Training and new companions & Hola hola!

I apologize... I've slacked off on getting letters posted.  So here are 2 weeks of letters.  I will get a new one today but I didn't want to wait any longer to post these.  He has (of course) been doing well and still loving the work!  He is getting along awesomely with his new companions.  He told me that they are all a little bit goofy so why wouldn't they get along ;)  hahaha!  

He was a bit sick last week :(  Well I guess a LOT sick from the sound of it!  I guess that lesson about how long you should and shouldn't leave food in your fridge and EAT IT was forgotten???  He ate some KFC that had sat in the fridge just a little too long and got pretty darn sick!  Thank heavens for Lupe for getting him the meds he needed giving him the advise he needed to help him get well.  I don't know what I'd/he'd do without the members help :)  Needless to say tho, I was on Amazon the next day and sending snacks and food through Amazon Pantry.  They are fed VERY well by members so the best I can come up with is that he was hungry at home and they didn't have anything else to eat???  I sent plenty to keep him from getting hungry.  Hopefully?? :/  LOL!!  Who knows with boys!!  Who knows with Alex!!  He is ALWAYS hungry!  

He also sent me the name of song to listen to a couple weeks ago.  Alex's love for music and my own are one in the same.  He knows what touches me and will bring a tears to my eyes.  Little stink!  I bawled my eyes out!  It describes my feeling and thoughts and prayers as the momma of a missionary for sure!  I posted a link to the song so you could hear it also...

 I love him!!  Enjoy.  <3

Click on this link to watch the video Bless My Son

My attempt at a butt part (Don't worry I didn't actually wear it though whole day)

Butt Part

This is Elder Mota's elephant! We were driving back from Leadership meeting and he yells "Elephant! A live elephant!" We all were super confused and we all turned around to see this elephant and he's saying "I swear I saw an elephant!" So we pulled up to this and we all busted up laughing

So this is Manuel that Elder Guereca and I both taught in Tulare. Elder Guereca found him and started teaching him. Then a few transfers after I followed through with him. It's been a whole year since he's been found and now he's baptized! His baptism was this past Thursday

September 14th

Training and new companions

Wow this week was such a spiritual eye opener for me and I think a lot of missionaries. I've had the opportunity to do something I've never done before, and that is to train! I'll speak of that a little bit more later in my letter. Elder Guereca is my Zone Leader companion and we are both training Elder Ordonez. Elder Guereca is from Monterrey Mexico and Elder Ordonez is from Mesa Arizona. Just to give you a background of what they're like; Elder Guereca is super goofy! But if anyone knows me really well I'm the same way. We both have a blast together! I can tell already that we're going to be good together and be goofballs :) Elder Ordonez is good too! His first few days in the mission he was a little bit shy but is starting to talk a lot more. He's so humble and teachable. It makes me so happy that we got a good trainee :). He'll be such a stud missionary in the future.

We had a great week! Tuesday we went to the missionary farewell and that was the end of last transfer. It's so crazy how fast these transfers go by. It's weird that I have 5 more after this one and those will fly. Wednesday was when we the trainers got to go to the temple and I went with the questions I wanted the Lord to answer. I had prepared before hand and felt that I was going to need to set an example for our trainee. I wasn't really sure how I was going to do it. After the temple session we all gathered in to the stake center next door and had a trainer discussion and talked about what's to be expected from us. There in that meeting is where I really saw how I was going to be a better example, which was through greater and more exact obedience. Well sometimes it's easier said than done to be exactly obedient because we're never perfect. Thursday is when I really found my "spiritual eye opener". That day the trainers gathered together to have another discussion just before meeting the trainees. So Elder Guereca and I we were getting super pumped to see our new trainee! When we met him oh it was so cool! The way that President Clark does it is he takes us to the front of the chapel and calls the trainers up and then after he calls up the trainees. He then has the trainees pick which companion he thinks his trainer will be. Well Elder Ordonez was called up and so was Elder Guereca and I and we were both facing Elder Ordonez and President Clark asks, "Elder Ordonoz which one do you think is your companion?", and so he points to Elder Guereca! And he goes and gives him a big hug! And I just stand there... Haha after a few seconds President Clark says, "Well guess what, you get two of them!", and I went up and gave him a big hug! After all of that President Clark spoke to us and that's when I had my spiritual eye opener. So training is so important! It determines the success of the mission! What I received that day was exactly how I was going to be exactly obedient. What I wrote to President Clark describes it perfectly:

"Thank you so much for your letter and also I want to especially thank you for the opportunity Elder Guereca and I have to be together and also to be training Elder Ordonez. This past week during the trainer/trainee gathering I felt such a prompting to put all of my selfish desires/motives aside and to go out and serve these last two transfers and a half with a different motive. Especially during training. It's not to say that I'm a selfish person or anything, but the only true motive worth living and serving for is love right? And that motivation of love comes from serving because we love the Lord Jesus Christ. I've never had this opportunity to train before and never recognized how big of a position it is until we came together at the mission office before meeting our trainees. I know this is so important, and I know that love motivation is what's going to be key in training and in everything we do these next few months. So I just want to thank you for this opportunity! It helped me to take a step back and look at the important things of why we really are here, or why we should be here."

And so I just want to let you know that that's exactly what's going to help me be a better example. It's that love for the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the reason we do everything, and it should be the reason we're here. I'm so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's such a testimony builder to me that missions is just like an MTC for life. Every single day I thank the Lord for everything he's given me, and especially for the opportunity I have to be here. I thank family at home and I am blessed to have a family who's helped to get to where I am today. So I know that I love ya! You all mean the world to me.

So I'll end it there. My time is almost up and I have to get going but I hope that you all had a great week! Sorry I'm not able to reply to everyone about the awesome stuff that's happened this week. Just know that the work is doing great! I love it so much. And I love you all! Take care until next time!

Love,
Elder Horrocks

p.s. if you ever have the opportunity to listen to "The work" album by Nashville Tribute Band, listen to a song called Bless my son. I think you'll like it :)



September 21st

Hola hola!

So first off, I have to give my apologies at the beginning of this letter because who knows if I'll have a lot of mess ups writing this. Last night I got the chills sleeping and next thing I knew I had a fever of 102 and maybe a little bit of food poison. I think it was something I ate yesterday. I'm still a little bit sick right now and have no energy whatsoever haha I got 0 hours of sleep so I'm not fully with it. But I'm not dead so that's good :)

We had such a great week this week! A lot of fun stuff has been going on for us. My new comps Elder Guereca and Elder Ordonez are awesome! I'm impressed with Elder Ordonez he seems like he's been out for a long time. Elder Guereca and I are having a blast training him. All three of us just make the work fun. President Clark came out with us last Friday to teach U. and after our lesson with him he turns to Elder Guereca and Ordonez and says that it's like they've been in Madera for as long as I or Elder Quintana have been here. Yep! I believe that to be true. These two elders are awesome! I always feel so blessed to have good companions.

Speaking of U. he's doing good! We saw him yesterday and sat down and talked and planned out his baptism for this Saturday. He's on track! Can't complain about him. D. and H. got a little off track though. H. was supposed to get his marriage license with his wife C. so that H. could be baptized but I suppose that H.'s I.D. wasn't valid? I think it has to be an I.D. from the United States and he told us he's still in that process so until he can get that he's good! D. isn't quite desiring it! Either that or there's something he hasn't told us. We believe it's drinking because we were teaching him one night and asked him what's holding him back and his mom behind him gives us this chug sign like he's been drinking. So we asked him!! And he said no hahaha so just pray that we can resolve his needs, whatever they may be.

M. is doing really good and he's always staying positive. We haven't set a baptismal goal with him yet. He came out to us saying that he's smoked a few times since he's come back from Mexico and I think it's stress with his job. He feels like a sitting potato not being able to go to work. He originally had a job driving machines out in the fields and they were going to apparently call him and get him his work schedule fixed out and  3-4 weeks or so of  nothing has happened. They weren't seeming super interested in him and so he just dropped his job and is looking for a new one. There's a few other things he wants to work at but those other things are confidential. We're going to be doing the stop smoking program with him, so let's see if it works out, which we know it will! You know what? M. kind of reminds me of Jud in a way! His story is so similar in a way and if he can quit smoking imagine what else he can do! So I have to ask what are some tips or things that Jud or you would recommend? We want to do everything we can to help him.

We have this family named the Ch. Family. Oh my gosh they're so solid!! They're like dry mormons! We've taught them twice thus far and I know the Lord prepared them for us. Wish I had more information about them but their focus is all about families and that's exactly what missionaries would want from investigators. Pray for them too please.

So me, Elder Guereca and Elder Ordonez all played in the spanish ward talent show this past Friday. We made our song in like 30 minutes haha. Elder Guereca wrote a wrap, E. Ordonez played a Tupperware bowl and I played the guitar. We got a few pictures and a video but I didn't take them so I'll see if I can get them from Elder Guereca and give them to you. Talent show was a success! Sunday we had stake conference and the guest was Elder Arnold from the Q of the 70. We'll actually be seeing him tomorrow at zone conference. This stake is awesome and it's huge! I never realized how big it is. And we're privileged to serve around great leaders and members

I'm so excited for Charlie to be in Utah! Take care of him for me will ya? I'm glad to have a piece of my mission living in Utah. He's the best! You're gonna love him.

Congrats to Wes and the team. Sick play from Wes!! Dang refs though. Tell them I said to keep working hard. What's the record for them on the season? I'm glad to see they're doing really good. Good luck to JD next week... It's weird to see Marleigh on dates (if you even call it that) My little sis is growing up! I bet it was fun... Send the family all my love this week!

Well I know this letter is short but I'm gonna cut it here. I need to go get some rest for tomorrow. I just hope by tomorrow I won't be feeling as sick as I was this morning. Les quiero!! (Love you)



Elder Horrocks

Last week of this transfer!

Another transfer down.  He's staying in Madera again :) but he will have a new companion.  He will be a Zone Leader and a Trainer.  Tripanions???  He was a little nervous about taking on both tasks at one time but he has a great attitude about it :)  We received a letter & picture of him with his new companion and the new trainee missionary, from the Mission President on Saturday.  I'm not sure if it's a general letter that they send out but it said some really nice things about Alex.  It made Justin and I both cry.  We are so blessed to have him serving!  We are also so blessed that he LOVES the work and the people.  I love hearing from him <3

I got pictures of him making tamales last week for a member's birthday.  I am also SOOOOOOO grateful for this family and for the love that they show my son.  Thanks for treating him like he is yours :) <3  Hope the birthday party was the best ever!!

Enjoy :)

Making Tamales for Lupe's Birthday

Lupe's Birthday!

Eating Grilled Oysters. Mexican Style

Eating Grilled Oysters. Mexican Style

 Low riders here. Saw this car today. Ugly painting but it's a sweet car

Making Tamales for the party

Eating at El Tibu

Last District Meeting and Transfer

Goofs

HaHa!  Thug!

Tripanions??  hahaha.  New Comps :)

Sept. 7th

Last week of this transfer!

Wow another transfer has already passed! I can't believe how fast this one has gone by either. For every companion I get they've only stayed with me two transfers. I think that's just my mission routine, get a companion for two transfers and then gone! I think President does that so we don't go insane haha who knows but I liked Elder Quintana! We went through the good and the bad together and probably had the most fun out of all the companion ships in our zone. When we found out that we were being changed we were dropping off a baptismal report to some Elders at a baptism and President Clark was there. He pulled us both aside and spilled the beans to both of us. So yes I'm staying in Madera and Elder Quintana is going to a place called Dinuba. It's a place where missionaries have never been before, so he's opening up that area and training as well! That's awesome! My new companion will be Elder Guereca and he's from Monterrey Mexico. Same place that Elder Quintana grew up in before he moved to Chihuahua. I met Elder Guereca when I was in Hughson and we had so much fun together up there! Oh by the way the both of us are Zone Leaders and training a new missionary too!!! Wish us luck! There are 4 zone leader companion ships that are training this transfer. There wasn't enough missionaries to train the new incoming missionaries so they called zone leaders. A lot of our zone is getting moved around. It's going to be hectic and fun at the same time haha.

Our investigators are all doing so well! We actually got 5 new ones this week and they're all families too. Two of them are the Ch. family and they have two little daughters. We were teaching them The Restoration and about families and they ask the question that any missionary wants an investigator to ask, "So how do you know which one is true?" They're a solid family! After our lesson they asked when we could come back and they are really interested. You could feel the spirit working through us letting them know that what we were teaching was true... The other family is An. and A. and their daughter Ad. They're not as solid as the others but we are working with them as we go.

U. is doing great! He got his new job which allows him to work Monday through Friday instead of on the weekends. It was a great testament of how the Lord is watching over that man and wants to bless a very nascent faith. He has so many good things ahead of him, and it looks like his baptismal date for the 26th of September is on course.

 H. is also set up for September 19th as well as D. for the 26th. The only obstacle that H. is trying to overcome is getting a marital licence. Bishop was with us and helping him with it but I wasn't able to understand the Spanish on that subject when we were talking to him about it. But what I did understand is that Bishop chastised him really good! Haha he hasn't been super diligent in the process of getting it done, and bishop told them that they need to be calling the office every week to get an appointment set to get their licence. I'm not sure how the process works but I suppose that you have to contact an office here everyday to see when there's an appointment, because it's super hard to get an appointment. It ALL depends on how they do this marital licence thing, because we can't force them to do anything. As for D. he just needs to simply come to church. But goodness gracious he hasn't done that for 2-3 months! We're doing everything we can to help them both.

M. came back yesterday! He's got a job working, driving trucks. We're so glad he's back though. He clicked with Elder Quintana and I and I hope that transfers doesn't change his perspective on anything. But I believe he's a lot more humble than that. He really wants to come close to God. Especially after what he's gone through. We're going to talk to him before Elder Quintana leaves and see what's up with him lately. Then I'll update you a little more about him.

So many miracles and great things are going to be happening for us this month. To be honest with you I was a little bit nervous to be training as well as being a Zone Leader. I'm not sure why. I suppose I felt apprehensive about the whole thing and how I was going to be prepared, or if I needed to do anything differently. I was just barely reading a quote by Norman Vincent Peale and it spoke peace to me. It says, "Change your thoughts and you change your world." So for now I'm just keeping a good attitude and going forward with things. I'm really excited for this new transfer!

Thanks family for all you do! I got your pictures and everything. Tell Weston to take it easy! It looks like his ankle hurts but he'll be up and running in no time. Congrats to Mar! Keep playing Varsity volleyball!

By the way my finger is fine :P it's just a little cut. I guess they worried for the white boy because normally the white boys out here in California don't work in the fields haha

Well my time is up and I gotta go! I'll send you some pictures from this week and stuff!

Love ya'll!

Elder Horrocks

Hey What's Up!! & Que pachuca!

His letter the week before last was so short and sweet that I decided to pair it with last weeks letter instead of posting it alone.  He has had a ton going on and he is still loving every moment of it!!  I'm not sure why but last weeks letter about the vineyard really touched my spirit.  I wish it was closer and I could visit them and work there also.  Maybe when we go back with him to visit that can be on our list... Although I'm thinking sometime early spring or late late fall  LOL.  110 degrees!?!??  Those people are amazing!  He said he cut his finger "a little".  I would also like to know what "a little" is if they were all worried about the white boy!!  ???  hahaha.  Be sure to watch the video about the vineyard he sent.  It was inspiring!!  Only 1 paid employee in the enitre vineyard.  Wow!

Only 8 months left!! HOLY COW!  Is it weird that I'm now having mixed emotions about him coming home???  I want to see him sooooooo badly but yet I feel so sad for the people there who will be losing my sweet boy in Fresno too.  I will also miss the spirit that is in our home from having a missionary!  Of course, by then Weston will be getting ready to leave on his and then that brings up the rollercoaster ride all over again!!  I don't know if I want my little Butterbean out on his own or how I will do it!!  ???  This rollercoaster is giving me whiplash ;) hahaha!

Enjoy his letter :)

Temple Trip

Exercising

Making tortillas for investigators

Zone activity in Oakhurst

Elder Quintana picked one of the biggest ones out there

It was 110 degrees out there.  Man it was HOT!! 

After the vineyard

August 24th

Hey what's up!

I need to apologize because this letter will be very very very short. I just got back from a Zone activity up in Oakhurst! And we have to finish our other chores for the day I'll be sending more pictures than I will a letter. I'm really sorry about that.

The Zone Activity was fun though! Probably one of the best ones we've had thus far! We did lots of stuff like ping pong, roping, pool table, lunch, a whole bunch of activities. We were not able to stay for very long though, wish we could have. Ping pong was probably the best! Made it pretty interesting. There was about 18 of us missionaries up there and all of us were playing around the world ping pong.

This week was loads of fun! Had a temple trip last Tuesday. They normally do temple sessions for zones every two transfers. I'm so glad I've got 3 more after before the mish ends. Love it! During the trip I felt lots of impressions that I just need to keep losing myself in the work. At times, especially lately, we have obstacles and hard tasks that come to us and when I feel tempted to think selfish and I feel like my body deserves a rest, I feel like President Henry B Eyring says, "Remember him." So those will be my "rallying words" as he puts it.

Our investigators are doing great! C. got baptized if I haven't mentioned that already. She started her english class this week and I'm helping her with that as well. I never thought I'd see myself teaching english. I never really even liked my english classes when I was going to school haha. M. is coming back this week. His baptism date is this weekend so were praying that he's been doing what we've taught him since he's been in Mexico so that he can be baptized.

Can't believe summer is gone and school has started again. I got to Madera at the end of the school year and it feels like just yesterday. Can't believe it!

Sorry to hear about the game last Friday. Weston has every right to keep his head up. Those group of boys are hard working. A little bit of more hard work and some fine tuning and they'll be ready to go! Tell Marz congrats about volleyball! I got all your pics and stuff and it looks like everyone's doing good!

I gotta go! love ya!

Elder Horrocks





August 31st

Que pachuca!

Sounds like this week has been awesome! I got your pictures this week. Haha I'm sorry Weston had to come back home from Hurricane after his game late at night. Sounds like there should have been lots of things that needed to be better but that they overall had a better game. 10 times better from what I've heard, that's good! Now just moving on to the next one. What did they have a game so far out there for? I'm glad everyone at home is doing good. Tell everyone that says hello that I say hello back :) I can't believe my graduating class is home haha sorry I couldn't be there! I'm in the right place though.

Our week was super fun! Lot's of success in finding new people to teach that's for sure! We found 10 new investigators this week, and 8 of them are like this big ol clan. They're the M. family. They're all cousins, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, all of the above. One night we received a phone call from our Elders Quorum President and he asked if we could go give a blessing to one of his wife's cousins I believe? Her name was L. So we went over there and we walked in and all of them were just eyes on us. Two tall white guys in a shirt and tie and the house just goes silent. We met the family sat down and talked with them all and kind of broke the ice you could say. After we got more comfortable with them we actually taught them a lesson and then gave the blessing to L. Afterwards we got everyone's addresses. Then we walked out and it kind of hit us like whoa that was 8 new investigators! The other two were from members also. One of them being J. She's 18 and has a baby and is currently still attending highschool. We taught her the Restoration and about families and she started crying. She's real special and we look forward to teaching her more later on :)... We also met this guy named E. He's english but we found him at the gas station. He's been taught by missionaries a year ago and holy cow he is animated as heck! He tells us he's not crazy but sometimes I wonder that about him haha but he's cool. He's like "Richard Shermon's interception" animated but less cocky. He's lost A LOT of things but he plans on gaining everything back. We know he can if he will start following God again.

We went to the vineyard on Wednesday and picked some grapes with some members of the ward. That'll be the 2nd time for me going this year. I went once during the winter and now twice this summer. Haha I ended up cutting my finger just a little bit. I put a little dirt on it and it was all good haha the bishop of the ward saw and he looks at me and he just starts teaching me how to pick grapes immediately. The rest of the members heard what happened and they started getting worried for "the white boy". But they taught me well! And I can now say I work as fast as a mexican! Because they work soooooo fast! I remember we were a third of the way done with a row and the other wards were about halfway or a fourth of the way done. Actually here is a video about the vineyard in Madera. When you watch it there's a guy that says,"they worked as fast as the brown brothers!  "https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-05-16-madera-volunteers?lang=eng

We had awesome opportunity to hear from a member of the Q of the 70! He came to our leadership meeting last Saturday and he was powerful! These men are just amazing! It was Elder Hamula and he came and taught the importance of the Sabbath Day to all of us. He taught the significance of what the Sabbath Day and the Sacrament really does for us. He said that if "all" the world and/or members had a profound and deep understanding of what the Sabbath Day is, then we would be so much more converted to the Lord than ever. Apparently the whole church's focus is the Sabbath? It needs to be implemented in our minds! The Sabbath is the only time for us to be clean again and perfected until that final day when the Lord can change us. He dissected the sacrament prayers and turned it into the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I wish I could explain and give all of it to you but he basically said that Christ's gospel and purpose of the Sacrament is so that we might all be "spotless" at last day, and we will if we're faithful.  (3 Ne. 27:13-21, D&C 59:9) I know it seems like all of you have heard it before. I'd have to teach it to you to help you understand what I learned, it was sweet!!

Last thing before I end. So President basically spilled the beans to us about transfers. Yes transfer calls are this Saturday. Crazy huh! I think Elder Quintana might train or stay with me. I don't think I'm going anywhere yet. But it's all up to God. So we'll see! Hey we might even train a missionary together??

I'll send you some pictures of the vineyard! My time is up and I got to head out

Love ya'll

Elder Horrocks