ARRIVED!

Hermana y Presidente

So Excited!!!

Puerto Varas

Elder Broadhead from Idaho

in my apt

¡Buenos Dias Familia!

Hello! How are you?! Can you believe it?! My first letter in Chile, whoo! I made it! I´ve almost been here an entire week. Deep Breath. I made it. 
The getting here was stressful, but I never had to pay for my checkins or my overweight carryon, so that´s good. The Osorno airport is possibly the smallest airport in the world. Four walls and a baggage claim. Like a movie. I came to really love my travel group. Elders Quininola, Larson, and Ralph (Canada Elder) and Hermanas Davenport and Leyton. We all bonded as we left the United States to move to the most southern part of the world. It happens. We were greeted by the mission president and his wife and the APs (the assistants) We went back to the mission home, took photos (good sign), and had a great lasagna dinner! They´re both super nice. I think I´ll like them a ton, everyone says they love them. So I´m sure he´s nicer than President Voldemort -- excuse me -- President Evans. I´m in Chile!
So I know everyone is DYING to hear --- my companion, Elder Elliot Broadhead from Idaho. I´m his first trainee so he´s being a good example and super forgiving and nice. Everything's good, I just wish I could speak more spanish so I could help when we´re talking to people. I can say bits and pieces but I have no idea what the Chileans are saying. We get along pretty well. My first area is Puerto Varas, wow. My first day was CULTURE SHOCK we have a really spread out area not in size but in class. Our area is actually pretty small but we have the suuuuper poor and the somewhat rich. I can see TWO volcanoes from our door and this huge, beautiful lake. By the lake is all modern hotels and people living well and just a 5 minute walk away, we have people in tin houses with no electricity. Whoa. I was depressed on day one. But I´m getting over the initial shock of things. We say ´sector´instead of área´. 
Mom is going to flip when I tell her this...we have a Mamita in every sector throughout the mission. We get fed, by her, every lunch meal - which is the biggest and so delicious, except on Mondays and Sundays when we feed ourselves or Members feed us. The Members are all super nice. But breakfast is simple, just cereal with yogurt -- not milk. Isn´t that funny. Also, every dessert is soo random like that time nana gave us chex mix with milk. It´s like peaches with cream and cereal with yogurt. But I just think it´s funny and can´t wait to see what random thing they put together next. Salad is not so great. Cabbage leaves covered in olive oil, salt and lemon juice. yum. But the main dish is never anything too random. I don´t ask what the meat is. I just eat it. and the Hermanas in the ward do our laundry. omg. I´m so spoiled. 
Well I can only write one email to everyone. But here are some funny things that happened to me this week. 
(in spanish)
"How long have you been in Chile?" ---- "I´m 19." 
I saw a bird get hit by a car
Dogs are eevveerryywhere. and puppies. and everything. Every dog everywhere. Sad. Our dogs don´t even know. 
I challenged our one investigator to be baptized and he accepted. He´s struggling with smoking so it´s going to be difficult, but our faith is strong. I couldn´t believe it. I can´t wait til I can speak fluently. 
"Dang it JIM!"
This kid in the ward, Brian, served with the Ellis kid... random. 
When I introduced myself in front of the ward, I said I have 12 hermanas....
Fear is the opposite of faith
I´m just trying to take this day by day. 
Thank you for the Calendar, I didn´t notice that you put all the dates and things. Love it. 
Happy Birthday Alexa and Dylan, love you guys. 
It rains everyday. SO MUCH. ALL DAY. I got rain gear from the mission president. 
Aleksi - thanks for rooting for me
Cassie - those photos were scary. haha. but for real. my hair....
Mitchell - the mission is just like hogwarts, while we were walking with all our stuff in the airport I just thought it was exactly like Harry with all his trunks. Everytime I open my umbrella I say in my mind, "expecto patronum"
Mom-thanks for the quotes
Dad - everyone has trouble pronoucing "Poirier" aaand everyone says I look like Harry Potter, which makes me sooo happy. haha. 


I love you all! 

Tell me how the photos come out. Companion and I in our apartment, which is a little house behind the bishops house. 

The gospel is real. Let´s go change some lives. 
Love you familia!

Love, 
Elder Poirier

Volcano

LEAVING AMERICA

Today was the most STRESSFUL Preparation day. Ever. Four days before I leave the MTC. We've been all over the place. We started today in the Temple, my last time going to the Temple for two years. Mom, you said you looked up my Chile address --- could you attatch it to this email because I forgot it once again....It's been a good week I suppose. Four more days. Just four more days! I've recieved so many packages and letters. Thank you. I'm especially grateful for the soap that I'm not allergic to and the flea bed pad. Also I had to pay $72 for my Hep A shot. Just thought you'd want to know. I'm healthy. But honestly I have suffered every sickness the MTC has to offer throughout my 9 weeks. GROSS. I've had nasty pink eye, soar throat, allergic reaction to soap, itchy dry skin, stuffy nose, nose bleeds, and the worst of all --- athlete's foot. Luckily I caught them all before they got too bad and I used my overly prepared first aid kit [thanks mom] and am healthy now, as my entire district is coughing and sneezing. Aye, stay healthy. Emma gave me a tie and she told me not to wear it until I leave for Chile and I'm proud to say I've been true to my promise, so that's the tie I'll wear on Monday at 4 in the morning! Whoop, whoop! It's been a challenging week with the companions, I'm trying soooo hard to love them but they make it sooo hard. Guh. But I'm almost there. Oh yeah! And I got this letter from one HP Pinterest fan, Serena, who wants to talk to you guys about buying some of the photoshops I made. haha. I know so random, but cool. So I wrote her your phone number so maybe she'll call. They're saved on my computer. Maybe you can go to Stuart Photo and get them printed. Stuartphoto.com or something.

I don't need anything before I leave. I'm pretty sure I have everything. It doesn't seem real? How is this possible? I feel like I'll never leave the MTC. I'm going to New York?! I'm going to Chile? I'm kind of worried about spanish and teaching people the gospel. It's overwhelming. How can I be doing this? I like to hum my favorite hymn when my thoughts go this way, "be still my soul" --- be still my soul, the Lord is on my side. It's true. The Lord is on my side. Crazy. Gosh. I love it family. I can't wait to meet people and share with them this great message. This is it! It's more real now than it's ever been. The church is true, the atonement is real, and Christ is our Savior.

I miss you! I love you.

Love,

Elder Maxwell Poirier.

 

P.s. I got my spanish scriptures engraved today, "Elder Poirier" --- so different. and send Chesney my love. I'm so happy she's doing better. Kiss bentley's little face and take McGraw for a good walk. Dad, it's happening! Mom, thanks for all the support. Aleksi, I love you, I can't believe you're so close! Mitchell, you're my example and the missionary I want to be. Cassie, I wish you were here to laugh with me at the crazy things that happen.

 

I love so so much!

CHILE ADDRESS:

Elder Maxwell Poirier

Chile-Osorno Mission

Casilla 7-0

Osorno

Los Lagos, Chile

 

I'm going to NYC!

Family! I JUST got my travel planes... ahhhh!!!!!

OK, so here's the run down.

SLC to NYC!!! wake up at 7:02am to 4:57pm on the 23rd

NYC to Santiago 7:40 to 8:30 am on the 24th

[arrival!] Santiago to Osorno from 3:45 PM to 5:20 pm.

Ahhhh!!! So I leave the 23rd. and arrive the 24th. So much traveling! So excited. NEW YORK!!!! ahhhhhhh.

I love you family.

Love,

One SUPER excited missionary,

Elder Poirier.

Eleven More Days

Buenas Tardes Familia!

 

How are you?! I'm really great. Laundry is done, preparation day was great. We went to the temple, it's a beautiful snow free day in Provo Utah. Eleven more days. It's not real. ELEVEN MORE DAYS at the MTC. In America! ahhh. So me, Elder Bray, and Hermana Davenport all leave on the 23rd and we get our travel plans 10 days before we leave aka tomorrow! Hermana Cavazos left us yesterday, she got her visa. It was a sad goodbye, we had at least 5 "last photos"... aye so sad. Hermana Franc leaves on monday. She'll be in Tampa Florida! whoop, whoop. and so the goodbyes begin. Elder Draper and I stayed up super late last night talking. Well, I have a whole new image of him now. So much more respect. He's a whole different person to me now. Weird right? There was so much about his life he didn't share because he didn't think people needed to know. We're on that level - and I feel so ungrateful for all the blessings I've been given. I feel like I've just taken for granted having a strong family. Siblings who love me, and parents who have testimonies of the gospel and love each other and want the best for their family. I'm grateful family. What did I do to deserve you guys? to deserve the blessings of the gospel? Thank you. Thank you for my childhood and for your love. Thank you for the safety and security you've given me. Elder Draper's had a tough life. But he's here. he made it on his mission. and that's what I told him. He can be that person he was never given the chance to learn from. I love you family, so so much. This gospel is true.

Yesterday I got to host the new missionaries aka I've been here forEVER and I know the campus like the back of my hand. Basically you just open the doors of the incoming missionaries, take their luggage, stand their awkwardly as their family crys because they're leaving their son slash daughter for two years and this is their final moment that they've been dreading, and then take the overwhelmed missionary to their room and to get all their stuff. Seriously, I wanted to tear up and cry with some of these families - SO SAD! I helped one elder going to South Carolina, one sister going to San Diego and one elder going to South Korea! Elder Peterson. he'll have to be here for 12 weeks. I told him it flies by and he'll love it. Can you imagine being here for 12 weeks...and having to learn Korean. Yikes. Spanish is one thing but an asian language would be so hard. i can't even imagine. I got your kayak photos. Loved the "water princess" glad that wasn't one of my sisters...hahahaha. you guys are pros now. Yeah!

I love my Toms! Thank you! I've gotten so many compliments.

There's this one district in our zone who we like to joke around with and pretend we're better at volleyball and basketball than them [we're not, we're awful] --- anyway remember how we had these too small desks and then when a an older district left they gave us their huge magical desks? [if you don't --- that happened about 4 weeks ago] anyway we have 7 people in my district, except when hermana Cavazos was here I gave her my desk and I used a little one. Anyway, since hermana Franc leaves on monday I think [as a district] we should surprise our rival [but really our friend] district with the beautiful desks, because they're the only ones in our building. But my district is all upset because they want keep them until the very last moment and then give them away. If we gave them away on sunday night, we'd have to use the little desks for a whole week before we go. I'm right, right? where's your charity?

Also, I got to the fourth square again in gym - I know I'm proud too. It's becoming a routine thing for me in gym.

This week Elder Russell M. Nelson of the quorum of the twelve apostles came to speak to us--- again! how cool, he came at Thanksgiving time to speak to us. But he mostly talked to the training mission presidents and senior missionaries. Which -- cool story --- There is a Chile MTC but only Chileans or local Southern Americans go there, but yesterday - we had a lesson with the president and his wife of the Chilean MTC! aaaand funny story leading up to that. We had to look like really cleaned up and sharp, but they didn't tell us this until like two days before so I didn't have time to schedule a haircut----so I was panicked! what would you do! anyway, after hosting and before class - Elder Draper, me and Elder Bray when back to our residence and Elder Draper cut my hair. Then I tried to make it better and I gave myself a bowl cut! AHHH. Oh my gosh, I wanted to cry. I was so embarrassed. You're not allowed to cut your own hair at the MTC - idk why that's a rule. but it is. Just here at the MTC? hair cuts are free. Anyway, I've been walking around with a hideous bowl cut for the past 24 hours and I'm dying.....

OK, kidding. Somehow Elder Draper was able to fix my hair. he's so impressed with his work. he'll come over and do a 360 look at me and nod his head. hahaha. It looks good.

 

I love you family. Eleven days?! Chile. Goodbye America. I love the mission. Amo el CCM pero estoy listo para salir.

 

P.S.

I am SOOO happy Chesney is doing well. I love that girl. Whenever I feel myself getting even a little bit sad - I think of her and when I'll come home and how happy she'll be.

 

New Year!

Buenos Dias Familia.
2012! Whoo! HAPPY NEW YEAR! 18 days?! 18 days and I won't be in America anymore. So crazy! I'm glad Mitchell had a fun new years because mine was pretty lame. haha. But seriously. It was a typical MTC day, studying spanish etc. etc. and we went to bed on time aka before midnight. But like I wrote Cassie, I wasn't too upset because I celebrated at 10 because that's when it was 12 for you guys. So whoo 2012! I don't want to get your hopes up buuut one of my friends in another Avanzado district that has come and gone - they only stay here for 3 weeks - Elder Garcia flew into Miami before going international. But even if that happens to me I don't know how I'll go out of security and then back in? I guess I could just do that...lol we'll see. I'll get my travel plans within the next few weeks so I'll let you know what the plan is. AH! I can't believe this is happening.
Well I've decided that "Garbage bag coat" is really "Sleeping bag coat" and whenever I wear it --- which I have yet to here in Utah --- it'll be like I'm just wearing my sleeping bag. So funny. Also, I have to confess something. I'm sorry but I'm bringing shame to the Floridian Poirier name. Right now I'm wearing flip flops WITH socks! ahhh! I'm sorry. I didn't feel like wearing shoes and this is so much easier. I look like one of them! Like a u-loser. ahhh.
Elder Mathew's is home! So crazy. I miss him and Elder Schmeil like crazy. I've given up hope of having companions that I'll like as much as them. One day. One day.
Remember how we had Elder Barroteran in our district? From Mexico going to NC? he was in advanced and his district left but he had to wait for a little bit? Well he left a while ago but the same thing happened with the next advanced district. Hermana Cavasos is the newest member of our district. She wrote home to you guys a few weeks ago. We were friends before this haha. With her companion Hermana Garo. Anyway, she's going to Costa Rica and has to wait for her visa so in the mean time, she's in our district. Which is SO great. She's incredible. Her family was just sealed only a year ago. Her parents are converts too. And she helps me with my spanish. Every gym - which we have everyday - I play volleyball. Which is hilarious. But whatever. It's fun. But yesterday Hermana Cavasos was like "Let's play Four Square?" and so we did. Which Elder Draper plays 4 square, and it's funny because all the missionaries you would expect to be playing four square...were...not being mean. It's just typically a nerdy thing, right? lol. Anyway. I was awful. but Hermana Cavasos was SOOO good. she got to the fourth square and dominated. All the missionaries were going craaazy. It was hilarious. "That sister is SO good!" "The Queen of four square!" I couldn't stop laughing. Gosh. So funny. Guess you had to be there.
Cassie had an alergic reaction to her soap. Yikes. Sorry. But story of my life. The soap I have - gilette - I"m alergic to. But I have to keep using it because I don't want to throw it away. I know, I know. That's ridiculous but whatever. My legs itch all the time.
I'm so excited for Chile. It comes and goes. Ususally I'm excited. but I get nervous. The food. The people. The mission president. companions -- yesss! hahaha. no. bad. buuut I'm super excited. Less than 3 weeks?!
I'm sure you'll have to send me some Kaltean bars, they make you gain weight like crazy. haha just kidding. Mean Girls quote.
Stephen Bowzer comes home in 10 days! ahhhh. One day that'll be MItchell?!?! I can't even imagine! So exciting. But family. I'm not even in Chile yet and I don't want to leave. I know I'm going to fall in love with the people and it's going to break my heart to leave.
Also I've been thinking about the letter situation for when I'm in Chile. Mom, you send mitchell a pacakage every month right? or something like that? what if I were to tell everyone to just write home and then you put all the letters in the package? and then I'd write back and put in the package and you'd mail it off? Is that too complicated? I don't know, Just an idea.
Hermana Alanis is the best teacher ever. I love Hermana Bingam and Hermano Busath too. My spanish is coming along. I can't wait to speak fluently. I'm glad the missionaries are teaching the Logans. I'm glad I get so many letters. I'm glad the Snider's wrote me. I'm glad Cassie spent time with the Sniders. I'm glad Aleksi had a good break at home. I love you parents. I'm sorry Mitchell is having a tough companionship....we're brothers in so many ways. I love you siblings! I miss you parents. Thank you for the many blessing you've given to me. I can't finish counting them. I love you family.

"What a wonderful place, to be with friends!" -- Dobby the House Elf.

I miss the ocean like you can't even imagine. El Oceano. La playa. La arena. El sol. Mi Corazon!

Well briefly, I've figured out who everyone is according to The Office.
Michael Scott ---- Elder Draper
Jim ------------Me
Pam------Hermana Cavasos
Roy-------Elder Foster
Erin--------Hermana Franc
Angela---------Hermana Davenport
Gabe----------Elder Soelburg
Andy-------Elder Bray.

aye. Thank you for the many, many letters my friends. I love you family. Los extrano muchisimo!

Love you,

Elder Max Poirier.