off, because we were able to all meet together as a mission, and one of the seventy (Elder Gonzalez) came and talked to us. He is so amazing man.. it was so inspiring, everything he said! He didn't even prepare a talk or anything, he jsut came, and we had a question and answer session with him. I came out completely changed, and had a greta moment where I recieved very powerful presonal revelation, that has changed my perspective on things. My teaching style has completely changed, and is more focused on helping our investigatores and less actives becoming spiritually self sufficient. He brought such a special spirit to the mission, especially when he bore his testimony at the end... Man. Very few times have I ever felt the spirit confirm something so strongly in my whole life. It inspired tme to work to have that same spirit with me, and to bring it into the homes of our investigatores and members. Just wow. ha


We also had an area conference in the stake center, where 2 of the twelve talked to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, that was also awesome.


We've got 5 baptisms this Saturday... man, so excited! haha One of them is a mother, and two of her kids. She was the reference from the lady who died 10 years ago... she is such a golden investigor!


The others are the kids of a familoy less active that we ahve been working wiht. the father gave us permission last night to baptise his kids... YEAH so excited for this week :)


Love you guys!


Elder Horton

Noche de Hogar (Family Night) with the Hmna Reina y fam (Converts)

Week Pora

This week was filled with miracles... not too much time, so to sum it up we had 7 investigators attend church, and if all goes well (And I have the faith that it will) We will have 5 baptisms next Saturday!


One of the Seventy is coming this week to talk with us. Word.


A less active family came to church for the first time this week in 8 years! Its true that it makes you just as happy to see a family return to church than it does to see a family get baptised.


Can't sleep at night, due to none-stop worrying and planning about lessons for our investigators. Mission probs.


Doing things for the right reason was probably the biggest thing I learned this week. True missionary work starts with a true love for the people. Don't do things for the numbers! Even though we work with lot's of numbers "Each person is more than just a baptismal statistic, but a child of God" It's a lot easier said than done!


Nothing of pictures this week! Love you guys!


Elder Horton

Paraguayyyyy

This week.... was completely normal. ha Normal as in a million things happened, including almost getting eaten by a lion (Alright, it was a big dog!), and having a lesson with a bewitched 89 year old demon lady! ha Just your average trip around the block here in Paraguay

The success here has been... diminishing. I feel like for my first 4 months here in this area, it was just miracle after miracle, baptism after baptism, but it's almost like slowing down. I don't feel like I'm doing anything different, even the opposite! I feel like I am giving it more than I gave it when we were seeing success... but it's just not happening. It's been quite the frustration lately ha 

The new mission president has a completely differnet mind set than the one before. Presidente Wilson (Current president) is focusing a lot more on Retaining, and Reactivating, and less on Baptising, where as before it was the complete opposite. New rules have been added that make it more difficult to baptise, for example this week, only 8 people were baptised and comfirmed as a MISSION. That's not good!! haha But I here that the president jsut doesn't even hardly care, as long as we are having a more balanced work, with more of a focus on reactivating and retaining. Which makes sense! For example, here in my Branch, there is a total of 700 to 800 members within the limits of our branch. However, only about 140 of these are active. But at the same time... It honestly blows teaching less actives all day. It's quite depressing! Like they are just so lazy, and apathetic. It's hard to see any of our fruits from the effort we have put to help them out. We, as a mission, and me personally need to just focus on the objective, which is to get people to the temple. Anyways, so that's the jist of it all!

Love you guys,

Elder Horton

just keep rolling along....

What. A. Great. Week. Nothing too out of the normal! Sadly no baptisms to report, but we are working on that. We are working right now with 2 families, one of them is really progressing! A mom, and here 5 baptizable kids, who were a reference from a member who died 10 years ago. (Another story for another time) Other than that, I have heard some great stories from really insirational people this week:

The first was of a guy about 28 years old who just moved back here to Paraguay... He left from this branch where I am at now to serve a mission in Argentina, and then returned 2 years later (Not the cool part). Then, he moved to Cuba to study, where he, along with 8 other student members from other countries organized the first branch of the church in Cube, where this Brother was called as Branch President. By the time he left, there was a total of 2 branches, and 40 members in Cube! He even mentioned something about one of the 12 coming to visit them, and dedicate the land for the gospel. We sat with him and talked for hours about all his crazy difficulties and challenges with the government there and everything, so cool

Another was one of my converts (guy 18 years old) who is really so awesome. the only member in his fam, but understands and knows just about more than I do about the church! ha But he has always walked weird, but I never bothered asking him why, until the other day. Turns out, he got run over by a semi-truck when he was a kid, and almost lost the use of his feet. Through 6 surguries and thousands fof dollars spent (Which his family of him, his mom, and sister did not have), they battled through it. He told us that right before his last surgery, he had a vision, so vivid, where he was visited by an angel and was told that he would walk one day, if he was willing to dedicate his life to the Lord. He said yes, and the angel replied that he would one day get to know great mysteries, and bless the life of many. ANYWAYS so he is all good now, long story short hahaha

Love you guys!!



Elder Horton

Curveball..

The District Activity

The District

Tazer Flashlight

This Monday and Tuesday night were spent visting all of my friends and family here saying goodbye and taking pictures and everything! I had my bags packed, house cleaned, and I had emotionally and mentally prepared myself for a new area, a new comp, new everything. The call comes at 8:30 late Tuesday night, with Elder Evans, our Zone Leader playing a funny joke on me... "You're staying Elder Horton". Yeah right I told him! I thought for sure he was messin with me. I eventually made him swear on the bible he was telling me the truth, and well... I stayed. YEAHHHHH!!!!!!!!


So what happened, is that every time a missionary finishes training a new missionary, he changes areas. That's just the way it is! Not to mention that I had already been here 6 months, which is the max I have ever heard a missionary being in one area... and I guess I'm breaking that ha! It will be another change... atleast another change (One and a half months) here in Posta Leiva! I'm not gonna lie, I was super taken back. Talk about an awkward conversation with all the ward family here in Posta Leiva, explaining them how they all gave me farewell dinners, presents and everything and how I ended up staying! hahaha But I guess the Lord has his reasons. I will be going into my third transfer with Elder Savastano


The work this past week was going great... up until saturday. We had found a lot of amazing people, that seemed like they were the "Chosen Vessels" of the Lord, but one by one, we lost them all. Mostly due to the traditionalism catholic beliefs, and family members keeping them from recieving the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing your friends (Because your investigatores truly are your friends) turn away from the truth. It's been a crazy emotional rollercoaster of a week! ha


Also bought a police half flashlight/half tazer for 12 bucks from a member. Getting tazed? Check.


Love you guys


Elder Horton

Changes

Seriously these people are the greatest! Birthday party #19

Hermana Gloria went to the temple this past week.  Woo hoo!



Changes this week, spent my last sunday here and I'm about the take off to who knows where! I will let ya'll know next week.
I'm gonna miss this area so much! Ahhhhh man, the next 2 days are jsut gonna be spent saying goodbye to people, so that's nothing too fun.
Stoked to get to know a new area though! I have spent my first year in the mission within a 15 mileish zone, between this area and my last area. I'm fellin like I'm going to get sent either super far out there, of downtown Asuncion. Either way, BRING IT
Sorry I left you hangin last week about the church open house. It was a huge success, even though the bishopric were out playing soccer on the field in front of the church and we ran everything! ha We got a bunch of references, and met a few great new investigators.
Well a picture speaks a thousand words, so here ya go POSTA LEIVA IMMA MISS YOU
Yo

19

Plaque in Guarani

Turned 19 this last friday, and I couldn't have spent it better, considering the fact that I am 5000 miles away from home! I spent it here with my Paraguayan family. A few of my converts made me a huge dinner, and a cake and decorated their house and everything! haha It was so much fun. Everybody made me feel way at home, and welcome. Couldn't have asked for anything more! 

I'm about to head into my last full week in this area. It's going to be so difficult to leave... Ahhh!!! I have a family here, and I just love it here I don't ever wanna leave. Hte members are all the greatest, and I have some awesome converts that I just have to leave behind... It's going to be just as hard, If not harder than saying goodbye to my real family back there in the states! Not excited. My last week and a half here.... Although it will be nice to get to see some new turf. So bitter sweet!

Had interviews with the new mission president this last week. The man is inspired by God to lead us here, without a doubt in my mind. Also this last Saturday, we did something called a "Capilla Abierta" Or like an Open House for the church, wehre all the 

The pics from my B-Day won't load next week

Plaque in Guarani (Avañe'e)

El Papa

The pope came to Paraguay this last Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Nobody worked for those three days, or went to school. All public transport was used to only those going to go see the Pope, and they even shut off the internet for 3 days! Gosh, it's been so annoying! Everyone is talking about the pope, all the televisions are talking about the pope, and everyone is even singing songs about the pope HA Sooooo annoying. The government here is run by catholics, and millions of dollars have been spent for him to come visit. Question of the week from every investigator, member: What is the difference between the Pope and "Your" prophet... HA Our prophet is called of God, and recieves revelation directly from Him!

Butttttt, it's all good! Because this week, we had a baptism! YEAHHHH gosh, I love baptisms. Christian, the son of a recent convert got baptised! He is super awesome, if only a bit timid ha But it was a great time. We had a few people jsut show up to church this past week who want to get baptised, so we have our work cut out for us for this next week. Including a 50 year old super awesome guy, who lost his family due to alcohol. The other Elders invited him to church on the street, and he came! Super prepared and ready to change and better his life through following Jesus Christ.

We also got to travel to Asuncion this week to see and talk to the new mission president! He is SO awesome. A much more serious and quiet soft speaking guy. But he has some great plans for the mission, and will change a lot with what we do to retain new converts in the church.

Other than that, not to much! The training is great, I really enjoy it. This week I'm turning 19 years old... So old! haha Interesting to think about how I will be here in Paraguay for the whole time I am 19! ha But I'm stoked. The mission is a great time! Had mexican food monday last week with all the Americans. Enjoyed some nice Tex/Mex food! Elder Greene (from my group) is my zone leader, and is also going to Utah State. (As you can see in the pic) We have already planned out our skiing trips for when we get back hahaha Love you guys!! Until next time



Elder Horton