49th week in Japan
7/17/2016
京都に戻りました！(Back to Kyoto!)

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been an extremely crazy week this last week. We were able to see Katayama shimai get baptized and that same night get transfer calls from our Zone Leaders. I am headed back to Kyoto! The new area I will be serving in is 桂(Katsura) and my new companion is Elder Wheeler. Katsura is actually right next to Fushimi, which was my area before Uwajima. I am so excited to get to work this transfer! I already love the ward here and my companion is awesome! He is a really hard worker and we have already made some big goals for this upcoming transfer. Elder Wheeler is a 3rd transfer missionary from California. He likes water polo and wake boarding. He loves Japan and we are both ready to get to work and help people come unto Christ.

Katayama shimai's baptism was on the 12th last week. It was such an incredible experience to take part in someone receiving their saving ordinances and making a special covenant with Heavenly Father. Katayama shimai is going to be such a good member of the church. She was already starting to do missionary work with us even before she was baptized. It was extremely sad to say goodbye to her and everyone in Uwajima. I developed so many good friendships with the people there. I know that I will never forget them. I hope to one day return there and see them again.

The next day I packed everything up and headed over to Matsuyama. We stayed the night with the zone leaders and on Thursday morning I made my way back to Kyoto. It was pretty weird being alone again, but it wasn't nearly as nerve racking as last time. I actually felt pretty calm about the whole thing. I feel like it has become a lot easier to travel around in Japan now. It was pretty hard to carry my bike in a bag and my carry on bag around the whole time, but eventually I made it back to Kyoto. It took me about a total of 6 hours to get back there from Matsuyama. As expected, there was a ton of people at the Kyoto station. I met my new companion and one of my zone leaders there. They are both so awesome! It is going to be a great transfer!

My Ponderizing scripture for this week was Alma 17:10.

Questions:

1. It was sad to leave Uwajima, but I am glad to be back in Kyoto. The ward here is absolutely amazing! It is good to see some youth and young adults again also. My companion is Elder Wheeler. He is awesome!

2. I have seen a few missionaries since I have come here. It took me about 8 hours to get from Uwajima to Kyoto. It was a long trip. It was pretty odd going alone.

3. Everything is holding up well. I sent a package home a little bit ago, but if you don't mind I would like to send another one.

4. We had Dominos pizza in Japan, which I have only had once before and it was actually pretty good. The pizza that we bought was $40 though! It is crazy expensive. I haven't found anything really new lately, but there is a ton of good foods in Japan.

5. I have to say that the big park that I went to in Okayama was probably the prettiest place I have been to in Japan. There is a lot of cool places in my new area including a monkey park and a famous place called kiyomizudera. I am excited to go there.

6. Before I left Uwajima, we got the apartment way cleaned up. They are going to get a new dresser there pretty soon. This new apartment is fairly clean, but I have to get back to work again and clean it up some more. It is good to throw a bunch of junk away though.

7. People do talk about Mount Fuji a bit, but I have never heard of the fish market. As for where I would like to go in Japan, I am not actually sure. It would be pretty cool to go to Mount Fuji. I also would like to see Osaka a little bit more.

Sorry the email is short. We have a lot of stuff to do. I love you all. Have a great week! Happy Brithday dad!

Elder Hirschi

48th week in Japan
7/12/2016
諦めないで！ (Don't Give Up!)

Dear Family and Friends,

Right now I feel as though I am without the words to describe the tender mercies that the Lord has bestowed upon us this last week. My heart is so full of gratitude and joy. Heavenly Father truly does love each one of us! I have learned that God is truly a God of miracles! This past week has been full of miracle after miracle. God has been so merciful towards us and we will forever be full of gratitude. This gospel is truly a gospel of joy. I can honestly say that this transfer has been the transfer where I have grown and learned the most on my entire mission. Even though there has been many hard times, God has never let me down! He has always been there! I know, with all the certainty of my heart, that I can always put my trust in the Lord.

One of the greatest miracles I have ever seen happen in my life took place last week. It was only followed up by more incredible miracles after that. Last week my companion and I had a day where we decided that we had some finding time so we went housing (tracting). It was in the middle of a hot day and we were having no success. We were going to door after door and everyone had declined to hear the message of the gospel. Just when we were about to give up and go back to the church we went to one more house. The front door was open with the screen closed and we went up to the door. I called out to see if anyone was home and a very kind old lady came to the front door. We told her who we were and asked if we could share a message with her. She gladly accepted to hear our message. We came inside the front door in the entranceway. She told us to wait for a second and came and brought us some pillows to sit on (because we can't enter her house if only she is there). She explained to us how her husband had passed away some time ago and she felt very lonely at home. My companion and I both instantly felt the spirit tell us that we needed to talk to this lady about eternal families. So we did. We explained how one day she would be able to meet with her husband after this life. When she heard it she was instantly filled with joy. She was so happy. We preceded to tell her about how she could do so. We talked to her about being baptized and showed her a picture of baptism. The spirit then told me that I needed to invite her to baptism. So I asked her if she would be willing to be baptized. She accepted! We talked about being baptized on August 28th and she said she would talk to her family and set it as a goal. My companion and I left her home continually giving thanks to God for such a great miracle.

I learned one thing on that Tuesday last week. I learned that we can never give up! We must continue the fight to the end. Enduring to the end may sometimes be difficult, but it will always be the road that leads to the most joy. More joy than we can ever imagine. This transfer I experienced so many moments of feeling unsuccessful. I can honestly say that I felt as though I wanted to go home at some points. I felt like what I was doing out here was pointless, and it was in those times that I prayed to God with all of my soul. I cried to him for help and for comfort. Not only did God give me comfort in those times of need, but he answered my prayers. He gave me the success that I had so much desire to see. He just wanted me to show forth my faith and keep pushing until the very end. He has put me through the furnace of fire this transfer and it has completely changed me.

Just yesterday I experienced the biggest miracle I have seen in my entire life. The branch President asked me to give a talk in church on Sunday. I chose to talk about obedience and told the story that I emailed a while back about Nephi. He is such a hero to me. I talked about how being obedient brings us so many blessings in our lives. During the time of my talk the spirit was really working upon one of our investigators who came to church. We had a plan to meet with her later that night. We met at the church with her and the Hasegawa couple in the area. We came to the lesson prepared to teach about prayer. We started the lesson with a hymn and then sister Hasegawa gave an opening prayer. We then followed up with how our investigator was doing with her prayers. She said she had been praying about baptism. She felt something tell her this morning that she needed to be baptized on Tuesday this week. Sister Katayama Midori decided that she needs to be baptized on the 12th of July. My heart immediately jumped! When she told me that I could not believe what she had said. I didn't know if I had heard her wrong or she had actually said that she wants to be baptized on Tuesday this week. After all those constant prayers to have her heart opened, God had opened her heart. He poured out his spirit upon her like he had done for Alma and his people (Alma 8:10). She told us as she was thinking in the morning about baptism a strong impression came over her that she needed to be baptized. God is a God of miracles! I have never felt more joy in my entire life! If this is what the celestial kingdom feels like, then I know without a doubt I am going to do whatever it takes to get there with my family and friends.

We continually gave thanks to God for all the miracles he helped us to see. Sometimes we just have to wait for his time. God works in mysterious ways. We just have to continually show our faith to him and never give up. If we do so, he will, in the end, bless us for our efforts. I would just like to share a quote that I found recently that has changed my outlook on life. I was reading from a talk given in a worldwide devotional for young adults. The talk is titled "Becoming the Person you Were Born to Be," by Wendy Watson Nelson. Her talk is about doing what it takes to become the person who God wants you to be. In her talk she says "My dear brothers and sisters, whom I love, the reality is that someday you and I will each have an individual, face-to-face interview with the Savior Himself. When this eventuality becomes real to us, we will be willing to do whatever it takes to be prepared!" When I read this my eyes were opened. I have come to recognize how important it is that we continually make the right choices in this life. We will all one day stand with the Savior face-to-face. How important is it that we are prepared for that time? When this becomes a reality to us in this life, we will be willing to do anything... Anything, to be worthy in the presence of the Savior.

My Ponderizing scripture for this week was 2 Nephi 10:23. "Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves--to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life."

Questions:

1. We didn't have zone conference this week or meet with President Welch, but we did have Zone Training Meeting. I did get to see quite a few missionaries there.

2. I think if I am transferred I will miss the beautiful scenery here in Uwajima. Also they have some big festivals that are coming up in Uwajima pretty soon. I will probably miss out on those...

3. Yes, I got both of the packages you sent! Thanks so much! You are the best! 

4. If you are planning on sending stuff for Logan's mission, I think mostly the same stuff you sent me for my mission is great. I wouldn't buy him a coat and I would choose a different bag. However, it will depend mostly on where he goes. Also a pretty big backpack would be good. We have to put groceries in our backpacks every week. If he is going somewhere where it rains a lot maybe a decently water resistant backpack would be good. If he is going to use a car I don't think it would matter. 

5. The Japanese here in Uwajima do swimming in the summer. All of the high schools have swimming pools, which is pretty cool. They are going to have some big festivals going on in the summer that I will probably miss. The kids don't get out of school. It goes year round. They have a few breaks here and there, but not summer like ours. The schools in Japan are way strict.

6. I don't have time to play many games. I have seen the Japanese play shogi, which is Japanese chess. That looks really fun, but I still have no idea how to play. I will have to learn before I go home.

7. I don't read too much else besides the scriptures in Japanese because most books don't have furigana, which is hiragana written above the kanji so that you know how to read the kanji. There is a ton of kanji in Japanese and it is really really hard to read. I don't know hardly any. I try to memorize one a day for my language study, but it is pretty difficult to remember them.

8. My companion likes curry, stew, yakisoba, ramen, gyoza, pasta, pizza, Mexican food, and many others.   

9. Do you think it is harder for the Japanese to learn English or harder for someone that is American to learn Japanese?

That is a very good question. I am not sure. There are hard and easy things about both. Writing and reading in Japanese is way harder to learn than English. However, in English we pronounce a lot of different letters that they do not have in Japanese. Learning to pronounce new letters is way hard for Japanese people. It is pretty easy from English to Japanese because we have most of the letters in our alphabet that they have in theirs.

Everyone have a great week this week please! Look for the miracles that God gives you each and every day. I love you all!

Elder Hirschi
ハーシ長老

47th week in Japan
7/4/2016
証する機会 (The Opportunity to Testify)

こんにちは皆さん！
Dear Family and Friends,

Being a missionary is just such a great opportunity. I know that being a missionary is only a once in a lifetime chance, and that is why I am so grateful that the Lord has called me to his work. One of the greatest things about being a missionary is the constant opportunity that you have to bear testimony. Many people in this world do not know about the truth. Because we have the gospel in our lives we have been given a knowledge of the truth. Being able to bear testimony of that knowledge is truly something special. Not only is it something special, but it is also something that is extremely important to do.

Just yesterday I was given the opportunity to bear my testimony and hear many in fast and testimony meeting. Every time you listen to members bear their testimonies in fast and testimony meeting you can feel the spirit flood the room. I am so grateful for the Uwajima branch. Each one of the members here have such a strong testimony. They have helped me strengthen my testimony to the point where I have completely changed. I have felt the power and truth of their words. These people are so strong and steadfast. They have Christ centered in their lives. The members of Uwajima will forever hold a special spot in my heart.

As I have said before I have many heroes from the Book of Mormon, and the testimony of Nephi (3rd Nephi, Nephi) is what makes him another one of my greatest heroes. In chapter 7 of 3rd Nephi, many of the people have turned their hearts from the Lord. They were in a wicked state. Nephi knew of their wickedness, but he had a great love for the people. You can tell that Nephi really cares about the salvation of their souls. In 3 Nephi 7:16 Nephi says that he is grieved for the hardness of the hearts of the people. He recognizes that they have so much more potential as sons and daughters of Heavenly Father. So he gets up to testify and it says that "he began to testify, boldly, repentance and remission of sins through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ." Then in verse 18 it gives the result of his testimony. "And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily." His testimony was so powerful to the people that it was impossible for the people to disbelieve his words. Even though we may not be able to hear Nephi talking to us in person as we read the scriptures, you can truly feel the power of the testimony that he had.

Something that I have been thinking about lately is one of my favorite scriptures in D and C. D and C 18:10-16. Yesterday I read this as part of my testimony that I gave in a missionary fireside that we had after church. I read these verses and bore my testimony of the truthfulness of this scripture. I truly believe that every soul is precious in God's eyes. You can know that is true simply through prayer. Think about it. God has 7 billion children on the Earth today. Even with all of the children that he has, he is willing to listen to your prayers individually. God loves each one of us. He wants us all to be able to return to him again someday. Through the atonement of Jesus Christ we have been given the opportunity to do so. It is truly up to us. We have the choice. All we have to do is do what God asks us to. (2 Nephi 10:23-25) Jesus Christ's atonement is real. I know it. I know it because I have experienced it so many times in my life. This church is true. Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. He was called to restore the church and translate the Book of Mormon for us. The Book of Mormon is truly God's word. I know that through reading it daily we can one day be guided back to our Heavenly Father. I know these things are true and I say them in the sacred name of the Savior Jesus Christ, amen.

The Ponderizing scripture that I chose for last week was 2 Nephi 1:15. "But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love."

Questions:

1. I have not taken my companion to the Uwajima castle yet, but we will have to go at least once before the transfer ends. I have not gotten the package yet, but I will be getting it on the 8th at Zone Training Meeting. They called about it.

2. My companion does play a little bit of piano. He is pretty good. I haven't been able to practice the hymn book much. I do want to play after my mission, but I don't really have that much time to play right now. Every once in a while during ping pong I try to play a hymn or two. There are a few people in our ward who can play the piano and some can sing pretty well, but not too many.

3. The next transfers are on the 14th of July. Next Thursday. I think the district will change a bit because there are 2 other missionaries in the district that have been here for 4 transfers along with me.

4. Yesterday we got to go housing and meet some really cool people that I am excited to go back and teach the restored gospel to. One of the families we didn't catch their names, but they seemed really open to talking. We also met someone named Miyazaki San who is really cool and younger (which is rare in Uwajima). He seemed open to talking as well. We actually sing, us four missionaries, every Sunday before sacrament meeting starts. My companion gave a talk in church the second week here. It was really good. Yes the Hasegawa couple stay in Uwajima their entire mission. Sister Hasegawa's mom was not a member before they got here and they participated in her conversion so that is the main reason they moved here. They have also really helped out this branch a lot!

5. Everything is holding up well. One of my pairs of shoes I use just for the rain so they are pretty beat up, but no worries about getting new ones. I am going to keep using them in the rain. Japanese people really like movies and music from America. I don't really know of anything specific that you could bring, but if I find something out then I will let you know.

6. We have ZTM on Friday next week. I feel like I have gotten better at the language, but I still have a long long ways to go. A lot of room for improvement. Of course there always will be. I still feel like I can't express myself very well. I'll keep trying though and the Lord always makes up the rest.

7. The apartment is great. We keep it clean always. Anderson Choro likes to keep it clean. We are probably going to replace the floorboards because they are really squeaky. We are also going to throw out an old cabinet and our vacuum for new ones. I'll take some after pictures and send them next week.

8. The Sisters in Matsuyama are awesome. The sisters are always better than the elders. They ride different types of bikes sometimes. They ride mamacharis which are bikes with baskets and they are built a lot different. I really don't like mamacharis, but sometimes they are better for sisters. They are more suited to women I think. We don't do much with them except I do follow ups on the phone with them every week. We also have district meetings on Fridays.

Thank you everyone for reading my long emails. I love you all. Have a great week and don't forget to testify always!

Elder Hirschi
ハーシ長老

Elder Anderson's birthday

First time trying a Kimono

There was a tree growing on someone's back porch