week 37

quite the long week! it definitely had its ups and downs. and it's pretty freezing up here, we're averaging everyday now at -20 C, which is about -2 F. yes, im frozen! luckily we are in a car area, and in one of the "warmest" parts of this cold mission! but i really do love when it snows :) it's that wind that is just SO frijo!

we had a Specialty Training meeting on Wednesday with President and Sister Clayton. our Zone Leader's had texted us earlier in the week and told us "IPADS!" and told us to pick our color... but we showed up and it definitely wasn't Ipads haha. we were PRANKED!! rude right? haha and we totally believed them. (they are still supposedly coming sometime *soon* but i sorta lost all faith at this point haha) the meeting was still incrediblethough. President Clayton has received such amazing revelation about hastening the work here in the Canada Toronto mission, its unbelievable! we saw 499 baptisms as a mission last year, and President has set the goal for this year to see 1000. i repeat, A THOUSAND! and it's totally possible! we learned about all the little things we can do now, to be better and harder working missionaries to team up with the members and make it happen. i'm excited to see the changes in the mission, and so excited to be a part of it! President and Sister Clayton inspire me so much. i love them. i felt the spirit so strong during that meeting as we bore testimony of the Savior and His Atoning sacrifice for all mankind. i couldn't be happier about serving HIM.

lots of our appointments fell through this week :( it makes things so discouraging! we knocked on this doorMonday night and found a SOLID man named Carlos. he said him and his mom want to learn! we were SOOO excited to teach this Colombian family since we have been really struggling to find new people to teach. but when we went back for our appointment, his dad answered and said he had met with missionaries before and to never come back. a lot of doors have been slammed in our faces, but hey that's part of being a missionary! you learn to just work harder because of it :) we did learn though, that revelatory planning WORKS. we have learned to plan around names and people to visit so the Lord can place people in our paths. we WILL find NEW!!!! con fe, y oracion. 

i was feeling super down though this week. one night i pulled out my "100 days!" letters my mom sent me, from all my supportive and loving friends and family. as i read each one again i couldn't help but feel so grateful for each and every one of you!!! the words touched me so strongly, and it made me realize how grateful i really am to be here serving the Lord. and i know that as long as we are doing our part as missionaries, and invitingeveryone to come unto Jesus Christ, God will do his part too! even if we don't always see the fruit of our labors :) i have such a strong testimony of that!!! which is why Hermana Hoffman and i aren't getting down about anything! our investigators are slowly progressing but we have a lot set up this week.... we are praying for miracles :)

i LOVE this Gospel. with all my heart! i KNOW its true!!! 

XOXO, HERMANA HORTON

week 36

what an amazing week! so much happened, i don't even know where to start. first of all, yes, its sooooooo cold here. i am enduring the Canadian winter. we hit -30 C this week, i think i might die! it is definitely miserable to proselyte in this weather because we get a lot of doors slammed in our faces, and most people won't even open their doors. lets just say we're doing all we can to schedule back to back appointments everyday haha. we haven't been too successful and have been in the cold a LOT but hey, hard work brings miracles right? Si! 

after a super powerful lesson about the Plan of Salvation with John (Peruvian, 26) he accepted a date to be baptized! March 15!!! woo hooo!! he is super prepared. right at the start of the lesson after we show him the little pamphlet, he says, (in Spanish..) "oh okay so this is the plan our Heavenly Father has for us so we can return to live with Him, and we do it through Jesus Christ and His Atonement." .... YES!!! he came to churchSunday too. he is one of my favorite people to teach because he is so accepting.

Friday night we had dinner at Bishop Fullers house with our other progressing investigator, Jose (Peruvain, 40). we taught an AWESOME lesson of the Restoration (for the 4th time with Jose haha) but it really clicked for him this time. the Bishops testimony was so powerful (we translated everything during dinner and the lesson... it was an adventure and i realized i speak Spanish! haha well, Gospel Spanish :)) he said yes to baptism, but doesn't feel prepared enough for a date. i know everything is in God's timing, but we are doing all we can to help him overcome his concerns and feel ready to be baptized.

another awesome story - Carlos (Venezuelan, 30's), has been coming to church but only stays for Sacrament meeting,  but he came to again on Sunday and we taught him 2nd hour. he's SO PREPARED! his wife is a member (in Venezuela) and he comes to church to pay her tithing! he even went to Elder Oaks! he even shook his hand!!!! (while he was telling us all of this, us and the member, Hermano Foutine were all flippin out hahaha) we taught him the Restoration and he told us he has already read some in the Book of Mormon. he's amazing and totally going to be baptized soon :)

today i realized how blessed i am to be in the most cultural and diverse mission in the WORLD! when we teach English class, we have classes with people from Poland, China, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, etc, all learning english, and all ready to hear the gospel. i'm picking up cool sayings from all the languages, its hard to remember but i just love the culture of the Canada Toronto Mission! how lucky eh?

this Gospel is true. i know it! i know the Atonement is real and powerful, and i know this is Jesus Christ's church, restored today through a living Prophet. i know the Book of Mormon is true and i know it changes lives! it's changed mine. cuidense mucho! ciao!

XOXO, HERMANA HORTON

week 35

hello friends and family!

i don't have much time this week but i want to share an incredible experience that happened to me on Saturday. it was such a miracle and has strengthened my testimony of putting our Faith in Jesus Christ SO MUCH.

so i was on exchanges with Sister Mandla, we were in her area (English work! so different. i do know how to teach the Gospel, but its so much harder for me in English now haha #hermanaforlife) but we were still here in Mississauga. we had just finished eating dinner at a Chinese members home, and realized we didn't have anything planned until 8 for our next appointment. Sister Mandla suggested we pray for revelation of someones house we could shovel. (it has been snowing everyday here!) she offered such a fervent and heartfelt faithful prayer, asking Heavenly Father to use us as His hands and find someone who really needs both their snow shoveled, and the Gospel. she also said "we know we can be a miracle in someones life tonight."

we went and knocked on a door, the lady was quite rude and didn't want her driveway shoveled but said maybe the man next door would need it. we knocked, and a young man named Steven (about 25) said he would LOVE our help! what was amazing, was that Steven didn't need his snow shoveled, he needed the GOSPEL. he opened up to us as we were shoveling and told us that he his usually always out on Saturday nights, but he stayed home to find answers from God. his mom passed away 6 years ago, and it has changed his life. he said he had been on YouTube looking for scriptures, and praying all night for something to come from God. and THEN, WE knocked on his door. GOD IS REAL!!! miracles are real <3 i=""> we told him right then that we had prayed to know where Heavenly Father wanted us, and he led us to his home. he started crying! we testified of eternal families and Gods plan for him. the spirit was SO STRONG in that driveway! we even finished by singing "Families can be Together Forever" for him :) it was an incredible experience, something i will never forget. we really are God's hands! and when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, miracles do happen :) this is HIS work, and i feel so blessed to be a part of it to see these incredible answers to prayers in others lives.

transfer calls were last night, we didn't receive one, so Hermana Hoffman and i will be killing it together here in Mississauga for at least another 6 weeks! WAHOO!!! our area is on fire and i can't wait :) there is a lot in store this transfer and i am excited to see even more miracles. missionary work is amazing! i couldn't be happier to be serving my Savior Jesus Christ :)

XOXO, HERMANA HORTON

week 34

​we got 2 feet of snow last night. SOOO MUCH!! its been snowing more this week, i think we got an easy January for Canada.... but welcome to February!!! hey, the more the merrier. i love the snow!

there were lots of miracles this week. tuesday was so amazing! one of those days where we were completely led by the spirit, right where the Lord wanted us to find some incredibly prepared people. we found 3 new investigators that day, all different teaching situations, all 3 with members - and 1 of them was actually a SOLID friend of one of the awesome families in the ward, the Gundakers :) (they are my family out here. i seriously love them SO MUCH!!!!) and let me just tell you, that is not a common thing here in Spanish work in Canada. Tuesday was a miracle!! when we were going from one place to the next, Hermana Hoffman and i were constantly looking at each other just in complete AWE at how amazing God is in this work. the Spirit is strong everyday, and when we follow it, miracles happen! 

Jose is slowly progressing more and more. its so amazing to watch the Gospel change peoples lives. i love it! we have taught him several times this week, and although he hasn't accepted a date to be baptized (yet:) God is preparing and working on him; it's all in God's timing!

i am learning to rely on the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Savior, and i know we can always turn to Him. He always knows how i feel, and i think that's something that i love most. knowing i'm not doing this alone. as an instrument in the Lords hands i know this is HIS work, but i also know that HE is who we rely on. He loves us with an infinite love. His Atonement is real and powerful and truly life changing.

thank you to all those who love and support me. i feel your prayers and appreciate them so much <3 a="" being="" i="" love="" missionary.="" nbsp="" span="">

XOXO, HERMANA HORTON