MISSION ADDRESS

If you want to send me letters or packages (which I love) through the mail you can send them to the mission home at the following address: 

MISSION HOME ADDRESS:
Sister Kaylee Hirsbrunner
Maryland Baltimore Mission
4785 Dorsey Hall Dr. Ste 105
Ellicott City, MD 21042-7862

I can also receive mail directly at my apartment.  Since this address changes frequently and for safety reasons, you can email my mom at laurahwfg@gmail.com and she will forward it to you. 

I made it to Baltimore!!

     Hi Everyone, I’m officially in Baltimore in a cute little town called Frederick.  The people here are so kind!  I love the branch I am serving in because the Hispanics are so sweet.  They are hard to understand at times because the people are mostly Dominican Republic or Cuban, so their Spanish is super fast and slurred.  They are very sweet though!  I just have to tell them to slow down at times otherwise the whole conversation I have with them goes right over my head.  Also, THEIR food is good.  THANK GOODNESS!!  These Cuban women make such good food and they LOVE sweets!  They made us these pancakes that have fruit in them and you put jam and ice cream on it…oh my goodness it was so good!  Though what I’m not excited for is chicken soup… they put all the parts of the chicken in it!  I’m not joking when I say all the parts of the chicken.  You get the heart, liver, and their favorite..the feet!  They love the feet and the heart.  Other then that my companion and I like to live off cereal and hot pockets. 

    My companion’s name is Hermana Sedillo!  She’s the sweetest thing.  She started her mission as English speaking and then got moved to Spanish speaking her 6^th month into the mission and now she is training me.  She is really quiet and a little shy.  I honestly thought she didn’t like me the first couple of days because she wouldn’t talk to me unless it was to teach me something or to correct my Spanish.  She has started to open up and talks to me a little bit more so that’s good.

     There are only 8 Hermanas including me who serve in our mission!  That is so small!  Though I love it because our mission president likes it when we all get together and support each other.  So we get to see the other Hermanas often.  Its funny when we are with the English missionaries and the Spanish missionaries start speaking to each other in Spanish and they can’t understand.  That was eye opening when a sister asked me what I was saying because it just shows how fast I have been learning!  It is such a blessing!

    When serving these people they remind me so much of the people in Mexico City and there are some that come from places and conditions like that.  The people from Mexico City were really really poor.  A lot of the houses were not finished so the families didn’t have to pay house taxes.  Their homes were really not like houses, more like a shelter.  They were very limited on food and clothing.  During this time of year it get cold!  So a lot of the people freeze.  A lot of the families get really sick and die because of the open sewer systems.  The whole city would smell so bad because of that.  There were a lot of people who would live out in the streets and would sell anything they had to make money for their family.  You would see moms walking around in the streets with their babies on their backs trying to sell stuff to people driving by.  From my experience in Mexico I have never been so grateful for the small and simple things I have been blessed with.  I had a lady tell me that having nothing and living in the United States is better the having nothing and living in Mexico.  We are seriously so blessed to have what we have.  At night you could hear gunshots and wild dogs at night.  When I flew back into the States with an Elder as soon as we stepped off the plane in Atlanta we almost cried.  Mostly because the air smelled so good, but also because we didn’t know how lucky we were before. 

     This month we have been teaching “lluminadad el mundo” light the world during this season.  List the thing you are grateful for and find someone you can serve and lighten.  Everyone go watch the light the world video!  It’s my favorite and it’s the best way to remind us what this season is all about.  I love you all and miss and think of you all daily.  Thanks so much for all your prayers, love and support.  Have a Happy Holiday and remember the reason for the season!!

                                                                         www.lds.org
                                                                     www.mormon.org


                                                           https://youtu.be/P_VRN7hcL_8

Amor Siempre

Hermana Hirsbrunner

                                                             President and Sister Christiansen

                             The ONLY Spanish speaking missionary in the group arriving today

                                                   Welcome feast at the Mission Home

                        Met by Brother and Sister Simpson (friends of Gma & Gma Hirsbrunner)

                                Our little Spanish group!  Only 8 Hermanas in the entire Mission!

                                            Hello SNOW!! Welcome to Frederick, Maryland!

                                                          My trainer, Hermana Sedillo

Last Week at the MTC!

Just Pictures this Week!!  I will miss my District and companions! 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a little sad!  The food was finally good though.  I was thinking of dad the whole time I was eating the pumpkin pie.   Hahaha.  Thanks so much for everyone being so supportive and cheering me on.  This work is hard!!!  It is crazy how much Spanish I know!!  I can teach lessons and talk....it's bad Spanish, but still!!  I was put into a mixed Spanish group for the day and I got to be with the Latinas all day!  They are so sun and nice.  They like to kiss and hug everyone!  El evengelio es verdad!!! Mi amor usted muchas y yo se dios es verdad tambien.

Week Four-11/16/17

Hola!
      I miss you guys so much!  I talk about you guys all the time!  This week has been so great!  I'm finally into my fourth week.  Two more to go until I'm in Baltimore!  My district is slowly going crazy from being here.  Everyday there is a new escape plan, but really deep down....we love it!
     Sunday was good.  I got put into a program where they mix the Latinas and the Americans to help each other learn English and Spanish.  My hermana was Villalobos and she was honestly the cutest thing in the world.  One thing that I learned from her is our culture is very cold.  Latinas embrace you with open arms and give you lots of kisses!  They have such a warm culture.  I love it!
     Throughout the week was interesting.  We are all so tired and it shows more everyday.  One of our Elders..Nebeker has been putting shampoo on his hands thing it was lotion...?  We love him still.  Hermana Berry, my favorite companion, is low key.  In fact, she is scratching my back as I'm writing this.  She spained her wrist playing volleyball with another district.  We get reallycompetetive.  Then I got smashed in the face with a ball.  It's a pretty good bruise...we shall see if I get a black eye in the morning.  The whole time I was icing my face, I kept repeating how much I "loved" that person.
     This week I got to teach a lesson with a Latina companion!!  It was so much fun!  They were talking so freaking fast and somehow I was able to keep up and help teach...seriously don del lenguas!!!
     Also something cool but also very embarassing is I got made fun of from Elder Castaneda from one the 70 because I suck at pronouncing some things...I didn't realize that was him until my teacher told me after he left.  My district says I will probably be part of the next general conference talk.
     The food for this week was uh....great as always.  I'm mostly living off of cereal because I'm scared of what meat they are giving me!
      I miss you guys so much and love all the emails you send me!  Seriously makes me so happy to hear from home!

Love Always,
Hermana Hirsbrunner

     

Week 2 - 11/10/17

This week was HARD!  Everyone says the MTC is the hardest part and it will get better.  My district is nice.  They are all sweethearts.  Its just us hermanas in our district and there are 3 other groups of elders.  Honestly I don't know what I would do without those elders because they keep us laughing.  My Spanish is slightly getting there.  I really have to work for it.  I can teach a lesson in Spanish all by myself with NO books!!!  I am slowly getting there, its just hard, really hard.  I get nervous, So I hope I will get the help I need before leaving the MTC.  The food.. I hat it.  I try though.  I just tired of not knowing what the heck I'm eating!  The food is no bueno.  Thank you for all the letters, especially the ones that get delivered to the MTC.  They come the very next day.  The office is closed on Saturday and Sundays.  Keep sending them.  They make me happy and get me through the days.

                                                                   Mexico City MTC

                                  Hermana Berry, Hermana Watts, and Hermana Hirsbrunner

                           Kaylee's District (Trying to have some fun between all the studying)

                                                               
                                                                 Mexico City, Mexico