From Sept. 23rd
Hi mom! You sent this email right as I was starting to write one home. First of all, I'm not beating myself up because of losing things. Everything got replaced besides the wallet and money really isn't all that important out here haha. There are far more important things to worry about and invest your energy in out here than losing a wallet. I'm glad you got yours back though. As far as the scriptures, I gave you a few just because if one didn't work for some reason, you had some backups. I want the D&C 4 one, though. As far as clothes go, I'm saving up enough every couple weeks to buy more clothes that it's not a problem. Yet. I will let you know, but the couple in charge of apartments has asked if the visa waiters need quilts. Winter is coming very quickly....don't worry I'm taken care of:) Also, did Kylie send an email yet?? I saw that she landed but I didn't see a group email. It is beyond fathomable to think she's there before I am haha but I can't wait to hear how she is doing. What a different environment that she's been thrown in, without any idea what lies ahead. Both trials and more importantly life lessons she'll never forget. I know she'll get home from a mission and not be able to believe that she ever thought about not serving a mission. The sister missionaries can do things on a mission that the elders simply can't do. Like getting through to some people. So this week, we had a fantastic time teaching people and getting to know people more personally. The highlight of the week was going to the temple. Our ward had a temple trip and 40 people showed up at the lunch beforehand! It was a great turnout, and I could really see the whole ward join in and put it together. There was one lady who has a hunched back, can barely hold her head up, but she went through the temple with us anyway. There is no age limit to the temple. I also was able to notice how much symbolism is portrayed in the temple, especially through pictures of nature. It made me think of how many things that are found in nature that really typify Jesus Christ and His purpose for us. Some time just take a walk and take note of how many times and ways you see God's hand around you just in that walk. For example, everything we use for energy, everything we eat, produce, everything that lives and grows temporally, is generated through the power and energy of the Sun. Likewise, everything in our lives that we experience and are able to grow from, originates from the Son, or Christ. Nothing can learn. Nothing can feel. Nothing can grow without the help of Jesus Christ. It is so simple sometimes to see the influence He has in our lives. We got to talk to some great people this week, including a family from Sri Lanka, the same man we've been teaching from Congo, two Chinese students, two Haitian family members, another man from Sri Lanka, as well as another man who has an accent but who's been too many places to know where it originated haha don't really know how that one works but he's VERY passionate about his beliefs, whether they are political or religious. My companion Elder Allen said something that defended Paul Ryan, and this man got in his face and my favorite quote of his was: "PAUL RYAN?? PAUL ryAN? I bet you that if he was running for JANITOR-IN-CHIEF he wouldn't get elected. JANITOR-IN-CHIEF!!!" What a guy. There are so many personalities out there, and it's amazing to know that not one of them is exactly identical. Thanks for all the emails and letters, and by the way I did not get my visa yet, and according to someone I talked to the Brazilian President just stood up President Obama and ditched out on a luncheon so there may be more delays on letting Americanos into Brazil if she's still offended by him. I would love to hear any updates you may have!
Love,
Elder Jake Hirschi
Thursday, October 24, 2013
From September 16, 2013
Hi Fam!
Mom I AM getting your emails I hope you are getting mine! Did you get the one about Seminary? I'm going to attempt to answer all your questions:
1.) I am getting emails, about two a week or so.
2.) I am feeling good.
3.) I'm not homesick in a bad way, it's more like I'm thinking about my family more and appreciating them more, not missing them more.
4.) Twosome, instead of a tripanionship: I like it more because people can focus easier on listening to two people instead of three, but it's also harder because you're around only one other person for most of the day not two people to talk to the other when one is irking you haha. Life lessons being learned every day...
7.) We're always able to keep busy, even if it means tracting for a couple hours in a day.
8.) Best thing to do as member missionaries? Find the people you love most without the gospel, and set up a time to meet with the missionaries with your friends. People can give referrals to the missionaries but we've concluded that without involvement of the members who referred the referral in the first place, it's pretty much as effective as tracting another house. Setting up an activity or a dinner with the referral and the missionaries is a lot more effective because they have the comfort of their friends along the way, does that make sense? We had a great stake Priesthood meeting yesterday all about member missionary work, and it was really effective. Anyone who sincerely listens to the discussions and reads the Book of Mormon won't be offended about you inviting them to look into the gospel in the first place, because it will only make them happier. The worldwide mission broadcast that you went to right after I got set apart as a missionary is really effective too, and we're trying to get our bishop to show it to the whole ward at some point.
9.) The missionaries can really make a difference as far as how much the ward helps in missionary work. Sometimes, and I think this ward is one of those times, if you ask them and push them to help, they will! The ward has turned out to be so strong in helping us fellowship, welcome, and teach investigators. There are great people that are willing to take the time out of the week to not only give us rides and accompany us to lessons, but to do missionary work on their own and use us in their personal efforts. The job of missionaries is to assist the ward in their missionary efforts. This is something I never realized until I got on my mission. I can't wait to get involved with missionaries when I get home, too, because it really makes all the difference. Don't leave the elders and/or sisters hangin! Honestly when I was at the Red Bridge ward I don't remember seeing very many investigators at church ever, and no more than one or two at a time, and the missionaries never introduced them to me either (that sometimes is not their job I should have found them, but anyway). At my ward now the Buffalo Ward, granted there are 10 missionaries haha but their are probably 10-12 or more investigators at church every week. It's great, and we make sure to introduce them to a ton of people and make them feel welcome. I think Red Bridge Ward area may be a tough area, but it can be done!
10.) I'm ok for now on gloves and coat. It hasn't been cold enough for a coat yet, but I am guaranteed to be here another 6 weeks because president said you do stay until the end of the transfer even if the visa comes before that. Elder Allen said he has another coat also. President did however tell me that I need to get a satchel instead of a backpack. He gave me six weeks to get one. Sooooo could you maybe order me one with my checking and send it to me? I'm not picky but he said it's mandatory now:( thanks.
11.) I am ok with waiting right now. President made me think that all visa waiters are inherently dying to leave haha which I don't think is true but he puts a firm emphasis on the fact that this is your mission right now, which is true. But he's trying to get rid of a bunch of trios. It is hard to focus though when more visa waiters are coming in and I just talked to a kid going to Manaus who got here last week, who was in my building at BYU so that made me excited to go again...don't tell anyone...
12.) I DID get my DL, immunization card, debit card, etdc thank you so much! It came a while ago sorry for not mentioning it, but I appreciate you picking up for the mistakes I make! What else is new right? Hopefully a lot when I get home haha I'll work on my personal responsibility...
I think that's all the questions. Thanks for the letters Dad they're great and you should be getting one soon also. What's aunt Kitty and Uncle Richard's address? I'll shoot them a letter also. Thanks gramps and Gara for their letters too! And everyone else!
Love,
Elder Jake Hirschi
Hi Fam!
Mom I AM getting your emails I hope you are getting mine! Did you get the one about Seminary? I'm going to attempt to answer all your questions:
1.) I am getting emails, about two a week or so.
2.) I am feeling good.
3.) I'm not homesick in a bad way, it's more like I'm thinking about my family more and appreciating them more, not missing them more.
4.) Twosome, instead of a tripanionship: I like it more because people can focus easier on listening to two people instead of three, but it's also harder because you're around only one other person for most of the day not two people to talk to the other when one is irking you haha. Life lessons being learned every day...
7.) We're always able to keep busy, even if it means tracting for a couple hours in a day.
8.) Best thing to do as member missionaries? Find the people you love most without the gospel, and set up a time to meet with the missionaries with your friends. People can give referrals to the missionaries but we've concluded that without involvement of the members who referred the referral in the first place, it's pretty much as effective as tracting another house. Setting up an activity or a dinner with the referral and the missionaries is a lot more effective because they have the comfort of their friends along the way, does that make sense? We had a great stake Priesthood meeting yesterday all about member missionary work, and it was really effective. Anyone who sincerely listens to the discussions and reads the Book of Mormon won't be offended about you inviting them to look into the gospel in the first place, because it will only make them happier. The worldwide mission broadcast that you went to right after I got set apart as a missionary is really effective too, and we're trying to get our bishop to show it to the whole ward at some point.
9.) The missionaries can really make a difference as far as how much the ward helps in missionary work. Sometimes, and I think this ward is one of those times, if you ask them and push them to help, they will! The ward has turned out to be so strong in helping us fellowship, welcome, and teach investigators. There are great people that are willing to take the time out of the week to not only give us rides and accompany us to lessons, but to do missionary work on their own and use us in their personal efforts. The job of missionaries is to assist the ward in their missionary efforts. This is something I never realized until I got on my mission. I can't wait to get involved with missionaries when I get home, too, because it really makes all the difference. Don't leave the elders and/or sisters hangin! Honestly when I was at the Red Bridge ward I don't remember seeing very many investigators at church ever, and no more than one or two at a time, and the missionaries never introduced them to me either (that sometimes is not their job I should have found them, but anyway). At my ward now the Buffalo Ward, granted there are 10 missionaries haha but their are probably 10-12 or more investigators at church every week. It's great, and we make sure to introduce them to a ton of people and make them feel welcome. I think Red Bridge Ward area may be a tough area, but it can be done!
10.) I'm ok for now on gloves and coat. It hasn't been cold enough for a coat yet, but I am guaranteed to be here another 6 weeks because president said you do stay until the end of the transfer even if the visa comes before that. Elder Allen said he has another coat also. President did however tell me that I need to get a satchel instead of a backpack. He gave me six weeks to get one. Sooooo could you maybe order me one with my checking and send it to me? I'm not picky but he said it's mandatory now:( thanks.
11.) I am ok with waiting right now. President made me think that all visa waiters are inherently dying to leave haha which I don't think is true but he puts a firm emphasis on the fact that this is your mission right now, which is true. But he's trying to get rid of a bunch of trios. It is hard to focus though when more visa waiters are coming in and I just talked to a kid going to Manaus who got here last week, who was in my building at BYU so that made me excited to go again...don't tell anyone...
12.) I DID get my DL, immunization card, debit card, etdc thank you so much! It came a while ago sorry for not mentioning it, but I appreciate you picking up for the mistakes I make! What else is new right? Hopefully a lot when I get home haha I'll work on my personal responsibility...
I think that's all the questions. Thanks for the letters Dad they're great and you should be getting one soon also. What's aunt Kitty and Uncle Richard's address? I'll shoot them a letter also. Thanks gramps and Gara for their letters too! And everyone else!
Love,
Elder Jake Hirschi
From Sept. 30th
Hello how is everyone this week?
So I've been reading Alaina and Kylie's emails and compared to theirs, I sound like I'm depressed and unmotivated...that is not the case! I'm just a guy so don't judge. Anyway, this week was another great week with some great experiences. In our area, a "village" technically North of Buffalo called Kenmore, we've started to teach a lot of families. Really solid families. I think the gospel of Jesus Christ really hits people home when they have their families to experience it with. The whole reason we are in families is to increase our happiness and knowledge and be able to experience the same joy that Heavenly Father experiences. He is the ultimate example of a perfect father. We can look to him with any concern and He has a perfect answer because He is the perfect Father. We love to show a certain Mormon message online to people that pretty much compares the role of an earthly father to the role our Heavenly Father plays, it's a cool one. This week we've also had the wonderful opportunity to teach an entire household of people straight from China, who really have no Christian background at all. It's funny because they have a Chinese name (which you could listen to 50 times and still not remember a minute later) and then they have an American name, which they basically make up on the spot haha funniest thing to see their process of making up their own name, or occasionally forgetting their own American name, and then asking their other Asian friends to remind them of it. You can tell family is important to them. It makes it considerably hard to teach though when everyone else you've taught has a somewhat concrete idea of who God is, yet now we're teaching people who yes have heard of God, but don't really know what people believe about God or who Jesus Christ is. So it's a new experience, but so cool to get a new perspective on culture and religious background! The great thing is that you can love anybody, regardless of which country they came from or what they believe at square 1. The first step to teaching people and helping them change their lives is to love them. That's how God does it (God is no a respecter of persons) and that's the way it will always be. Speaking of which, thank you so much for the letters, packages, emails, it's so great to be surrounded by the prayers and cares of my family and friends. So another thing we started doing this week was think OUTSIDE the box. It's about time, right? Because really it doesn't make a difference in OUR personal lives if you come to church or not. We know it will help your family, it will make your week less stressful and more insightful, and really it helps you grow spiritually and just feel good! That's why it's so frustrating. Because people bail on themselves...deep. Anyway so we got a hold of some of the local sister missionaries and they helped us out with a little craft day. We decided to make the posters that are attached to this email, and then we took a picture of us holding the pictures. We put magnets on the back of the pics and made them into little refrigerator reminders to COME TO CHURCH! Basically church helps you regardless of what you're feeling. The most common excuse for not coming to church? I can't wake up on Sundays...ha. That's funny because Matthew 11:28says Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. So really the excuse is not there. We hope that these little reminders will help people see the need to go to church and partake in the spiritual feast that goes on there. I really have come to appreciate church (as a 19 yr old punk people) and I end up looking forward to it every week because I have recently left church the past few weeks really feeling my Savior's love for me and what I'm doing here in Buffalo. I may not be in the exotic foreign country I thought I would be in at this point, but people are in need in every country and community. So as long as I can open the doors of invitation to the gospel of Jesus Christ, I'm ok where I am. I can't focus on going to Brazil because I can't take my focus off the people in Buffalo who need us now.
Hello how is everyone this week?
So I've been reading Alaina and Kylie's emails and compared to theirs, I sound like I'm depressed and unmotivated...that is not the case! I'm just a guy so don't judge. Anyway, this week was another great week with some great experiences. In our area, a "village" technically North of Buffalo called Kenmore, we've started to teach a lot of families. Really solid families. I think the gospel of Jesus Christ really hits people home when they have their families to experience it with. The whole reason we are in families is to increase our happiness and knowledge and be able to experience the same joy that Heavenly Father experiences. He is the ultimate example of a perfect father. We can look to him with any concern and He has a perfect answer because He is the perfect Father. We love to show a certain Mormon message online to people that pretty much compares the role of an earthly father to the role our Heavenly Father plays, it's a cool one. This week we've also had the wonderful opportunity to teach an entire household of people straight from China, who really have no Christian background at all. It's funny because they have a Chinese name (which you could listen to 50 times and still not remember a minute later) and then they have an American name, which they basically make up on the spot haha funniest thing to see their process of making up their own name, or occasionally forgetting their own American name, and then asking their other Asian friends to remind them of it. You can tell family is important to them. It makes it considerably hard to teach though when everyone else you've taught has a somewhat concrete idea of who God is, yet now we're teaching people who yes have heard of God, but don't really know what people believe about God or who Jesus Christ is. So it's a new experience, but so cool to get a new perspective on culture and religious background! The great thing is that you can love anybody, regardless of which country they came from or what they believe at square 1. The first step to teaching people and helping them change their lives is to love them. That's how God does it (God is no a respecter of persons) and that's the way it will always be. Speaking of which, thank you so much for the letters, packages, emails, it's so great to be surrounded by the prayers and cares of my family and friends. So another thing we started doing this week was think OUTSIDE the box. It's about time, right? Because really it doesn't make a difference in OUR personal lives if you come to church or not. We know it will help your family, it will make your week less stressful and more insightful, and really it helps you grow spiritually and just feel good! That's why it's so frustrating. Because people bail on themselves...deep. Anyway so we got a hold of some of the local sister missionaries and they helped us out with a little craft day. We decided to make the posters that are attached to this email, and then we took a picture of us holding the pictures. We put magnets on the back of the pics and made them into little refrigerator reminders to COME TO CHURCH! Basically church helps you regardless of what you're feeling. The most common excuse for not coming to church? I can't wake up on Sundays...ha. That's funny because Matthew 11:28says Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. So really the excuse is not there. We hope that these little reminders will help people see the need to go to church and partake in the spiritual feast that goes on there. I really have come to appreciate church (as a 19 yr old punk people) and I end up looking forward to it every week because I have recently left church the past few weeks really feeling my Savior's love for me and what I'm doing here in Buffalo. I may not be in the exotic foreign country I thought I would be in at this point, but people are in need in every country and community. So as long as I can open the doors of invitation to the gospel of Jesus Christ, I'm ok where I am. I can't focus on going to Brazil because I can't take my focus off the people in Buffalo who need us now.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Tomorrow is the first day of my 2nd transfer here in NY, and 3rd transfer if you include the MTC. SO much has happened but time still flies as fast as it can. My two trainers were Elder Barnes and Elder Allen, and Elder Barnes was here before Elder Allen got moved into the area. This transfer (a transfer is every six weeks when missionaries may or may not be switched around the different assigned areas within Western New York) Elder Barnes is getting transferred to a place Northeast of Buffalo, called Brockport, and me and Elder Allen area staying in Buffalo, without a third companion. Although it is sad that Elder Barnes is leaving us, we will have much more room in our apartment haha. This week was awesome, especially at church when people you invite actually come, and even people you've never met before, that want to learn more come too! This week was one of those weeks. We're teaching a man from the Congo, who came to America to seek more opportunity. There's also a man from Uganda who is in a refugee camp seeking opportunity and more freedom. It's amazing to see everything they gave up, including material things but especially their families for a time, just to try to form a better life for them and their families in the future. Among all the bad in the world, esp in the Middle East right now, there are people out there who have their eyes set on freedom and peace. Sacrifice is often a sure requirement and I love seeing people fulfill that requirement. Love you all and I hope you have a great week!
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Saturday, September 7, 2013
This begins the last week of the transfer and time has definitely flown by. When I look back it seems like I just got here but it also seems like life before the mission didn't really exist. Kind of an odd feeling. This week was especially great because we got to go to Palmyra, which is about 2 hours away, with a guy we are teaching. Palmyra is the place where a lot of church history took place, such as the Smith log cabin, the Framehouse, and the Sacred Grove. There's also a visitor's center where you can watch the Restoration movie and dig deeper into the history of the early church years. What a great experience it was not only personally but to see the guy we took also experience a spiritual boost of peace to help him deal with what's going on in his life. He said he finally felt a feeling of peace that he hasn't felt in a while. To be in the exact location that thousands of missionaries talk about, and millions of church members bear testimony of, is pretty amazing. I'm so lucky and blessed to be in this place at this time.
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