54th Week Out, Week 6 Montecarlo "Transfers came, I am staying in Montecarlo."

YEAAAAAA! Alright so I`m like brain dead right now, its too hot and I`m a little sick. So I`m going to try to write but I`m dying currently!

SKYPE! Just skyped my fam! It was like trying to get in EVERY LAST DROP of the time because I love skyping! Its so refreshing after not being able to see or hear your family after a while! Christmas was awesome! A lot less than what it is at home but it still is something! (we didn`t do anything :) ) But thats ok, I was well pleased with the skype call!

Anyways, transfers are really weird! All of the missionaries in Paraguay are illegal now. (I don`t know what happened) But now about 70% of the mission is here in Misiones Argentina. ITS CRAZY! President openned a bunch of new areas! AND NOT ONLY THAT! 18 NEW MISSIONARIES CAME IN! They aren`t here yet, but I`m sure they left the MTC today. They will get hereWednesday!

I`m not sure how many will come from Buenos Aires, and from Provo Utah. But regardless there are 18 new missionaries coming to the mission! This is the group that makes up the most of the work that President Svec does while serving here in Argentina. I`m now just kind of the side-show President LaPierre/Svec missionary now. It`s ok though.

I`m staying in Montecarlo! I was bumped down though to just being trainer. I don`t know why.. I hope I wasn`t doing a bad job as District Leader? I`m sure President just had plans that needed to be done fast because all of the missionaries came to Argentina. I may be a zone leader at some point. I have been a trainer and district leader for the majority of my mission. Haha!

BUT YEA! I love all y`all! Have a great week! I think it is the week off of school! Enjoy it!

Impressions of Montecarlo:

It is so hot here, I walk around with an umbrella for shade. But not only that, it rains in broad day-light. Even with few clouds. So even if people think I`m crazy, I`m really more prepared that they are :)

Sorry no pictures for now! I`ll work on it!

53rd Week Out, Week 5 Montecarlo "I made Lemon Bars and Buttermilk Pancakes!"

HEEEY!

ITS ALMOST CHRISTMAS! I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY! BUt I forget it all when I get to writing. So YEA!

But so you all know IM REALLY REALLY EXCITED AND YEA! We had a wonderful christmas conference type thing over here. It was called  Capilla Abierta! Open house! We WRECKED IT! It was so fancy, I taught the APOSTASY to people when they came to my station! I LOVE TEACHING THE APOSTASY! Its so real and they start to think and ask questions. I SOLD IT TO THEM! They're all getting baptized.

AND WE SANG! I had a special part! I sang the bass in The first Noel. I don`t know if that is what it is called in English. It is La Primera Navidad in Spanish. But yea, ACED THAT! And yes.

But yea, THAT. And now I just got Skype. So that will be this sunday. Thats a thing.

OH And I have been hanging out with Elder Noble over here! We came to the MTC together and so yea we have the same day to leave, same number of days on the mish, even the same number of areas (3).... YES! HES COOL! From texas.

I LOVE EVERYTHING! I don`t know what to say other than to shriek about joyful things. But hey I`ll leave you with a testimony

President Svec. My leader. He is a very wise man. I just want to talk about how he shares his testimony.

Its short, simple, and quick. Yet it is POWERFULLY SHARP, and ZEALOUSLY DISPLAYED.

He says like 3 or 4 things. Like This church is true, we have a prophet that receives revelation for the church, Jesus Christ is the head of this church, and the book of mormon is another testament of Him.

And he says it with such VIGOR and SOLEMNITY. That it hits you like a fist. And Penetrates your soul to the core of your own testimony.

I love it. I WANT TO BE THAT WAY! And yea, Love being here. Mission! YEA!

CHRISTMAS! OH and I made more lemon bars. And buttermilk pancakes with buttermilk syrup.............. my life. :)))))))))))))

Impressions of Montecarlo:

The way people do strikes or protests here is SUPER INTERESTING! They leave the city all the way to the route where all the cars are passing by. Then they block the road for like 30 minutes. And a MASSIVE LINE forms with cars. EVEN BUSES full of people. Then they let it go, and as the cars pass by they all see why they were stopped and they have signs and things showing the problems they face. Thats how they voice their cause! SUPER INTELLIGENT!! I like it.

52nd Week Out, Week 4 Montecarlo "GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING! You just have to let him open the doors"

Hey everyone! How is life? How is cold weather? I miss cold. It is a weird thing to say. But being sun burnt currently, because I thought I was impenetrable, just really makes one want to be in the cold! HA! But yea. It is hot here, and that isn`t going to change any time soon!

Alright now! Let`s talk about me! I LOVE MY MISSION! It is so neat to be able to learn Portuguese, and Castellano! Like we even have that weird Chinese language of Guaranì! I know everyone takes personal pride in their own missions, but I just would like to throw that out there a bit :) .

I am working! IT is HARD but I am learning other things completely different that one wouldn't really think about in an area like this! Like not even about the hard work and rejection. Completely new things, that open my mind and have extremely affected my future testimony and the way I pray! I LOVE LEARNING ABOUT WHO GOD IS! All the time I just get deeper, and it never gets worse, only better! It is really interesting.

I believe someone with a sure understanding of who our Father in Heaven is that will take them pretty far in the gospel. More than most doctrines.

My area! YEA!....................

I am so excited to skype this christmas! I will have one call left on my mission after this one. And this is my last christmas too! :) I bought another Journal agenda thing for this year coming up, going to fill that with the next year of awesomeness!

SWEETNESS! Lets finish this email off with a good old fashion testimony. OR maybe I could just share something that has been dawning on me recently in this transfer. So when I was home, and getting prepared to send my papers in for the mission. I always had a fear. Everyone has at least one fear of the mission. I was all in, like regardless of my fears, but to talk about this I think might be advantageous to other young people and maybe some other ways for you parents. But my quirk was that I was afraid the mission was going to take away.. me. Like yea of course I would LOVE to be rich in the testimony one can achieve in the church! YES I want to serve the Lord with all my heart because even being so naive to deep down gospel, I knew from my parents and primary and everything that it is a good thing to serve God. I just thought for a moment. All of the missionaries that came home would come home with SUPER Testimonies, and say a lot of stuff! And I understood like nothing they were saying. Just gospel gibberish to me at the time. Because they spoke in a way that only hits you if you are listening in spirit and heart and mind. I was only mind. Therefore I received none of that sweetness. But I would notice that the way the person was before, was not how they were when they came home. In my primitive knowledge, I thought that was just not good for me.

I mean look at me. For those that don`t know I like to scream and yell. I love crazy and fun things! I am a very extreme person when it comes to being routed up and cheering on! I used to be extreme in attitude also and many other weaknesses that I have realized throughout the mission meditating back on my life.

But the fact of the matter is I thought I wasn`t going to be the super explosive and crazy me again, if I left for the mission. It`s like the feeling of death row! You know you`re going to die, because regardless you are going to do it. It hit me that hard... But

Lets talk about what I have learned.

Satan is always working to stop you. I think I`m just going to be frank on saying that.

And, God not only changes you, but he does it in a way that doesn't take away your personality. It cleanes you from sin. And then amplifies who you are. I feel the spirit even know typing that out.

God, wants to be a part of your life. LET HIM! OH how can I give you my fellows the understanding I have. I don`t know how to say these things.

Just know people, that you are the creation. Not the creator. You must give into His will. You are only attacking yourself! In my example, I was attacking myself almost pulling me from serving a mission or not giving full obedience or something.

We don`t understand. That is a fact. That is why we are here. GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING! You just have to let him open the doors! WAIT! Don`t over think anything. JUst continue, and have confidence NO have FAITH that God will make everything right. And we cannot rely on our own understanding.

That is so confusing, I don`t think anyone will follow me. But I tell you people, I have found myself. I KNOW WHO I AMMMMMMMM

Can I scream that to you!? I Love everything! I love being alive! It is so fun, and there are so many opened doors to me that I see! I feel like the 12 apostles talking to the paganism struck gentiles.... 

I don`t know how to tell you whats in my head, or what I have had revealed to me! But if all else fails (like all of the apostles say when they get to this point I`m at) Love God! Serve Him! Follow Him! Understand his will through His spirit, He gives answers freely!

Ha! I love the Gospel. Have a great week everyone!

Impressions of Montecarlo:

Well apparently the word Humilde (Humble) here means not just being humble and without pride, and submissiveness. It means being Poor, and with starvation, and without a house.... HA! So yea, I think I will have to explain a little more when using the word Humble.. :)

51st Week Out, Montecarlo - Week 3, "366.. 365.. 364.. 363..... 358!!!! What? Stop that."

Who is counting? Not me? what?

TODO BIEN MIS QUERIDos? YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND ME WHEN I SAY THIS> I have less than a year left. Do you know what that means? OHHHHHHHH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS HOLY MOTHER OF ALL THINGS GOOD ON THIS EARTH.

I'm ready. For work. Lets do this.

Basically I would like to accelerate now. Not in the time division, but the amount of work and of myself I would like to give to the Lord. I think Im going to just up all of those levels and see what happens. Because Im running out of time. YOU CANT DO IT ALLIN 2 YEARS! I have noticed that one begins to see the end. And in that moment it is SO EXCITING. So they tend to want to up all levels of power so they can go out with a bang. Or at least thats what THIS race car is going to do.

Anyways, WOW I HAVE BEEN OUT HERE A LONG TIME! What the heck is going on? I remember my first days. Maybe I should just say it: time flies on the mission. YES I know all yall have said that, and everyone here on the mission says it too! But Im just going to add my testimony to that pool of stuff, and say that YES IT DOES GO BY FAST!

Im really really happy. In fact, many of the members here stop me when I am talking to tell me that I have a really exciting feel when I talk. Its like giving candy to a kid already on the sugar-high! I love the mission! I love where I am. Sometimes I feel like I am not doing enough because all of my ability is being wasted on contacting and being rejected.. It really sucks, I cant describe it. Like OH! Example>>

When I was in like the 4th grade I had a teacher named Miss Kneff. She was super young and so I may just blame it on that for the reason she couldn't put up with me. But I was a person back in the day that had NO SHAME! Everything was funny to me, I would try to make everyone laugh. So basically I talked a lot, and was very loud. One day my teacher had us all get up and we were waiting to leave out the door. But we all talked and stuff while waiting. And I was on a roll trying to get my friend to laugh. When I realized no one else had continued talking.

In that moment, everyone was looking at me, and I looked at Miss Kneff in the eyes as she told me to > SHUT UP... You are SO ANNOYING! (now maybe I am just ignorant, and I really needed that because I was being super distracting, and I needed to know what its like on the other side of the people, who I am being obnoxious to)

BUT>

That day forward, my life was different. I actually made a decline in my outgoing attitude. I dislike thinking of that day even now. But I will go back and visit her one day. Im going to give her the biggest smile and hug. Maybe that will do me better.

But yea, some of the back story to Elder Stephen Horton.

Im great now though 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!

Impressions of Montecarlo>

The President of the Branch here, absolutey loves us. He felt like it was a bad decision president Svec made to take out BOTH of the Elders that were here. But He has noticed that we work hard, and he cried in front of us telling us of how much he needed Elders like us to come. Major boost for his batteries!

(we shall see what happens)

50th Week Out, Montecarlo - Week 2, "It's a Hard Area"

Its really hard to work here in Montecarlo! Lets just say, the members `fight with each other` in a way. And we haven't gotten into a single house the entire time I have been here! Well we have gotten into houses, but they are investigators the old Elders left us. We have contacted every day for hours, and we haven't entered into a single house! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I DONT LIKE THAT? I don't like that... It sometimes feels like you aren't doing anything (What all the missionaries say)

My companion Elder Ayala has even cried. The poor kid doesnt feel like he is doing ANYTHING. He is having trouble with his spanish, and he feels really bad.

I told him this> As a missionary, anything that you do, is perfect. It is suppose to happen like it happens. You will never do anything wrong, or do anything that isnt helpful to the work we do. As long as you are keeping all the rules.

I firmly believe, that God chooses us young men specifically to serve in specific areas of his vineyard. I would even testify that anything a missionary does is perfect. God wanted that to happen. He knows exactly what will happen. And that statement stands as long as the missionary is being obedient to the rules, and commandments given to him.

We are set apart from the world. From temptation, from our old life. We are completely sanctified to this work out here. AS LONG AS WE KEEP THE RULES!

Honestly, training is fun! I love to see Elder Ayala trying to contact, but having no idea what he is doing. And he makes it SUPER awkward for each person he contacts! But I believe God wanted that for those people.

There are no imperfections in Gods plans. He knows what you will do, and why you will do it. And if you keep the rules and follow the commandments, what in the world could you be doing wrong?

Maybe being lazy, or inefficient. But those are part of the rules no? So final conclusion would be that obedience is everything.

Jesus Christ was so perfectly obedient. To the point where God would have let him do ANYTHING, even Satan was allowed to directly tempt him. But God put so much trust into that man because he knew that he would obey Him in any moment. Therefore he was chosen to be our Saviour and Redeemer. No one else could have done it.

But YEA! THat was a lot of blah blah. Just what is happening currently.

Like everyone we contact says the same thing> IM CATHOLIC, or I am from a different religion and we dont want to MIX so you see? You cant come into my home and share a message about Jesus Christ because we already know Him. We are practicing memebers of OUR church. So have a great day! Bye!

Then other people say, there is no reason I should listen to you. We are just going to fight (`the spirit of contention is not of me`) Everything is fine here, we are following God. So Im working right now, go find someone who doesnt have Jesus. Bye!

 20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of thechildren of men, and stir them up to anger against thatwhich is good.

 21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away intocarnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea,Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateththeir souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

 22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth themthere is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, forthere is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, untilhe grasps them with his awful chains, from whence thereis no deliverance.

 23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death,and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seizedtherewith must stand before the throne of God, and bejudged according to their works, from whence they mustgo into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire andbrimstone, which is endless torment.

 24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!

 25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

 26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the preceptsof men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of theHoly Ghost!

 27 Yea, wo be unto him