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