Tangled in Eden

This week was fantastic! But, before I get into anything, here is a picture from Maddie's baptism last week:

To start of the week with a bang (and lots of travel time) we went to Philly! It was my first time actually going to Philly. I'd been there before for meetings, but never to do fun touristy things. So, let's look at Philadelphia through my camera.

First, we had to stop by China Town. We didn't actually go inside because nobody else wanted to go... but I will make it back there some day! 

Next on our stop was LOVE park. 

(I'm a classy tourist, in case you can't tell)

Then we headed to the temple site! Elder and Sister Carr, the ones who are running the temple site and visitors center, were on vacation this week, so that was a little disappointing. It was still awesome to see the temple in real life though!

On the way to the Rocky Steps, we stumbled upon this little museum, bronze garden kind of place. It was cool.

Lastly, for our final tourist destination: Rocky. We headed over to the Rocky Steps, and while we were taking pictures, this guy comes up and offers to take our picture. We gratefully accepted, but what started out as just one picture, ended up becoming this whole photo shoot! We were laughing so hard, it was the funnest thing. 

 

Also, while visiting Philly, I would recommend using public transit. We bought these all day passes that give you access to all transit free for the day. We hardly used them. We walked every where, from Center City (pictured above) all the way out to the Rocky Steps and around to the temple site. But that concludes adventure time in Philadelphia. 

Next: This Week in Elder Horne's Kitchen

Also, our district is awesome.

On a completely unrelated note, I thought of this fun example for the Fall of Adam and Eve this week! This all came about, when we were teaching this guy about Adam and Eve, and he'd been raised Baptist, and saw Adam and Eve as these awful people, for initiating the Fall. We were trying to think of an example that would help him view it the way that we do, when it came to me. Tangled. 

So, I'm probably not the first person to think of this, and I know it's not the best example, but hear me out. I was just thinking about Rapuntzel, and her life in the tower. Especially the song, When Will My Life Begin. We'll say the tower is like the Garden of Eden and Rapuntzel is like Eve (she even has Pascal!). In the tower life was good. There wasn't much going on, she was pretty safe, same old thing every day. However, Rapuntzel yearned for something more, for a greater taste of life and opportunity. Yet, just like Eve, she had been commanded to stay. And also, as Eve, she was given warning of the dangers that would await her should she leave; as seen in Mother Knows Best. 

Then, the Fall comes. She leaves, and we immediately see the mixed response that it has on her. The frank opposition that she is faced with. The exposure to greater agency, and the affects that has. Had she stayed however, as the scriptures say, she "would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for [she] knew no misery; doing no good, for [she] knew no sin" (2 Ne 2:23). Throughout the rest of the story we can see her become acquainted with both good and evil, she learns and grows through her own experience and observing others. Her life does become a lot more complicated and difficult. Yet, nobody ever wishes that she would have just stayed. Why is that?

I love the parallels that this has to the Fall of Adam and Eve, and how it helps us see the picture so much clearer. It can become confusing trying to teach or understand this principle, but I've found that this helps a lot when trying to explain. Examples and analogies help us to learn and apply things. I'm glad that I've finally found one for this part of the Plan of Salvation!

While I was writing that, I realized that the story of Tangled was probably based around the Fall, just because the themes and experiences are so similar. I'm probably just the very last person to realize this. Oh well, hopefullysomebody reading this will just be discovering this for the first time as well. 

Love,

Elder Horne

PS More chickens

 

It was Elder Horne, with a pizza, in the font

Ok, so before we get to the good stuff, let's go over some of the fun things that happened this week. 

The other day we were out in Honey Brook, and naturally I was excited to see what Amish shenanigans we stumbled upon, as always. We had just pulled up to a stoplight, and there was a gas station at the intersection. Lo and behold, across the street at the gas station, is this Amish buggy filling up! It was the weirdest thing! Just this horse and buggy, chilling at the pump. I squinted to improve my vision, and saw that the Amish guy was filling up the portable gas things (for their weed whackers, or lawn mowers or something) and putting them in the back of the buggy. So, sadly we didn't discover that Amish buggies actually run on gas and the horse is just for show, but we are on to them. I should have gotten a picture...

Also, I am not sure if it's cat breeding season or what (isn't that like, year round?) but we have been seeing cats everywhere. Seriously. We just walk around, and there will be like 20 cats just lazing around town. Here were some just chilling behind some bushes. One of them only has one eye, and I wanted to take it home so bad. It's alright though, I can just walk outside and be surrounded by numberless concourses of cats, so I'm still happy. 

 

We also recreated the Hungry Games, more properly called, the District Games*, during district meeting this past week. Sister Ballard won, because she had the knife and an aluminum shield. I only had a pair of tongs. Don't worry, the knife was actually the Book of Mormon, and the shield was the Holy Ghost. I realized afterwards that a CLUE set up would have been just as fun. "Sister Ballard in the young women's room with the knife" or "Sister Pickett with the volcano burrito in the kitchen." Good times. 

*no humans, animals, plants, or property were harmed in the playing of these games. 

One more random thing. I have been obsessed with making pizzas lately. This week my favorite one was the Tomavado pizza I made. It was so yummy! Fresh tomatoes that I picked from some random guys backyard (after invitation, of course), homemade white garlic sauce, with avocados and Parmesan cheese. Nom nom nom

 

But, the absolutely bestest part of the week (drum roll...) was Maddie's baptism!! She started taking the lessons with the sisters almost a year ago. Since I got here in April, she has been trying to get her parents permission for her to be baptized. Lots of prayer and fasting went into this. Then, not only did her parents just recently give her permission, her family came to the baptism! It was awesome. She was also the first person that I personally baptized (ever) so that was really special too. The rest of the day I had goosebumps; which may or may not have been the result of my arms being really cold and wet because I forgot to bring a dry shirt to change into afterwards, wups. Regardless, it was fantastic. 

Love,
Elder Horne

Inner Peas

Hello hello.

This week was filled with a lot of randomness. I still haven't figured out how it all ties together, so we'll just go through things in no sequential order.

Well, probably the most exciting thing that happened, happened yesterday (Sunday). We were at church, and I was holding open the door and greeting people as they walked in, as usual. Then I see this man walking up the steps, and he looks really familiar; at first I thought I knew him from back home, but then I realized who he was. So, Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, the Presiding Bishop of the Church came to our sacrament meeting this week. No big deal, I was just like the first to shake his hand and welcome him and everything. His sister lives in our ward, and he'd been out in the area doing stuff with the Philadelphia Temple so he came and visited her and her family. There is the first
random thing.

Next, when you find a Trader Joes, you go to it. Even if it may or may not be 30-45 minutes away, and it's the last day of the month when you are about to run out of miles. Those snacks though, totally worth it. Nom nom nom.

Next, I hope you all remembered to celebrate Harry Potter's birthday this week. I know we did. You'll have to forgive my macaroni substitution for a candle, that was the closest thing I could find in our apartment. Make a wish Harry.

Words of wisdom I learned this week:
- If you are going to eat pistachios during studies, don't leave them precariously balanced on the edge of your desk, because when they spill everywhere your companion may be exceedingly startled. And you'll get pistachio dust stuff all over your clothes.
- When buying candied ginger, pay close attention to the difference between crystallized, and UNcrystallized. Because there is a difference.
- When you finish fasting on Fast Sunday, don't start by eating a lot of cake.
- Trying to get a piano from one side of the gym to the other by yourself in 10 seconds is really hard, I'd recommend using multiple people. As well as someone to stop the piano when you get there. Just an idea.

Love,
Elder Horne

PS here is the lovely Valley Forge West Zone. So many Sisters... (and Hermanas)

Charlie Chaplin in Chester County?

Let's talk about my weird craftiness, and the awkwardness that ensues. So, apparently I just work with coconuts, but anyway, I wanted to make a bowl out of this coconut. It rested flat, and had broken along the edges relatively even. So I've been sanding it down, and sanding it down some more. Finally, last week, I got it to the point where I thought it was finished. Then I realized I wanted to use some sort of finish to kind of seal the deal and make it look a little better, so we went to the store to get some wood stain or something. Alas, the store didn't have wood stain, so, my backup plan? Clear nail polish. I however, am not well versed in nail polish, and it turned out to be more complicated than I had anticipated. In the end, I resorted to grabbing all the nail polish bottles with clear insides (there were more than I thought there should be) and just having the lady at the register help me out by telling me what each one did, and how they would look after drying. Needless to say, she thought I was a bit crazy. Nevertheless, I polished my coconut, bleached the inside, and now I have a little candy bowl.

 

 

While we are on the topic of awkwardness and photos, this sometimes happens at district meeting... 

Also, Welcome to Coatesville! The bane of Chester County!

The rest of the week was filled with fun and awesome missionariness. Including, but not limited to: teaching investigators in Kenya over Facebook (that time difference, it's getting in the way), having wonderful conversations with British families, meeting French speakers, lots and lots of lightning, going on exchanges with awesome elders, being hounded by hounds while trying to conduct a baptism interview, petting some goats, and waiting 5 hours for an oil change.

So, life is brilliant.

Love,
Elder Horne

The Lost Phone

Hello hello hello.

Just a heads up: Elder Vickers and I are awful at taking pictures, so you are about to see a lot less of them. Sorry. 

So, let's start off with some fun miracles before I get into the rest of the week. 

~ The Lost Phone ~

This past Thursday we had just finished weekly planning and were leaving the church. As we were driving towards our apartment for dinner, I felt that we should go to Wendy's for dinner instead, so we looped around and started heading that way. #Miracle1

While ordering our dinner at Wendy's, we suddenly realized that we didn't have our phone. We had left it on the windowsill in the primary room where we were planning (so it could get signal). Now, we are the only missionaries in the district that don't have keys to the church. The rest of the district had left or were about to leave the chapel when we did, so we doubted anyone would be there. That's when we remembered the Rutledges. They had keys to the church and had told us we could stop by any time to use them. They also happened to live right next to the Wendy's. #Miracle2

We drove over to their house with our food, to see if we could use their keys, but nobody was home! We decided to sit outside on their porch and eat our dinner, in the hopes thar they would show up. Shortly after saying a prayer, a slightly confused and amused Sister Rutledge pulled up! #Miracle3

We then headed to the church, where we found our phone, and realized that we had left one of the back doors to the church unlocked from earlier that day. So we locked it back up, and made it home in time for splits. #Miracle4

What I find so cool about this experience, was that we were able to witness so many miracles just lined up one after another. We could have just been enlightened and remembered we had left a door unlocked, but then I don't think we would have recognized the Lords hand in that. This way, we were able to see clearly the candy trail of miracles that we were following. Which is almost another miracle in and of itself. 

Then, we ended the week off great with the Williamsons. Usually we work, eat, teach, and run, but on Saturday we were able to enjoy the fruits of our labors! I tore up some old wooden thing (just prying up all the planks), and Elder Vickers chopped up the wood. Then we burnt all the wood and were able to roast marshmallows on the fire! It was a blast. 

Last but certainly not least, the newest edition to my plant menagerie: Bonsly! 

 

Those coconuts are actually balancing on each other. 

I don't know how I manage these things...

(I transplanted him into something I thought was cooler)

 

BONSLY!

Love,
Elder Horne

Transfer Miracles

Just when I thought transfers couldn't get any more wild... So, last week I mentioned how we thought (and not only thought, were told) that we were getting spanish sisters to replace the spanish elders. Well, change of plans and they ended up putting english elders into the spanish group with a ton of spanish investigators. Just when I thought President Anderson couldn't get any more unpredictable... Long story short, we got english elders, but then a spanish sister just came into the mission, and they are switching apartments today. Transfer madness. (So in the end we still got a Hermana anyways)

Speaking of transfers, they happened! Elder Murphy is off in Delaware (I totally called it) with a brilliant companion, and my new companion is Elder Vickers! Flash back to last fall, Elder Vickers and I served in the same district when I was still in Jersey.
 

The Atlantic City District, back in September. He is the balding one in the top right.

Now we are serving together! He is from Centerville, UT and has been out for a whopping 21 months! He only has this transfer and the next. Good thing he isn't trunky. So, we think that I will either stay with him until he goes home, and then for another transfer with someone else, or that I'll leave after this transfer. We'll see what happens! Anyway, we're excited, it's going to be awesome.
 

 It was sad saying goodbye to Elder Murphy, he was such a good companion, we had so much fun together, and we were both able to grow a lot from these past two transfers. He's going to do fantastic in his new area, I have no doubts.

We also had to unexpectedly say goodbye to the Scanlans!! That was no fun either, they are going back to Montana. We are going to miss them! They've had us over for dinner so many times, and we have had so much fun. Elder Vickers only got to see them once. At least we'll be able to stay in touch on Facebook!

 

Sister Scanlan gave me an autographed set of her children's books!

Other than that, we had a pretty good week. First week with a new companion is always a bit of a roller coaster, but it always ends good. Just working working working! This week the district has been focused on recognizing miracles, so I write those down every night, here are a few:

- A member gave us ice cream (sisters)
- Both goldens (we have two brand new missionaries in the district!) extended a baptismal invitation their first day, and both people accepted.
- Sisters were late to volleyball, and we were able to have a really power lesson with a less active member.
- A man who just moved here from Mexico came to church on Sunday, saying that he was just taught all the lessons (in Mexico) and wants to be baptized.

Miracles are everywhere in the Lord's work, and in the details of our lives, we just sometimes need to be better at recognizing them!

Love,
Elder Horne

'Murican Mini Golf

This week, was fantastic.

On Monday, we went to this little glow-in-the-dark mini-golf place that was tucked away in the middle of nowhere. Sorry none of my pictures are very good, the flash took the glow away. It was a lot of fun though, I even managed to get  a hole-in-one

 

Jack Sparrow pirate

 

Hurray for white shirts!

 

Really happy pirate

 

Birthday cake!

 

Hole in ONE

 
Throughout the week we stumbled across this random hidden treasures:

 

Saw this on the side of a building in Coatesville

 

We were tracting and saw this dead bat on someones door. Oh, abandoned houses...

We ended the week off with a fabulous 4th of July. Our district went to several different parks where they were having Independence Day celebrations, and drew with chalk! I have never before done any "chalk finding" but it was a lot of fun. We made a big American flag, the Constitution, and the Liberty Bell. Next to the American flag we wrote, "I Love America because..." and let people come up and write different reasons they love America! A member and her friend also came by and made this brilliant thank you note. It was a really neat opportunity to talk to people as they were walking by, and immediately have that connection that we could discuss with them. People were very friendly, and it was nice to get a more positive rapport with the community.

 

The District

 

Helping color

  

 

 

Messy chalk fingers (and pants)

Afterwards we went and had dinner and played games with some members, and it was so much fun! President gave us permission to stay out an hour past our bed time (which was super weird) so that we could watch the fireworks with members. We ended up playing mancala and some card games while watching one of the Christmas Mormon Tabernacle Choir concerts. It was great!

 

Right now we are dealing with transfer madness... Elder Murphy is leaving and I am staying. The  other Elders in our district are leaving and we think they are being replaced with Spanish sisters, which would leave my new companion and I to be the only elders in a district with 6 sisters. It's already pretty crazy since we have more sisters in our zone than elders. Next week I'll let you guys know about my new companion, and if we are overwhelmed by sister missionaries (we're lucky they are awesome)!

Love,
Elder Horne

PS our zone is fantastic