Elder Stephen Horton - Mission Complete: February 2016

WOO! Okay fam! Let`s talk about awesomeness!

So in Argentina, its super hot every, single, day... Not only that its like raining randomly all the time so I have to bring my paragua (Umbrella) like everywhere!

Every taxi and bus we take, is too small for me! Like if I can`t get a seat on the bus I have to like hunch over because I can`t stand up straight! The buses here called Collectivos. And they have two floors! And they`re MASSIVE! We do a lot of traveling because I have tramites (office stuff). They`re trying to make sure I`m legal! Haha! I have like 40 more days or something before I`m technically an illegal alien in their country.

SO! About Paraguay; I actually have to get another visa to enter over the border into Paraguay. The first day I got there, the first thing they grabbed from me was my passport and other documents. I haven`t seen it since that day... Haha! They don`t trust the missionaries to hold onto their passports. Ha!

On my way to some Investigators

Everyday we get up at 07:00, which is really 06:00. The time is really weird here, according to my mission president. So the missionary planning handbook only has untill 21:00 because were suppose to be done at 21:00. We actually get done at 21:30 everyday. But for me and Elder Evans we go past that LOTS OF TIMES! haha! We have to be done by 21:30. Oh and if you haven`t noticed they use 24 hour time here too!

And every morning there is a dog that is out and it tries to kill us... I really don`t like it... I haven`t been bit yet but really I think it will happen sooner or later.

OK EVERYONE Let`s talk about me. How is my testimony, what`s up with me, blah blah. Here we go:

HMM! What should I start with? Food? OK, so the food here is really REALly dry.. I think its because of the weather or something, it helps preserve it. They don`t have a lot of the technology we have in the US so I don`t know really about that. But its so good! I have been trying to make meals now. I have been making mash potatoes and french fries. I also know how to make CHIPA!

Chipa is literally just any kind of bread out here. Like baked, fried, anything! We don`t have a functioning oven right now so I have been frying bread! It`s actually the best! Literally super poor but the best! I`ve been making little pizza things with it, I buy tomato sauce and put that on it, and I`m still looking for a good cheese to put with it. But legitimate chipa is actually really good here. I have had a type of chipa that they sell everywhere, where they put cheese ALL INSIDE IT! It`s still warm too! So the cheese is all nice and it tastes so good, even though its really just dry bread with cheese in it.

HAHA! <oOKAYY! What is my favorite food as of right now? Sopa Paraguaya.

I don`t know what it is. It tastes like 10% corn bread, 50% egg and cheese, and then the rest is like bread-ish. I really don`t know what it is, someone can probably find it on Google. It`s really simple though. BUT IT'S SO GOOD! (I also don`t think it has eggs in it, but it tastes like that sort of. Ha!)

Um, where am I emailing right now? I am in a place called a Cyber. People don`t have ANY sort of technology in their homes. Like only the really rich people. But even still they only have like a TV. No one has a computer. So when we hand people pass-along cards I really don`t think anyone is going to use the web page on it. Haha! Actually everyone has like a smart phone so I don`t know.

WOO! I just, love it. I absolutely love this mission thingy. Now don`t get me wrong, I don`t just walk out the door with a big smile on my face from the morning until night.

I get to go out everyday and wear "JESUS CRISTO" Right on my chest. When I walk along the way, I`m walking in Christ`s vineyard. Oh my goodness! Do you even understand me right now!? Haha!!! I am doing the work that he has called his servants for.

My First Baptism the Gonzalez Family...!

What would you do if the Lord came up to you and said. Thou faithful servant, I have called thee to labor in my vineyard. This will be the last time that I shall cause that my vineyard should be labored in.

Will you help me and bring in my lost sheep? Um. YES?!

I can`t really explain it. I need you all to see my face, and the then maybe you can see how I feel about every day of my life right now. I love the Lord so much, and I want to give him my all. Because he gave me his all.

Thank you all for being awesome and reading my emails! Till next week! I`ll try to send more pictures every week! I sent more this week so look on my Blog to see them! Bye!

Impressions of Jardìn Amèrica:

The phrase "Hacer Percha" is probably the best phrase I have ever heard of! It`s basically saying to just DESTROY! Or to WIN AT EVERYTHING! (the literally translation does not mean that, it means "to make/to do hanger" HAHA)

Preparing for the baptism of the Gonzalez family! That is literally the font....!

Nahuel Gonzalez!

Nahuel! I don´t know the little girl´s name

Tomas!

Elder Evans! With Nahuel and Tomas

Miguel and Tomas!

Serious reflecting going on here...with an Argentinian Hat

The Family we just baptized has a bird...Elder Evans has the right perch of a shoulder...

A Mural Around Town

Walking around Jardin America

Look a Shell Station...

Look at these Gas Prices!

The most common thing in all over Argentina is to drink MATE. It´s basically like grass or something all mashed up and put in a special Mate cup, then they just put water in it and drink it.

Moving towards the neighborhood part of Jardín América

Super Nice House Way Out Here!

Guaraná! This soda is actually based in Argentina

Love the Sky

Awesome Sunsets too!

Hey vosotros! (You)

So nothing really exciting this past week. However this next week I`ll be traveling back and forth to Posadas and other places because my companion has to do a training session because he is now a District Leader. I have to go somewhere else on divisions because of that. Woo Hoo!

Also, I`m going to have the opportunity to listen to Elder Bednar this Miercoles! (Wednesday)

Honestly I`m stoked. I have been reading some of his past talks.

I`m trying to think of something funny that happened to me haha! There's so many small things but not really anything super chistoso. (funny)

But really I have been having the time of my life out here. Not because its fun, but because of the learning I have received every single second of everyday. I can bear my testimony to you all but I`m sure you all know how great it is to be a member of this church.

If there is anything I could challenge you guys to do, it would be to read the Book of Mormon. And not just read it, read it every day, read it even after you finish it. Read it when you have already read it twice! And then continue to read even after you finish a session of reading. Even the Doctrine and Covenants and the The Pearl of Great Price!

I CANNOT DESCRIBE IT TO YOU THROUGH WORDS, mainly because it is already written down for you, and you just have to read it.

So many people are confused and don`t know why they feel sad or angry sometimes or why their life is so hard.

This is how bad the mud is here (elder Evans)

I`m going to make a promise to each and everyone of you that reads my email, and I have the authority given to me to make this promise: "If you read in the Book of Mormon every single day. And really seek to have the spirit with you while you read it. Le prometo que las respuestas usted està buscando, van a estar en las paginas de las escrituras." (I promise you the answers you are looking for, they will be in the pages of Scripture.)

When I asked Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon was true, I didn't receive an answer until I opened the scriptures, I got the answer... it came from D&C 62 (especially verse 3)

CHOW UNTIL NEXT TIME!

Elder Horton