The finest breed on earth storms CHICAGO WEST MISSION SPANISH SPEAKING

A Multi zone meeting.  Alaina and her two companions are on the right
with Pres and Sis. Hintze
 

Wow. 

 

I AM SO EXTREMELY PROUD AND EVERY PERSON IN MEJICANOS EL SALVADOR KNOWS THAT MY LITTLE BROTHER, MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD, HAS RECEIVED HIS MISSION CALL! 

 

He will be serving the Lord in Chicago! For two years...and speaking my BELOVED Español!! Can I tell you guys I’ve been praying that he would go Spanish speaking for the last 14 months?? Latino wannabes in the Hirschi family. 

 

But basically, we meet someone on the street, we say

 

“Hi, we’re missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and  MY BROTHER IS SERVING IN CHICAGO!!!!!! ISNT THAT WONDERFUL!?!?!?!”

 

hahahahaha I think we will get many baptisms from this new method of contacting. (jk)

 

The only bad part, ya´ll, is that he is leaving for this adventure of adventures on February 18th. And if any of ya´ll even remember, I’m coming home exactly one month afterwards. So I’ll miss him for another two years BY ONE MONTH. 

 

Don’t worry. We won’t give up that easily. The Provo MTC might be well guarded, but she isn’t impenetrable. Breaking and entering. It’s happening.  March 2015.

 

Hahah ok. But coming down just like 3 feet from that cloud I’m on, I have other news! 

 

This week I was reflecting on my many adventures in the field, and I thought to myself. “Wow, I just have two changes to go, I don’t think there is ANYTHING new they can throw at me. I’ve had colorful companions, I’ve trained, I’ve been to Belize, I’ve been back, I’ve been a training leader, I’ve had companions that spoke no English, I’ve seen it all. I think its smooth sailing from here on out!”

 

Wrong. 

 

Maybe that is something I am secretly addicted to when it comes to the mission. ALWAYS surprises. 

 

I got a call from Sis Hintze Tuesday morning (The Mission Presidents wife).

“Hi Sister Hirschi, so I’m about to change your life here.”

 

Those sorts of sentences always inspire confidence. I immediately assumed one of my immediate family members was dead. So I am practically on the floor like, 

 

“What… WHAT IS IT SISTER HINTZE?”

 

“You’re getting another baby!!!” (Mission speak for “you will be training a new missionary”)

 

Twins??!! (Sorry in advance mom for all the mission jargon) (She knows I’ll be trying to translate for everyone J-Alaina’s mom)

Yes. It is true; we are now working in a trio! My first trio in my mission! And I’m training two new missionaries! 

 

Sister O is my new baby. She is from California, but her parents are Mexican so she speaks perfect Spanish. HALLELUJAH! She is helping me out a lot. She waited for her visa one change (6 weeks) in Texas, and arrived just this week. She is also 19 and guess what guys. SHE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN 2014. Huh??? So young! 

 

She is an EXCELLENT missionary, but has been a little shocked by the culture. 

Here is an example:

 

Sis O: “Wait, we just cross the street without a cross walk?”

Me:  “There are no crosswalks in this country.”

 

I just forget a ton of things that I’ve gotten accustomed to, and she gets really confused and then I have to retrace and explain. 

 

But it is weird how training two newbies is really like motherhood, and how taking on a second daughter has seriously increased the responsibility. I think I can relate to mothers all over the world right now. I have panic attacks from time to time on meeting BOTH of their needs and keeping BOTH of them safe and carrying enough snacks for BOTH of them and making sure they BOTH are having a great experience and feel happy. 

 

Sometimes I can’t sleep! hahahaha. 

But they are BOTH stupendous, and I love them both. They are mis hijas amadas, they follow me around like a mother duck. 

 

I am well pleased in mis hijas amadas. 

 

Well. Apart from that. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! We had a party this week and we ate turkey and pie. Shoot I love pumpkin pie. Also, El Sal continues to blow my mind. Take from that what you will. I love it. The members are the bomb. 

 

So this week. Be grateful. We have so much! These people here always amaze me with their gratitude. Guys...if you’re living in the United States you have 65451654354656464 times more things and stuff than anyone here in this country. Trust me. I am so grateful for all that I have been given. Here’s a list to help y’all spin your own. 

 

1. MY LITTLE BROTHER ANDREW and his example. 

2. My mom and dad and Brandon and Emma. 

3. Mis hijas amadas and companeras. 

4. All my wonderful extended family that writes me so faithfully!

5. Belize. 

6. El Salvador. 

7. The lady who gave us a ride to Walmart this morning. 

8. Br.  M (their Ward Mission Leader-the one who gave her 5 minutes’ notice to give a talk in church a few weeks back…I guess she forgave himJ)

9. The scriptures

10. Living prophets and Apostles

11. The Restoration

12. Spanish

13. School

14. THE GOSPEL

15. Houses

16. Christmas time. 

17. Music

18. God

19. Jesus Christ

20. The plan of salvation

21. Kylie and Jakers and their examples

22. Clean water

23. Beds

24. Walking

25. The lady who sells insanity sets (workout videos) and finds my house in El Salvador and brings it right to me

26. President Hintze and Hermana Hintze. 

27. Barrio Mejicanos

28. Email and Skype. 

29. People who still can pronounce my name

30. Chocolate.

31. Temples. 

32. C and his baptism this week

33. The S family

34. That my cousin BRITTANY IS GETTINGMARRIED after I get home from my mission :)))

35. The sacrament

36. General Conference

37. Pupusas

38. Friends. Like Wes and Zac.

39. People willing to listen to our message

 

And on and on and on

 

Just to name a few. 

 

I love you all! Be good. Serve missions. Live the gospel. 

 

Much love, 

Sister Hirschi

 

 

 

 

Jazzercise is sweeping Central America

Hi y’all! 

 

Here I am...EXCITED TO BE ALIVE. Does anyone else have those days, where it just feels so excellent to be living in this world?

 

Because...GOD IS REAL! YAYAYAYA FOR MONOTHEISM! 

Also I’m pumped because today Sis M and I are going to be able to buy the 8 disc set of insanity and we are really looking forward to adding to our collection. Shawn t! (The sisters have 30 minutes each day to exercise and are encouraged to stay in shape)

 

But actually, this week was a little rough. Around all edges. It’s cool. We have to know the bitter to taste the sweet. You feel me?? But basically somehow we ended up with zero people to teach...almost. Largely because those we were teaching were baptized, so we hit the streets and talked to as many people as we could. And this we did hour after hour day after day. 

 

Also I came to realize that El Salvadorians are interesting.  You meet some special characters when you talk to everyone in sight. But diversity is the spice of life true? Most people don’t even open the door when we knock, they just open their plastic blinds and put their face in them and ask what we want. Hahahahaha. Alrightttt! 

 

But the highlight of the week had to be the relief society activity on Saturday. (Relief Society is a woman's organization in the church focused on service) All the women in the stake brought their home goods that they crafted. There was a lot of food. And a lot of Christmas cards. But when Sis M and I walked into the event, up on the stage was a grandpa with two grandmas behind him...doing jazzercise to the BEEGEES. We watched in awe and admiration. I’m sure you can only imagine my delight when the grandpa invited others to participate with him. The BeeGees? Aerobics? A Spanish grandpa shouting in Spanish to keep us sweating? We simply could not resist. We joined the jazzercise. (Dad the white handbook says nothing about dancing). 

 

And how we enjoyed ourselves. And how the audience heckled. But we danced on and emerged triumphant. Sis M couldn’t stop laughing, but I tried to keep a straight face for the majority of our jazzercise. Which lasted longer than we initially anticipated. Anyways. We’re now the estrellitas balerinas prinsesas misioneras de cuscatlan. Which translated roughly means little ballerina stars princess missionaries. hahahaha.

 

Also. I learned this week that there is a strain of chocolate being produced more delicious than that of my own heritage (Swiss). I learned how to make chocolate from scratch! And it is super fun, and simultaneously super delicious. Cool!

 

But the real highlight of the week was when C agreed to be baptized! Remember him? We found him at the time of general conference and taught him about prophets, affirming to him that God continues to call prophets in our day to warn us and lead us. C was pretty interested in this idea, and came to general conference the next day. We’ve been teaching him for about two months now, and he’s been reading the Book Of Mormon the entire time. It has made the difference in him!

 

The other night C said to us...without us even broaching the topic...yes I would like to get baptized.

 

SWEEEET. 

 

And then, we taught him the plan of salvation, and we focused it on the atonement and that thanks to Christ, we will be resurrected, and that Christ felt the pain of all of our sins, and all that is painful that happens to us in this life. I am well acquainted with this truth by now, but it was new for C. As he began to understand what we were telling him, he got a little animated. 

 

´So you’re saying that Christ paid for all the consequences of sin too, not just the sins´ 

 

yessssss. All the sickness in the world, physical, mental, social, all of it--He knew it. 

 

Because of Adam and Eve’s choice to partake of the forbidden fruit, all will die spiritually and physically. We cannot overcome either. FOR THAT REASON Christ came to redeem us. 

 

 

44 But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.

 

I testify that He lives. That He lights the way. He is the way. He is the truth, He changes us as we willingly choose to accept and live His gospel. This is the most important message the world could have. It is the truth about our existence and nothing surpasses it in beauty or import or urgency. Every day our lives should be centered in Christ. 

 

Well. 

 

I love you guys. I love my family. Please just read the scriptures

.

 

Oh be wiseeee. What more can I say. 

Love

Sista Hirschi

 

 

 

 

 

Choose the right

So I think y’all got the routine down now for El Salvador.

 

This week there was another earthquake. Maybe I really do need to repent...in addition; my companion and I tried to make Pupusas on our own because I have decided that my children will be raised on Latin cuisine. 

 

Pupusas

We gave it our all; I can’t say we were successful. They made us really sick and so we have determined to leave the Latin dishes to the Latinas. nahhh we won’t give up that easily. This week will bring with it attempt number two. 

 

Our zone had a rap jam sesh. It took jamming to another level for me, and you may rest assured that we employed our very best Spanglish to our rhyming advantage. I really enjoyed myself. It’s a hobby I plan on taking up when I go back the United States. 

 

In other news, I received some sad information. I had planned on extending my mission just a liiiiittle bit. But I was denied that request. I died a pinch when I was informed that I will have to go home in March. To be specific, I think it was my kidney that gave out on the spot. So now I’m dealing with the harsh reality that one day my mission will end. One day I will not be graced by the presence of sooooo many lovely Latinos. One day I won’t get to spend 24/7 teaching the gospel as a representative of Jesus Christ. Rough. 

 

A little brother at the baptism
 

 

I don’t know if any of you have heard references to Latin blood before? Like how Latinos blood just runs a little hotter than ours does up in the north. Well this is not just a saying, it’s supported fact. It gets wildly entertaining when these people get riled up.

 

And I can’t say...but I think one of the more awkward experiences of my mission life happened this week. Many Latin women have tried to convince me to marry their sons, but this uncomfortable situation was amplified when a woman tried to get her son to take me dancing at a club. I’m still cringing. I think she has misunderstood the missionary purpose. 

 

Well N, our recent convert, is tearing up the mission field. This week he referred us to two of his friends. He came with us to a lesson and bore a beautiful testimony of the restoration of the gospel. Until he had to stop speaking, because he got a little emotional. It’s interesting to me that so many of my convert’s testimonies don’t seem to really flourish until after they are baptized. I’m not certain, but I’m gonna guess that it has something to do with taking that step of faith.

 

The Lord really blessed us in finding people to teach this week. Mini miracles abound. I refound this scripture, and I would like to share it. 

 

 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

 

 

Hmm. That is true. And I would like to add that nothing feels better than knowing we have been forgiven. 

 

Christ is our redeemer! We need to remember Him every minute of everyday. 

 

Much love.

Sister Hirschi

 

 

 

Hirschi como el chocolate!!!!!!!!!!!!



Alaina with an Elder from Guatemala
 

Hey people. 

 

Another super duper week in El Salvador!! I love it guys. I just love this mission life. It’s the best. It is its own little world and I’m totally sucked in. 

 

I don’t know how to organize my thoughts from this week, so I’m just gonna be straight. You straight?

 

My shower shocks me. I know that the shower is an unusually frequent email topic for me, but it never ceases to throw curve balls. The latest is that it sends electrical currents through my body when i touch the knob. It hurts. I’ve tried to dilute the pain by touching the knob with both hands, and it seems to be pretty effective. 

 

I’m not sure how many of you have served missions, but those who have will know that we get our money at the beginning of each month. And those of you who know me will know that I’m not always suuuper savvy when it comes to budgeting. Granted, I am learning. In the school of life. And this was the last week of the month. So I was gearing up to eat rice and beans all week...but then my companion and I prayed to get free food...AND IT WORKED. Hahahahaha. Almost every day we got a toooon of free food!! I testify of the power of prayer. 

 

In addition, my prayers in the morning are nuts. We generally end each day talking to Hno M, our ward mission leader. Obvio, we speak Spanish. And then add to that we speak Spanish all day. But normally, I still think in English. But as of late, when I pray in the morning and I’m not totally coherent, my prayers go a little like this:

 

Queirdo padre father, gracias and please nos bendice to have exito today. gracias. En el nombre of Jesus Christ, amen. 

 

It’s just weird. 

 

But good news guys! My friends are coming back from Belize! This week we had changes and I’m still with my compa Sis M which is great. And a bunch of people came back from Belize. It was fun to be reunited. 

 

The thing is. I want to give you good people a heads up. From here on out, it’s very likely my emails will get shorter and lamer. I’ll talk to you guys in person in 4 months. 

 

But the spiritual seizures siguen. AH SPANGLISH. My brain is so confused. That’s another reason for the shorter emails. We had a neat experience this week. As missionaries, we have an extra portion of the spirit to guide us and lead us. And if you aren’t as slow as me then you recognize when the spirit is talking to you. But this week, I finally learned to act on the promptings! My compa and I went to a ladies house for an appointmentt and it fell through so we were leaving. As we walked past a house I just had this thought...knock that door. And I thought “naaahhh. No thanks.” So I kept walking, and then the thought persisted and I thought. “Fine. I’ll follow the spirit.” 

 

So we touched the door, and a sweet little lady came out. Miraculously, she let us in. Then her daughter entered the room and we told her about our temple activity that we were having and she was so intrigued! And she was profusely grateful. She is really excited to keep learning from us. The Lord guides us. I know He does. 

 

We gave a tour outside the temple this Saturday! I taught family history with sister M. I showed a couple pictures of my family. Including a postcard I got in California once of some men in the mines. My family members aren’t pictured, but it’s an old picture so I thought that was good enough. I gave some info about my family history and my name...Hirschi. And I said that joke...you know the one. Soy Hna Hirschi, como el chocolate...close to 14000 times. Some crowds were tougher than others. But it’s generally a pleaser. 

 

I know this the Lords church. I know He lives. I know the mission is the BEST THING IN THE WORLD. 

 

I read this morning that the power of a testimony doesn’t come from eloquence or from the volume of your voice, but from your personal conviction. 

 

Guys, I’m convicted. Very convicted. 

 

Christ lives. Remember Him. 

 

Stay cool. 

 

Suerte

Hna Hirschi