Week 2-Esperanza-Elder Islas

HOLA Familia,

So this week has been good, but really HOT... haha This week we haven't been keeping up to our set standards so we did a district fast, and I saw the blessings of that, the day of!! EVERY  investigator or members house we went to had some friends or family over that we ended up teaching and getting their info, and setting up appointments for this week! So i'm really excited for that! and this saturday i got to witness my first babtism here! it was way cool, but alot of work goes into getting the font and church clean for the babtism haha we got notice of the babtism at 3 30 that saturday and started cleaning and getting everything ready for 3 hours, it was so great. 

Also we tried giving tours of the church and give free limonade to people passing the church with some lessons but the people just werent taking the bait haha ;) we only gave 2 tours and gave out alot of pamphlets, and were left with 5 gallons of limonade.... haha 

I got to play soccer today, it was really a lot of fun but it gets so hot... wow we were playing as sponges, drenched in sweat haha and we are going to carve pumpkins for Halloween as a district so that should be fun.

But I LOVE IT OUT HERE, the work is hot, hard on the feet, hard on the mind (Spanish....) but all in all REALLY KINDA FUN and EXCITING! the spanish is coming slowly... haha but i see improvement everyday! I finished the Book of Mormon this week and man it is the most true thing in this world haha like it made me love reading which is really hard haha I got one of the most amazing comforting, warming feeling reading Moroni 10:3-5, i know for a fact this gospel is true, that Jose Smith is a true prophet of god, yo se que eso el libro de mormon es palabras de dios, y eso dios nuestro amoroso padre celestial ama me y ustedes mucho, yo puedo sentir su ama para me cada dia! God works in mysterious ways so work to know him! i love all of you and hope you know that! perdon me espanol testimonio jaja ;) 

Love, Elder Horlacher

Pictures from Esperanza-Elder Islas

 My handsome boy

Walking, Walking, Walking!!!

So glad to see that he has his water bottle filtration system, instead of Coke!!!

 Trevor wanted to show us this huge tree!!!

 The missionaries gave tours of the church building and gave our Book Of Mormons & Limeade.

 My missionary with his companion, Elder Islas

 The baptismal font 

 Walking home from a long day at the church giving tours.

I love my missionary!!!

Trevor said that this was a typical meal: Chicken, Tortillas and COKE! Yuck!!

1st Week-Esperanza-Elder Islas

Hello everyone, ( i only can speak or write English very little so...)

This last week has been awesome!! But also very exhausting, we walk probably 2 hours straight a day in the 100 degrees heat! haha its so fun! but to start off the 1st day we went and talked with some memebers and investigators and of course I had no clue what was going on, haha but its all good! Then I get to the apartment and see that its dirty and the bathroom is just a mess, haha kinda gross, but still a thrill being in mexico!! So the next day we go to members and investigators but I don't know what is what, or who is who because the Spanish is so different here! but every morning me and my comp practice teaching each other the lesson we will be teaching and when I was done teaching he told me that the spirit was very strong during my testimony and the lesson, so that just told me something I already knew but brought it back into mind. That I have the most valuable player on my team, but I can't see him and he can't be there unless I'm playing correctly on my side. The spirit is what converts people not me, so that was a big deal for me. Friday is when I actually participated in a lesson besides giving a prayer or telling them where I'm from.... haha but my comp was teaching then when it came to teaching about Joseph Smith he looked at me and said, "your turn" and I just looked shocked haha but then I just started teaching about Joseph Smith and then shared the first vision and then we challenged them to come to church!  But when Sunday came around they were no where to be found soo... sad day... I really felt bad, it was a weird feeling for me at that time but ya..

The buses here are crazy, so ghetto compared to Americas! haha but we hardly use the bus so we walk everywhere probably walk at least 8 miles a day haha but on sunday we walked like 1 hour to go give this women that has dunghi? its from mosquitos, that was cool, i played with a little kid for the first time haha that was good, i played soccer with some mexicans.....  we womped on them haha no competition... haha jk they beat us once but only once...  I am trying spicy food or hot sauce haha trying to adapt here,,,, maybe one day i will be able to handle it haha

Our investigators right now are marco, marco and conception, rafeal and leonarda, rita, joshua, we have alot of investigators, but we are really progressing with rafeal and leonarda, they are in a really poor situation, they're house is very very humble, no lights, no food, no air conditioning, we are trying to help them with the gospel... but i don't know ... so if you all could help and pray for them that would help a lot. 

My espanol is coming slowly but i can see progress and my comp is awesome and I like it here, I love all of you a lot thanks for all your prayers and love, I feel it every day!! sorry about this letter... I love all of you so much!!

Elder Horlacher

 Elder Horlacher's District

 Just random pictures of Mexico

 The inside of the buses

 They have a Wal-Mart

 Trevor said, "Only 1 week walking the dirt streets of Mexico and my shoes are thrashed!!"
I told him to start Tip Toeing the streets of Mexico.

Typical Missionary Meal

El Polo Loco Chicken and Tortillas and COKE!!

My Birthday Present From Elder Horlacher

Today was my birthday, but it was also the funeral of the little girl from our neighborhood, Natalie Petersen. So it was a pretty sad day. But deep in my heart all I wanted was to hear from my missionary. I knew that it would be far fetched, considering I just heard from him on Wednesday and I will hear from him on his Pday on Monday. So it was just a wish. Well during the funeral my phone buzzed and I looked and there was an email that said, "Trevor Horlacher sent pictures" I opened the email and was sooooo excited. Soo many pictures, but no letter or captions, but I get to see pictures of my missionary. I was so excited. So here they are:

 These are some of the last pictures that he took in the MTC.

 Trevor said that this picture reminds him of Him and I.

Yes I bawled when I read that!!!

 His shoes are falling apart already and he's not even in Mexico!!!

 His room in the MTC Main.

He had been in the West MTC for the last 5 weeks and moved to the Main one

5 days before he leaves for Mexico. A lot different from what he was use to.

He had his own room in the West MTC and now he's sharing with 8 missionaries.

 On the plane leaving SLC on their way to Texas!

 Decending into Texas and all of the missionaries calling home!!

 I sent Trevor a phone so he was able to talk to us for a while.

 Decending into Mexico City, Mexico

 He's happy he's in Mexico - this picture is 12 hours apart, he got a bit on his first night in Mexico.

 Mexico City Temple and Visitors Center

 Elder Horlacher's traveling group, 1 Hermana and 7 Elders

 Meeting his Mission President

 Pictures of his apartment - Home Sweet Home