Zone Conference- Meet the Mormons

Our future missionary friend who accompanies us like every day

Ants literally as big as spiders!!  AHHHH



This week was another good week. Tough in a lot of ways, but really great! We had a zone conference this last tuesday, and had to travel to Asuncion, were we missed our bus stop and ended up getting there like 30 minutes late but whatevssss ha We got to watch "Conozca a los mormones" orrr "Meet the mormons". It was such a great movie! Super inspiring, even though I had to watch it in spanish, which isn't as fun as English haha After, tehy had a few recent converts to the church get up and share their story of their conversion, and how much it has helped change their lives! There was hardly a dry eye in the room, it was so spiritual. It really just gave me that boost to get through this week!

Soooooo This week we have got three baptisms planned out! It's gonna be a busy one. Changes are next week too! Ahhhhh mannnnn.I hate changes! haha Everything... changes. ha! Butttttt yeah. So today, Elder Chidester and I are finishing our machine we have been building for the last few weeks! It's a "RUth Goldsberg" machine that we add onto every night, and basically our house is a mess, but it's about to be so legendary hahaha Our goal is to launch cigarrettes we took from one of our investigators over our neighbors house! I'm so stoked to go test it out. 

Congrats to Pops on the call! I was so excited when I first read that he is the new first councilor in our stake presidency. He's gonna kill it! Plus he is going to be working in it with Tim Taylor, so that basically makes Nate and I related, right? haha The DREAM ha 

Love you guys! Thanks for the loving support.

Elder Horton

6 Months... and 1 week

ostrich

Baptism of Carlos

This week and past 4 weeks have been so much fun here in Posta Leiva. I love this branch and just right where I'm at right now! Having an American comp is the greatest haha And all of our investigatores and recent converts are so awesome! We had a baptism this week, of Carlos! HE is like the coolest 11 year old I know, and is way excited to be able to recieve the priesthood here in a month when he turns 12. Roque, our other convert from 3 weeks ago was able to pass the sacrament this past week! That was a way cool experience. Right now we are teaching Roque's brother, Esteven. He is SO funnnnyyyyy hahaha Him and his bros literally grew up on the street, doing whatever thing they could to earn money to eat. They ended up getting into some illegal trafficking, and ended up getting stuck in Argentina for a bit. They are now living in their Aunts house, but all 3 of them (RIchardt (16), Roque(15), and Esteven(17)) Still have to work full time jobs to pay for their living expenses. But anywaysssss so we were going over baptismal questions with Esteven, and we asked him how he knows the BOM is true, andddddd then proceded to tell us this story... "So I read that part in the introduction to the BOM were it says all you have to do is ask in a prayer to see if it is true. Sooooo I asked God if it was true, and if it was true, and that if it was true to give my a sign. And not just any sign, I told him to stub my toe for me, so that way if I stub my toe I will know if it's true. 2 week later, i was getting off the bus and BAM stubbed my toe. The BOM is true. I know it!" HAHAHAHAHA I couldn't hold the laughter in, but hey, God answers our prayers!

This week, also got to help a 50 year old man who can't walk get to church. He lives in a shack about 1/4 mile from the main road, so we had to carry him in his wheelchair through the jungle, over rocks and fallen trees, slipping and falling all the way to the taxi to get him to church. He lives with his wife, and 2 kids who live on literally 3 U.S. dollars a day. He is disabled and can't work, so his wife ties lettuce together for a living. Super humbling stuff to see, but I'm glad we were abe to help him out. He was able to come to church, so him and his fam will now be able to recieve help from the bishops storehouse. Be grateful for what you've got! They stope pure Guarani, so I didn't understand anything, but I think they were grateful.

Alsoooooo 6 months in the mish, and I weighed myself for the first time! I've hit 173 lbs, 18 lbs up since I've left! Crazzzyyyyyy. This week I ate the large intestine of a cow, or "Mundungo". It tasted SO bad. We finished eating and both walked around the corner of the members hosue and I threw up. SO BAD. It tasted like how cow poop smells. I MISS AMERICAN FOOD 

Love you guys, Thanks for the love and support!

Elder Horton

THE BEST 6 MONTHS..

My converts from Ita came and visited me before they moved to Argentina! So Awesome. 

Paraguayyyyyyy

Our church partition styled door to our room.  Missionary innovation at it's finest

THE BEST SIX MONTHS...

... Of my whole life! hahaha Super tough, but so rewarding. It's been 6 months since my last greasy hamburger from McDonalds, 6 months since wrestling with my little bro, and 6 months since the last time I was out past curfew! You would think one would be completly miserable without all these things BUT it has been SO much fun! I have eaten knew foods, seen new places, and learned SO much about myself and grown so much closer to my heavenly father. It's been tough! But it's been so worth it. Can't wait to see what this next year and a half bring me! 

This week wasssss really good. They just start blending all together! I literally don't remember thte last time I felt what it was like being cold. Which reminds me, my comp and I did have an awesome snowball fight while dethawiing our refrigerator the other day! haha We also have a new pest in our house. We found a Possom eating through our garbage out back the other day! haha Like are those things dangerous, I don't even know. We have also had the pleasure of meeting some interesting peole these past few weeks. Paraguayan names are SO funny! hahaha Here's a small list followed by their english translation...

"Aparacida"... Or "Appeared" Something makes me think she was unplanned!

"Alta Gracia"... Or "High Grace"

"Restituto Coronel"... One of my all time favorites! "Coronel restitute" in English! HA

"Segunda"... "Second". Sadly she was the third child

"Juan La Bautista"... HAHAHA You gotta speak spanish to understand this one. It was an old lady. 

So yeah! haha No baptisms this week, Monserrat is gonna get baptised next Saturday for sure! This week, we have a super awesome 11 year old kid named Carlos who is serious one of my all time favorite investigators. He is super excited, and way smart! He gave a super awesome testimony this Sunday in fast and testimony meeting about when his mom got in an accident, and he prayed and asked for everything to be all right aaaand it was! Super cool, I'm way excited!

Waddup?

Waddup friends and fam. Currently sitting here writing you guys, and it just happened that there is a Beyonce song playing in this internet cafe how AWESOME is that. She kills it! Wow it's been too long since I have listened to REAL american music haha 

Anywaysss so this week! Has been way awesome. Having an american comp has been so nice. It is really interesting talking with him. We seem to have adapted our own Spanish/English/Guarani dialect, which is all together just really confusing haha For example, This is what my comp told me earlier today. Thought I would right it down to send it today "Our house is chuchi, but dormiendo without airre is the worstttttt" hahaha It makes no sense, but it really does! I dunno, It's weird. My comp is way cool though. Super obedient, and has a really kinda nerdy sense of humor but I love him anyways haha TOO many conversations about Lord of the Rings! 

So they is a lady named Rosa and her husband Mario, we are "Dry Members" Or members who still haven't gotten baptised. They have been waiting 1 year to get through a messy divorce until they can get their license to get married and then get baptised! They come to church EVERY sunday, and help out with baptisms and activities and stuff. They are about 50 years old, and super strong in the gospel! They have already been making arrangments to go on a couples mission. But yeah, they aren't even baptised yet! haha Butttt that's about to change! They are 95% positive that they will get their license this month, so I will most likely have the opportunity to baptise them. STOKED

We have also been teaching their 20 year old cousin, who is equally as awesome. Might get baptised this saturday, but if not for sure the following Saturday! We had a super spiritual lesson with her yesterday, because she has a bit of a problem... Her parents hate the church. they really don't want her to get baptised, but she really wants to! She knows the LDM is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet and everything. We had SUCH a great lesson with her, and at the end she asked me to give the prayer. Halfway through my prayer. she just starts bawling! Like crying hard core. I finished, and she jsut told us thanks so much, and that she felt a super strong impression that she needs to get baptised suring that prayer. It was so cool! One of the coolest experiences I have had in my mission. 

We also had 2 baptisms this week, which we were originally just planning on having one, but it just so happened that we found a former investigator we had been taught by the missionaries about 1 year ago, and wanted to get baptised! Miracles happen, you just have to be obedient! Which frankly, I have always had a tough time with. But I'm getting a lot better out here! It's nice to have a comp who helps you out to haha Anywayyyyy here are some pics! Thanks guys love you

Elder Horton

Posta Leiva TRANSFERRED

First transfer annnddddd.... I am 10 minutes away from my old area! Yayyyyyyyyyyy hahaha It's actually way different though. the new comp is American... Which means I can finally speak English, and have a decent conversation about something other than soccer YEAHHHHHH haha (God Bless America) We have also been making some sweet american style pancakes about every chance we get. The members here are so much better! haha My last area was TOUGH. But we have lunch with member almost every day. Usuallyyyyy eating tortillas with noodles or rice. Not bad! We've got some nice baptisms lined up this month, starting this Saturday, with a girl names Maitei (Which means 'Welcome' in Guarani). She is 12, and super capa! I mean cool ha We had 7 investigators at church this week, 2 of them were invited by memers to come. the work here is really great here in Posta Leiva! I'm still in a branch, but it's part of a stake. My other area was a branch as well, but part of a district! We have an attendance in church every week of about 90 people. I've also been able to meet up with a few converts and friends from Ita! haha Since it's super close, they were able to stop by and pay me a visit. It's been a lot more work here, which I have really enjoyed. Peruvians have a tendancy to get a little lazy... ha But we have been killin it these past few days. We live in a house with jsut me and my comp. It's a little older, and has a bit of a lizard infestation, but it'll do. We are in a district and zone with ALL Elders too, so that's gonna be a blast. the majority of Elders here are american too, so word I'm stoked. 

Ita ROCKED!

Soooooo this email right here is most likely my last email I will send you guys from here in Ita. There is a 90 percent chance I'm getting changed this wednesday! It's been a blst here, it really has. I have learned and grown so much these past 4 months! It's gonna be tough saying goodbye to all my friends here in Ita butttttt that's just how it goes our here in the mission. Ita means 'Stone' en Guarani... Hence the title of this email Ita ROCKED (¿Ha?) Punnyyyyyyy

This week... was HOT (Surprise surprise) So hot, that one day while we were walking down a paved street, my comps shoes started to melt. Like the rubber on the bottom of his shoes started melting off! haha So hot, that it burns when you accidentally touch your missionary plaque! Yeaahhhhh needless to say I'm a little sun-burned. When I first got here in Paraguay, I was showing signs of gaining weight buttttt.... Burned it ALL off! I feel even skinnier now than when I left. (DANG) Like that bums me out more than anything! haha It's just due to all of this darned walking and walking and walking and walking in the sun.

This past week was awesome! But kinda bittersweet. We have 2 baptisms this Saturday... But I'm not gonna be here DANG IT hahaha Soooooo this week.. let's see... Oh yeah! One of our investigators died. He is a guy that is about 50 years old, and lives alone in a brick hut in the middle of 'The Chakra' (A farm). He had accpepted a date for his baptism and everything! Butttt one day, we went to visit his sister (Member) And there was a huge gathering of people at her house. We thought it was some sorta fiesta or something but nope, It was his funeral! sadly, we didn't even realize this, until we looked over in a strange wooden box on the table and saw our dead investigator... AHHHH it startled me so bad! haha My comp too. hahaha It was really sad but kinda funny at the same time. Oh welllll temple baptisms are easier anyways... Ahhhhhh that's terrible! hahaha He was a cool guy. Only spoke Guarani, but way humble and nice! 

Well, love you guys a ton! Until next week... PEACE

Elder Horton 

Paraguari

Todayyyyyy I'm out here in Paraguari on splits with another american elder! My comp went to some conference thing for all the leaders in the mission in Asuncion, so I'm out here for the day kickin it with him and the other elders! It's been a blast. their area is way different! Crazy jungle and even a few ´Mountains´ haha (Hillis) We woke up this morning bright andearly and took a jog up to the top of one of them! The sight was incredible. Maybe I'm just super crazy missing mountains, because Paraguay is really not that pretty of a country! haha Aaaaaaand I brought my camera up with me, but it was out of battery. Sooooo dang no pics for today! Hope everyone is doing well and loving the cold. Love you guys!

Elder Horton