Sam in Málaga: September 2015

Hola everyone!!! Here I am, my last p day every in the MTC. I've really enjoyed my experience here at the CCM and I'm going to miss Madrid and the people here a lot. Madrid is such a beautiful city and I've had such an enormous privilege to be here.

This past week was no different than the others. We've gotten to some super complicated spanish stuff life past subjunctive and imperative and its a little overwhelming, but i know it will just come with time. As far as P day was today, it was probably the worst to be honest... we went and got our residency cards. wooooooooooooooo. But we still got to go to the Madrid Temple and I went through in spanish which was interesting and my brain hurt a little. But it was wonderful as usual. I'm honestly going to miss the MTC so much, especially some of the other missionaries going to Madrid or Barcelona, as well as my teachers who I love so much. I'm also going to miss my district alma. We were absolutely awesome and theres no doubt that we were the best district in this MTC. hahaha just kidding, but we loved each other and I'll always remember everyone in it.

Last week when proselyting in the park i was with Elder Loosele who is such an awesome guy. He´s a little shy and didn't want to talk too much, but I got him to speak a little. We talked to all sorts of people. We talked to people from nine different countries in this world: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iran, US, Italy, Germany, Romania, Armenia, and Austria. But these college guys from Austria seemed really interested and one of them said they really wanted to try and change their life so I explained that the best change we can make is through following the example of Jesus Christ, and I happened that week to bring a German Book of Mormon with me which I gave to him. (I always bring french, portuguese, italian, english, german, and spanish books of mormon just in case) so that made my day as well as not getting yelled at in very fast spanish by a upset old man (which is actually kind of fun because it makes a good story) but I'd much rather have spiritual experiences to share.

Well, thats about all I have to say. Next tuesday I leave for the mission home in Malaga by train and then I'm off to somewhere else!!! I can´t wait!!! I love and miss everyone and I miss utah too. I hope you all have a good week!! hasat luego!!!.

p.s there is peanut butter in spain, many people told me there wouldn't be, but i promise there is and its just as good.

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Week 4: Almost Out of the MTC!!!

I know that the subject of this email sounds negative, but in truth I absolutely love the MTC in Madrid. I’m so lucky to be here. Today we went to the real Madrid stadium and we saw Cristiano Renaldo!!!! Just kidding, no we didn´t... but if people in Madrid worshiped Christ as much as they worship Cristiano Renaldo, we would probably have a lot of really strong members. So that was one of the coolest things ever, it’s so huge and our tour was way cool.

This past week at the park on Saturday, I was with Elder Gerard and we had an absolutely amazing day. We placed 6 Books of Mormon and had a lot of really good conversations with people which is extremely rare. So that was absolutely great and Elder Gerard was super awesome. The rest of the week has been good. We received 14 new missionaries in the MTC, all native speakers and they´re really cool but unfortunately they´re in the other zone. My district has been doing great; we are just like a family and its beginning to feel like we have been friends all our life.

Elder Whiting and I are doing really well and we´re becoming great friends. Also this week, it’s been pretty cold and rainy, much like I’ve heard it has in Utah, but we love it because it’s been so hot here and we don’t have a lot of AC anywhere.

As far as the language is coming, it’s been improving but it´s so hard to understand people here!!! They slur everything and I’m pretty sure half the time they aren’t speaking Spanish, even though they are, I just have no clue what they’re saying. I know it will come with hard work and time though. Well, that´s about all I have to say.

Every day is feeling a little repetitive at this point. We wake up, eat, learn gospel, teach practice investigators, eat, learn language, eat, learn language, and teach another practice investigator. Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays are different though so that’s good! Anyway, that´s about all I have to say. I absolutely love Spain and this is the best mission in the world, and this is the best language, and Spain is one of the best countries, and soccer is now the best sport to me even though I still am not very good. But oh well I still love it!!!

I miss you all so much and I hope everyone is doing well. Until next week, this is my last one!!! So I’ll be able to email next Thursday and I think the Monday or Tuesday after that before I leave for Malaga. For about a week, none of you will know where I am in Spain. Just know that I’ll be safe and the lord will be taking care of me, so don´t worry about it too much!!! Love all of you, talk to you next week!!

Elder Hirst

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Elder Hirst Sent Some Photos!

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Semana (Week) 3 in the CCM

So this week was nice once again. I’m telling you, I’m so lucky to be in Madrid, it’s such an amazing city. So we went to the Prado museum today for p day. Lots and lots of really neat paintings, I really enjoyed all the El Greco’s and Picassos. I also have been working really hard this week. Our practice investigators are becoming even more and more difficult and without a full grasp on the language, it can be difficult. But I know that we can receive help if we really try our best and rely on the lord for the rest.

So this last week at the park, I was with Elder Andrus who was an awesome kid. We were being
rejected and rejected and given lots of, go away, I’m catholic, and we even got bible bashed for a pretty long time, but it was fun because me and elder Andrus had no clue what he was saying. But finally at the end, we found a man and his daughter who seemed very interested and accepted a BOM and read from Moroni 10:3-5. He really liked it and said he wanted to learn some more. It just goes to show that you have to keep on working and finding and never give up. It was absolutely amazing to have that experience and I know that there are people in this world that need the gospel. Another thing i want to mention is just how awesome everyone here at the mtc is.

The teachers are honestly almost all Italian, and they all knew the Kelly’s from my ward. When I say they are in my ward, they always just freak out! And the mtc president, president Luvell and his wife are also just amazing. As far as the Alma district (that’s my district) has been going, we had a stern lecture from the mtc president this week. Sometimes, we struggle to focus and goof off a little too much, so we’ve decided to change our name to alma the younger, because we started out not so good, but we´re going to improve. I absolutely love my district and all the missionaries at this mtc. We are all so close and everyone brings something unique to the table. There’s a lot of athletic talent here, we have quarterbacks and star football players from around the state so sports are a little rough for me haha.

But anyway, I just want everyone to know that everything here is going well for me and that I know this gospel is true. I challenge everyone to pray to our heavenly father, because i know that he answers prayers. Just as it’s promised in the Book of Mormon, if we pray about these things, we can find out if they are true, and I know for a fact that they are because I have felt it in my heart.

Last thing, I get lots of questions about the food here so I’ll talk about it. We have lots and lots of paella, at least twice a week, and lots of pastries, and lots of Nutella, and lots of yogurt, and lots of fanta. It’s always kind of a mix between Spanish food and American food, and its good here, I like it. Anyway, my time is running short, I love you all!! I hope everyone has a good week, and i will talk to you next Thursday. And thanks for all the letters, if found they take about 5-10 days, so yea sometimes it takes a while. Anyway, adios!!!

Elder Hirst

11:46 AM
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Singing on Temple Square

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Week 2: "Best MTC in the World"

So this week has been just amazing for me. The Spain MTC is honestly the best MTC in the world because there’s a lot of freedom.

I’ve decided that today, I’ll talk about a typical day for me. So we wake up at 6:30am every morning and shower. Then we go have breakfast, oh and the food is actually pretty good here. Then basically, it’s just class and practice teaching all day. We teach to 2 practice investigators every day, and the preparation is incredibly strenuous, because it’s all in Spanish and we really can’t use notes. But I’ve had some incredibly powerful moments in the practice lessons.

So now I’ll talk about our 3 teachers. Our first one is Hermono Moncho from Valencia. Remember how I used to complain about my Spanish teacher who only kind of knew Spanish? Well that prepared me for now. Hermano Moncho is so funny, he speaks mostly Catalan but pretty good Spanish. He’s training to be a pro French horn player and he served in Australia. He’s just so funny.

Then there’s Hermana Martinez, and she’s got the sweetest spirit of anyone in the world. She’s from Madrid and was a convert from the Catholic Church and served a mission in Madrid as well. We all love her and she makes me cry every day. Then there’s Hermono Visitin. And he is from Venice, Italy and he served a mission in Rome, under President Kelly!!! Which is so cool, so mom and dad, go ask them about Elder Visitin. He really doesn’t speak amazing Spanish, but his Italian is perfect! So now there’s my district. We love each other and occasionally hate each other, but mostly we love each other. Me and elder whiting have been doing better and we teach very well together.

I also forgot to mention our two hermanas in our district, Hermana Milin and Hermana Melton. They are super great! So honestly, my day is just study, study, and more study. But we always have some fun every now and then, and we are considered the crazy and fun district, which I don’t know if that’s good or bad.

So last p day we went to the Spanish royal palace and a huge cathedral and that was cool and this p day we went to the mall. Last Saturday, we proselyted in the park and I was with Elder Romney. We got told to (insert swear word here) off quite a lot and I got my shoes spit on, but hey that’s all in the fun of it! Needless to say, it was a difficult day at the park, but we talked to a nice woman from the Philippines and a family from Finland. In English though... which isn’t good for our practice. I’ve gotten really used to the phrase soy catholico, no interesante so that’s good. Spain is still Europe, so the work in a little difficult, but oh well.

Anyway, I hope all is well at home! Madrid is so gorgeous and i love that i get to see it. Oh and I forgot to mention, we go to the temple every p day morning and I love that so much. but yea, I pray for everyone back home every day, and i just want everyone to know that I am doing well, and I’m facing each day with a positive attitude. Madrid MTC is just the best, so sorry anyone who has to go anywhere else... haha just kidding. Anyway, send letters, I love getting them so much, and good luck with the rest of your weeks.

Elder Hirst

P.S. people saw my photo book and saw my sister, and I’m pretty sure every elder in this MTC would like to marry Alex hahaha. I just love this MTC, I’ve made

so many friends and it’s just fun.

10:57 AM
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Sam in Málaga

Málaga

Week 5: En Route to Malaga

Week 4: Final Week in the MTC

Week 4: Almost Out of the MTC!!!

Elder Hirst Sent Some Photos!

Semana (Week) 3 in the CCM

Singing on Temple Square

Week 2: "Best MTC in the World"

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