Traveling in Posados to the Mission Home!

Little dock on the water, in Posadas, I went contacting(proselyting) with
one of the Elders right after we got our stuff set down
in the Stake building.

Like I said, the water is brown, even in Posadas.

Giant metal guy! Woo! Posadas still.

These were the elders in my residence at the MTC, Elder Bezzant first from
the left, then Elder Noble, Me, then Elder Scott.

Some Argentina! Posadas still.

Argentine building in Posadas.

Restaurant WAWA. Don´t know what it is. Posadas still.

Outside in the morning! Mission home!

President LaPierre has a Physics degree or something,
Basically he´s really really smart. I´ve met him, he´s super legit.

At the mission home! Super awesome!

Cool picture of Jerusalem I saw in the Mission Home.

Week 6, Leaving the MTC and the 48 hour Arrival to the Mission Field

Ok. Where THE HECK, do I start? So I go and get on a bus at the Centro de Capacitación para Misioneros.(español for MTC) Then I get to a train station that took me to Salt Lake City. Then we got on a Tram thingy that took us to the Airport. Then I went through security and stuff and sat down at my terminal. 

Elder Scott and I and the 14 hour wait at the SLC Airport...it's only just begun!

It had been like 4 hours since we left the CCM. We had to wait like another 3 hours for our plane to get to the airport and stuff. Little did we know, that plane was not going to be ours! It had a problem so we had our plane downsized and delayed by an hour. 30 people lost their seats. 

There was also another problem... Since we were being delayed another hour, when we would not get to Atlanta, GA before our plane to Buenos Aires, Argentina would have left! Therefore, we called the Front desk of the travel department at the CCM.

The front desk was like OH SHOOT! COME BACK TO THE MTC! And we were like.... UGH... NO!!!!! But they were like, yeah. Come back. Therefore my companion took it upon himself to talk to the people at the ticket desk in the airport and he tried to get us on other planes... I don´t think he was suppose to do that but I was like whatever at this point. Eventually we called the travel office again and we worked something out.

I got volunteered to stay behind with a group of another 11 missionaries. While the other group was going to get on another plane to Atlanta. They left and we stayed there in Salt Lake. Our next plane was going to be there at 1am in the morning... Therefore I spent 14 hours in that airport! Let me be the first to say....escalators are the funnest thing on this planet. (the ones that are flat and just move you forwards)

PHONE CALL

Elder Horton was able to talk on the phone with us for over an hour.  Here are a few interesting things we learned:

• They were happy to eat at Cafe Rio one last time at the airport
• He is visiting with several people already in the airport and sharing pass-along cards and do some contacting discussions, but it was hard because they had so much carry on baggage
• Elder Scott from Utah is his companion right now while they travel (see photo above)
• There is a sister traveling with their group who was on the native track, so she didn't study with them, but she is going to serve in Posadas with them
• He was able to be on the phone while Zack Kohlieber announced his mission call to "Trinidad Port of Spain" an island off the top of South America
• He is embracing his mission call and that of being a missionary and loves it!

OK! So I finally get to Atlanta, and its like awesome! I loved it, it was super neat to check out the airport there. It´s really large and has much nicer chairs and lounges to sit in. We got there at 6am in the morning mind you! We got a hotel really close to the airport and then we stayed there like all day and slept and took showers. We still had our same suits on though because our bags were sent with the other group of people...

I´m actually running out of time for this email. If you actually read this far too.. You are a capo. a (stud) I have to speed up this email! Sorry!

(IN ARGENTINA!)

Hi Everyone!

This keyboard is a Spanish only keyboard, I can barely figure out the symbols to type and use shift So I'm not going to punctuate this. Hey! I'm here in Buenos Aries, Argentina! I cant wait to talk to you guys! I'm alright and I have all my bags. I have some cool pictures too! I don't know much yet I just got here so, ill let you know on my P-Day what is what! 

So we eventually got to Buenos Aires, Argentina and then take a commuter plane up to Posadas. We had to stay in our suits for 3 days.............. I smelled like something not of this world. I CANT EVEN TELL ANYONE HOW IT IS TO BE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY AND EVERYTHING IS LIKE WAHH! MCDONALDS BIG MACS ARE LIKE 33$ (pesos...= 3$) 

Love you all!

Elder Horton

Driving to our next airport! We are in Bueno Aires.

Picture of some terminals, I don´t really know what it´s for but it was
neat. Still on our way to the next airport in Buenos Aires.

33$ BIG MAC....  33 pesos haha! thats about 3 dollars.

I really don´t know how I got this picture but it´s amazing just look at it.

This is like a toll road thing, I don´t really know exactly but it had huge
prices, but I think it´s a lot smaller in American Dollars.

Weird house art.

Picture of some Buenos Aires City Scape.

I SERIOUSLY GOT A PICTURE OF THE BUENOS AIRES TEMPLE,
we passed by it on the way to our next airport.

In Buenos Aries commuter airport waiting
for our next destination: Posadas Argentina.

On our way out of Buenos Aires.

Just landed in Posadas! Here´s our plane.

Just outside the Posadas Airport, that´s literally
the whole airport right there.

President LaPierre and his wife and his asistant missionaries
came to greet us, they were super excited!

Elder Stephen Horton

Argentina Posadas Mission

Week 5, The most Senior Missionaries in the MTC

Ok so. HI.

I'M GOING TO ARGENTINA BOYS AND GIRLS! (Brothers and Sisters...Sorry.)  THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHATS COMING FOR THEM!

I can't even start to say how many times I've basically screamed because of how excited I am to go to a foreign place for like a portion of my entire life.

I do feel like I can say enough in Spanish to teach people! BUT LIKE THEY'RE FROM ARGENTINA AND STUFF!? So I'm a little overwhelmed but my faith is 200x stronger than my fear. So what the heck!? Let's DO THIS THING!

I keep starting with "I."

HELLO! Thank you all so much for your letters and prayers. THEY'RE WORKING! LET ME BE THE FIRST TO LET YOU KNOW! Haha!

So ONE very super decently overly awesome thing that happened this week was...

I gave a blessing to one of the elders in my district ELDER MEEK. He has been sleeping really bad and he felt like it was making him irritated all day and he feels like its just getting worse and he can't function. So I didn't know that I was giving the blessing at first. We went to this other room where it was quiet. Then Elder Cassel his companion was like ok, who would you like to give the blessing of comfort?

Then immediately after that I thought, "Oh my goodness!? What if he picks me? I mean like I would love to! I really want to help this elder, and I know that he has a deep desire to serve. I know that this is a real thing. If he picks me I can do it!"

I have been trying to follow the spirit a LOT! Because they tell you over and over, "The spirit is the teacher." WELL thats the truth. 

He picked me finally. Ha! And then I gave him the blessing. I know that those words were of the spirit. I told him that he would be able to get through this sleeping pattern according to his obedience! WOW! YA KNOW!?

I feel like an adult, but not really. Anyways! I'M GOING TO ARGENTINA! AAAHH!

Thank you so much all you lovelies! The next time I email I'll be in Argentina. 

Impressions in the CCM (Centro por Capacitación de los Missioneros) (MTC)

• When your district gets selected for hosting new missionaries, its really easy to freak them out. I grabbed a missionary and looked him in the eyes and said " RUN, FOR, YOUR, LIFE! They're going to take you away and you're never coming back!" And then you look around like you're being watched and then run away! HAHA!
• I LOST MY CAMERA!   No one turned it in...thanks to Dad and Amazon Online to save me with another one before I left!

Elder Stephen Horton

Argentina Posadas Mission

Elder's Horton and Bezzant enjoying the snow.

Sisters trying their best to make snow Angels.

                                          SELFIE SUNDAY AT THE PROVO TEMPLE...

Elder's Scott and Bezzant

Elder Horton and Elder Scott

Elder Scott and guessing this is Elder Horton's Branch President

Week 4, MTC

So. You get to the MTC and they're like here come with me! Alright! Here's your name tag, a room key, some papers, an envelope, and some other stuff! How are you doing!? Oh you're going Spanish speaking? HERE HAVE SOME MORE STUFF! Oh yea! And here are your books, and more books and here's your room! You'll meet your companion in a few! BYE! 

Now I am on week 5. I have one more week here at the MTC and then I'm off to Argentina. I leave January 25 at 8:30 am. I stop in Georgia and then get on another big fat international plane to Buenos Aires. I'll be there the next day at 9:25 am or something like that in the morning! THEN! I get on a bus and take a super de duper long drive all the way up to my mission in Posadas! 

Ok,

I'M GOING TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY FOR 700+ DAYS IN JUST A FEW WEEKS! I'M FREAKING OUT! I AM SO EXCITED I CAN'T WRITE THE LOUDNESS I HAVE MADE THROUGH THIS EMAIL! So caps lock will suffice for now. Anyways, I LOVE THIS! I saw Elder Pinkston here! He's going to be here for a little while.

I feel the presence of God's hand in my life Every, Single, Day. Man... If only I could share this feeling with other people... OH WAIT! 9 DAYS!

Thank you all so much for emailing me! I love hearing from vosotros! (I can't use vosotros when I'm talking to people in Argentina) 

Love you guys! I have one more email session before I leave so EVERYONE GET EXCITED FOR ME AND EMAIL ME STUFF! Haha!

P.S. I losed my camera. Lo siento para no picturas....... Yo tendré uno más..

P.S.S. I LOVE THE FOOD HERE if anyone wanted to know. INFINITE CHOCOLATE MILK!

--

Elder Stephen Horton

Argentina Posadas Mission

Back Row (L to R): Elders Horton and Bezzant. 2nd Row: Elder ?, Elder Meek? Elder Cassel?. 3rd Row: Elder ?, Elder ?, Elder Scott, Elder Noble. Front Row. Sister Shickedanz, Sister Foutz, Sister Sanchez, Sister Kingsford.

Elder Horton's MTC district includes all the people that shared a Spanish classroom 12 hours a day for six weeks.  His full MTC district included four elders bound for Posadas, Argentina.  The other elders and sisters were either going to other missions in Argentina or stateside Spanish-speaking missions.

Special News... Elder Horton is made District Leader in the MTC

Week 2, Christmas in the MTC

SO WHAT IS THIS? I've been here like a week and a half?? I'm already going to be a host for new missionaries coming into the MTC!? They're going to come here and I'm going to grab the first missionary that I get and look at him in the eyes and tell him, "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!" HAHA! That would be great, but I think I'll get in trouble or something..

    

So, let's talk about Christmas in the MTC. YOU SHOULD ALL BE REALLY JEALOUS OF ME! Just kidding, but what is really cool is we get to sit down in the gym with a legitimate Apostle! I was like 100 ft from Elder Bednar! They passed out 150 phones and we all got to text in questions to Elder Bednar and have him answer to us. It was so FUN! I didn't get mine answered so I guess I can ask you guys!? I was just kind of thinking and I wanted to know "Did God live a mortal life just like us?" I felt like Elder Bednar would have a really cool answer to that. But I guess I'll have to find out for myself! came and did a Q&A session with our MTC, and 2 others in Ghana and Chile. He talked about Agents, which means that we chose to be agents of change in our own lives. He explained that objects, like pens, wait for someone else to change their circumstances, while agents do what they can to make the change themselves. Nephi prayed not for an angel to punish his brothers, but for the strength to break the bands which bound him. It was an inspiring devotional.

Following his devotional we had a special Christmas meal, a reading of "A Christmas Carol" and a special performance by David Archuleta and company. He did fantastic and his reasons for going on a mission were really cool to hear. After his performance we watched "Ephraim's Rescue" which is an amazing Pioneer movie for anyone who hasn't seen it. The whole MTC was either laughing or crying the whole way through. Overall Christmas turned out to be a great day for the missionaries.

    

ITS SNOWS LIKE ITS NOBODY'S BUSINESS OUT HERE! Guys, I used to live with you all in a hot place. This is like a different planet over here. IT LIKE RAINS FROZEN WATER! I love it so much. It was the strongest on Christmas too! There was no wind but it was like taking a shower in snow. I have a lot of pictures already! But I can't send them until I'm in Argentina because then I'll have to buy a SD card reader if I want to do it from these computers. 

P-DAY is the best day ever. That can be a good thing and a bad thing I guess. I love playing volleyball though! Before every session in the gym we have a prayer. No one starts playing until the prayer is said. I really liked that. There aren't any really good players here right now. Or at least in the hour that I'm allowed to go to the gym.

ONCE Again I love you guys. I feel the hand of God in my life. I know what I must do. I know my purpose and I will serve with all my might, mind, and strength! For I know that the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them. (Totally just said that from the top of my head. Someone check me.)

LOVE, Elder Horton!

P.S. The greatest Pelicula of my life currently is "Character of Christ" by Elder Bednar. Watch it. Or be square? HAH! bye. ;)

Elder Stephen Horton

Argentina Posadas Mission

Elder Horton Videoed his slide, and fell so hard at the end of it.

Non-Utahns (ME)... We have never seen ice/snow like this before.

Night snow at the MTC

This is Branch 35, Districts E and F.  Elders Left to Right: Hyde, Springer, Horton, Noble, Meek, Cassel, Curtis (bottom), Slack, Scott, Jesson (bottom) Perkins, Bezzant, and Orton. Sisters Left to Right: Hermana Pratt, Blake, Schickedanz, Foutz, Sanchez, and Kingsford.  Our Branch President said we were some of the most memorable Districts he has had in a long time...we tend to think we were too!

Week 3, New Years in the MTC

HELLO EVERYBODY! So I'm finally sending pictures! I don't even know what week I'm on here at the MTC but everything is pretty awesome still! 

I have had a really neat experience though with our TRC investigator. Her name is Hely! She is from Guatemala and is living in Provo now. The previous lesson we taught her the Word of Wisdom. My companion Elder Bezzant was going to have his birthday on our next lesson date! She was super excited! When we got there she had a video on her laptop with fireworks and a gift ready for Elder Bezzant!!! What a nice lady! She got him a glass box thing that had Joseph Smith during the First Vision placed in the middle of it. She proceeded to tell us about her family and then onto her being old and having back pain and leg pain. Before we could start talking however she told us that one of her grand children was in the hospital. Her grandchild is 3 years old and he has a problem in his head that is causing him pain. The Doctor they took him to said that it had to do with one of his teeth and they had to remove one of his teeth. Yet the poor 3 year old is still struggling. Immediately after she started to cry... I felt the spirit so strongly... I told her after a few moments of silence that me and my companion would pray for her little boy. She cried out loud after that! The spirit literally was in every square inch of that room. She was so grateful just for our mere willingness to pray for her grandchild.

Being a missionary I do feel the spirit more often. I know that some people may look up at us like we are angels or that we are closer to God and that maybe our prayers are heard more specifically. But I would just like to say to everyone that God listens to all of us. We are his very children. He has sent us here to learn. He knows all the answers, and he is ready to give it all to you. You must merely be willing to try, and willing to believe that he will listen to you. It's my testimony that prayer is the most comforting thing on this planet. 

I LOVE YOU GUYS! THANK YOU FOR BEING AWESOME AND EVERYTHING!

Elder Stephen Horton

Argentina Posadas Mission

This is me and my companion Elder Bezzant, 

These are my zone leaders! Elder Grimes on the left, and Elder Jenson on the right! Then Elder Scott Photo Bombing!

This is my whole District and District F!

It's cold here!  Christmas day!  I'm holding a treat from home!

This is Hermana Pratt! She's super fun! She's trying to touch the bar but the snow is so thick!

 My District in order: Elder Horton, Elder Bezzant, Elder Scott, Elder Noble, Elder Cassel, and Elder Meek!  

My companero!!