Week 57 ~ Ciudad Obregon ~ Elder Juarez

So Family, we had a very,very great week this week. We had a lot of meetings as missionaries and ward councils! 

 Elder Horlacher's district

But all in all we are seeing A LOT of progress, for instance, We have found some less actives and one of them is 17 years old, his name is Fernando, and he has had some addiction problems. But when he found him and first taught him, he was very, very excited to see us and had such a strong desire of wanting to be better. So we started sharing the lessons with him and his family! and we invited them to church, which they excepted but more then just excepted, they acted!!! They came to church, and the whole church services the topic was on SERVICE... and in the young men's class they asked if they would like to go on missions and he said yes and now has a bigger desire to change his life!! and that is really cool to see!! honestly!! 

Another man that I am Honestly Amazed is Alonso!! Alonso took the decision this Sunday to be Baptized, and let me just tell you a little about his story. So to start off, he was a drug addict, and one day we were walking down a new street, when we just happened to asked him, "what was the name of the street?", then we asked if we could share a message with him, when he started telling us that we arrived at a very precise moment... later he told us that he was having some very troublesome thoughts in that moment, and that when we came at that moment that was a manifestation from God, saying that "God loves him!" and that was awesome to hear.. But he had a lot of struggles and trials in his transformation. REALLY  I haven't seen a man tried as much as him, and such a strength of the testimony that he has... like a few days before his baptism a friend of his told him that he was once a member of the Church, but he said to Alonso, "I don't want to hurt you but the Mormons don't have the truth".... and that's when Alonso looked at him in the eyes and told him, "Don't worry, It didn't hurt me, I know That its true and I Am going to be baptized with them!!!"  I was amazed at the testimony that he has obtained! Then another obstacle came on the day of his baptism which was Sunday. The cable guy went to his house to put the cable in his house!! (Here in Mexico, CABLE is sooo important and they LOVE their TV, so that usually an excuse for people to brush us off) but lo and behold Alonso arrived at church!! and helped with everything prayers, testimonies, and after church was his baptism! It was great!! He has Progressed so much in the gospel! and is very willing and knowing that he has to endure to the end! He is going to be a great member and strength for others around this area.

Alonso was baptized by a member named Ramon. His mom and sister came to see the baptism, and it was a great experience! 

We also found a family to teach, they're the family Utires Ochoa! and they are a family of 4, the dad is a less active, but the wife and 2 kids aren't members! We taught them and then the next day they came to church! They only came for 2 hours, but it was great to see them there! We put a baptismal date for the 20 de December! and they all accepted! 

Jorge now has the priesthood, and actually I ordained him to the office of a Priest... he asked me if I would ordain him! He is doing really good, he is looking for a job right now, but is staying very excited about everything! 

Well HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I am very thankful for everyone of you for writing me or even just reading my emails! I truly do love you all for simply that!! I hope you all enjoy the time you have with your families because like they say,"Friends may come and go, But the Family is always there!" Truly I invite everyone to show your love for your family, not just through your words but through your actions, Serve your family.. Truly love them, like the lord truly loves you!! That is where our greatest JOYS are found, with our FAMILIES!!!  Well I'm also grateful for a Savior that was willing to pay the price of my sins. I am forever in debted to him. But like I said about our love for our family, we need to show him that we are really grateful, we need to serve and help, and Repent, Live the gospel, and Keep the commandments! Well I love you all and have a great day of turkey!! 

Elder Horlacher

Week 55 ~ Ciudad Obregon ~ Elder Juarez

Sooooo ~ This week went by so very, very good. We saw many blessings in the work we were doing! This week we have been visiting with Alonso, and he started saying to us that he would like to come with us to visit people and share his testimony with them. So we invited him to an activity that we were going to do, which is talk with people in a flee market, that's what they do here. I carried the table over my head for about a mile ;) to the flee market. Where we set up and started talking with people passing by! I held up a poster that said "ENGLISH CLASSES ¨FREE¨", and you would be surprised at how many people here know a little bit of English but want to know more! So I told them where and when and it was going to  be held, which was actually like an hour later from the activity! We had 4 people come to the Class!!! I was so surprised! But during the activity Alonso was helping us and he was contacting people saying, "these guys are from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and we are sharing a message of jesucristo during this English Class!! It was so awesome to see him doing that and sharing with these people what he thought was important and what we share is important! 

But I had a test FAITH! So Alonso had a job opportunity or interview on the day when we planned to do this activity and he told us that he would come with us! So when we showed up to pick him up, he told us that he couldn't go because he has a job interview, and that's when my companion said, "well you know what, this happened to me also and I choose to go do visits with the Elders, and the next day they gave me the job anyways!" Then he told him that it will happen to him also!! I was like dang!! OK... then Alonso looked at me and said, "what do you think Elder Horlacher?" I looked at him and said, "you know what, if you have faith, God will bless you!" At that moment it hit me hard, and then I questioned myself, "would I have enough faith to make these sacrifices that I'm asking of my investigators?" It's a big question of FAITH. But I know I would in the end of all things! I will,I know the Lord will provide a way, after a test of our faith!! 

We as a mission are going to read the Book of Mormon in 100 days, and I invite everybody who can and is willing to accept the challenge and read the Book of Mormon in 100 days with me!! I know it will help in your lives a ton! And you will have a stronger testimony of why we need to read the Book of Mormon everyday! 

Well I love you all and be safe this week!! 

Love Elder Horlacher

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.