11th Week Out, Jardin America Week 5, "Cooking Argentinian with an American Twist!"

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!

10th Week Out, Jardin America Week 4 "Learning the missionary schedule in Jardin America"

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

The moon is already out!

The big tree again, sick angle!

Posadas, looking out towards Paraguay

They have Virgin Mary´s in every part of my mission

Marriage of my first Baptism family! The Gonzalez family! Migel and Vannesa got married.

Elder Evans got Peanut Butter From his parents! His face again! Haha! 

Me and Elder Evans ate a whole bucket of ice cream!

I have no Idea what these things were but I took a cool picture with them!

Outside the Zone Leader´s pension in Garupa!

Garupa

Garupa

Bus Station in Garupa

Píco Dulce! A sucker I received from one of our investigators!

The moon was so bright

Paraguay! From Posadas view!

Paraguay! 

Posing

Posing Again!

Super pancho!

Posing

Coolness!

scenery of Jardin

I´m holding about 200 dollars in pesos!! For our rent!

Me...counting the rent money

Paintings in Jardin

Study the Scriptures...Coolness

Proselyting 

Playing around with my camera effects outside of the pension of the Zone Leaders in Garupa!

Flowers of Jardin

Sunset in Jardin

9th Week Out, Jardin America Week 3 "Visiting the Jesuit Ruins...San Ignacio Mini"

HOLA todos!

What the heck...the rain here doesn't stop. NUMERO SIETE!  I do have pictures! Hopefully you guys get to see them! I didn't get to send a lot but HEY! It`s something! I can`t wait for you guys to see the stuff here in Argentina! It`s crazy.

Until then! I have had a pretty straight forward week. I`m slowly learning the language. I really have so many things I want to say to people but It hurts me on the inside because >I DON`T KNOW HOW TO SAY IT! So I just kinda sit there and let my companion lead the whole thing and he let`s me talk sometimes.

HA! But yea, I will say I want to say, I WILL! Or so help me I will say it in English and have my companion translate it for me. I can actually speak pretty decently though, so we will see what happens later on.

One of our investigator families has 5 people. And 4 of them are getting baptized this next Saturday! One of them named Thomas has 12 fingers and 12 toes. It`s legit, like they are pretty much fully formed just not that functional. He`s capo.

Oh, and the baptizing rate here is like really really low. Not like my Brother who like get`s a baptism like every week! It`s ok though, our zone goal is 10. Me and my companion are about to fulfill almost half of our entire zone`s goal. So yea, legitness.

So! Contacting is really hard, you literally go house to house and find people to teach. I didn't think it was that bad until we met someone who was super like legit Catholic. He didn't know we were Mormons at first but as soon as he found out... well let`s just say some PG13 stuff went down right then and there. And he wanted nothing to do with us. 

So that was scary. But HEY! We found a super nice lady who let us in after that and we set up another appointment with her! Her name is Cristina.

OK! SO SUPER FUNNIEST THING EVER. Ready?

We went to visit an investigator that actually hid from us the previous time we tried to talk to her. She told us that she didn't have time for us last time but, (why hide? Are we scary?) So we had the lesson with her and then all of the sudden in the middle of the lesson. THE LADY STARTS BREAST FEEDING HER CHILD! No cover, no nothing. Just BOOM! And Yea.   "Awkward."

BUT NOT ONLY THAT! We finished the lesson and then as I walked out her gate, A SPIDER WEB COVERED MY HAIR LIKE A HAIR NET.

If anyone of you really know who I am, I hate bugs... Can you see where this is going?

I kept my cool for like 30 seconds, trying to get away from the public as much as I could and from that lady`s house. BUT! I couldn't handle it anymore... I hand my stuff over to my companion and he`s like what are you doing?

I get down and START FLIPPING OUT! Rubbed my head into the grass! And after that I get up and look behind my companion! And the investigator was looking right... at.. me.. the whole time................

Ahhh...yea spiders are big here!!

AHAH! Yea.

My life.

THANK YOU EVERYONE! Looking forward to this week! Miss all of you, say hi to me! bye!

Impressions of Jardìn Amèrica: 

• All of the children we pass by ask us to come and talk with their family. Oh my goodness! Like these kids are literally playing with angels or something all day.

We visited San Ignacio Miní one of the many missions founded in 1632 by the Jesuits in what the Spanish called the Province of Paraguay in the Americas during the Spanish colonial period.

The Roads of Jardin America, Argentina 02-15-2016

8th Week Out, Jardin America Week 2, HELLO PEOPLE OF NORTH AMERICA!

Where do I start? So basically I live in a two room apartment. The landlord´s dog wants to eat me. There is no such thing as "Pressurized water" here. Like everything is using gravity to run through everything. There is also no heating devices as well. We do have an air conditioning unit. THANK THE MAN UPSTAIRS FOR THAT!

It´s like humid and hot every second of the day. EVEN WHEN IT RAINS. And let me tell you, when it rains its not like a " Oh yea we´re going to just pour a little on Argentina today." 

ITS MORE LIKE: " LET´S OPEN THE GATES OF HEAVEN TODAY!" 

Honesty.. It´s like, just chill out sky! Tranquilo! (chill out) 

SO! I need to clarify something to everyone, I actually don´t speak Español out here. I am speaking 

CASTELLANO! It´s just like Spanish, only they have a bunch of words here that don´t exist in the Spanish language or they just don´t exist period. And everything that I was taught in the MTC was like thrown out the door. I´m exagerating but still... come on..

Everything here seems really expensive because of the inflation in Argentina, but really their money is like really just not good. 1$ in American money should be about 13 pesos here. I have been having almuerzo (lunch) with a lot of members. Nothing weird yet. It´s been different types of pasta really, and meat.

My companion is Elder Evans, he has about 6 months into his mission, he is 18 and his family lives in Arizona. He wants to be a heart surgeon ultimately. <WOAH! 

The dirt here is red. Maybe you´ll all see it in pictures that I send! I don´t know if I´ll attach them to this email, or send them to my Dad. I can only send 1 picture in an email at a time. So JUST LOOK ok! I´m so excited for you guys to see my fotos! (photos)

I HOPE YOU ALL GET TO SEE MY PICTURES THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING MY EMAILS! I may have skipped some cool things to share, I don´t remember everything. SO many things happened to me. I´ll try to talk about them If I remember. I´ll bring my journal next time. 

Love you all!  Thanks for being cool!

Elder Evans showing Elder Horton his 

pension in Jardín América! (First Area)

Their Bathroom - all the comforts of home!

This is the shower head... There is no hot water..
It uses electricity to give the water heat...
Super Dangerous! Ha! and the water is like
SCALDING hot so I can´t even use the electric part.

The Study Area and Kitchen
(Gotta love that clothes line too!)

7th Week Out, Week 1, Jardin America "My First Area, Jardin America" (northwest of Posadas along the Panara River, on the Argentina side of the mission)

My first P-Day in the Mission
field! Thursday morning I got my nombre companion Elder Evans who will be my trainer! I think my first area will be one for the memory books as our apartment, well it's pretty humbling! I have to hand wash my clothes. YOU DONT REALIZE HOW BLESSED YOU ARE TO HAVE A WASHING MACHINE! Seriously! There are random dogs everywhere and most people in this area has a very small house barely the size of 1 bedroom in a decent house in America.

Before we split up to our areas! Last moments 

with my companion from the MTC, 

Elder Bezzant.  Also last group picture with 
my MTC residence Elders.

I´m taller than EVERYTHING! I HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO SAY BUT I HAVE LIKE ZERO TIME! I´m so excited to be here! I know that the Lord is going to help me do his work so I´m not scared or anything! Maybe a little homesick cause OH MY GOSH THE FOOD! I HAVE NO FOOD HERE.... They like only eat lunch! They have like a super de duper big lunch and then don´t eat dinner! Let alone they may have breakfast. I went to the store today and bought like 50$ in food. (american money, so it was a lot..)

Thank you so much for reading my emails everyone! I love being out in the field. I hope all y'all want to serve missions that are getting ready to go! HOLY GOODNESS! I just...IN A NEW PLACE! It is different. Let me tell you. If you have questions please ask, everything here I share about.

One problem, I can´t send pictures yet. We go to  "Cyber" and use their computers which have viruses on them. I don´t want to plug my pictures into this virus stricken box. It will eat my photos. Therefore I am going to wait till I have the oportunity to use a safe computer. 

I LOVE EVERYONE! Especialmente you guys! Thanks for being cooler than the people who don´t read my emails! I WILL CONTINUE MY JOURNEY! Talk to ya all next Monday!

Impressions of El Jardín America:
There are no traffic laws... Well there are but no one follows them.. Or enforces them.. And the pedestrian DOES NOT have the right away. SO YA! 150 kilometers an hour and yeah! 
Everything here also looks really expensive but it really isn't. The inflation with Pesos is really bad here so like milk says 26$!!! Think about that for the United States. HAHA! Loco!

Bye everyone! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! Till next Monday

-Elder Horton