3/20/2017

Hello family!  I heard Spring Break was awesome for you guys! It was really crazy here. In the morning we had a massive rain storm and there was lots of lighting that was really loud for like an hour and the lights would flicker on and off during the lightning.  Then we had a black out for awhile. It was pretty scary but everything is ok.  It just means more service for me to do haha.  Anyways there was lots of mud throughout the city and Copiapo isn`t really built to withstand rain or basically anything.  Like if a small wind came it could blow a house over... no not really, but just everything is built on dirt and there are lots of mountains to protect from other natural disasters.  Anyways back to the point, so we had to help people with all their problems after the rainstorm.  Luckily everything was ok.

We have a really cool investigator that went to church twice and he loved it!  He said he really is trying to repent and he is going to get baptized this Saturday!  So that`s going to be really cool. He has had lots of problems in his life so it`s really cool to know that I am going play a part in helping him receive the truth of the gospel and to help him with his problems.  He is about 67 and he really just wants to find the truth and repent for his sins and change for the better.  Anyways I hope you guys will pray for him to feel that he truly has received repentance.  

I felt really bad these past weeks like I had failed or something, because we haven`t had very much success in our sector and I`m the one who knows the area better.  We had been working more with the other missionaries in their sector so everyone could have success, but I just felt like I was falling behind on the needs of my investigators and recent converts.  I made a promise that I would try to work harder and focus more, and that day on intercambios (exchanges) with Elder Saarelainen we found someone who is really cool!  Her name is Ligia (lee-he-a) and she said she knew about Joseph Smith already and she has read the Book of Mormon.  She said she liked it, but she never prayed to know if it was true.  So we invited her and now we are going to ask about her answer, so I hope everyone can pray that it will go well!  Thanks for all the support I love you guys tons!  

Love,

      Elder Hirschi

p.s. I forgot to wear green on St. Patricks so we wore green the next day haha!  And Steven says hi!!

Scripture: Helaman 5:12 - If Jesus really is our rock we cannot fall!

Answers: 

Does anyone there celebrate St Patrick's day? Did anyone wear green?

1. The people don`t celebrate it here, but I got pinched from Elder Burnthorn.  I wore green the next day.

Do you help teach any English classes there?

2. We actually are planning to start teaching English classes soon

Did you get the Werthers we sent for General conference?  Do you think you will wait to open some of the stuff for your Birthday that was in your package?

3. I don`t think so, but for General conference we are going to have this thing called the gringo room, where they play it in English and have lots of food.  

What are your district meetings like?  

4. District meetings I haven`t been to for the past 2 weeks because I was too lazy... haha no I didn`t go the first week because we don`t have it on Transfers and the next I had a problem with my Visa thing (Carnet in Spanish)

Do any of the missionaries like to go running there? 

5. We did for a while, but now we only run on Mondays

Have you met any new fun people lately?

6. Yeah Jorge is really cool guy I hope he feels good this Saturday

What is something your new companion has taught you?  What other languages does he speak?

7. He is teaching me how to draw and he taught me some words in Tagalog which is the native language of the Philippines (they all speak in English too).  Like I know how to say Magandang hapon (good afternoon).

3/13/2017

¡Hola mi familia amorosa!  ¿Como están?  Everything here is going well here. My new companion is a stud!   We get along great and we work hard to help bring others to the gospel. On March 10th My Companion had a BIRTHDAY!!! TA TA.  We had a little fiesta with cake and stuff, and it was pretty cool.  He is 21 now (really old huh) haha jk I only wrote that because he is looking.  Anyways he said he really liked his birthday and he got a cool shirt with some ties from Gillermo (the ward mission leader) and I.  

Chile just started school up again, so lots of people have returned from vacations which is different.  Also there are lots of little kids around in uniforms all the time now.  

We found a really cool investigator his name is Jorge and I will tell you guys more about him later.  He has a really unique story, but I have to go soon so will share it later!  

We hiked up the biggest mountain we could find today and it was cool.  I felt bad because I was ahead of my comp for a bit, and when I found him he fell and hurt his hand.  But other than that it was really cool!! (We were supposed to wear strange clothes so that is why we are wearing different clothes in the pictures).

Anyways I love you all and thanks for everything!!  TAKE CARE!

Love,

       Elder Hirschi

P.S.  I got the birthday package, but I didn´t know if you wanted me to wait so I haven´t opened it yet.  

Answers: 

 Have you used your family tree with pictures that we sent with you yet?  Do they talk about family history much in your ward?

1. No I have not, but we do have a family history pamphlet that we teach people with (although I haven´t used it yet.)  The ward doesn´t talk about family history that much, but they go to the temple a lot and they bring names sometimes to do baptisms.  

Have you been homesick much at all?

2. Yeah when I hear songs from the United States or things will remind me of home.  I´m used to it now though, so not as much.  

Does your new companion like to cook?  Does he play the piano?  Does he like sports?  What is his first name?

3. RICE!!! He cooks lots of rice!  He also plays guitar and piano, and he has a very good scholarship for volleyball.  His name is Cid!  

 Have you or your companion talked in church lately?

4.  Elder Carter had to give a talk before he left, and Elder Retuta did a little testimony welcome to the ward talk

 Where do you get your hair cut?

5. Elder Saarelainen cut my hair the first time and the second time was from a lady.  They have lots of places that cut hair here.  

What is a normal day like for you there?

6. HOT it´s really hot here!  We usually are walking the whole day teaching the people.  Then we eat and study and then repeat.  

Do the people there like to go camping?  What do they do during summer break?

7. I don´t know, if they like to camp, but my friend Steven says they do it a lot.  And he says hi to you guys.  They like to go to the beach here a lot in the summer, and I heard that the beaches here are some of the best in the world.  I haven´t been yet though! 

 

3/6/2017

We don´t have lots of time today so this is going to be short!  Mainly I just want to talk about my sweet new companion!  His name is Elder Retuta and he is a stud!  He has been out 8 months in the mission and he is really good at teaching the people.  We had a rough first week for finding people, but yesterday we found a really cool investigator whose name is Jorge.  Anyways, I've got to go!  But I love you all so much!!

Scripture of the week:

James 1:5 (If any of ye lack wisdom let him ask of God!)  Now think about it. If you lack wisdom then you should ask God in faith.

Answers:

How is your new companion?  What does he like to do?

1. My new companion is a stud! He is super cool.  He likes to draw, play instruments, and play volleyball

 How have your district and zone conferences been?

2. We have only had one zone conference with the new zone and it was super good

Have you gone on any exchanges lately with other missionaries?

3. Not lately but we did have exchanges before!

How are your investigators doing?

4. We didn´t have too much success recently, but we found someone the other day.

What have you liked most about learning a language?

5. It really makes you think about the structure and how we talk in English.  Lots of the words are similar and it´s just really interesting (you will have to try it to understand)

Do you still have the rest of the same other missionaries in your apartment?

6. No Elder Santos finished his mission and now we have Elder Medina

How are your soccer skills coming along? Have you been sight-seeing at all lately on p-day?

7. Actually my skills (if you can call them that) are improving!  I've just got to move faster, and we went sight seeing at the giant cross on the hill.  

Have a great week,

 

Elder Hirschi