9/18/2017

Hello family, it feels like a long time since I last wrote home even though it was just last week.  Transfers are coming up soon and I think I will be changing sectors!  As much as I love it here in Mejillones, I feel like I`m starting to lose some of my juice, and I think changing sectors will give me a fresh new start.   If I stay though I will have the chance to see Danny, our investigator get baptized on the 30th of September which would be great.  I hope you all can pray for him that he can make the choice to be baptized on that day.  He really is learning a lot and progressing well. He just hasn`t been able to go to church because of his work.  He works 20 days and has 10 days to rest, so it`s very difficult for him to take time to listen to us.  

Today is the 18th day of September and here is like our 4th of July, but Chile takes things to the next level sometimes.  The people here loooove to party. They don`t even really need a reason to do it haha!  They also have lots of Chilean pride, for their country.  So when the 18th comes around everyone has a Chilean flag and is usually partying.  In fact I think I have seen more alcohol this last week then I have my whole time in Chile haha.  It`s actually really hard for the missionaries, because everyone is celebrating and doesn`t have time to listen to our message.  

Anyways I am feeling a lot better and now almost everyone in the apartment has got sick because of me haha oops.  Elder Burnthorn had to stay in bed one day because he had a bad fever.  Now he is feeling a lot better and we are working harder than we ever have.  I hope that everyone is doing well and staying safe.  I love you guys tons!

Love,

        Elder Hirschi

Answers: 

1. Have you found out anymore on where the temple will be built? Do you think they will announce it at general conference coming up soon?

 No, but it looks like we need to have 3 Stakes before we can actually get the temple built, and we only have 2, so I don`t think it will be built any time soon.

2.  Do many of the Chileans play an instrument that you know of?

 There are actually a surprising amount of flutes here. They play lots of flutes and some play violin.

3. Have you been teaching any English classes there lately?

 Every week we have English Classes, but Elder McKinlay teaches it

4. What area would you like to go if you get transferred?

 I want to go to Iqueque or Erika up to the northern part of the mission.  

5. Have you seen any missionaries lately that you haven't seen for a while?

 No, lots of the missionaries that I have been with have already finished, like Elder Carter, Elder Saarelianen, and a whole bunch of others.  It`s actually kind of sad for me.  I did get to see Elder Dionicio who I hadn`t seen since Copaipo!

6. Are you ready for a change if you get transferred soon?

 It will be sad for me, but I think it will be a good change if I do.

9/11/2017

Hello family how are you doing?  I have good news, I´m starting to feel better, because I was sick for awhile, but now I feel a lot better.  I couldn´t even talk for like 4 days it was really hard to make contacts but now I can finally speak again YAY!  Also I caught my first fish today!  We went fishing with a member today and we caught some fish and put them back out in the water.  I had been fishing before, but I never actually pulled a fish out of the water until today.  We also cut open a soda bottle and caught some little fish inside of that, it was pretty cool.  Then I started skipping some rocks and it was pretty cool.

We found a really cool investigator named Dani, actually I had known him since Elder Castañeda was here, but recently we have been teaching him and he is really receptive.  It looks like he wants to get baptized but we are going to have to wait a few weeks, because he got a new job and works on Sundays.  He still needs to go to church and get to know the members before he can be baptized.  

I am almost done reading the New Testament in English. I think I am going to start reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish again after I finish.  I want to invite all of you to start reading the Book of Mormon again, because it really grows your testimony of the Church.  I have felt the spirit very strongly since I´ve been on my mission, and I have a firm testimony that I know that this is the true church restored on the Earth.  

I love you guys tons! 

Love,

       Elder Hirschi

Answers: 

1. What is something new you have learned lately?

 I learned the word for Crab = Cangrejo.

2.Do some of the businesses there close down for lunch? 

 Some of them do,but not all. 

3. When are the next transfers? 

 We get transfers not this next Monday, but the next one.  

4. Do you ever teach the kids in your ward at church?: 

Yes we have to teach every Sunday, because we teach all the investigators that come to church.  

5. Is it warming up there yet? Have you heard about the hurricanes in Texas and Florida?

 Yeah it´s starting to get warmer, but really with all the wind it´s still pretty cold.  I have heard about Texas and Florida, actually Elder Burnthorn´s family lives in Houston Texas, and I would ask if you could pray for them.

6. Where will the temple be built?

 I don´t know, they just announced that they were going to build one.

9/4/2017

This week was pretty rough we didn´t get too many lessons in and our baptism fell through for the 2nd time.  We also changed Mamita (the person that cooks for us), because Mamita Gloria got work and couldn´t keep feeding us.  We changed to a different Mamita, and her name is Teressa, she is from Peru, so the food is really good.  She is really nice, and she is actually an investigator for the other Elders.

This Sunday President came to our Branch without telling us, which wasn´t the best day, because we were looking for investigators to go to church in the morning so we showed up 40 minutes late.  To make matters worse neither Elder Burnthorn or I had cut our hair in quite awhile, so we had to make sure we did it today haha.  No but really President was very nice about everything and said that we just need to make sure we do it soon and to go to church on time.  Also they came to announce the new temple that will be built in the North of Chile.

That´s right they are going to build a temple in the North of Chile!  It´s gonna make it a lot easier to get members to visit the temple and to feel the spirit.  I hope I will get to visit it before I leave, depending on how long it will take to build.  

Anyways thanks for the support and the prayers, it always makes a difference for me out here.  I can feel the blessings everyday, and I wanted to let you guys know how grateful I am to have a wonderful family.  I hope everyone is doing well and that you all can stay faithful in the gospel.

Love,

       Elder Hirschi

Answers:

1: Have you learned any interesting facts about the city of Mejillones?

 They have a curse that if anyone drinks too much milk, they will die the next day...  haha just kiddin´ I really don´t know that much about Mejillones.  They say that along time ago there was a tidal wave that hit Mejillones, but it was realllllly small when it got there so it didn´t really do any damage.

2: What is something you have learned from your mission President?

 I have learned a lot about the importance of Reading The Book Of Mormon Every Day

3: Do you have a favorite food you have ate there?

 Empanadas are really good, and they have a lot better bread than we do.

4: How is your health like lately?

 Recently I have been a little sick, but nothing too bad!

5: Have you cooked anything at your apartment lately?

 We cooked some really good noodles with sauce, meat, and onion.  We had to cook this last week, because we didn´t have Mamita.

Pictures: 

8/28/2017

Todo bien (eveythig is good) here in Mejillones.  We have been really tired this week, but other than that we are working hard.  We had a cool branch night thing with the relief society and we played charades.  It was really funny, and we tried to bring a bunch of investigators.

We decided to put all the matresses in the main room in the apartment to have a little sleepover thing haha.  It just reminded me of when we did the same thing in Copiapo which was pretty cool.  We told some stories about our lives before the mission, and took some pictures, I will try to send them to you.

Everyone is doing well, we are still teaching Elder Goodrich the ropes, so we have to work even harder than last transfer.  We have an investigator named Matias, and he has been to church twice but also has been progressing very well.  We are hoping that he makes the choice to get baptized this Saturday.  I would ask that everyone could pray to help him receive an answer of the importance of the church.  Thanks for your love and support, I really have been very blessed to be born into a wonderful family and have such great friends.  I wish you all the best and I will talk to you next week!  

Love,

       Elder Hirschi 

Answers:

1. Have you met any new investigators?

 We have met some, but they are not any new progressing investigators.

2. Have you been to  Antofagasta recently?

 HAHA we have been to Antofagasta like 8 times this last month.  I´m getting really tired of traveling back and forth and spending so much money in travel.  Although it´s a lot more fun with the zone and you can do a lot more stuff in Antofagasta.  

3. Have you been helping the greenie a lot with the language?

 Actaully he has been helping me haha just kiddin´.  but really I don´t teach him that much, because his trainer teaches him most of the stuff.  He is learning a lot though, and really quickly too.

4. What do you like most about Mejillones besides the people there?

 Mejillones is very small and peaceful, there´s only a few people so you get to know everyone.  You don´t have to walk like an hour to get to the other side. 

5. Have you learned any special things about the culture?

 They speak reallllllllly badly in Chile or at least like a thug.  It would be like if we talked like this: I wanna git one of dem sandwhiches ya feel me dawg. 

8/21/2017

We had a pretty normal week this week. Nothing too crazy has happened.  We got transfers last week which means Elder Mendoza finished his mission which is a good thing for him, but still kinda sad because we will miss him.  But hey at least we got a cool greenie this week. His name is Elder GoodRich and he is from you guessed it UTAH the factory of the missionaries haha.  It`s actually kind of cool, because we have 4 gringo´s or Americans in our apartment.

We also are going to teach a kid named Danny and he is really cool. He is starting to learn English in the free English classes that we teach.  He is actually doing really well. During one of the classes he asked if we could pass by his house and teach him about the gospel; it was really cool.  We also found a Korean guy the other day and his name is something like chu or show.  He speaks a little bit of Spanish but mostly Korean, so it`s very hard to teach him.  We are going to ask for a Book of Mormon in Korean.  

Other than that we are doing well here in Mejillones.  Elder Burnthorn has been teaching me lots of new things that I`m trying to apply in the mission.  We are working very well together.  Anyways thanks for the support I love you guys tons and am grateful to have such an amazing family.

Love,

   Elder Hirschi

Answers:

1. How is the greenie in your apartment?  What is he like and where is he from?  Does he like it there in Mejillones?

He is doing really well. He actually speaks Spanish better than me haha.  Well better than I did when I first got here at least. He is from The Promised Land (UTAH).  He has his struggles sometimes with getting used to the mission, but really he is doing very well.

2. Do they have most foods there that they have here?  Is there something they don't have that we have like peanut butter or Reeses?

I would say like 50/50 they have lots of the same, but not all the same.  They actually have peanut butter, but they don`t have Reeses.  They don`t have things like Hamburgers (well at least not very many), they have a lot of sea food.  

3. Have you been working on playing any hymns on the piano there?

 I have not been working on hymns no... but I have been playing the piano haha.  Slade has been sending me sheet music.

4. Do you feel pretty fluent in the language now?

 Yeah I feel like I still have mistakes, but really I can understand and speak as well as someone would need to.  

5. What are the schools like there?  Do they have elementary, intermediate and high school?

 The schools here are very similar to the schools in the US.  They just have different names, like Jardin (Preschool), Kinder (Elementry), Collegio (Highschool), Universidad (University).  

Pictures:

8/14/2017

Hey family I am doing good!  We had a pretty solid week, and we got the transfers today.  It looks like they are going to be shutting down Mejillones for good... .  Just Kidding HAHA, no we are all going to stay again in Mejillones.  I thought I was going to be leaving for sure, but luckily I´m staying here!  Also Elder McKinlay is going to be training TA TA!  That´s going to be cool to have a greenie in the apartment, because I´ve never been in one with a greenie (besides when I was a greenie).  

This week some dude asked us to come into his house during the night.  He said that his house has a very strange vibe and he keeps seeing a huge black figure in his house.  We went in and said a prayer and all of a sudden the wind started to blow even harder.  Yeah I will admit I got a little scared at that point, especially because he had his tv on in the background with the white background sound thing.  Then we left and nothing really happened, but I really don´t want to go back to that house again.  Anyways the dude inside said he wants to move to a different house because he doesn´t like what it is.  

Anyways other than that the other elders had a baptism that went really well.  We also went and saw lots of the Catholic dances, which were actaully suprisingly cool.  Although they did have a huge statue of the Virgin that they were carrying.  We had a cool activity for the primary with mammita Gloria.  We also took some funny photos at the muesem.  Anyways that´s pretty much all that happened this week.  Take care everyone and keep praying and reading the scriptures.  

Love,

       Elder Hirschi

Answers:

1. Are transfers this week and if so are there any new changes for you?

 Everyone is staying except Elder Mendoza who will be dying (finishing his mission),  and Elder McKinlay will be training

2. Have you still got your camera?  Some time take a fun missionary name tag picture.  

 ........... Thanks mom I will give it a shot sometime.

3.  Is there anything you might need that we can send you?  I will be getting your year hump day package sent soon so let me know if you need anything.

 No I think I am ok thanks mom. 

4. Do the kids in Chile get any school breaks for national holidays or anything you know about?

 Yeah they usually do, but their school is completely reverse from ours.

5. What are some things you really like about being a missionary?

 Helping out the people, and feeling closer to the spirit.

6. How have your investigators been?

 They are doing well, Luis and Alejandro´s brother Kevin passed away from Cancer .  I even got to see the body and I started crying.  I barely knew the kid, but I just remember a few weeks earlier saying hi and giving him a high five.

7. What is a normal Sunday like for you?

 Wake up, eat, look for investigators (no one gets up in Chile until like 12:30), go to church, eat, work until night time.

Pictures: 

A little late with some of these... Sorry!

8/7/2017

Sorry It´s gonna have to be another short one. I sorta messed up today and forgot the registros for the baptisms to bring to Antofagasta, so now I just barely started writing emails. and we already have to leave... Anyways to make things short,   We had 2 baptisms again, the daughter of Shessy turned 8 this last week and wanted to get baptized.  Also a little Girl named Pia has been progressing really well and we are going to have to keep teaching her the principles of the gospel.  

Thanks for all the love and support that you guys give me I hope everyone is doing well.  

Love,

        Elder Hirschi

Answers:

1. Have you got your debit card yet?

 yes

2. How have your zone conferences and district meetings been lately?  Have you seen any missionaries you haven't seen for a while?

 Yeah we just had one that was really good!  Not that I can think of

3. Have you spoken in church lately? What about the other missionaries in your apartment? 

 Me no, but the other missionaries yes

4. What has the weather been like lately there?  We have had a little rain Here.

 It is still really dry haha!  No but it is still cold and windy

5.  Have you emailed or heard from any of your friends recently? 

 yeah Hong and Joe

6.  Have you cooked anything with the missionaries in your apartment lately? If so what do you like to make?

 MAC N CHEESE haha and Pancakes

7. What is the place like that you write your emails at on p-days?

 In a Cyber that is near centro in Mejillones (Also Cyber is a place that is just full of comptuers)

Love you guys tons!

Elder Hirschi