4-20-15 Talk at Church

4-20-15

Hey family!!

ISAAC IS PLAYING SOCCER?!?!?! Since when??? It's so weird to think that Isaac is playing soccer..when I left, he was barely starting to walk and speak!

Letter to the president:

Hey President

Thanks for allowing me and Elder Oliveira to be together at least one more transfer, I'm really excited to work here with him. I see the Lord blessing us in many ways. I love new transfers as well because it's always a chance for a new start, a new beginning, a second chance, or in my case, a sixteenth chance haha. I really would like to end my mission in this area because the members here are awesome but I trust in you and in the Lord so I'll do what you want to do.

Thanks for everything!
Elder Horton

Do we have some relative that served here in Brasil São Paulo East from 89 to 91?

How was your week?

My week was good! In the beginning of the week, we were certain that we were going to baptize Clementino, a friend of the bishop that he presented to us last week. But then we discovered he'd have to go to the hospital on sunday :/ so he wasn't baptized yesterday but I have no doubt that he'll be baptized this week. The guy is elect. He has so much faith and is so willing to follow his savior. We've taught him about some commandments and told him that he'd have to let some things go and change some habits to be able to be closer to his Savior and every time he's just like "okay, I'll do it" We invited him to read and pray and at first he said he didn't recieve an answer but then we explained again how the spirit works and he was like "oh, that was probably the spirit then, yeah I got an answer" haha he's awesome.

Other than that, the week went well. Yesterday, a lot more doors were opened up for us at church, new people to teach and baptize and what not. I'm excited for this transfer

Oh I didn't even mention the transfer yet, nothing changed, so nothing really big or different.

Oh! And I remember that many people said before my mission that my height was a blessing and that I should use it to my advantage on the mission. Well I'd have to say that I've tried and really it has been a blessings. We had 2 instances this last week because of my height that could lead to families being baptized. We were going to the market and we passed in front of a house with the gate open and the man said like "wow!" as he looked up at me and I told him "I only have 6 feet 7 inches" in meters of course and his wife that was also outside said "I have a brother that's taller than you" And then I returned "I doubt that!" And then we started talking and they're really awesome! They said they live there 37 years and missionaries have always passed by there and they've always said good morning and what not but no missionary has ever stopped to talk with them. We're the first!

The other situation was basically the same thing.

How do you feel about serving your fellow beings?

I love the opportunity I have to help in the salvation of the children of God. Sometiems it's hard but I'm glad that today, I'm better then I ever was and I have gained a great number of skills and atributes in the mission that help me to better help God's children.

In the beginning of my mission, I was scared to insist or encourage or try to convince the people. I understand now that what convinces is the Holy Ghost and people will always have their agency, but I also understand that we have to insist and encourage a lot sometimes to help people to make the right decisions. That's exactly what the prophets of the old and new testament and the book of mormon did. They knew the importance of what they were saying and they knew that the people needed to do that which they were saying or they'd be condemned to an eternity of suffering. One of the people that we helped to baptize these last weeks, almost didn't get baptized!!...man I got really sad but I encouraged her greatly and she was baptized. I was talking with her again the last couple days and I asked her "if I'd given up on you, where do you think you would be right now?" "Smoking and not baptized" And so I'm happy that I have power to be a messenger of God and to influence people for their greater good and salvation.

What made you laugh lately?

A lot of things! I laugh a lot, I'm a happy person. Some people call me criancão or like big child because I'm kinda goofy sometimes. I like it though, it's like one of the things I do to help people to like me. But always when it comes to serious stuff, I'm serious. I think it's a good combination

Were those YOUR holey shoes in last week’s photos??  I hope you have another pair that aren’t so holey!!

Those WERE my holey shoes in last week's photo. But I took that photo a while ago, when I was still in Penha. Since then, I've patched them up for 45 reais (about 15 dollars). And now they're good as new!...almost :)

Were those spiders, or crabs, climbing up the tree in that other photo??

Neither. Here they're called Cigarras but I think it's like cicaras in the states. It's a little flying bug that screams and screams and screams until it explodes! And so all those "crabs" that you saw, were actually dead carcasses of this bug.

Who are you teaching this week?

Basically the people that I mentioned up above and we're gonna teach a pastor and some referrals and some friends of members and what not.

This ward is so awesome, that the young womans organization asked us to be at church at 9 to be able to answer questions about missionary work like how to respond when their friends say certain things or how to talk about the gospel with someone. Yeah! This is going to work out very well. I'm excited for the future.

Oh and I gave a talk at church as well, we got there and we saw the bishop talking with his counselors about the talks for that day and they said "Dani will talk and who else?" "No It's just her..." "......Put Elder Horton down there too" haha so I talked, I like talking :) it was fun.

Well that's about it

I love y'all!

Elder Horton