Gettin things bumpin' in Belize

My new companion, Sis R

Ok. Shout-outs for starters this week.   Nicolina D and Phil C. 

 

I found St. Ives peach face scrub. You bet I cried. And I bought 40 bottles because who knows if I’ll ever be able to find any of that gold ever again in Belize. It feels so good. 

 

Well what to say. Belize. I wish everyone could be here in Belize because its spectacular. It was a tad cold this week though. And it rained. And my companion and I of course went out to work in the rain because it’s just rain--and I am a Seattle native. Rain doesn’t scare me. Nah man. 

 

For some reason, strangers on the street were concerned for our welfare. They were just dropping these comments every 10 minutes "you girls are gonna get sick!!" I laughed them to scorn. I said, "That is cute. I am from Seattle. A little rain never hurt nobody foo'. Onward". And because I refused to humble myself, a piece of humble pie was consequently shoved down my throat. The next morning I woke up with a headache, fever, and sinuses clogged like the hoover dam. For real? So I feel pretty lousy. I keep getting hot flashes which is disconcerting. 

 

But none of this, NONE of it, will temper my overwhelming joy this week. I LOVE the missionary gig. Ok? All the RM's who told me so were correct. I finally know what is going on and how to be a missionary. There is lots I'm not doing that I have to do, sure, but I'm just grooving. My area is the best area in the world and the people are infinitely more interesting. 

 

Take Brother J for example. He is an 85 year old man who reads fortunes. He used to travel with the circus throughout all of Central America and spoke the fastest Spanish I have heard yet. He is undeniably unique. But he loves the missionaries and is amazingly super positive?? And knows magic--but assures us that it is only tricks and that he doesn’t use the devil's power. 

 

comforting.

Belize is nice. Basically my zone is 2 inches away from being organized as a Stake and we are all motivated out of our minds to get out and there and find and teach and invite and build. So close we can taste it and it’s tantalizing. 

 

I think I’m gonna pass out soon? hah so sick right now.  So I’ve gotta jet. Have faith everyone. I love you all. I love the gospel. Have a fun week. 

 

Love Sis Hirschi

 

STARRING AUNT KATHY AND UNCLE STEVIEEE

This week something unusual happened. MY AUNT AND UNCLE CAME TO SAN IGNACIO--THE LAND OF MY MISSION!! 

 

What a blessing though. We had a ridiculously pleasant time together. Granted our hours were numbered--to 2--but I soaked in each moment. Not going to lie; it was a tad surreal to see my real, live family members here in Belize, but it was way too much fun. I love you Steve and Kathy! Thanks again for stopping by! ;)

 

Also! I am officially 4 months old in the mission! That is nuts to me.

 

The term 'jam-packed' was born to the end of describing this week I just lived. Ah man. Every day something new. But first. A few well-deserved shout outs. 

 

1. HOLA AT MY SINGLES WARD. You guys are da bomb. Ok? I got your card and I just loved it!! Thanks so much ya'll. I read each and every little note from all of you and I reveled in it all. You're all way too tender. Feel free to send more letters in the future. I love you all! Seriously...so much love right now.

 

2. Grandma & Grandpa Loomis. You are champions. Thanks for the package!!! It was so cherished. Somehow you also know all my favorite things in the world. Thanks so much for the food and the clothes and the hand sanitizer! Love you! 

 

So maybe a few of you can recall the gold dollar coins we used to circulate in the US? I remember when one came out with Sacagawea. Is that spelled correctly? I don’t mean to disrespect her by butchering the spelling...because I am grateful for her contributions to American history. But. The point of this comment is that if any person has at any time wondered about the location of all the us dollar coins--I have found them. ALL OF THEM. They are here in Belize of course! How they came to ALL be here I cannot tell. But there are millions of them here. Pretty much it’s the only denomination they use here. Another Belizean mystery to rival that surrounding their ancient ruins. 

 

SO this week Sister S and I are teaching a lesson when a young girl who I consider to be a friend of mine leans over and says to me, 'you know sister Hirschi, you are a lot more childish than sister S'. Personally, I would have preferred a different description. Maybe fun, spontaneous, creative, witty. I dunno. But thanks M****! Your comment will be treasured. 

 

Tambien, this week we had changes. And sadly, Sister S se fue. She was assigned to a different area and I am very, very, VERYYYY sad about this. She was a rock star and I laughed every day with her. I learned a ton from that Guatemalan fireball. But my new companion is a Mexican American and she is also a force to be reckoned with. We are going to light it up here. I am really looking forward to working with Sister R. But my heart is aching a lil' bit for Sis S

.

 

Being a missionary is becoming a real treat for me you guys. I am really learning how to just love and embrace this work. I'm trying so hard to think of something profound I learned this week but nothing is coming. I am legitimately sorry for this. I think maybe I'm just getting happier. And it’s awesome. It's just coming from genuinely forgetting myself in this work. I know sometimes it’s hard to share the gospel with people. It can be awkward. I never considered myself an awkward person before the mission but I've had a lifetime of HUGELY embarrassing moments that were completely beyond hope of salvaging. But who cares you know? Haha that’s probably not terribly inspiring for you all...but I promise that the joy comes. Share the gospel and the light will come. That much I can promise you. 

 

Ok ya'll. I love you times infinity and to the moon and back. Have a wonderful week and get out there and TALK to people about what you believe. 

 

Love sister Hirschi

Belize me...this kid's hilarious!

Salutations.

How are things in the continent of North America my friends?
Good I presume.

Things here in Belize are rolling right along, and thus...without further delay, I’d like to share some fun times from my mission this week.

First, meet A***. The single most precocious 6 year old I have EVER been blessed to know in my entire life. Let's be straight, most of my email will probably be about him because every word out of his mouth entertains. Every. Single. One. Last night Sis S and I were teaching A*** and his family. We were talking about the fact that we can return to live with God and our families forever. At which point he says,

"Yes. this is true. but some people will also go TO HELL."
Why thank you for pointing that out A***. Yes, that is true.

The lesson continues... somehow, for reasons still a little obscure to me, we ended up on the topic of Santa. I professed to believe in Santa with all my heart. At which point A*** kindly informed me that Santa IS DEAD.

"Santa died. Yes, he is dead. He died in an accident."
I was distraught but have chosen to not end my own life upon hearing this horrific news.

We went on. But first a little background information. A*** was sitting on a bench about 6 inches from a wall behind him. He was getting pretty worked up through our lesson and a pinch jittery. Then suddenly, he fell backwards into the crack between the wall and his chair and his legs smashed against his face. Have I painted an accurate picture?? His body was completely bent in half.

We erupted in laughter. A*** remained dignified. He emerged from the crack in the wall but the rest of us continued laughing. Sis S and I strove diligently to return to the lesson...but we couldn’t stop laughing. Eventually A*** said,

"OK ENOUGH. Can we please return to our LESSON?!?!"
And we laughed more.
And then we returned to the lesson. Is this kid for real?!?! Who is he?? I LOVE BELIZEANS!

Shoot que mas. I can’t remember what else happened this week. Sorry folks! S*** is reading the Book of Mormon and every lesson with her scares me but we had more inspiring lessons with her this week. I have also discovered that I enjoy talking to anyone and everyone. It’s kind of fun. It’s fun to hear what people believe and to share with them what I believe also. And I have discovered that there is no feeling in the world to surpass that of bringing another person unto Christ...and not just baptism...but true conversion. A true relationship with Jesus Christ. That is why I am here. To help people form that personal relationship.

I know you will all hate me but I am sooo out of time. I am sorry for a super lame email. I love you all. Have a stupendous week and lets all pray for a better email la proxima vez. Spanglish forever.

Love,
Sister Hirschi

Cahal Pech or Bust

Hey. 

 

SO. Last week. I tooootally forgot to give my dad a birthday shout out and for this--I think I am condemned to at least the telestial kingdom but I’m trying to recover. Everyone tell Scott Hirschi Happy birthday!! He is the best dad en la mundo!!! Maybe your efforts can redeem me. 

 

Another adventurous week right? What week in the mission isn't adventurous I’d like to know. I submit that the unadventurous mission week does not exist. Something is always happening. 

 

Actually something a little creepy happened. On my dad's actual birthday, I saw his truck driving around town. The red ford f-150. I have never seen this truck before in Belize and I have never seen it since, but all day on January second...it haunted me. So how you arranged that dad I do not know....but...well played. 

 

Another interesting note. I earned my missionary stripes this week, or so I like to think. My comp and I weren’t attacked my dogs, but something equally scarring took place. One evening, we were trying to contact a young man who we have been teaching. Some children were playing out in the yard of his home with fireworks. We began to converse with them, hoping to obtain the knowledge of our investigators whereabouts. Evidently these children did not like us, because they started throwing the fireworks near us. At first Sis S and I ignored their assault attempts and continued to press them for the information concerning our investigator. They grew fiercer in their determination to deter us. Instead of throwing fireworks near us, they threw them directly at us. We ran for our lives, and they pursued us. I laughed so hard bc Sis S was screaming because they hit her. I’m laughing now thinking of it. 

 

Luckily we escaped unscathed. It’s a true miracle. But as soon as we were out of reach of our enemies--the children--we heard a familiar sound…the pounding of metal rooftops. The rain in Belize is a strange beast bc when it rains, it truly pours. And you can hear it coming, ALWAYS. And if it you don’t run for cover, you will be destroyed bc it will come for you. So we heeded the warning and once again ran for our lives, but to no avail. We had no place to hide and went swimming in the air. hahaha once again, I died laughing. 

 

 

But my favorite part of this week might have been Cahal Pech. On P-day (Prep day, when missionaries do non-missionary things that need to be done i.e. laundry, grocery shopping, letter writing, and fit in a little sight-seeing occasionally) Sis S and I went to our backyard--more or less--and saw the ancient Mayan ruins of Cahal Pech. They are absolutely beautiful and equally fascinating. Cahal Pech is an ancient Mayan palace, and it is 1500 years old!! A random grandpa who was there and coincidentally knew everything about the ruins gave a personalized tour for which we were extremely grateful. I  included some siiiick pics of Cahal Pech for you all to enjoy. 

 

Also my Spanish is getting pretty good. Granted I have a long way to go, but I am understanding a lot. I’m just a freak for grammar so I’m still perfecting that part. 

 

You'll all be happy to know my pride continues to be obliterated. Before the mission I had this general approach to life, just like, 'yeah. I got this!' Since beginning the mission I feel something more along the lines of

 

 'I do not got this'. 

 

Ok? Just every day I have to be more than I am. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn to really trust in the Lord and to rely on Him. I’ve never prayed so fervently in my life. I've never had to pray like this. I've never felt so helpless!! But man the blessings come. They are real. God is real. Faith is a real power. This week I had an awesome spiritual experience. 

 

We are teaching a woman named S***,  She has a loooot of questions and is very skeptical about the church. S*** scares me. but. she also has a sincere desire to learn. Last night we were discussing the Book of Mormon and introducing it to her. She was extremely skeptical and I was getting disheartened a little. Sometimes people argue with what we believe and sometimes people get angry but the worst is when they laugh, and S*** was laughing. 

 

Well at the end, I just had this amazing feeling. I explained as plainly as I could that the Book of Mormon is the key to everything we taught her and that she could prove our words by reading the Book of Mormon. I bore my testimony and I just felt filled with light. It was unlike anything I’d every experienced!  I was so happy to just be there sharing the Book of Mormon with S***. When I finished she said something like this...

 

'ok you’ve convinced me. You’re glowing! Wow you are really glowing. I want to glow like that! Alright I am going to read this. I want to glow too'

 

Ah. What an indescribable feeling. And I was glowing! Because the gospel is the most beautiful message in the world! It is full of light and pure, unadulterated joy. So. I love S***. And I love testifying of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That was an amazing experience. Really just amazing.

 

I love you all. The gospel is so beautiful. Have a wonderful week ok? Endure to the end and share the gospel and read the Book of Mormon. And, maybe I will get the hang of being a missionary.

 

All my love

Sister Hirschi

 

ps: I AM OBSESSED WITH THE TORTILLAS HERE. I’m telling you all. The tortillas in the states are a type and a shadow of what they could be. DANG they are good in Belize.