Another week for Elder Hirsch September 29, 2014

Family and others that want to waste a little time to hear from an old pal,

First of all, I love you all, and I didnt even realize how much I love you until I cant see you anymore. I guess distance really does make the heart grow fonder!

WE had another 4 baptisms this week! I am really grateful that I got sent to a country where there are a lot of baptisms this work would be a ton harder if there wasnt a reward every few weeks!! We baptized a family of 4, and even though I arrived in this area after they had received a majority of their teaching it is still amazing to see a family make a decision to change their lives forever. In one year from now they can enter the temple and be sealed for eternity! Its such an amazing blessing that so many of us take for granted.

We work so hard every day to make more money or focus on things outside of our families, when in reality, after this life our family is the only thing that is going to matter. You get to think a lot in the mission, and I am so grateful for the amazing family and friends that I have been blessed with that have helped me get to where I am today!

The mission isnt easy, but the words of Elder Holland come to my head everytime I start feeling down! ITS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE EASY. SALVATION WAS NEVER EASY! He is the guy that keeps me motivated! We have an amazing oportunity to hear from the prophets and apostles this weekend and I encourage you all to realize the blessings that we have been given! WE HAVE A LIVING PROPHET TO GUIDE US THROUGH THIS CRAZY WORLD. Its a bigger blessing than I ever realized before! Prepare to hear the messages, and prepare questions before and I promise that they will be answered!

I dont have any more time to write, or any cool stories! I love you all, and you are all part of my family. I am so grateful for all of you and the blessing that you have been in my life. Always stay postive even when its hard. (This is a little hipocritical, but I am working on it so give me a break!) have a great week, and play a round of golf for me before it snows!

Elder Hirsch

Baptized this family

Kelton Gets transfered September 15, 2014

Family and Friends,

You did not get taken off the email list, but nothing here has happened so it wasn't worth wasting my email time to write about my emotions! haha I still love all of you just not quite as much as I love my Family!

Well this week I have some things to tell you! I had my first baptism! His name is Miguel Perez and he is my pal. He got baptized Tuesday. I wasn't a huge part of teaching him, but we are pals, and he wanted me to baptize him. He helped me practice my Spanish a lot!

Then we had another miracle a couple weeks ago. We were walking down the street and this little goofy mexican guy stopped us and said he wanted us to come to his house the next day! So we went and visited him and it turns out he had already been to church twice in the past. (Which means he only has to come two more times in order to qualify for baptism) Anyways we started teaching him a little slow, but he can't read or write and wasn't really understanding what we were teaching and we didn't think he would come to church, but we were wrong! He came to church, and then decided that he wanted to come to the baptism of Miguel Perez on Tuesday. Well during the baptism he felt the Spirit so strong that he wanted to be baptized that day! Unfortunately he hadn't been taught any of the lessons formally and had only been to church three times. He then set his mind on being able to be baptized Sunday. So Thursday we taught him litterally ALL, the lessons. He then had his interview Friday, and was baptized by my companion Sunday! Crazy how the Lord prepares people! So we ended up having two baptisms in my first transfer!

I did get trasfered out of El Oro:( which was kind of a bummer because it is a super cool pueblo! I am now serving in the city, with Elder Martinez who is from the Dominican Republic. He knows really good english so I think he is going to help me out a ton! We will see how it goes!

I love you all, and want to remind you that the Lord is always here for us. The only times we feel like we don't have the Holy Ghost with us are those times when we aren't listening! The Lord loves us so much, and wants us to be Happy! I love you all so much and miss you like crazy! I hope you have a wonderful week, and always remember if I dont write you an email its because nothing cool happened, not because I don't love you.

Elder Hirsch

Pictures from El Oro

 First baptism  Miguel Perez

 Hermanas in our district

 Me and Elder Salgado

 Elders in our Zone

 Arches of El Oro

Baptism of Jose Miguel

Pictures of El Oro

I understood a few things this week!!!! August 25, 2014

Our apartment

Our missionary zone

Family and Friends,

I understood a few things this week!!! 

First of all, on tuesday we had exchanges, and they thought it would be hilarious to put two new elders together for a day. We were so nervous. Then we started working and the people just magically understood what we were saying and we met all of our daily goals!! I was so pumped! It was a real testimony builder because I know that our spanish wasnt very good, but the Spirit helped the people understand what we were saying. Its such a huge comfort knowing that the Spirit is with us every single day out here. I learned more in one day, than I feel like I have my entire mission. Its very difficult to trust in the Lord, but when we do he will always bless us. 

Another quick story. We were visiting with a recent convert who we visit frequently and she is awesome. She is always welcoming us, and she is just a great person. She lives in a tiny house with her daughter and grandson. She started telling us a little bit about some of her stuggles, and I almost started crying. She is struggling to make ends meet, and they barely have anything. It makes me embarrassed for the way we live. We have so much, and we still want more all the time. I am just very humbled by the people here because they have nothing and yet they still find ways to have joy in their lives!

We have a baptism this next sunday, and we are hoping everything goes as planned. I am working hard and Spanish is still whooping my butt. (Sorry for the harsh missionary language) I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week. 

Elder Hirsch

First week in Mexico August 11, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

A lot has happened this week! I would love to tell you about it but I didn't understand anything that was happening because it was all in Spanish. We flew in on Monday night and spent the night in the mission home. Then had a little orientation thing in the morning and then met our companions and headed out to the mission field!

My new companion is Elder Salgado he is from Honduras and speaks worse English than I do Spanish. It is nearly impossible for us to communicate so I just end up following him around all day, and trying to understand a few words that the people say. Lets just say that Mexican Spanish is a thousand times faster than MTC Spanish! I am picking up more and more words everyday. Starting to understand people but talking is a different story.

The area I am serving in is El Oro. Its about as far west as my mission gets. It was terrible lugging around my 3 suitcases for 4 hours worth of bus rides. It is what they call a pueblo. El Oro is the main city then there are a bunch of little places around it where people live. We cover about 6 of these little towns around El Oro. We are on buses all the time and taking taxis, and of course a tonnnnn of walking. For your perspective it is like walking 54 holes a day at Promontory! It's nuts! But the walking doesn't bother me!

The apartment I live in is just about as gross as it gets. I feel uncomfortable all the time, but I am starting to get used to it. It's also freezing here. There is no such thing as heaters, and the apartment gets really cold because of the cement walls. It rains every day here. Rainy season is not a joke! For those who have yet to leave I highly recommend the Ecco boots, they have been treating me well!

Quick Story. So we were at this house and there was a woman manhandling a turkey next to a huge boiling pot of water. I thought that they were going to drop it in there live but they were just joking with me. Then they said they were going to kill it so I asked if I could do the honors. One of the children handed me a knife, and they held out the turkey like I was just supposed to chop it's head off. I was pumped! Then just as I was about to do it, everyone there started laughing. I was soo bummed. Its pretty popular here for the people to play jokes and make fun of the white kid that can't speak Spanish. They all think it is hilarious to say HOW ARE YOU in English!

Anyways, other than that story I had no idea what happened this week. Spanish still drives me crazy, but I will get it before its time to come home. I love and miss all of you. Have a great week, and remember to be an example to those around you, and don't forget to love everyone for no reason!

Arrived in Mexico Letter from Mission President's wife August 6, 2014

Dear Brother and Sister Hirsch,

President Whitehead and I want to let you know that your son, Elder Hirsch, has arrived in Mexico City and is working hard.

We are so thrilled to have your son in our mission. President Whitehead hand-picked top-notch elders and leaders in this mission to train this great generation of missionaries, whose arrival we have been excitedly anticipating for some time now.  We can tell already that they are going to be valiant, obedient, hard-working and  loving.

We fed your son dinner soon after he arrived, had a short devotional and sent him to bed in the basement apartment here at the mission home with the other elders. The next morning we fed him breakfast and then he was interviewed by President Whitehead.  Next he was briefed on the rules of the mission by the APs and  oriented by the office elders, the assistants to the president and me.  Afterwards he met his new trainer and companion that he will have for the next 6 weeks at least, Elder Salgado, a district leader in the mission.  We took pictures, fed him pizza and then he was whisked away with his companion by taxi to serve in his new destination of El Oro.

Thanks for raising this wonderful young man.  We love him already.

President and Hermana Whitehead

President and Sister Whitehead

Cute bunch of missionaries