Week 71 ~ Guamuchil, Sinaloa ~ Elder Alverenga TRANSFER DAY

So this week went by very fast, we had a lot of preparations to make for the district and in our area! First off I gave my whole district a kakui nut necklace in our last district meeting! I knew transfers were coming up and there was a possibility that I would be transferred since I had been there 7 months, so I love my district and I wanted them to know it, HAWAIIAN STYLE!!!  It was awesome, they all loved it and I'm pretty sure that they all wore it all day haha ;) I did do it Hawaiian Style, by putting it on their neck and giving them a hug, BUT NOT THE SISTERS!!!! 

 but also we were trying to help Domingo and Elizabeth get married all week but they encountered some trouble and couldn't find the papers that Domingo needed to be able to get married. So they didn't get married and he wasn't able to be baptized. But he still is very very excited and animated to get married and be baptized! 

I had to go and do 4 interviews for my District on Friday! I literally was on the bus going to Pueblito to Pueblito all day long! But it was really cool to see how humble the people live, it's cool to be reminded to be grateful for what you have! and later on Saturday the sister missionaries had a baptism and I baptized the 12 year old boy, he is really cool, he has Down Syndrome but really loves the gospel and tries his best to do right! He was afraid of the water but little by little he got over his fears! and was baptized! 

We got to hear from a member of the 70 for stake conference, and he gave some of the best talks ever. He talked about marriage and how the First Presidency is really worried about husbands and wives in the church, in how we need to love our spouses better! It was really powerful, and then he talked about how missionary work is actually the work of the members and the missionaries are just angels here to help the members!! That was very cool! 

SOO hey back home!! Work and teach and preach as missionaries do!! 

I got Changes (Transfers) and now I'm in Guamuchil, Sinaloa.! It is like 6 hours from my other area in valles! It's the furthest south in my mission. Its really cool and my new comp. is Elder Alverenga he's from Salvador!

Its going to be a great time here in my new area! I feel like I'm starting all over, but the excitement is overwhelming. I can't wait to meet new people, new investigators and share the gospel!!!

Love ya all and have a great week!

Elder Horlacher

Week 70 ~ Ciudad Obregon ~ Elder Salomon

So this week was a very busy week!! We were planning all week on the baptism of Domingo.. but this week we were preparing him for his baptism.. but I'm going to tell this story from the beginning. So we were planning an activity as missionaries for our ward and it turned out that it was only us missionaries in charge of it... haha it was pretty crazy.. but we had about 20 people come to our activity and what we did was do some games like bowling with my rugby ball, water balloon toss, and sack races... it was pretty fun, it was to show to the members and investigators how fun the church can be and how important it is to work in teams!

So after we were over whelmed and giving them nachos... we asked the bishop when we could have the baptismal services for Domingo (it was Saturday night!) when he asked me "if they have been married", so I told him "no". So he told me that he feels that we should wait to baptize him until they are married, so that they don't get condemned if they move in together... I was like "but, but ,but..." I didn't know what to say, but it made sense...  Then bishop said that we should ask our leaders and see what they think also. So I called President Munive our mission president and he confirmed the notion... which is to wait to baptize him... so at 7 Saturday night we went and explained the situation with Domingo and told him that he wasn't going to be baptized the next day, but until after they get married. he looked really sad and frustrated, because he was really excited to get baptized! We explained that God has his reasons why this is happening like this and that one of them is to strengthen their family! That they can enter in the temple in a year and be sealed for time and all eternity! He really liked that and found comfort.

On Sunday we had 5 investigators in church!! Domingo, and The Garcia Familia!! It was soooo cool, they all loved it and really felt loved by the members!  Also I gave Javier the Priesthood last week and he blessed the sacrament for the first time and did a great job! and Manuel passed the sacrament for the first time!!! I felt like a proud parent, it was great! To see them in white shirts and ties for the first time!! Such a great Sunday!! 

NEWS OF THE DISTRICT.. every companionship in my district are going to baptize this week!! wahoo! this was one good week! 

Love you all and have a great week!

Elder Horlacher

 I got to go on Intercambios with Elder Yoo!!!

 We found a KFC and got to eat American Food!!!

Week 69 ~ Ciudad Obregon ~ Elder Salomon

NO LETTER THIS WEEK!!! I told Elder Horlacher that I didn't get a letter from him and he said that he sent it, but he found out that they were having problems with myldsmail.net. So on Monday, 2/22/16 he went back to his sent emails and resent it to me from the Monday before:

Hey everyone, this week went very good for us, or a lot better then the weeks before. We taught The family Garcia, and they are really liking everything we are teaching them! They are progressing a lot!! The mom, Maricela, is only having a little bit of troubles understanding prophets and apostles, and Joseph Smith, but she likes everything and feels good about it all!! We are trying to help her to understand everything. Her 3 daughters are learning a lot, especially one, her name is Lucia, she is 17 and really has a lot of interest and really likes the church. So when we invited them to church they said that they would go alone, so we took their word and we decided to send them text that morning to remind them, and they responded and said, "they will be there!" So when Sunday arrives we are there waiting and time starts passing and they still haven't come... so we just thought that they weren't going to come... and we started giving our talks (because we always give talks as missionaries every 2nd Sunday of every month!) and while I was giving my talk when I see Lucia walk in! I was so happy and excited! but it turns out that it was only her that came! All the rest of them slept in...  But the point is, is that she came alone!! and she told us after the meeting that she loved it and that she is going to go to the mutual and activity Saturday!! We are going to have a FHE tonight with them! 

 We are also still teaching Domingo, and he is really progressing, he is loving the gospel and the way it is changing his family. He see's his son very very happy and I think it surprises him, how the gospel can do that to a family. He is preparing to be baptized either this Sunday or next Saturday! so we are planning on that. 

As a district we all had 2 investigators in the church!! We are progressing as a district!! and we are all planning on baptizing this month again!! It's so awesome to see the success of our efforts as missionaries and as a district.

But I just want to say that I love you all and "Chung" buddy. I hope you all had a great Valentines day and here's all my love for you all! 

Elder Horlacher

Week 68 ~ Ciudad Obregon ~ Elder Salomon

So ~ Family this week we had a good week. We had a lot of appointments fall through, like normal, but we have found another family to teach!! They are such a special family... haha they have a mom who is trying something new, listening to us, trying to do the best for her family. Then she has 3 daughters who are 18, 14, and 10 years old. One of them is doubting that God exists, then another doesn't believe God exists, and last is alright with everything! haha so we taught them the first lesson and they absolutely loved it!! It was one of the coolest lessons we have taught in a while!!  We challenged them for baptism (that's what we do as missionaries, challenge everyone to baptism) and they all accepted!  They are the family Garcia! 

Elizabeth and her boyfriend are planning on getting married on the 14th of February, Valentines Day, because it is free and a special day. haha So Domingo is preparing to be baptized on the 28th, he came to church on Sunday and is progressing a lot!! We are going to visit with him today, and see what he thought about church.  We are really trying to find a lot of more people like Domingo to teach. Love ya all!! 

Elder Horlacher

Week 67 ~ Ciudad Obregon ~ Elder Salomon

So, well I have been District Leader for about 2 weeks now and man, just let me tell you, it is really stressful... haha I have to call all the companionships that are in my district every night, then after I have to call the zone leaders. So we pretty much end the night pretty late! Its pretty rough and also fun at the same time. This past Friday I did an interview with an investigator that was preparing to be baptized, he lives in a little town about an hour outside of Obregon, so we planned on heading out there at about 3:00pm. So we went to the bus stop and started waiting (here in Mexico they don't have set times of when the buses come).... and we waited and waited... we waited for 3 hours and finally we got on the bus, but then the bus took 2 hours to get there!! haha so we got there, but the story is not over.... we then had to ride a bike with two people on it for about 2 miles.... haha and remember the types of bikes that are here in Mexico, especially for me. So I pedaled and my companion rode, I can only imagine what people thought when they saw us... haha but we finally got there and I interviewed him. It was a cool experience!! This was my first baptismal interview that I have conducted. Then after the interview we had to ride the bike back and hurry and get on a bus that wasn't there.... we waited again like 1 hour, it came and we got home at 9:45 in the night!! It was a crazy, tiring day!! But I love these memories that I am creating and that I will be able to look back on a laugh about. 

This week on the other hand was a very, very hard week .... none of our investigators were home... none answered their doors... so we walked a lot this week.. but from all of our troubles and difficultly, we received a huge blessing from our Heavenly Father! We received a call from Elizabeth (the lady that I just baptized), she asked us if we could come by later... so we did and she introduced us to her future husband!! haha and the best part is that he wants to be baptised!!! haha it was so awesome, a huge blessing with the bad, rough week we had!!  His baptismal date is for the 28th of February! 

I love you all and I'm having a great time here with Elder Salomon! love ya and have a great week!

Elder Horlacher