Our Own Promised Land

This week was amazing. You're probably getting used to the fact that these aren't going to be super long haha, just because we never seem to have enough time to write.

Here are some pictures though and then something that I learned this week.

So we went on exchanges, and I was with Elder Kim who is from Korea, and we met this Turkish family, and they were AWESOME! They invited us in, taught us some Turkish words, and fed us some really good Turkish food! Elder Kim awkwardly asked if we could get a picture with this guy, his name is Hank and he's super nice. If you ever have the chance to eat some Turkish food, take it.

This week we also met an awesome couple. Her Dad is a less active member, but she hasn't met with missionaries since she was a little kid. They're super nice and we love visiting with them. They also took me to get my first water-ice! (wuter-ice) I got a mango and passion fruit water-ice and it was soooo good.

We had a missionary come home too! Willie just got back from Brasilia, Brazil and out here they have huge homecoming parties, it was awesome. Apparently he was companions with Scott Nelson and they're going to room together at college! Neat huh???

That's all the pictures I have this week. In the beginning of the week Elder Tan and I were having a hard time finding and teaching people, and the work wasn't really moving. We were praying that we would be able to meet our goals and that we would find some people to teach. Then during studies I realized something as we were talking about Nephi building a ship to cross the ocean. The Lord told him in 1 Nephi 17:13, "wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land, and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led." And I realized that we're all headed towards our own promised land. The Lord has a "promised land" for us, a place and a person that he wants us to be, and as we keep his commandments and do what he asks of us, he promises that he will lead us there. I know that as we recognize the Lord's hand in our life that we will know that it is by Him that we are led as we keep the commandments, and that we will be headed towards our promised land. The next few days, we were able to experience miracles and the Lord truly answered our prayers, and we are able to see that as we did the things that he asked us to, that he did lead us where he needed us to be, and we were able to see that he is the one who got us there. The scriptures are filled with so much wisdom and guidance, I exhort everyone who reads this, whether they've read the Book of Mormon or not, to pick it up and start to read. I know that as we do so the Lord will enlighten us and fill us with his wisdom and his grace. I'm so grateful that I can be a tool in the Lords hand in bringing people to this truth. I love the gospel and I love the Book of Mormon.

Love you guys and wishing you the best,

Elder Horne

Hot Hot Hot

So this week has been really hot. At least for this area, and the humidity has been pretty bad too. I think the worst was when we got inside and I took off my backpack and I just had too dark lines where my backpack straps were from sweat (and I'm sure you didnt want to hear that, sorry haha). The nice thing about it was that people would invite us inside or give us waterbottles, so we were able to talk to more people.

 

We have been tracting a lot, just to find more people while the weather is still nice, because we're not going to be tracting as much in the winter time. It's a lot of fun, I like tracting just because we get to meet a lot of people that way. We met these awesome people this week. They were outside smoking and drinking beers and were kind of just eyeing us, but we went and talked to them and they were really friendly. I was surprise how well I got along with them, after about 20 minutes we were talking to them like we'd known them forever, like family friends. One of the guys actually roomed with a Mormon while he was at college, and they're really interested so hopefully we'll be able to help them strengthen their faith in Christ and progress in the gospel. I consider those people one of the tender mercies of the Lord. After working all day in the hot sun to find some great people.

 

Sister Beames sent us some Hi-Chews back from Idaho, and needless to say I devoured them. She's awesome.

 

 

Here is proof that it was actually really hot, and the humidity made me feel like I was about to die.

 

 

SOME of the waterbottles we got in one day, haha.

 

 

Love you guys!!

Elder Horne

 

Here's a little analogy Matt included in a letter to Mom.

...this morning during 30 min exercise i was thinking about exercise (thats about as far is it gets haha) and how when we work muscles, we push them to their fullest extent, because we know thats how they'll grow, and then once they're stronger we work them harder than before. I realized that we're kind of like muscles that God is working. People think that once they finish one trial then all the other ones will be easy, but we don't work a muscle and then lessen the weight. That we are given trials to help us grow, and then onced we've learned and grown then we get another one to help us continue. There was a scripture in the bible that I liked, that says "we glory in tribulations, for tribulations teach us patience" or something like that. And I was just like, wow. We really should glory in our trials, because no matter the trial, overcoming it with faith helps us become more Christlike. I saw a quote that basically said that will all the things we dislike, if we didn't have them we wouldn't learn to become like Christ. Like if we didn't work with a cranky lady, or didn't have to wake up early, or didnt have blah blah blah, then we wouldn't learn patience, we wouldn't learn diligence, we wouldn't learn to beome more like Christ. So there is my 30 minute exercise shpeel

7/15/13

This week has been really busy, but really great at the same time. We're just about to head off to an Asian market because Elder Tan has been dying to go there, Im going to have him teach more some Mandarin, but Im sure I will just look like a fool haha.

The teaching has been going great, we are working a LOT with the members and the ward to help them do missionary work. We know they all want to, but the actually doing is the complicated part, so we've been going to see them and helping a lot with that. Its great working with members they are so powerful in missionary work.

Here are a bunch of pictures though because I know thats what you guys like to see!

So Elder Madsen and Elder Kitsell are our companionship bffs, and I'm really sad this picture is blurry, but you can kind of tell how awesome they are despite that.

This week I got Allison's package, and I'm still laughing about it. There were some awesome mustache stickers, dinosaurs, star wars mad libs and more. The greatest thing though was this shirt. It is legendary and I'm overly obsessed with it. Be jealous of our awesome friendship.

So we went to Johnny D's again, and I think that's the biggest source of my weight gain, because these slices of pizza are huge and it's not good haha. Why do they have to be so delicious???

So this is a cool family, we love them. It was her birthday yesterday, and we had amazing food. It was the same as the Crab Pot, for those who have been there, we were so happy she invited us over for dinner. Anyways, they're awesome and we love them.

I hope you guys are doing great!
Love and miss you

Elder Horne

Every Member a Missionary!

BOOO, this apparently failed to send :P here you go for last week. (7/8/13)

 

This past week has been awesome! I was really excited for the 4th of July since we're so close to Philly and there is a lot of historical things out here; until we learned that fireworks are illegal and we wouldnt be seeing any :(. The casinos apparently had some cool shows, but we were too far away from Atlantic City. I love the 4th of July though, and am so grateful for the freedoms that we have in this country. Holidays are awesome for missionary work just because everyone is home and in a really good mood so we were able to talk to a lot of people.

The reasoning for titling this "Every Member a Missionary" is because we had an AMAZING experience this week with members doing misisonary work. We had this guy contact us through Mormon.org, and we soon learned that it was because he knew a mormon guy and was curious. He works with Brother Ikner in our ward for the Coast Guard, and once we told the Ikners about it they leaped on the missionary opportunity. They have been inviting him into their homes for FHE and for lessons, and have been helping him get to know people in the ward, and everything we would ever want the members to do, but without being asked! He has been able to progress so much, and its because of the wonderful missionaries the Ikners have been.

The Lord is hastening his work, and it's going to be through members. I believe the increase of missionaries will be to help the members do missionary work, and to keep up with the missionary work that the members are doing. It's miraculous how much of a difference that members make in the work, and how important their role is.

This week has been awesome, I never want to leave this area! Haha

Love and miss you guys,

Elder Horne

PS this is one of the more ghetto apartment complexes we like to visit, The Gates, but the other day someone vandalized the sign. I couldnt help but laugh and get a picture haha.

 

New Mission President

It's already been one transfer (6 weeks) since I've been in the mission, it's crazy! I feel like it's going by so fast, and I want to take advantage of every moment. This transfer was pretty exciting though. I stayed with Elder Tan, but Elder DeLeon and Sister Beames left, so now we have Elder Spain and Sister DeSpain (they're names are uncanningly similiar, we still get them mixed up). It was really sad when Sister Beames had to go home, hopefully she'll be able to get her medical issues worked out and be back in the field soon, we're all still praying for her to get better.

It's been a great week, and now I'm 19! I kept forgetting it was my birthday because nothing changed haha. I opened some packages early in the morning, but the rest of the day was normal. With Elder Spain being 18 I'm no longer the youngest in the mission age wise, but I'm still the youngest in mission length. My birthday was really good though, I got a bowtie and some truly wonderful Harry Potter figurines (I don't know what else to call them).

I've never tied a bowtie before so cut me some slack, I tried to follow the instructions though and I think this is how it is supposed to look. Thank you Shane and Lisa for sending me that, along with the polar bear (which I still haven't gotten used to yet, haha)!

 

These pretty much made my whole life, they are the most wonderful little harry potter things that I've ever seen. I'm so thankful for them, they're awesome!

 On Saturday we were able to go to Philly and meet President and Sister Anderson!! It was a great experience, made more so by all the public transportation we had to take to get there. We took the bus, then the train, then the subway. It was a long ride but the whole district (eight missionaries) travelled together so it was a lot of fun.

So on the subway Elder Tan found this Chinese guy, and they were just chatting in Mandarin the whole time, and Elder Jenkins could not handle it, he was cracking up the whole time. He thought it was so crazy that Elder Tan could speak Mandarin, he was breathless; and then he kept laughing, mainly because I was laughing at him for being so surprised/taken aback haha.

Meeting with President and Sister Anderson was great. They're awesome and so golden, the Spirit was so strong at our meeting, they have great desires to serve and are so humble. I love them, they're going to be awesome. Plus it was cool because President Anderson announced that we might be getting tablets in the near future, hopefully ipads but he isn't sure, which would be so cool! Our zone, Cherry Hill South, was able to get a picture with him afterwards.

And being my first time riding on a train, I had to get a picture. It wasn't as exciting as I was expecting, but then again my expectations were along the lines of: Europe, intense chase scene, free food, and rescuing the love of my life. Without all of that though it was still pretty fun, haha. 

 

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Anyways, I love being a missionary and I love and miss you guys. The work is progressing and I'm so grateful to be apart of it. We're meeting with some awesome people, and hopefully everything will work out great!!

Love,

Elder Horne