Welcome Home Elder Horton!

102nd Week Out, Week 12 Horizonte, "I'm Coming Home!”

Dear family and friends,

          I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOO I FINALLY DID IT!!!!!! MISSION ACOMPLISHED!!!! IM COMING !!!!!!!!! IM SO EXITED, I CANT EVEN HOLD IT IN ANYMORE!!!!!!!!! I THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT DURING THESE LAST 2 YEARS!!!! THIS HAS BEEN THE BEST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE IM TRULY GOING TO MISS IT......THIS IS ELDER HORTON SIGING OUT FOR THE LAST TIME!!!!!! 

99-101th Week Out, Week 9-11 Horizonte, "One Week Left On My Mission!”

Dear family and friends, this week we had 2 baptisms! 1 was for a man named Felipe, he is 18 years old. And the other was for a woman named Leandra, she is 60 years old. Both of them we met contacting in the street! We have been working with Leandra for more than a month now because she had problems with drinking A LOT, she even came to church 1 Sunday when she was drunk! But we were able to help her move her life and she was baptized this Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. Felipe is a great young man and he went to church 1 time and we invited him to be baptized and he accepted! He was literally prepared for us! He accepted everything without doubts! He even has desires to serve a mission 1 day! I know that heavenly father is blessings me these last weeks of my mission. BUT IT’S NOT OVER YET! I still got 1 more week! I don’t believe I’m not going home yet! Everyone’s telling me, but It doesn’t make sense! I feel that here in 2 weeks I will still be on the mission! Maybe I will realize when I get home. I thank you for all the love and support!

Impressions of Horizonte Brasil

-I thought there would be a lot of Mexican food when I got here but I have been here for 2 years and I never have seen a stinking taco! I cant wait to eat Mexican food again!

97-98th Week Out, Week 7-8 Horizonte, "I’m not trunky”!

Dear family and friends,

                I’m sorry it’s been a while since I have written! Time is flying by! I can’t believe here in very short time I will be home. But I’m not “trunky”! Mainly because it really hasn’t checked in yet that I’m going home soon. The mission is only 2 years but during the mission it feels like forever, only that finally my 2 years what seemed like forever, I’m coming now to realize that it isn’t forever. I sent a couple Pictures of Bugs here in Brasil, they are all super-sized here! I remember when I was little; those little foam balls that you put in water and they grow into something huge! (Or was it just me that messed with those?) I feel like all the bugs are this way here in Brasil! But anyways I’m happy healthy and living these last few weeks I have to the fullest! Thanks for all the love and support!

Impressions of Brasil

-There are cities here that have graphitized “Proibido Robar” as shown in one of my pictures (which means “You are not allowed to rob”) if this is written in a city and someone robs… Don’t even worry about the police going after you because there’s a gang here that will go after you and they will kill you! Or cut of your hands! Yea so don’t rob ok!

96th Week Out, Week 6 Horizonte, "We designed a T-shirt for our entire zone"

Dear family and friends,

                This week we worked hard but it’s always hard when Sunday falls on New Year’s Day… This week our Lunch fell many times so we ended up making pastels! We designed a T-shirt for our entire zone and it turned out super great! We have also now created a bench in hour house or a mini GYM so we can work out! We also created a custom water filter for the baptismal font! I wish you all a happy new year!

Impressions of Hoizonte Brasil

-For New Year’s everyone throws a “churrasco”, gets super drunk and lights off fireworks, and blasts music super loud!

95th Week Out, Week 5 Horizonte, "We Baptized on Christmas!"

Dear Family and Friends,

                This week was the best Christmas ever!  To start of the week we had a Secret Santa with our entire zone and celebrated Christmas! Then 1 of the missionaries in my house went home. He wasn’t actually an Elder. He was just a member filing in for one, He lives here in Ceara, and my mission president sent him home to be with his family for Christmas and the new year and he won’t be coming back. So now I am in a Trio! Elder Rands is now with us! He is an American from Missouri. He has 1 year and 2 months on the mission. Christmas morning I made cookies! We baptized on Christmas!!!! I’m never going to be able to do that again! We baptized a boy named Gabriel and a woman named Marta! We have been working with her for a month now! She was literally a miracle! We met her 1 day walking down the road and we just felt prompted to talk with her. After the first lesson she told us that she felt really good about our visit, she said it brought her happiness she had never felt before. We found out the she had an addiction to drugs so she kept going to church but she wasn’t able to be baptized because she was addicted. Over time we were able to help her be free from this drug and she gave it up! Then to top it all off Saturday night before her baptism a bunch of people from another congregation showed up at her house telling her lies about Mormons, talking bad about us, putting pressure on her to not be baptized. Our branch president happened to be walking by the front of her house when this was happening (because they live on the same road) and he heard them talking bad about us, creating lies. Sunday afternoon at church he showed up to us and informed us of his discovery, and he explained his concern that he did not think she would be baptized today after all that he had heard. But sure enough, Sunday afternoon Marta showed up at church and was super excited for her baptism! This woman is powerful! She is an example to me! She has a daughter and 2 sons. She is divorced and cares for the family all by herself. She has a small humble 1 room house that they ALL 4 live in. she has a rent of $100 Reais (which is $35 dollars) for month because she can’t afford anything much expensive. She makes a living selling “doce de mamão”. It’s so sad sometimes to see how people are living here, but she doesn’t complain! She is happy with her life! It really opens up my eyes! I am so much more grateful for my life, I never would have known or understand the depth of the gratitude I need, if it weren’t for my mission here in Brasil! We all should be much more grateful for the blessing our heavenly father has given us! I hope that the focus of our Christmas this year was Jesus Christ and not Santa Clause! I thank you for all the love and support!

Impressions of Horizonte Brasil

-Christmas is not a really big deal here, it’s rare to find Christmas lights on houses, and I have never saw seen real Christmas tree here in Brasil. Basically people don’t have money to buy Christmas presents.

94th Week Out, Week 4 Horizonte, "No Water in the City for 3 Days"

Dear family and friends,

Another great week! This week we had our mission conference for Christmas! This week there was no water in the city for 3 days… sooooo that stunk… we couldn’t take a shower.... I was called to give a talk in our branch this Sunday, my companion was called to be the other speaker haha. We had a baptism this week for a boy named Breno! He is 15 years old. I think Breno would be my name in Portuguese. Anyways This is how we found him; We contacted a man in the road one day and we marked with him to pass by his home 1 day and leave a message, then we went to his house and met his little brother and we started teaching his little brother as well and 1 day when we were teaching his little brother Breno showed up! Breno was very cool! Accepted all of our invites! He loved church last week! Saturday he was interviewed to be baptized and we found out that before we started teaching him he was atheist. I know that in missionary work there’s always a purpose! I know that sometimes people will not accept our invites but maybe heavenly father put that person in our path because he know someone that we need to know that’s looking for the truth. I love you all and wish everyone a FELIZ NATAL!!!!

Impressions of Horizonte Brasil

-The water that comes out of the faucet is brown because of how much chlorine they put in the water! And many times the city will cut the water without warning anyone!