1/2/2017

Feliz año nuevo

Hola familia!  Feliz ano nuevo!  We had a really cool experience this week with one of our investigators, but other than that we haven't had much success this week.  Most of the people were pretty drunk and sleeping because of the new year.  Also lots of family were celebrating because of the holidays (Christmas and New Years).  So when we would knock on the houses, most people said that they were busy and didn't have time to listen to us.  Although lots of them said that we could come back another time so it wasn't too bad haha!  Anyways we knocked on one house the other day because Elder Carter felt like we should just start knocking on doors.  The people immediately answered and invited us in and said that they really want to join our church and be baptized.  It just made me feel so happy, because the people seemed like they were just seeking for the right gospel and they were almost just waiting for us to show up.  Also you can just tell that God was blessing us and showing us the way that we needed to go to help these people.  Also this last week we met a really cool kid who was really receptive to our message his name is Paulo and he is an awesome kid that really knows a lot about the gospel.  We asked him to pray at the end of the lesson and his prayer was so profound I would have guessed he had been a member his whole life and I could just feel his spirit it was bacan(cool).  Also he went to church on January 1st!  Just think about it, he was a new investigator, just celebrated and stayed up late, and he still wanted to go to church with us and he said that he liked it a lot.  He is just an amazing kid  

This week was also a struggle because we were planning on baptizing an investigator named Franco and up to this point he was really receptive to the gospel. Well one day we called him the week of his baptism, and he said he thinks that he was faulting.  So we said we would stop by later, but we were so busy for the whole day.  As it started getting late we met up with the other Elders, and we were about to go to the apartments for bed, but we had about 30 minutes before we had to get to the apartment so all four of us ran to Franco´s house so we could see what was up.  We got there and we asked why he thought he was faulting and he made up some lie that was obviously fake, or else he was just to scared to admit it.  Then we taught the most spiritual lesson in my whole mission I could just feel the spirit so strong, and I know that it was there because I said things that I didn't even know what I was saying.  And it just made me so sad because after the lesson he still didn´t want to be baptized even with all that spirit.  I just felt crushed, because I know that if he couldn't feel that amazing feeling he must have forced it out of him.  

I hope all of you had an awesome New Years!  I know that we had a great one even if we did go to bed at 11:30 haha (got to be obedient)!  I love you all and I´m grateful for all the support and prayers you guys give me I can feel my blessings every day!!  

Love,

         Elder Hirschi

Answer:

Did you guys do anything for New Year’s Eve or New Year ’s Day? 

1. We had to go home a little early because the President didn´t want us out while people were partying and getting drunk, plus not very many people would be receptive to us.  So we played Uno and Presidents/Scum in the apartments.  We still went to bed at 11:30, but really we just stayed up in bed until midnight.  

How are things going with your investigators?

2. Investagators are doing well, although Elder Carter said with his last companion they had 6 baptisms that month and we haven´t had one all month :(  We´ve come close, but Ines had to leave before her baptism because her sister got sick, and Franco just wouldn´t accept, it´s kinda been a bummer.

Did they say when zone conference would be or when they would be picking up packages at the mission home?

3. Tomorrow they are grabbing the packages, and they said that I have 3!!!  I won´t get it till the next day though, because Elder Carter is leaving for a leader conference thing in Antofagasta, and I have to stay with a different Elder during that time.  Then he will bring the packages back when he comes back.  

Is there a way to send videos to you?  Do the computers you email on have speakers so you can hear the videos?

4. You can actually bring headphones to the Cyber and listen to things, so I´m going to start doing that, but I forgot them today :(  So I think you can start sending me videos and I should be able to watch them.

Are you starting to feel more comfortable about being there in Chile?  Is it easy to get around the city?

5. It still feels weird sometimes, but I am starting to get the hang of the direction and were things are located, because our sector really isn´t that big so it's a little easier to navigate.

 Have you been writing in your journal?  Do you feel like you have what you need there?

6. I´ve been slacking, but on the 31st I tried to feel in all the days I missed and now for the New Year I have the goal to write ever day.  I haven´t messed up yet so it´s going pretty well haha.  Yeah our cards just got a lot of money put on them so I should be really good for the next little while.

  What have you liked the most about the holidays there in Chile?

7. I really liked listening to Christmas music, and singing in the hospital for all the little kids.  I also liked seeing the joy in all the members and just the people during the holiday.  Oh and of course I loved getting to talk to my family!!

P.S. Que le vaya bien!!!

The picture at the top is with Elder Dionicio. He is the first Elder I did intercambios (exchanges) with.  The other picture is one we took when we were at the mission home.