Mocoto...cow hand!

Family

Once again mom, I like that you're easy going. I was reading about when you guys walked in the rain and I thought 'man, there are some woman that wouldn't have done that so I'm happy that you're not one of those people. I'm gonna look for a wife that's easy going like you.

I laughed a lot with the picture of dad hiding behind the bush and your invite to find dad haha I found it very funny that he was just standing there not even really trying to hide but still "hidden"

I'm happy to see that you guys had a good week and got to relax a bit and have a good time. I enjoyed reading your letter

They had elections here. President Dilma (a woman) will continue as president. She's similar to Barack Obama in a lot of ways.

This last week we ate mocotó which is cow hand!....Elder Bolognini said he had a "weak stomach" and couldn't eat things with a lot of fat. Meanwhile Elder Gilliat, Elder Elias (The other Brazilian) and I struggled to eat one or 2 pieces of cow hand....but you can't tell the sister that you don't like her food you just gotta eat it and smile and thank her for the food.

How was your week?

We've started working with one of the young woman in our branch. We were at her house eating lunch and then there came 2 of her friends and we started to talk with them and she gave the 2 of them books of mormon and we started to teach a bit. Since that first day, 1 more young man has become involved. Of the 3, 2 of them are "atheist" and the other one is normal evangelical. Richard, one of the atheists, went to church yesterday and we invited him to pray to know if God exists and so he had been doing that and at church he said that when he prayed that he felt a calm feeling, an interior peace. So I believe that he is starting to believe now and we're trying to help him to be baptized here in 2 weeks. The awesome thing is that every time we meet them we're with Natali (the young woman from the branch) so she's helping out a lot and being a great friend.

Other than that, the week was good, we got some good things done. The Integration night was cool this week, we folded a piece of paper a couple times and then tore it in one direction and only time and what was left was a cross and the word "love" which was pretty cool.

Elder Bolognini and I are getting along well. He's teaching me a lot about how to be a better missionary. He's very excited and he helps people feel special and he also has a good amount of knowledge about other religions and he knows how to make people have doubts and then take away those doubts with the gospel. That's what I'm trying to learn with him. And I believe he's being a bit more obedient with me than he would be if he was other people. Bit by bit he's getting better.

If you could change one thing about your mission (or the mission), what would it be?

Change one thing? I would choose to go back in time and start from the beginning with the knowledge and experience that I have now because in the beginning I wasn't the best I could be (not because I chose not to be but just because I didn't know)

How have your priorities changed (if they have…) since being on a mission?

Man there are a lot of things that have changed since I've been on the mission but to name them is difficult...My priorities have shifted more to the welfare of others than my own. I worry more about other people. What I want in my future wife has also changed. 

Is the weather still getting hot??  I’m surprised that it’s so hot already – you mentioned something about that in an earlier email.

Yeah it got pretty dang hot but it's cooled off a bit now. Yesterday it rained even! They say it needs to rain for 2 or 3 years to replenish the dam rain deposits

Well I think that's about it. I'm happy to hear about your week and the cruise and the church. Continue to help others and think more about what Christ would do, you guys are good example to me and I'm sure you are to others as well :)

Lots of love

Elder Horton

"Edler" and "Other Elder"

10-20-14

Family

I looked at the map, Cozumel doesn't even seem like it's half way to me haha

I'm happy you guys are not leaving beneath your privileges on the cruise ship like that one man that President Uchtdorf described that just stayed in his cabin the whole trip eating beans haha that would suck.

I forgot to tell you but that last week, I made cookies! I still have batter that's uncooked that I need to cook up...I didn't cook it all because the first 2 batches I did, got burned on bottom and so I was sad and didn't want to burn all of them but now I know what I did wrong. The first batch, I forgot to put butter on the pan (they don't have nonstick spray here :(  ) And the first and second batch, I set the oven for 250 degrees thinking "well mom's instructions say 375 and 250 is the maximum so that'll have to do I guess" Buttt I forgot that it was celsius! So it was really like 500 degrees farenheit.

There's a little boy that has like 2 years that he calls me "Elder" And the other elders "Other Elder" That's kind of funny and cute isn't it?

Elder Gilliat and Elder Elias had an idea about how to work with the branch and were implementing it yesterday at church and it was funny because one of the brothers said "Wow that Elder Horton sure is smart!" Giving me the credit for the idea and Elder Gilliat was like "Wait, what??" haha

How was your week?

The week was good, there was an emergency transfer! Surprise! I stayed in Pinda and Elder Bolognini (don't pronounce the "g") came here. Elder Rivera went to another area. he was sad to leave and a bit angry in the beginning (Which is actually kind of funny because when he stayed, he was angry that he stayed and when he left, he was angry) He actually cried too when he left. But he's a good elder. We liked our time together and we were good friends in the end. We traded ties and he gave me La Biblia y el Libro de Mormón so that was cool.

Elder Bolognini has more time on the mission than me, only 4 more months until he goes home. He was district leader before the emergency transfer but now he's with me as junior. He's a really good missionary, he teaches very well and he has a lot of knowledge of the scriptures and of other religions. When he works, he works very well, but his problem is that he doesn't always work but the good thing is that he does what I tell him too and so he hasn't not worked with me. He doesn't obey all the rules either but that's why President put him with me in my district so that we could help him. I'm not like forcing him to be obedient, for now, I'm just being cool about it and we have a really good relationship and companionship because of it even though we've only got a week together. Later, I'll try and encourage him to be more obedient and to do some other things but I'll never fight with him because discord is of the Devil 3 Nephi 11:29

We played hide and seek yesterday at night which was pretty fun. We put blankets up in all the windows and it was almost pitch black.

Who are you teaching?

Nicholas, a young man of 17 years who's gone to church like 5 times who had a lot of friendship with Elder Rivera who could be baptized any day, he just needs an answer.

Carlinho, Geralda, and João Vitor they're kind of progressing but have been to church a couple of times

We've been meeting a lot of less active members as well and trying to get them to come back to church and try teach and baptize their unbaptized family members.

How is your district doing?

The district is doing well. We have some good people that have some real potential that we're preparing to be baptized

What do you look forward to each day?

I always love studying and teaching investigators

What do you look forward to each week?

Sunday and church and seeing my investigators at church

Have you had anything different/interesting to eat lately?

Cow stomach! It's not half bad actually, the first plate is kind of good but the second plate is a bit more gross and forced.

How much do you think you walk each day in this area?

Depending on the day, about 90 minutes or so. Sometimes only 60 sometimes up to 120. We're trying to walk less and be in houses more because of the heat...its been in the hundreds here recently.

Have you learned any hymns on your guitar?

I still haven't had the time on the internet to find something to help me learn but I found a cool guy who plays some cool music who teaches how to do it as well but I haven't had time to watch the lesson yet.

Yep well that's about it. I'm happy and my testimony about obedience really has grown a lot in the last days. I really know that obedience to the laws of God isn't just a suggestion or a good idea, but it's really something that will help us and protect us in that moment and in the future. And with every act of obedience, there is a blessing connected to that act of obedience which is gained or lost according to our obedience.

The organization of the church of Jesus Christ really is perfect

Elder Horton

First the faith, then the test, and then the testimony

Hey family,

Man...I got caught up in time today, I was doing stuff and the time just went away.

We had 3 investigators at church. Elder Gilliat and Elder Elias left to find more people to come to church and they came back "empty handed" But later, one of the people that they had talked with came back to the church saying that they were interested and wanted to know when the meetings were! They're really cool

We've started to read the Book of Mormon as a mission which is cool because I know that the other Elders are reading the exact same thing that I am and so we can share experiences and what we learned and what not.

Me and my companion are doing a lot better. Recently I've been learning more Spanish with him and so that's been a good reason for us to laugh and to talk together.

The Branch of Pindamonhongaba is growing and maybe by the New Year, it will be a ward!

What have you learned about people or about yourself as you have seen people have something wonderful like the gospel in their grasp, but they let it slip away?

That's one of the saddest things that a missionary has to deal with because we love the people so much and we know how much joy and happiness this message will bring them so it's really saddening when they don't accept the message or the church.

I learned something about prayer this past week. It's something that actually happened to me when I was little but that I didn't recognize the doctrine contained until now. I was praying once when I was like 10 or so and I was curious of God really was hearing my prayer and so I asked "Can you hear me?" And I didn't feel anything and I asked myself, "Is it really true, does he really hear prayers? What do I think?" And I answered myself "Well....I believe he does." It was only after I decided for myself that He really does hear our prayers that I felt something different in me. Something really special, a confirmation by the Holy Ghost. I believe that my first testimony was about prayer and from that, I gained a testimony about many other things by the same principle which is written in Ether 12:6. First is the faith, then the test, and then the testimony.

Gain and strengthen your own testimonies!

Elder Horton

Get to know someone new this week

Family!

Hey mom guess what, the wife of the branch president said to me yesterday that you prepared me well for my mission :) So congratulations! I've also shown your picture to seem people and they're like "wow she's pretty!" So that's a job well done and you can feel even better about yourself today :) best mom in the world!

I found out today that one of my converts, Bruna, will be serving a mission! She put in her papers yesterday and here in a month she'll know where she's going! I'm super excited!

Maybe you can use your hymn playing to bring the Spirit when you teach?  Is that allowed?

I don't see why not, there's no rule against it. I'm gonna learn some church music now that I have a guitar

Did you get to watch conference and if so, what were some of your favorite messages?

Yeah I watched all of it, my time is short so I won't talk a lot but I learned some principles and techniques about being a leader, I learned better ways to be a missionary and to serve others.

How was your week and how are the missionaries in your district?

The week was cool, we started to work in Pinda instead of just in Moreira Cesar which is really far from the church and we've had some successes already! We brought a less active family back to church this Sunday and they really liked it and so I'm happy :) The district continues to improve including my companion

Do they celebrate Halloween in Brazil?

Nope

Looking back over your mission so far, what have you learned about yourself that you didn’t know before the mission?

I've learned that I wasn't as patient or humble as I thought I was but I've improved in those areas. I've really become more focused on the Lord's work. Before, I just went to church and seminary and sat there without really worrying about anyone else other than me but now I'm able to see things a bit more as God sees them and how He cares for His children and I'm motivated with the desire to help them. I've also come to recognize some gifts that I have as I've put my shoulder to the wheel of God's work and glory. That was a good question, a thought provoker.

Well, my times basically up. It’s not the biggest letter I've sent but I've seen the letters of other missionaries and they're a lot shorter soooo yeah. I also forgot to look in my journal to get some highlights of the past week and I can't think of anything right now so yep that it.

Get to know someone new this week at church! Ask the missionaries if there's anything you can do for them!

The church is true!
Elder Horton