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

Ciao Presidente!

This week, we all got together on Tuesday to say goodbye to our mission president. It was so great! Ate an amazing lunch, and got to see almost all of my old comps, seriously so great to see and talk to them all. They are all some great friends! haha Plus got to talk to the missionaries about my converts in my last area, sounds like they are almost all all doing great! Still don't know anything about the new mission president, except that he is from Uruguay!

The training finishes here in 3 weeks, and then I am going to be leaving this area. It's going to be so tough leaving Posta Leiva, it really is!! It's like pretty much my home, here. All the members are so great, and I have been so blessed with some great converts! Buttttttt that's life. Bleh, I don't even like thinking about it!!

Celebrated the 4th with a nice burger, and we retired an american flag that we found in the back of our house that had been destroyed by some latino elders! (I am just assuming) haha Pic attached

The training is going great! I have had a lot of time to study ha. BUT it's paying off with my Guarani! I've got half of the first vision down, a full testimony, and I am now working on saying a prayer! Super fun, and a huge challenge. We have starting playing soccer every night, me and the comp (A ball of tape as the ball, and chairs as the goals) haha Too much fun

Love you guys, hope you all have a great week!!



Elder Horton

Meowwwww

servicio

Bauttismo do Enmanuel

I think this is an ox?? Not sure... but it's HUGE!




This week my comp fed a stray cat milk right outside our door. Now it won't leave us alone! It's even clawed through our screen to get inside out house. And it is constantly meowing outside our door. haha I was not too pleased with my comp

Tomorrow we are going downtown to say goodye to our old mission president and welcome our new one! Super excited. Plus they are going to be serving lunch. Yeahhhhhh!

Had a baptism this week of Enmanuel. Super great time! This week we have 2 people that have a baptism date for this saturday, so we will see how that goes. All the faith that they both get baptised! 

Went without light all yesterday because of the all the rain we have gotten these past few days. Feel like joseph smith reading scriptures next to the candlelight haha! 

Today we are celebrating the 4th with a BBQ with our Zone Leaders, who are also american. Gonna go eat some burgers and chow down a few hot dogs! Hope you guys take advantage of the holiday, and go do the same GOD BLESS AMERICA

Soccer season here in Paraguay is so crazy!! haha They beat Brazil last night which I guess is a huge deal, because literally everybody in the whole world started screaming, and lighting off fireworks. Everybody also took out there firearms and started shooting off rounds haha My comp and I got freaked out when a guy popped open his front door and staretd unloading his pistol into the ground not 10 feet from us! haha I felt like I was in a warzone. 

Anyways I love you guys so much! Thanks for the support

Elder Horton

Transfers... And I'm still here in Posta Leiva YEAH

Servicio

Her house in the middle of the jungle

Mate Dulce SO GOOD




This week was rad! We've got a few baptisms planned for this week, one of them is from that Familia Gonzalez, where the dad was inactive.. but he has been going to church and even gave a talk this last sunday. His son Manual is 9, and has been waiting for his dad to get worthy to baptise him. This Monday, he told us that he was worhty, and ready to baptise his son FINALLY haha Pretty cool story about how that all worked out: So this Monday, we finished P Day at 6, and headed out to a lesson with a new convert, who gave us liek 3 chicken breasts, pre-cooked and everything. We were so stoked to go eat them in our house, but then we remembered that there is a new rule about not being able to take food from members and eat it in our house, due to recent death of a missionary in Argentina from E Coli. So we weren't about to throw this chicken away.. I mean it was perfectly fine to eat! So we started thinking about who we could go give it to. We both felt like the Familia Gonzalez would need it the most, and even though they lived about an hour walk from were we were, we still just felt like they needed the extra food. We got there at about 8, jsut as they started eating thier dinner. They pulled up two chairs for us at their make-shift table of two barrels and a board, and evenly dished out portions to share with us, a meager meal of a little bit of rice and chicken. We then took out our chicken that had been given us, and they more than gladly accepted it! After dinner, the Dad told us how much that truly meant for them. He told us "Today, we didn't have money to buy dinner, so I prayed, and here you guys showed up with this food. And that's why we have decided to have Emanual's baptism this next Friday" Such a cool experience! Soooooo his baptismthis friday yeahhhhhh!!


The training is going great! We have been working a bunch, and the guy I am training is progressing a lot. He's awesome! Been learning a bit of portuguese lately, it's basically jsut spanish, just sounds super funny! haha But one of our investigators is Brazilian. There are quite a bit here, but most speak spanish!
We get a new mission president in July. The one we have right now is great, he is super strict, which is toughhhh! Like we can't play sports on P-Days. that KILLS me!! So i am praying it changes with the new president. Drank Mate Dulce, a paraguayan form of hot chocolate whish is SO good ahhhhhh It tastes like liquid almond joy. Made with milk, sugar and coconut. Did a service project, helping one of my converts clean her house. Be thankful for what you have! Your room is bigger than her house. Happy fathers day to the greatest dad in the world! Love you pops!


Elder Horton

Whoops outta time OPA!

Bautismo de Sofia! 

New Scripture case!  Featuring Elder Horton leading the army  of Helaman. Word.

Add caption

Me and the man Javier



Sorry, Not much time today! Played soccer this Monday. SO fun! Totally pulled every muscle in my legs, but so worth it. Had an AWESOME baptism this week too! When to Asuncion early Wednesday morning for a meeting with all the trainers and trainees. Quote of the week from a Thomas S. Monson talk: "Wanting to express thanks and not doing it, is like wrapping a gift and not delivering it" Super grateful for the family! I love them more than anything. Love the mission so much, the traning is great! I feel like I'm learning more than he is ha Well, until next week! Love you guys

Summer again?

Hermana Teofila thumbs up!! (al Pelo)
Learned how to ask "can I take a photo with you" in Guarani!

Her daughter and grandson, the grandson is one of my converts!
(humble house in the background)

Family home evening with investigators! THE BEST

Mastered shadow puppetry

Soooooo the super cold streak ended, and now it is super hot. Whattttt?? 

But this week was a great week nonetheless! No baptisms this week, but that's not any indication that it was a fantastic week. For sure we have a baptism this week though! Her name is Sofia, and she's like 50. Super stoked!

Lots of walking this week. We have been working a lot more in a part of our area SUPER far away. Lot's of guarani, and that's were this one member (I think I told you guys about her before) lives. She is an 83 year old super woman. ha. She can't read, or write, but has the strongest testimony that she loves to share with everyone! (In guarani of course) She doesn't understand spanish hardly at all. But I am able to understand and communicate surprisingly well with her! Gift of tongues for surrreeee. Pics attached with her! She is probably the coolest person I have met in my mission. Super humble! She has her endowments and She walks to church too. SO tight! 

Been working a lot with a less active family, getting them activated! The Dad was the branch president, and they have a son who hasn't gotten baptised yet. they have been coming lately though, so it's been way cool to watch that miracle happen with them! In a lesson we had with them on Saturday, the dad told me some of the nicest, must humbling things I have heard in my mission. He just said that he could feel the love, and the spirit so strongly when we are there in his house and talking with his fam, and can tell that e are hard workers! Super huge compliment, gave us a huge daddy hug at the end too. Literally brought tears to my eyes!!

Anyways, that's about it. Love you guys!

Elder Horton

Che Ro'yite

This week has been rather normal. The 'crazy' pace of the missionary life has become something so normal, that I get here every Monday, look back on the week, and really can't think of anything to say, other thatn it was good. ha. When in reality, so many things really did happen! Like let's see here...Stubbed my toe TWICE having a plunger war with my comp. Spent 1.75$ (A dollar and 75 cents) on a weeks worth of groceries. Had a baptism. Walked a lot. It got so cold I could see my breath. Aaaaaannnnddd that's all I can think of right now haha The training is good! Getting a little tired of translating all the time, but it's all good. Winter here blows. It's so freaking cold! I had to put on thermals the other day. Thermals. In Paraguay. It is really weird walking around the jungle all day in winter clothes lemme tell ya ha Butttttt that's just how it is. Lovin it still! Been studying the Liahona a lot this week, and reading a bunch of General Conference talks! One of my favorite I read was one by Russel M. Nelson (I think), about Faith, and it's effect on our Character from the 2010 conference! One part I liked was when he talked about how we don't use our faith only in big testing points, but more consistently exercising it daily. We are so blessed to have a modern day prophet! Anways, feel free to send me american food for my birthday coming up here in a few months! ;) hahaha Love you guys!


Elder Horton