Update On Edgar April 27, 2015

Update on Edgar. He is probably one of the best investigators that exists in the world right now. He reads his book of Mormon every single day, and he has already read to 3 nephi, but that was yesterday so I am almost positive he is getting close to finishing. He has a ton of faith and he is so ready to accept the gospel in his life. We are just waiting until he gets to church enough times to get baptized. We are hoping that we can baptize him on Mothers day if everything goes well. He came to church with us yesterday and was sharing his testimony with everyone, and participating in all of the classes! It was a pretty cool experience.

Huge meat sandwich called the Ultimate Torta

Kelton eating the Ultimate Torta

Keltons Letter To Mom About Mission April 20, 2015

Mother,

Everything is going great here but time is going by way too fast. I have no idea to describe it. It feels like I was writing to you yesterday and that nothing new has happened. We are finding new people to teach and working hard with the ward so they can stay strong.

The family with the four kids. We didn't find them all week so we went to see if we could find them on sunday morning to see if they would come to church with us but they werent home, they their neighbor came outside and told us that we should stop coming by, because it bothers her that we vistit her neighbor so much. We tried to find her like 4 times this week but we couldnt so I guess we bothered the neighbors pretty bad, but we will go back this week because thats what we do as missionaries!

The family that is super good that we have been teaching are almost impossible to find. They get home after 930 basically every day and we have to be in the house at 930 so its super hard to be able to find them. They are also losing interest because we cant teach them as much as we should. They told us they were going to come to church yesterday but when we went to pick them up they werent there. It was a bummer, but life goes on.

We are also teaching this guy who is super cool. His name is Edgar. We found him a couple weeks ago and he came to the conference with us. His wife/girlfriend doesnt want anything to do with us, and she is against Edgar coming to church. Edgar is a champion and he know that the church is true. He is reading the book of mormon and has a ton of desire to get baptized and share the gospel with everyone, but he didnt come to church yesterday either. Heres the story.

We went by yesterday morning to pick him up for church, and he told us that he hadnt finished working and that he would be at the church fifteen minutes late. I have a ton of trust in this guy so I wasnt worried about it. I just went to the church and waited a little while. It was about 1030 (30 minutes late) and he still wasnt their so I sent him a text, telling him that he has to come if he wants to get baptized on may 3, but he didnt respond. He tried to call me but I couldnt answer during sacrament meeting. I was a little mad at him because he told us that he was going to be there, so I didnt call him all day afterwards to see what happened. Then at about 7 pm he sent us a text message saying ( I am so sorry that I couldnt come to church today, my wife told me that I have to choose between her and the church, I love you guys hope to see you soon ) After the message I decided to give him a call, and asked if we could visit him. He agreed and we went to his house. 

He started telling us the story of what happened in the morning. He said that he went up to change clothes to go to church and his wife told him to choose. They started arguing a little bit and by the end his wife walked out on him and said that she is going to move with her parents. He said he couldnt come to church because he had to go with her to the bus station. He said that they have had a ton of problems and that they had been separated before. He said that it was super hard for him to see her go. He went back home and wanted to read the book of Mormon to calm down a little bit, and he couldnt find his book anywhere! She took it from him. He then said to us (This may be bad to say, but I was more sad that she took my book of Mormon than I was that she was gone!) hahahaha this guy has a ton of faith. He says that one day she will be prepared to receive the gospel and she will come back, but if she doesnt its not part of Gods plan. He appologized because he lost his book of Mormon and felt super bad. We then gave him a new one and he started crying, and basically hugging the book. I have never seen someone so happy to receive a Book of Mormon. I feel honored to teach someone of such great faith, and such great love for his Heavenly Father. He should be getting baptized in the next few weeks to start his journey as a member of the church of Jesus Christ.

It is such a great testimony builder to see someone so ready to receive the gospel, and willing to do whatever it takes to follow Jesus Christ. I am grateful that I have moments like this in the mission that are nearly impossible to forget. The Lord has his ways of always reminding us exactly why we are here.

I love you so much and hope that everything is going well! Have a great week!

Elder Hirsch

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Pictures From Mexico April 13, 2015

 Keltons District of Ixtlahuaca

 Keltons zone of Atlacomulco

Kelton and Elder Veazy  (Good pal in mission)

Elder Hadley (from Centerville) Elder Hirsch and Elder Veazy

To Those who care March 23, 2015

To those who care,

This week in Mexico went great. We are teaching a lot of really great people and working super hard to find a lot more people to learn more about the church. I know I havent written a lot lately and it is because it is super hard to remember everything that happened this week, and I feel like all the little things that happen have very little importace to other people.

This week went by fast again. Its crazy that I have been out here for almost 9 months and I feel like 2 years isnt going to be enough time to do all the work that needs to be done here in the areas that I have served. Missionary work, and our resonsibility as members of the church is a lot bigger than we understand when we are living our normal every-day lives. I didnt realize how important it is that we share the gospel with everyone we know until I got here.

What we have is different than the rest of the world. Every single one of us could get up in front in sacrament meeting a tell everyone how blessed we are and how much the Lord has blessed us and how much of a blessing the gospel has been in our lives, but for some reason we dont share it with those who arent members of the church because we are afraid or we think they wont accept. Its important to understand that even if the person rejects the invitation, all you did was invite someone to enjoy the greatest blessing that exists on this earth. I know its hard to share but all it is, is sharing happiness, sharing the things that make you who you are. I want to invite everyone to invite someone to learn more about the gospel.

Its easy to talk, and say that we want to be missionaries, or that we want to work hard and help the chuch but it is another thing to act. I have learned a lot here in the mission that, even as full time missionaries we fall short of our potential. Those that find the most joy in the gospel are those that share it with others. Its isnt easy but it is worth it!

I know that before my mission I promised not to be the missionary that just preached to all the people at home with his emails, and I apologize, but when all you do is preach the gospel, you forget how to talk about other stuff! Its the best!

I hope you all have a great week! I love and miss every single one of you. 

Elder Hirsch

Kelton and his CHILD- (brand new missionary)  Kelton is a District Leader and a Trainer

Funny Story!! Kelton wrote to Braden February 24, 2015

A True Miracle February 24, 2015

Elder Hirsch and Elder Robinson

The baptism of Jose Rafael

Family and Friends,

Like I promised last week I have been working on trying to find stories to tell you, and well I was blessed with one this week! Something cool here in Mexico is that we have the opportunity to find miracles all the time. There are a ton of people here that have been to church a ton and have received all the lessons but decide not to get baptized. So there is always someone that we can find and see how they are doing.

Well about a week ago a man came into the church and asked the bishop for  a Book of Mormon, and something to read. Well the bishop gave him what he wanted and asked for his name and phone number so we could get a hold of him. Bishop told us that he had been to church a bunch and that he almost got baptized about 6 months ago, but something happened and he never came back to church. Well being a missionary these are great words to hear that someone is looking for a Book of Mormon and that they have been to church a bunch of times.

We called him on sunday night and set up an appointment to meet with him at the church on tuesday at 4 in the afternoon. We went, called him, he told us he was coming, we waited about a half hour, still didnt come and then we called again and he turned his phone off. It was a bummer because we thought we were going to find a miracle with this guy.

Well that day I was working with Elder James Hadley, who is from Centerville! We worked the rest of the day, and at about 830 we were just walking around trying to contact people in the street. Well we were walking, and somehow we ended up on this road where I had only been once before, and there litterally was nobody in the street. For some reason we both just kept walking. We passed a guy on the street, said goodnight like always, and he yelled to me. WE TALKED TODAY! I thought that maybe we contacted him earlier that day or something, but really had no idea. he said I AM JOSE RAFAEL. The guy that we were looking for earlier that day! We started talking to him about what happened and why he didnt get baptized. He told us there were a few problems with the missionaries that that he just didnt do it. Well, we asked him if he wanted to get baptized on sunday and he said yes!!! We then taught him a few times, and prepared him to get baptized, and sure enough he showed up Sunday more than ready for his baptism!

It was a true miracle and I am so grateful for the opportunities that we have as missionaries! I Love you all and hope that you have a great week!

Elder Hirsch

To Those Who Care!!! February 16, 2015

Kelton's New Zone

To Those Who Care,

The whole mission thing is going really well and I am really enjoying my time here. It's not the easiest thing I have ever done, but it is definitely the most rewarding and worthwhile. I am learning more and more about the gospel every day and loving it more and more as well. I am also learning more and more about life every day and I am not sure exactly how excited I am to have to start a life one day! I am loving my time here and am very thankful for the opportunity to be here!

This week we spent a lot of time working with investigators and trying to find new people to teach. We are teaching some great families and I love seeing the way the gospel is changing their lives. It is one of the coolest things to see people change and the role that the Lord plays in their conversion. Its really special to see a family change and find happiness in the gospel!

One thing I have learned this week is the importance of doing the little things. My whole life all of my coaches always said that it is the little things that win games, but I never knew that it applied to real life too. The people that are more successful are those that do the little things. The people that have the strongest testimonies are the people that do the little things. (Reading scriptures, praying, and going to church) If you want to have success you have to do the little things that other people aren't willing to do. It is through little things that great things come to pass (Alma 37) Do the little things and I promise you that you will be happier and have more success!

I know I don't have much to say in my letters, but I am trying my best to find miracles that I can share with you all. I promise that I will have a few good stories to tell in the next few weeks. Thank you for all of your love and support!

Elder Hirsch