We Found A Mircle!! October 13, 2014

Family and Friends,

I dont have a lot of time to write today, but I wanted to make sure all of you know that I love you and thank you for your love and support that you have given me. Missionary work is hard, but it's a lot easier when you know there are at least 4 or 5 people that are supporting you back home!

This week we found a miracle, that I am hoping remains a miracle. We were trying to find a street, so we asked a lady that was walking. She pointed us in the right direction but feared we wouldnt find it so she walked with us! We started talking to her a little bit and set up a time for a lesson. It turned out to be awesome! She is extrememly receptive, and she came with us to church. She is one of those people that you are looking for and that the Lord has prepared for us!

I am working hard and doing my best to do the Lords work!

If anyone is wondering about the language. I can understand a lot and I am getting better every day. The only problem I have is that I am not the same hilarious, and obnoxious kid that I am in English which is kind of a bummer. I am working on it and trying to make the Mexicans laugh, but for the most part all I get is dirty looks! I am hoping I can trasfer my personality over into spanish sometime soon!

I dont have any awesome stories, or motivational quotes to energize you for the next week and I apologize for that. Have a decent week!

Elder Hirsch

Pictures October 13, 2014

A view of our area in the city

Me and Elder Ramirez cleaning up 3 inches of water throughout our whole apartment

Our Zone

Guess Who Still Can't Speak Spanish? October 6, 2014

Family and Friends,

I have learned a lot this week, and very little of this learning has been the language! I am starting to realize that the language will come eventually and that I just need to relax and trust that the lord will bless me in times of need! Life is still hard, but the mission was never supposed to be easy as I shared last week. I hope I haven't been negative in my emails, because I am really grateful for this opportunity I have to serve the Lord and pay back just a little sliver of the blessings I have received in my life!

This week was conference as you all know and we learned a ton. A lot of the talks had a common theme and that was Prophets and personal testimony. Missionary work is all about inviting and helping people develop a personal testimony and enter into the path of eternal life through baptism. It is impossible to share and invite others to do something without our own personal testimony. I have rededicated myself and am doing my best to grow my personal testimony every day. I invite you all to do the same through scripture study, pondering and personal prayer. This is what the Church is all about. PERSONAL TESTIMONY.

I know that this Church is true, and know that you can know the same through these basic steps. I know this is the Lords work, and that I was called by a prophet of God to go help the people of Mexico! I love you all and thank you for your prayers in my behalf. 

On a more funny note. So yesterday it rained really hard, and we got a call at about 8 o'clock and our neighbor said that he thinks our house is flooded a little bit. We weren't too worried because it happened the night before and it wasn't a big deal. We got home at about 9 o'clock and walked down the stairs to our appartment and we had 3 inches of water in our entire appartment! haha it was quite the experience cleaning it up for 2 hours but all is good now!! I couldnt help but laugh and know that I was being punished for all the times I told my Mother how easy cleaning the house was, and how keeping the house clean wasn't a big deal. It's a little harder than it looks! 

I am learning lessons every day and happy for the opportunity I have to be here in Mexico! I miss you all but I dont want to see you for a long time!

have a great week!

Elder Hirsch

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