What's up this week!! & Howdy! Howdy!

A couple weeks of letters...  He's just starting week 3 in last transfer.  All of the Elder's that he has been with for the past 6 months or more have been transferred to other places and although he misses them he loves his new companion also!

He's been doing lots of fun stuff... meeting Abe Lincoln, dressing up like missionaries for Halloween hahaha (There were 8 of them.  I said if they had 4 more they could have been the 12 apostles), riding on bicycles built for two!  Who could ask for more right??  Lol

He loves it!  They love him!  I miss him!  Only 7 more months left.  I got his mission return papers to fill out the other day and told him and he freaked!  I kind of freaked too!  What is up with me??  Lol.  Enjoy the letters :)

 Double Seated bike!

Elder Feltner. We both had the same trainer Elder Tesimale

Last day with Elder Guereca and Ordonez

Last day with Elder Winterton

Elder Benites and I making the line of buckets
of pens and notebooks for the kids

Mansion near the battlefield 

Abe Lincoln! He's been doing this all over california
and some other states for about 20 years

 Mansion near the battlefield 

Halloween

Dressed up like missionaries this year ;) hahaha

Oct. 26th

What's up this week!!

So I'm really glad to hear that Mar and Wes are doing good in sports. So does that mean Volleyball won region this year?? I never got that update from anyone. I'm pumped for Weston and the boys to play Juab, it looks like some payback is in play! Let me know how that ends up. Go tear it up this week!

I got J.T's sweet pictures of the BYU game. Looks like he had some fun! I would love to go to a college football game or baseball game on my mish, it's hard to get permission though haha. Sounds like everything is good at home! Sorry you were feeling sick this week. I feel you! Haha it's the best huh? Tell Charlie and Kevin I said hi and to hit me up. I wanna know what's going on with the Utah life. Sounds like they're doing well also. That's so cool that Kevin was with Jud's cousins!! It is a small world after all

I heard that the sandals and other packages got here but I haven't been by the mission office to pick it up yet. So when I do go by I'll be sure to grab it.

So this week was great! Transfers is always a little bit hectic but seems to end up smoothly. So here we are! Sixth transfer in Madera and things are off to a really great start. I have definitely learned a lot of things from last transfer and feel that I am going to learn a ton this transfer. I wish I was able to stay longer with E. Guereca and Ordonez but I think I've told you about E. Benites. He was President's former assistant and now he's a Zone leader with me. We've been having a blast together. Can't complain about him, we're both really happy to be together. He's a little bit shocked because he had served in the white culture for 4 transfers and now he's back to hispanic culture. He says he feels like he left home off to his mission and that he's in some foreign country haha which is so true, his last areas were the richest areas in the mission. So I don't blame him for feeling the way he does.

We have a baptism for this upcoming Saturday so pray that all will go well! Her name is R. and she's ready as can be. You know how cool it would be to baptize on Halloween! That would be sweet! We just saw her today and there's only a few more other things to go over with her before she's baptized. She did tell us that she talked with her boss and they're thinking about moving her to work from 4 to 10 instead of 2 to 10. So that's good! Church starts at 1 so that will allow her to able to come to church for sacrament and the first hour or two. It's not official yet so we don't know if that will be her work hours. They're also thinking about having her start in the morning? We're not sure about that either. But anyway, pray that something with her work hours will work out. The rest of our investigators are coming in little by little. We have a guy named H. who's seriously thinking of quitting drinking and we've just been right there to help him at this time. He's been sober for about a week and a half now and he's resisted temptation from friends and has done an awesome job! His date is for the 8th of November. The C. family are coming in. We decided to take a new start with them and just start by teaching them family prayer and how it creates unity. Those kinds of things seems to capture their attention. So now were starting over from the basics and working our way up with them.

The others have struggled to keep commitments. The only thing we can continually do is bear solemn testimony of the Savior and promise them that he will change them. That he will provide all possibilities for them to keep the commandments. It's like Alma 37:17. So strengthening faith in Christ and then keeping commitments will always bring blessings, because God has always brought them to those who kept his commandments. Commitment=Repentance=Conversion. It's pretty simple.

 We've been doing lots of different things to find. A lot of times we've tried to go and see less actives but it didn't work out. Probably because there's about 300 LA's and it's not very organized of which members are and are not active. Our sisters here in Madera are the best though! They made a list of all of them and we split it for all 3 companion ships in Madera to go and visit. About 80 names for each companionship... There's lots of work to be done!! So we're going out and finding through them and rescuing the less actives. We're struggling to get a spark going but it's going to turn up, I know it will.

Some awesome events have happened this week!! We went and did a service project for a reenactment of the civil war. Coolest just serve project ever! I got to meet Abe Lincoln and took a picture with him! I was stoked. I'll send you some pictures of it, but there were lots of things we did. There was about 3,000 kids who attended the reenactment and 5,000 who went to the battles this past Saturday. Wish we could have gone to watch them but we were to busy.

Hey so my time is running out but I hope you  all have a great week! I never feel like I have enough time to tell all the things that happened during the week so I apologize if I missed something important. I'll send the pictures. Love ya!!

Love Elder Horrocks



Nov. 2nd

What a crazy week it's been! I've never been so tired in a long time and we still continue to go 100 mph it's fun! But wow sooooo tiring. I have about 30 minutes to write this letter so I'm going to be as quick and efficient as I can, it may be a little bit short. It sounds like everyone back home had a crazy week too. I'm bummed to hear about the football game it's a tough way to end. I remember playing against Stansbury my last game and I remember the picture of Wes and I when we played together. I can't believe that was 3 years ago! Now Weston has come to an end for his senior year. Basketball's right around the corner. So go show them what's up Wes! And Mar too! You got 3 years to have some fun so take advantage of it, it flies! I got your pics and stuff. They're awesome! What's fun is seeing those Neola boys all grown up. I remember seeing them when they were little babies haha that's nuts! I sure miss you all, and it sounds like everything turned out good this week.

You already got returning missionary information?? That's so not cool!!! How is that even possible? I still got 7 months or so left. I think they send those things a little too early.

So our week was very successful actually! R.'s baptism did go through! She did such an awesome job and she bared her testimony at the end too and it's always the best to see those moments in a person's life. To summarize her testimony she expressed how much she knew that this step was going to bless her children and herself. It was like another replica of U.'s baptism, great baptism! I forgot my camera to take pictures at her baptism. I don't know what it is about me forgetting pictures for important things but I always seem to do that! So I'm going to get them from my companion and pass them to you all.

My companion and I are doing great! We just make everything a blast. I can never really complain about my companions. We've been working hard and doing new things. Like I mentioned last week there's like 2 wards worth of less actives here in Madera! And we finally found if not all there information and it's been very revelatory of what needs to be done here in Madera. We've seen some big part time families that missionaries would die for! Lots and lots of baptisms. So there's work to be done and thus far we've seen some good things come of it. I'll keep you updated on how that all goes.

Our investigators don't have baptism dates yet but there's H., G. and her family, and a few others who could easily be baptized. I don't know if you all remember G. clear back from June and July but we found her again and she's ready to come back! She's awesome. H. has been sober from alcohol and so he's very prepared. We've had some awesome experiences with him. So there's so many people you can tell who are so prepared. Something that I want to share with you all is Elder Benites and I were just thinking about the people we're teaching and we just started talking and it's obvious that a lot of them just don't keep commitments. And that's the only way anyone is going to come closer to Jesus Christ. If you all read Alma 32 it talks about how we should plant a seed in our hearts and continue to nurture it, whether that seed be the Book of Mormon, prayer, etc. Well a lot of the mexican culture work in the fields cultivating and working to make fruit and all those things. And so lately we've been sharing this scripture with lots of people and it sticks out to them like a sore thumb. It's cool to see what you could do when you teach people to their needs and apply it to themselves! And so far investigators and members have been keeping more commitments! Great things are happening because of that.

Sorry this letter is so short. I'm going to try and be better at writing the next one next week. I'll think about what I need to share the night before or something. I feel bad because I feel there is so much more I could have shared. Have a great week family! Love ya!

Love

Elder Horrocks

Hey Hey Hey!! & I'm Staying

Two weeks of letters.  I got pictures of the Pumpkin Carving Contest from S.  They looked like they had so much fun!  I also talked to a Sister Daly who goes to church in the same building as him.  She saw his picture on the facebook page for CA Fresno missionaries.  She said he is well fed and happy!!

Still loving the work!  He loves the people :)  and he is staying another 6 weeks in Madera!  This will make his 6th transfer there.  He loves it tho, they are his family!!  Hope you enjoy his letters

Pumpkin Carving Contest

The Results!!  He wasn't quite finished with his :)

A knife for an eye ;)

Messing around in the car

Elder Ordonez got a balloon last monday at zone activity

We got to paint a room for a member this weekend for service

 I know you said you send me some Jesus Sandals, and I'm excited for them.
But check these out!! Sorry my feet are so white

Last district meeting of the transfer

Oct. 12th

Hey Hey Hey!

So I heard that some pieces of my mission are with the family?? Or at least meeting everyone? That's awesome!! It's so awesome to see people that I loved here in the mission with my family in Utah. I'm excited that Charlie is in Utah! Hopefully he stays by the time I come back, and I hope he's doing well with finding work and everything he needs. That's so crazy to me to think about that!! Who ever knew those things would have happened. I hope he's been a blessing to you all! He's definitely been a big blessing to me. As well as the others. Elder Nye, Sister Gomez, man I'm pretty jealous of ya'll! Hanging out with my mission people!

So it's been a very very busy week! Nothing but busy busy busy. Lot's of work to be done still but we can do it. I'll give you all the updates on the mish. So M. is still doing really well, and we're actually able to help him even a little bit more now! The reason is is that he told us that he's been smoking 8 cigarettes a day, but that's good because now we know what to help him with primarily. I knew he smoked but I didn't know he smoked that much. President was with us and he expressed such a sincere love for him! I'm so grateful he was there because he always seems to bring such a great spirit when he teaches with us. We told him that he can do quit! He's already come so far from where he was spiritually, and he can do anything through Christ and his Atonement. We're meeting up with him tonight and he's going to start step 1 :) I'm excited for him. As for R. she's been doing everything she needs to accept being able to come to church because of her job. Therefore, because she wasn't able to come this week, we'll have to move her baptism date back a week depending on what happens. We're still in October so she has a couple weeks. We just have to trust in the Lord that he'll provide... Let's see, The C. Family. They're coming along here and there. I know they feel something different and they were put in our paths for a reason. We're seeing them tonight and we will see how things go today. I believe they understand why were there, but the Dad has a logical stance on things. He loves the concept of families but I think he's missing the spiritual part. Only the Holy Ghost can help a person to know these things. As for now we're seeking to continue helping him have spiritual experiences. To convert him a little bit more... I think that's all the families. OH! We got word from H. that he might be getting his marriage license from the states here in about a month, sometime in November! We'll see what happens.

U. is doing great! I know he's already been baptized but he's going to receive the priesthood soon. He's going to be an awesome priesthood holder! I know that's going to be such a big blessing to him and his family. He said something this past Sunday that really stuck out to me. When the priesthood was doing their businesses they had mentioned something about going to the temple, and he asked why they were doing that. I told him that they were simply going to do work for the dead and that he could do family history and temple work for his ancestors. I told him that we'd teach him, but then realizing that I have hardly any experience if not any experience with family history! So I'm going to repent so I can teach him. I'd love to do it, but I'm not quite sure where to start. So yes even some missionaries don't know how to do Family History Work! But what better place to learn than the mission.

So transfers are coming this weekend. I'm not sure what's going to happen but I have a feeling that Elder Guereca and Elder Ordonez are going to leave to a different area and E. Guereca will finish with E. Ordonez, and I'll get a different companion. I'm not sure how long the Lord plans on keeping me here. If I stay the next transfer it will be going on 6 transfers! Madera just can't get enough of me! I love this place so much and the people I've met but you never know. Transfers can be distracting at times but wow they just fly! Soooo... Pray that I'll stay! I'd love to stay!

That's all folks! I love everyone of ya and look forward to hearing from you soon. I'm sure there were many things that should have mentioned but to many good things to count. But know that I love you all!

Love your son

Awesome pictures by the way! I miss you all and hope you had a great time! I'll send ya some pics


Elder Horrocks




Oct. 19th

Yup I am staying in Madera and this will be my 6th transfer being here as a ZL as well! I feel like I've been here for only 6 days. It goes by super quick! I kind of figured that that's what was going to happen because Elder Guereca now has one transfer left and normally missionaries are not Zone Leaders their last transfers. He was a ZL for about 9 transfers I think, which is like a whole year. He's going to go to a place called Winton which is about 45 minutes up north from Madera. He's going to finish training Elder Ordonez. I loved those two so much and it's such a bummer to see them come and go already!! I wanted to finish training with Elder Guereca but the Lord needed them both elsewhere. My new comp is Elder Benites, and he is a missionary who just finished being a former assistant of the President. He's from Murray Utah. He's only got 2 transfers left. What's cool about him is that we're already really good friends and he was good friends with a few of my roommates from college. Small world huh? We're going to have a blast! The work is setting up awesome and so he's gonna have a great start with me :)

Our area is doing really good. One thing that made me a little sad this week was that M. left yesterday for Mexico :( we were doing so great with him too. He was working on quitting smoking and it was such a blessing to see him grow in his desire to follow Jesus Christ. As I mentioned before his unstable job was giving him a hard time and he was getting really tired of having work one week and not having any for another. He couldn't take it anymore and so he came to us last Friday or Saturday and told us he's going to leave to Tijuana Mexico in 2 weeks because he has a stable job there. Next thing we know he was gone Sunday morning and we didn't get an opportunity to talk to him or say goodbye. He promised us he'd keep going to church and meeting with the missionaries, which I trust he will. But wow shame on him! He said he wants to come back here to get baptized but we'll see if it happens.

We have these awesome investigators and potentials still. One of them being R. The only thing that's holding her back is her work hours. Man what's with us and having investigators and their work hours?? Haha it seems to be the big obstacle of Madera. If she wasn't working on Sundays she'd be baptized in a heartbeat! For the rest of the work right now the work here in Madera is find find find. And the solid people are only going to happen through the members. We're going to go see U.'s Mom and sister tonight and they're going to be feeding us dinner tonight, and we're having a pumpkin carving contest with them too. So pray that they'll be receptive and willing to listen to us. It'd be so awesome to see all of that family join into the church. I can already envision it!

Not anything big has really happened this week other than transfers and work work work. I really love the pictures and videos and looks like you all had a fun week! Everyone looks all grown up and I still can't believe how much has changed back home since a year and a few months ago. I miss every single one of you.

I got the video of the field goal and I was so heartbroken to see it!!! You think that a mission would make you forget those butterfly feelings when a game is on the line, but they still exist. It made me feel like I was back in high school. There's still times where I wish I could go back and play. Man what a heart breaker though!! Go tear up Carbon next week! I know they will. Tell Wes that he's an animal! He's got a proud big brother. Nice plays and highlights!

I gots to go but I'll be hearing from you soon. Have a great week and I love ya!


Elder Horrocks

Helllooooo Familia & How's things on the home front??

Two more weeks of letters.  He was super sick from eating bad chicken and missed out on a lot that week but he is back to his normal self now!  Poor kid :(  Those sort of things set his momma into a panic!!  Thanks to the Hill family and to Lupe for helping him out, getting him medicine and helping him get well!

I'm super grateful and so was he that he was healthy by that weekend in order to go to U.'s baptism :):)  He says that it was amazing and the spirit was strong!  He is going to make a great member.  His wife has already been baptized along with most of her family.  They are all amazing people and I am so glad that he has been blessed to have them be a part of his life!

He also got to do some translating for a dental event of some kind.  It sounds like it was HUGE and that they got to use their language skills :)  It seems like he's had opportunities do something new each week and he's learned from each of them!  Even if it's translating for someone that they are about to have 5 teeth pulled!  Hahaha!  I guess the morrill of that story is... be grateful you can still taste your food??  Even if you can't chew it ;)

This week I was able to finally meet and hangout with Charlie!  YAY!!  He was so much fun!!  He drove with me to Weston's football game in Morgan and even put up with my crazy bipolar-ness during the game (he described me as the coaches daughter, the little blonde girl, on Return of the Titans. hahaha!!  Pretty accurate!  I get pretty into the games).  I got to know him even better and I am even more grateful for his influence in my sons life!!  On Saturday he came over for a birthday party at my in-laws home and he brough with him Paul (Alex also taught him), Kevin Nye (Alex's MTC companion and also his companion in the field. They were together for a total of 6 months), and Camila Gomez (a sister he served with in Lindsay).  I can't even tell you how fun it was to visit with the people who have been spending the last year with Alex!!!  They told me how much they loved and respected him and they also told me that he is still "Breaking the Ice" (a story for another time, hahaha)!!  Let's just put it this way... My baby has not changed at all!!  He's just grown ;)  Well he's grown spiritually anyway!!  LOL.  I'm so happy I got to meet them!  I can't wait to meet the rest of the people who I have adopted into my heart and family soon also.  Thank you to everyone of you who have been there for, taught, and loved my son :) <3

Charlie and I at Weston's game :)

Hanging out at the birthday party.  Just missing Paul :(

U.'s baptism

Our exchanges coming back from Yosemite

I forgot to mention that I went on exchanges with Elder Winterton and we got to work cows for one of his investigators, fun service! He's got a little bit of poop on his shirt

The big building where we worked

Me and another Elder from our zone

Our group at the Dental Care service

Sept. 28th

Helllooooo Familia

Monday through Thursday.... SICK! That is all hahaha as a lot of you know I ate a really bad chicken from the fridge Sunday that afternoon after Stake Conference. As time passed by I was feeling totally normal, until later on that night. When we were getting ready for bed I started to get really cold and hot and a fever started to develop. That whole night I didn't really sleep and I thought that by Monday evening it would have all gone away, but that didn't happen. The next day was even worse! I won't give you all the details but I'm just so grateful for the family that was able to take care of me that day. They're the Hill family from the English ward here in Madera and they were such a great help! I kind of felt bad for them haha. That day was bad because I missed out on Zone Conference and we had Elder Arnold from the Quorum of the 70 come and visit us. I heard he said some amazing things and that there was so many great teachings to be implemented in our lives and in our mission. I'm kind of catching up on what had been said so... little by little. Future advice to siblings, cousins, and whoever else preparing for a mission; DO NOT eat 2 week old food on your mission!! No matter how hungry you are just wait! When you eat bad food you miss out on important stuff! There, that's my advice haha... I'm feeling a lot better now. I really don't know what I was thinking to eat that chicken. I just got a call from the doctor today after doing some tests in the quest lab last Friday and he said that I'm good to go, and there's no salmonella or anything in my system. Thank goodness :)

Though I was sick the first few days this week ended really well! U. was baptized this Saturday and it was my favorite baptism thus far. The highlight of it all was his testimony at the end of his baptism! Even though President Clark baptized him and I saw Elder Quintana there and many other great stuff, his testimony was the best! We invited him to do it and we knew he'd second guess it but he did an awesome job! In his testimony he talked about the example that S. (his wife) and L. (his daughter) had been to him. It all started with S.'s little acts of faith and her prayers and then U. saw that and it touched him. I think that's what originally got him to listen to the missionaries. It was the example of his family. He then talked about how he wanted to live with S. and his little family forever and then he started to cry. The spirit that came from him was incredible! He then went on to say that he's at peace knowing that he'll be with God and his family again. It was such a sincere testimony! His mom and sister were there at the baptism and they were crying too. They could see that U. had done something amazing in his life. I know 100 percent that they felt the spirit from U.'s testimony... And so it's moments like those when you can witness someone sincerely turn their life around and see God transform them into the person he wants them to be. It's moments like those that make a mission totally worth it. Each day I feel that the only true motive worth living and serving for is love for Jesus Christ. And I know that Jesus Christ helped U. every step of the way and made great things happen for U. because of his faithfulness.

Well our work in Madera is doing awesome! We still have M. and actually President came out with my companions while I was sick to teach him, and they set a date for the 24th of October. Sweet!! And M. is pretty firm on it too. I guess his smoking is not as bad as he made it sound but he still has his temptations every once in awhile. He wants to get baptized and then move back to Mexico and so he's on track thus far. He's a big miracle! And continues to be as he puts forth his part. Our other investigators are still there but not as solid, still working with D. and H. We actually found a new investigator named R. She's been ready forever now! We have a date with her for the 17th of October. She got so excited when we invited her to be baptized! So the work is great. It feels like people are prepared left and right to receive the gospel.

Is Charlie the best or what??? Man I miss him so much! That's awesome that Kace got to see him. His story is something else right?? I'm really excited for you guys to get to see him.  I actually texted him the other day asking him if he was in Lindsey when I went to a baptism down there 2 Sundays ago and he texted me back saying he was in Utah. He told me that he was meeting up with you next week or something? So hopefully you do!

Sorry about Weston. I'll keep him in my prayers and thoughts. He's a tough kid and if he takes care of himself and behaves he'll be alright. Congrats to Mar!! Still kicking butt in V-ball. Anyways I gotta go. Time is up!  I love ya'll!!

Love
Elder Horrocks

p.s. I had some 20 dollar nike sandals that I gave away and I'm wondering if I could get another pair from back home? But let me know for sure. Oh and also an Elder in my district wants to know if you can send me the sheet music for a song called "All of me" and it's by the Piano Guys. He wants to learn the song!

Oct. 5th

How's things on the home front??

So this week was awesome! The weeks just keep flying by and I can't believe it's already October. It seems like yesterday actually when I first got to Madera I was watching General Conference here 6 months ago in April. General Conferences in the mission are the best! I have one more left in the mission and the rest I'll be watching somewhere else :( it's crazy and hard to believe!! 

Well how was everyone's week?? Ours was really good. We had some pretty cool stuff going on for us out here in Fresno. This past Friday we went to a Dental Care Just Serve project. If anyone knows what just serve projects are it's a program that the church is having members and missionaries participate to get the church's name out there. Anyways, so we went to a big one in Fresno. We did things like interpret and translate, help people  to registrate for a visit with the dentists. The service project was in this ginormous building! Kind of like the building where they would do the big mountain jam basketball tournaments for the b-ball team in Salt Lake. As for me I had the opportunity of interpreting and translating for people before going into their actual procedures with the dentists. They'd tell the dentist what was wrong and I'd repeat it back and well, you know how translating goes! It was neat! I've never translated before except for church talks. I was really nervous going in! After about an hour or so I had learned a lot of dentist words and so by the end it got easier. We were being asked as interpreters to be here and there and everywhere for help! The majority of the people that came were hispanic. What was really funny is that a lot of these dentists were saying that they've never had so many people come in for extractions. I had to translate for one guy that had to have 5 extractions!! 5 teeth being pulled! And when we told the hispanics that that's what they had to do they just took it as nothing and said, "Okay".... I was thinking "wow you're cool with getting 5 teeth pulled?? Alright!"  There wasn't much complaints haha. They eventually had to shut down the extraction section because there was too many. It tuckered me out running back and forth like that, but I had fun doing it!

Let's see... How about General Conference?? Probably my favorite thus far I've watched!! I had lots of questions going in and it's true that when you go in with questions that answers will always come. It just increased my testimony that these prophets and apostles are inspired and called of God. I think my favorite of them all.... man I don't know if I have a favorite of them all haha, they were all so good! I think the message I got from it though is that we are all in this together and that we need to be an example of the believers and a light to the world. These trying times in the world just keep getting crazier and crazier and the voice of that great and spacious building that mocks today is a little bit different than what it was a year or 10 or 20 years ago. I thought it was the voice making fun of the saints because of the manner in which they live. Rather the voice today is an attack towards our beliefs and faith. The voice is more disintegrating and competes for our identity of who we are. A lot of people are losing their faith because they listen to them and it's sad to see. The counsel of President Uchdorf's is one that I'll always remember, which is to SIMPLIFY! Many over complicate their experience in the church rather than follow the plain and precious truths which God has set up for us. It'll take eternity to understand the fullest of the gospel, so we have to be careful. We'll never fall away if we study, ponder, pray, and keep the commandments. Simple right?? And we'll always be happy and have fulfilling experiences in the church. I think 2 Nephi 28:30 sums it all up :) 

Our investigators are doing great! M. is a little bit stressed because of his work. They're not giving him much to do and kind of look at him as "less". So he's going through a hard time with that. He doesn't like sitting around the house haha. We visited him last night and we gave him a blessing and he felt lots better. Dang I wish he would have watched conference! It would have opened up his mind so much. He lives with members and so you'd think they'd be watching it right? Unfortunately they didn't! His date is still set for the 24th... We have a girl named R. set for the 17th but I'm not sure if she'll be ready by that time. She really wants to be baptized! But work is holding her back. We get a lot of investigators with work being an obstacle. She works on Sundays. But if God helped U. with his work hours, he can do it with R.!... I don't have a lot more time to email because we're going to a zone activity but just know that the rest of those we are teaching are doing so well. We have great things ahead in October. I wish I could comment of the events that happened back home, but I can't so I love every single one of you! I hope you have an awesome week.

Love Elder Horrocks

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