Week 53 ~ Ciudad Obregon ~ Elder Juarez (TRANSFER DAY-Stayed the same)

Hi Family,
This week we received transfers..... and I'm staying here in Valles and staying with my same companion!! haha this will be our 3rd change together, which is going to be 4 months and a half! Thats crazy!! haha But we are doing good, we are HAPPY about it, we are getting to know one another very very good!! haha W e can pretty much communicate with out talking! haha 

Mom we made the recipe for Banana Bread. We didn't have a bread pan so we used what we had. It didn't change the taste, it was delicious.

This week we have been putting in a lot of time with Alonzo, Which has an addiction with drinking and drugs, so we are visiting with him everyday and we are seeing a huge change in his countenance!! Like really, he is waiting for us to come and he greets us smiling and with a glow almost! He is receiving strength to be able to say no to offers to drink and to drugs!! And this Sunday he told us that he was going to go to church by himself, and when it came to church, he didn't show up, which worried me, but next thing I know he showed up and sat down right next to me!! Smiling!! haha he is a great guy!! I'm so happy for him and seeing the gospel in his life. I KNOW that he see's how much his life is being affected by these little changes and he's feeling the gospel take affect. I love watching people's lives change because of the gospel. There is NO GREATER JOY!!!!

Saturday we had a talent show as a ward activity, and our convert Jorge wanted to sing! So he did!! haha It was so funny, but he did good! and we did a skit as missionaries. It was all fun stuff! We had a good week. I love ward activities and the joy that is there among the members when they are all together. 

 Here is Jorge singing and some of the members at the talent show.

 I love you all, have a great week!!!

Elder Horlacher

Week 52 ~ Ciudad Obregon ~ Elder Juarez

HEY everyone!!

This week we had some cool experiences!! Like to start off, one day we were walking at the edge of our area, when we were contacting someone, and I saw a couple with a little girl in the distance. After we got done contacting the person we were contacting, I saw that the wife got in the bus and the husband started walking home.. When we almost passed the street he walked down, I said to my companion, "wait, lets go contact him!" So we went and talked to him, he let us in and we started talking. Then we said the first prayer and asked him if he says prayers. When he responded, "ya I say prayers everyday, and that's why you guys are here.... I asked God why he has left me abandoned! So he is answering my prayer and led you to me!!" I was jaw dropped really!!! like dang! That was a huge spiritual experience, because he accepted a baptismal date, and told us he will read and pray! his name is Ariel! Please pray for Ariel that he will continue to feel our Saviors Love through us. 

This week we have been working alot with Alonzo, he is a drug addicted, alcoholic, lil guy that is trying to change his life! So we are really trying our best with him to help him put the principles of the gospel in his life! And it so awesome to watch him progressing!! He came to church and really liked it, it was his second time coming to Church! 

Today we went to McDonalds and we met 4 Americans, They came down to Mexico to play Baseball! It was so crazy and funny talking with them, because its kinda hard for me to speak English right! haha and their accents were so funny! haha they were from down south! and chicago! haha  but the Big Macs aren't big.... they are tiny! They use to fill my hand. haha Please tell me that this is just in Mexico, not the states.

But I love the package I got!! thanks so much!! i love it all!!!! love you all!!!

Elder Horlacher

 This is Elder Horlacher in front of his house.

To THE Best Mom Ever-Happy Birthday!!

Mom, 
I just wanted to take a moment to write you and tell you how much I truly do love you! I just want you to know that I have always seen you as a person to go to, to receive counsel, but I've learned, that you are ALWAYS listening to the spirit in what you need to teach or talk to me about! So I just want you to know that I miss you a lot but I truly do feel your love for me everyday, and I hope that you feel mine for you!! I miss your voice cheering (yelling) for me in my games or in what ever I am doing, even when its something dumb... like when you yell my name, "TREV~~OR!!" haha I miss making you laugh at my stupid things I do!! I miss your look when I show you stupid youtube videos that I think are funny and you don't, but most of all I miss telling you in person, "I love you" and giving you a hug! Man I miss that the most!!  
I just wanted to make you cry ;) hope it is working... :) 
but really Mom, I hope you have a very very happy birthday!! on Sunday!! I hope dad does something very special for you!! haha well I love you mom, like this much----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------! 
Have a great week! From your very burnt son that's in Mexico... Elder Horlacher or in spanish... Elder orlaker

Week 51 - Ciudad Obregon ~ Elder Juarez

Well this week we had a lot of problems with investigators and teaching, but what we did have this week was Family Home Evenings with families! And let me tell you that, FHE is one of the most powerful things that a family can do to strengthen Family relationships. 

We had a FHE with a Less active family that is experiencing  difficulties in their family. We started out normal with a hymn and a prayer, then we started with the spiritual thought and after me and my companion shared our thoughts, they all gave their testimony and shared their love for one an other, and it was something special. They started crying and the spirit was pretty powerful in that moment! It reminded me of our FHE's or Family councils, I got a little home sick haha, but all was well because we played some games which got the family laughing! Which also reminded me of you guys!! haha I just want you guys (my family) I love you all and miss you guys a lot! Thanks to you guys I am here on my mission and teaching people how to have a family like mine!

I LOVE when they open up and realize that their 

FAMILY IS EVERYTHING and the FAMILIES CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER!!! It really makes being here in Mexico so worth it and I can't even tell you what it does for my heart!!!

We also had another FHE with the family Ruiz and that's when we got to make my favorite pie.... Chocolate Pie!!! but you know what they say, "you learn from your mistakes"... haha¨¨  it didn't turn out how I hoped but it was great! anyways.. haha Mom, I really appreciate all of the work that you put into the chocolate pie a lot more now... ours didn't turn out very well, the crust was soft and very thick. We just used a type of butter here because Crisco doesn't exist here in Mexico.  About the family Ruiz, they are both converts and the dad lived in Utah about 6 years ago. They are a really cool family. They remind me a lot of you guys... 

Elder Horlacher making the pudding while the crust is baking.

In the recipe I gave him every step of instructions so that he would know what

goes into making the homemade Chocolate Pie. So he is blending the dry ingredients.

So now he is making the pudding over the heat,

You are to stir NONE STOP for at least 15 minutes until it starts boiling,

then remove from the heat and add butter and vanilla & pour into your crust.

And here is his BIG smile that he has on his face EVERY TIME I

make this Chocolate Pie

Here they are digging in.

Obviously he didn't let it sit for 3 hours to let set.

He LOVES this family!!!!

 We went to Guaymas today to renew our visas, and it was a great time to spend time with my district from the MTC! I love spending time learning and visiting with all of them. As we were talking I noticed that all of them have leadership positions, but me. I got to thinking, what am I doing wrong? Am I NOT Leadership material? Then mom, you sent me your highlights of your lesson on Sunday and that was like an answer to my prayers.  I loved it, thanks mom! I really needed that, because almost everyone that came with me are leaders... but me haha no prob but I just need to be a better leader to my companion like you said and to the members in my ward! Thanks so much mom.
We bought 4 pizzas for 5 missionaries and bought DQ blizzards!! haha great times! Well that's pretty much all this week.. but love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Horlacher

Check out this cat for a GOOD LAUGH!!!!

I RECEIVED my PACKAGE!!!!

 My son was pretty excited to find weights, it was 80- kilos which equals 176 lbs.

The bench was a couple of milk crates with a piece of wood and a towel.

 He did a rep of 15 and his companions were freaking out!!!

Week 50 ~ Ciudad Obregon ~ Elder Juarez

General Conference HOORAY!! 

This week was really hard in missionary work, but it was an awesome weekend because of General Conference!! We really didn't have any success this week, our investigators weren't there or just in the end, they didn't come to the conference. But we did go to the church and watched General Conference after we got the internet to work. And let me tell you, I learned a lot about the Plan of Salvation, and that we need to be examples for everybody.. and I really learned the importance that we have to repent daily!! We need to repent to arrive back with our Heavenly Father. We need to repent to have the spirit with us daily, we need to repent to have the light of Christ in our eyes. We just need to repent! 

I learned again and felt from the spirit that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God and God uses him to voice his word. As I sat and watched our Prophet speak to us and go weak, the spirit testified to me that HE IS OUR LIVING PROPHET and how much I love that man.  I learned that God has his servants here on earth to answer my prayers, even though they were talking in Utah, I felt like they were speaking to me, Elder Trevor Horlacher in Mexico!! I Know that we need to prepare ourselves for the trials that are going to be placed before us, and I know that Satan is going to use my weaknesses to discourage me and make me want to quit, but I have the Promise of the Lord that he will be in front of my face, and his Angels will be on my left and right to bare me up (all of you also have this promise)!! 

During conference it rained pretty hard during the afternoon session on Saturday, then when we went to eat and we finished we started walking back to the church for the Priesthood Session it started sprinkling, then the rain drops got huge and we still had 20 minutes to walk... so we decided to run!! haha and by the time we got there we were drenched in water, just imagine 2 guys in white shirts and ties running through huge puddles in the street, and with huge smiles on our faces!! haha that was me and my companion, it was so fun! But we didn't have very much fun in the session because the AC was really cold and when your drenched YOU FREEZE!!!... haha but all is well! I got warm from the spirit that I felt during the Priesthood Session.

I LOVE you all,

Elder Horlacher