1st letter from the MTC

Wazzzzzz up America!!!!!!!

This is Hma Hirschi coming at you from MEXICO CITY MEXICO. the land of Zac Quists dreams. it has been a crazy week. So rewarding, so amazing, so trying, but so incredible.

I have no idea where to start, thus, my organization will be somewhat insane. Just go with it please.

So I arrived to Mexico last Tuesday night around 10 pm. That was a tiring day to be sure. The next day was orientation, and it was, without doubt, the LONGEST 16 hours I have ever lived. it was nutso, and I was perty tired. The second day followed suit.  It was so loooooooooooong.   I maybe started to feel a little sorry for myself. But then I remembered reading about the Jews in Exodus (hahaha) and I was like, this is so easy.

  Mexico City is psycho.  Seriously psycho. But it rocks too. The ccm, or mtc, (Missionary Training Center) is right downtown in the middle of the city. We are on 90 acres of land surrounded by big fatty gates. They are super comforting and induce feelings of safety. Ok jk jk(just kidding).  We hear gun shots, cannons, and dogs AROUND THE CLOCK. Alright Mexico! The campus is pretty small, and I will be here for 6 weeks to learn Spanish. The campus has about 1000 missionaries in training. half Latino, half Americano. My goal is to become the most beloved American of all the Latinos and I am well on my way. I talk to every. single. one. Mostly to improve my Spanish but also because I love the Mexican people so much.

 It rains every day, and not like Seattle rain, like THE EARTH IS GOING TO FLOOD AGAIN THE APOCOLAPSE IS COMING type rain. For real. Every day around 5 pm. It’s actually pretty sweet. But it is cold here. I had no idea it would be cold!!!

There are 8 elders and 4 sisters in my district. My comp ( short for companion. The missionaries are always in pairs)  is Hma Stucki, and she reminds me so so sososososososo much of one of my best childhood friends CJ which is pretty awesome because I wanted to have a transfer with all of my friends who are out in the mission. The sisters are all 19. I AM A STRAIGHT UP GRANDMA OUT HERE. I have met two other 21 yr. olds in this entire establishment. What the heck????????????? Whenever I tell people that they are like, ´oh we never would have guessed, you do not look it´ and I’m like, ok that is kinda funny. One, because I’m not super concerned about looking my age at 21.  My crow’s feet are a little embarrassing but I have learned to love them. Also, hahahah does that mean I act super immature??? Maybe I don’t want to know.

 
After day 2, we started getting into our normal schedule and I love it with all that I am. 16 hours awake and working each day. It is intense, absolutely, but I love it. I love studying and learning all day. I love the language, and it is coming at an INSANELY FAST RATE. I can speak quite a bit after one week. Granted it takes hard work, and I have never worked so hard in my entire life, but still, it is amazing to see the progress. FAITH IS REAL. THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS REAL.

I have two Latina roommates with me and Hma Stucki. One speaks 0 English, the other speaks good English. It is so cool. Hma Riviera is the one who only speaks Spanish, and she is so hilarious. She loves talking to me and I love trying to talk to her. She is for real the sweetest person I have ever met. Here is something very important I have learned this week.  There is a universal language. Maybe that is love but I am speaking of a different one. Body language. When in doubt, body language. hahahahahahahah  The Latinas eat it up. They think I am pretty funny because when I cannot say what I want, I express it through facial expression or charades. It works. EVERY. TIME. Loooooooove the latinas in my casa. so much.

The first night the Latinas got to our casa, some came into my room and start freaking out saying, ¨Taylor Swift Taylor Swift!!!¨ while they were looking at me. I was wearing my hipster glasses and my hair was curly but I was dyyyying. I do not look like T Swift!! I think that is the first and last time I will ever be told I look just like Taylor Swift.

The food in Mexico, dicey. hahahah It is the worst because I starve and I want to eat but then I eat and I get sooooooooooo nasty feeling. It’s a battle and every night I go to bed I am so hungry. Also, they serve pastires in the cafeteria and I was having one bfast, lunch and dinner, but I decided I didn’t want to get diabetes (pronounced die-uh-beet-us) in 6 weeks so I quit that practice. No worries. Instead I go to the store after lunch and get a candy bar. hahaha living the high life.

 

 So my district is a gem. A true genuine treasure.  I convinced my district to play volleyball every day. It is soooooooooo fun. sosososo fun. hahah I seriously love volleyball so much. The other day during our gym time, the torrential downpour began and we just played it out. I was so soaked. Probably more wet than I have ever been in my entire life. I couldn’t see it was raining so hard. But the game went on. At the end there was a huge puddle of water in the middle of the court and Elder Mapusua laid down in it exclaiming that that opportunity would be the closest he would have to swim for the next two years. I get you elder. You gotta do it.

 

Hma Patterson is another sister in my district, and she and I are cut from the same humor cloth. We  die laughing every day. The other day we were at the ccm store and we saw this hilare Mexican perfume called meow and we just could NOT resist. So we bought it. We were dying laughing and we wear it. You bet your bottom dollar we wear it

 The spirit is awesome in the ccm. I love speaking Spanish with people. It blows my mind to think how much I have learned in one week.  I think the best thing about the mission, is this time that I have to fully devote myself to the lord. This opportunity is sacred and like none other. I have all day, every day, to consistently work on coming to know the Savior and Heavenly Father better. This is truly a sacred privilege. I am also incredibly grateful for the chance to wear the name of Jesus Christ on my nametag each and every day. That is a holy name, and I feel honored and blessed that he trusts me enough to allow me to be his representative. This is Gods church, restored in fullness by the proper authority to the earth. I am so grateful for this time to be here, to draw nearer unto the Lord and to share this amazing message with all who will simply listen. God loves his children so much. More than we can comprehend. We watched a few devotionals this week given by apostles of the Lord, and my testimony was exploding.  I understand that Alma wants to make people read the book of Mormon. It is so good and it fills us with such light!!! I want everyone to have the happiness that comes from this gospel. So yes the work is demanding. Absolutely. But, it is even more rewarding and I love being engaged every day.

ALSO GENERAL CONFERENCE PEOPLE. I am psyched for that! This is the word of the LORD, for us, now. Today. I am so embarrassingly excited for General Conference. I am going to listen to one session in Spanish. I am praying that the lord will help me understand by then.

 Oh also, I have become best friends with a the little old gardener here named, yes, Jose. I always say hi and he is so sweet and then he talks at me one million miles an hour and I have no idea what he is saying ever. Seriously the first two days were long, but after that, I have enjoyed every day. I love my mission already. I love devoting myself to the most important cause possible. I love you all. I think of all of you every day, and then I get back to studying Spanish and the gospel. I love you. Stay sweet. Email me please bc dear elder does not work. Thanks for all your support and love and friendship.

(Over a dozen letters were sent to her via Dear Elder in the last 10 days, and she hasn't received any of them.  It looks like email will be the best way to contact her.  Let me know in the comments if you need her email and I will get it to you)

 

Stay cool. Be righteous.

 Love,

Hma Alaina Hirschi