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