Querida Familia

Querida Familia, 

I love you all so much. I love mom´s jumping photos! Classic Poirier. hah. I love that Aleksi and mom are hiking and doing all nature utah sort of things. (Hanson is playing right now --- wow --- SHOOO-BOP-YEAHEYEAH!) I love that dad is working on the house and the dogs are happy. I love that Cassie has a job! and that she scored her first lacrosse goal (congratulations!). I love that Mitchell is having much success and is feliz. I love that our family is truely being blessed for our work and dedication to the gospel. Elder Arce and I had a pretty good week. He´s a hard worker, which is good. We taught a ton and have a lot of future potential news. He´s so country, he doesn´t think he is --- but whenever he talks about home, he gets a country accent. It´s pretty funny. We get along good. I get a little stressed because I have to lead the sector because he obviously has no idea where anyone lives or anything, so basically I have to plan the day and lead, so it stressful when citas fall or people aren´t home --- I try not to get frustrated, but it´s all part of the mission. I dread the day I have to train. Vomit. I hope it never comes. But we´re working diligently and I´m doing my best. 
Mom, Utah looks beautiful. I hope youre enjoying every second with Aleksi. Tell me about Nick? From the photos, I´m not too convinced...
Dad and Cassie, I´m glad you´re having fun together. That´s funny that your boss said you´re the hardest working hostess she´s ever had. haha. Keep it up. On the ACT I got a 28, which isn´t very good. whatever. And the SAT...I don´t remember --- ask mom. My scores are in the box under my bed. Good luck! 
Mitchell, felicitaciones! Proud of all the hard work you´ve done. five more months! ahhh! Dont ever slow down. 
Aleksi! Happy 24th Birthday! I still remember the last time you played beanie babies with us, and the seals got married. And our last trip to the keys and we walked around that island with all the sharp rocks. Lobstering. When you fed Bentley a grape! bahaha. Tonta! Nana and the sweater on Dylan. Reading the Hunger Games. Visiting you in Utah. All our adventures and all the photos. Ghost house. I miss you Aleksi! 24! 
and Kate! Happy 20th! Whoop, whoop! I was talking with Elder Arce about Graduation and how great it was. He basically knows all about you and Chris and Alexa now. and all my other friends. I´ve been reading my letters out loud because I recieve so much mail! haha. I wish I was there to celebrate! TSwizzle concert. Spray painting. Coral Cove. 
Dad Happy Birthday too! I hope Cassie and Mom and Chesney bake you a nice big, snitch shaped cake! 
I love you family. 

So can you believe I´ll be calling home in two weeks?! I can´t. We get to skype, we´re thinking at about 5 o´clock our time. Our Mamita has a skype name so send me your info so I can search for you and CALL! ahhhh! (On mothers day). As far as giving Mamita something --- I agree! She does so much for the missionaries. years ago, she was the mamita AND FOUR missionaries lived IN their house! I´ll tell you her conversion story another time. She´s amazing. She liked my blue watch you sent me, I was planning on giving it to her when I leave, but if you have something better in mind, yeah! When her son turned 16 (last week) I gave him one of my tshirts as a gift. Mamita (Hermana Betti) was really happy. 

I love you family! and You´d be so proud! Remember my HUGE rain pants! I hemmed them. I made them slim fit! What-what! I´m amazing. So compare the one photo of me with the NEW pants to the one taken almost a month ago with the pants! 

Stay well family. Stay true. Stay firm. Stay courageous. 

Long Live, 

Love, 
Elder Poirier. 

P.s. HP forever. 

FAMILY! 

I LOVED those photos of Mormon Prom! Cassie! You indeed looked b-e-a-U-tiful! You´ve grown up so well. haha. Emily too. Tell her to write me. I´m beginning to think she was serious when she said Mitchell was her favorite Poirier brother. And you got a job?! haha so random! is it that place by the park Halpateokee? Do you like it? Dad I´m sorry to hear about the skin cancer. I hope you´re okay and that the treatment won´t be too painful for too much longer. Mom, that Jeffery R. Holland quote was so great. and true. I´m glad you´ve all had a great week. Aleksi, I know you´ll be writing me an email in like 30 minutes. Poochah! I´ll have to wait until next week to hear from you. Is Mom in Utah? She said she was going Thursday --- as in this past thursday or the thursday coming? Enjoy your trip! Bring a Harry Potter book for the plane. and Mitchell, I have 5 months out and you have 5 months left! We both have to complete what the other just did. Crazy. You really are the best family. 
So Elder Broadhead se fue. Puenta Arenas. We took a bus to Puerto Mont and then met up with all the other missionaries traveling (tons) and he took a bus to the airport and I awaited Elder Arse from Argentina....NOT! haha. Elder Broadhead did leave, and Elder Arse is my new companion but he´s not from Argentina! I don´t know why the zone leaders told us that, because he´s country blooded South Carolina! His dad´s chilean and mom is gringa. He´s the reverse of my life. Both his parents are converts and his dad lived in Chile until he was about 20 years old. We get along really well. It´s been really great getting to know him and see how he teaches. He´s trained twice - so I know I have a lot I can learn from him, and have already. I had a pretty awful experience this week though. We were eating at the Mamita´s (She´s the mom of the bishop) and so He´s usually there and eats with us sometimes. But anyway, Elder Arse was getting to know him and telling him how we´re here to work and all the missionary talk. And the Bishop was really pleased, but then started ragging on the "missionaries before" and how they never completed with anything that he asked and I just felt like he was stabbing me in the heart with Godric Gryffindor´s sword. Maybe even like he put the cruciatus curse on me! Yeah, it was pretty bad. I held it together, but I lost it when we got back to our apartment. It just felt like all the work I´ve done for the past three months meant nothing. I mean, obviously - I know it isn´t so, but it felt that way. and if anything, this experience has made me determined to work harder. There are things we weren´t doing, but I was being trained - I barely knew what it even meant to be a missionary. Oh well, you can´t please everyone. I know that since I´ve been here, I´ve given my all - and I know our Padre Celestial knows the same. And that´s the only thing that I need to be concerned about. 
In better news, Roberto was confirmed yesterday. Hermano Alex, who confirmed him gave an incredible blessing. It´s official. He is the newest member here in Colon! and Yes mom, I told him dad´s name is Roberto and my middle name is Robert. Elder Arse and I are going to change Colon, and I can hardly wait. 
THANK YOU so much for the package! So much candy! and the watch! Whoolololoololololo! and so many letters this week. Alexa. Kate. Mom. Dad. Shreeve´s. Reagan. Sister Gleason. and a letter to Mitchell from Cassie? haha. But I still appreciated it. I miss you all! 
Mamita made Torta de ojas this week and Leche nevada ---DELICIOUS-- I think she´s been holding out with Elder Broadhead because in 3 months we´ve never had what she´s fed us in these few past days! hahaha. 
I also saw a hummingbird yesterday and I thought it was really cool. 

I miss you family! I´m working so hard and trying to be the best missionary, son, friend, companion, and Gryffindor that I can! 

I love you forever. 

Love, 

Elder Poirier. 

p.s. 
"Books, cleverness, there are more important things: friendship. and bravery." -Hermione Granger. 

My First Baptism

Querida Familia,

What a great week. Thank you for ALL the letters and encouragement. I finished training yesterday! FINISHED. I´m no longer a trainee! Whoop, whoop. Transfers are on Wednesday and Elder Broadhead is leaving Puerto Varas and headed to the end of the world, Puenta Arenas - and he couldn´t be happier...and neither could I. haha JOKE. but I am happy that he´ll get to end his mission where he wanted, that´s pretty cool. My new companion´s name is Elder Arcey from Argentina. I haven´t met him yet, he´ll arrive on Wednesday so I´m pretty nervous and excited. I like all the Latinos in our zone so I´m hoping we´ll get along really well. And he´ll be district leader like Elder Broadhead. It´ll be good to see how someone else leads. Roberto was supposed to be baptized on the 14th but we changed it to the 15th (yesterday) after church so that more people would attend. Family, it was INCREDIBLE. It was simple, but powerful. I´m sending lots of photos. I don´t know why Chileans don´t smile in photos. Roberto and Yohanna both have great smiles and Tomas too. haha. But seriously, I practiced his name 1000x - I was so nervous I´d mess up. Hermano Alex, the one I told you about a long time ago - super nice family - gave a great talk about baptism and how he´s enjoyed seeing Roberto grow over these past few weeks. (He´s helped teach with us a ton). Roberto Emiliano Valensuela Schnabel. We entered the font, they annouced the baptism, and then it was over. I didn´t mess up, it was smooth and he was fully immersed. There should have been music playing in the background. After we changed, Roberto bore his testimony. That´s when I cried. He said I was more nervous about the baptism than him. (haha so true) He was so tranquilo. He just understood it. He thanked everyone who had helped us teach and then thanked Elder Broadhead and I both personally. It was the greatest experience thus far on my mission. How honored I am to have been able to find him, teach him, and baptize him and to have been able to watch him change completely. The gospel is a marvelous thing.
I´m so happy to hear you´re all doing so well family. The Sniders look HUGE in Eva´s photos! Rita! Emree with Braces. Rye playing flag football, takes after me..haha. Rett - so big! How?! It´s only been 5 months! Cassie is going to Mormon Prom? With Cody? Did she go to SF Prom? Cassie, you´re too old! I´m glad you like driving the jeep. Aleksi and Nick. He better treat you right. I´m glad mom´ll be there soon to let the family know what we think. and then Eva. Mitchell, you sound much happier - I wrote you your first handwritten letter, it´ll get to you in about 3 months because I´m sending through mom, so don´t expect it anytime soon - but know that it´s on it´s way! Mom that letter about Nana was so beautiful. Happy Birthday Nana! Tell her how greatful I am for the sacrifice she made. Dad and the dogs look great. I´m so happy you´re all doing well. I can´t put into words my love for all of you.
and now...remember how my life is embarrassing. Well - my face (near my cheek bones) has been SUPER irritated for the past few weeks. Red, bumpy - gross. Well turns out I´ve had razor burn! and everyday I would shave I would make it worse. It was awful. But I found out, it´s the way I´ve been shaving. It´s been going away - which is good.
I´m debating whether or not I should tell you this, but I´ll just do it - whatever - I had to resew the button on two of my pants because I´ve gained so much weight! baha. OH MY GOSH! How awful is that! I didn´t tell Elder Broadhead because I was so embarrassed. "You can´t sit with us, It´s friday and you wore sweatpants on tuesday. " "But sweatpants are all the fits me right now!" "YOU CAN´T SIT WITH US!" Yeah, so maybe you can send me a nice pair of sweatpants, like the soccer players wear - nothing too expensive - take it out of my money obvio. But seriously, at this rate, my jeans aren´t going fit too good. They´re normal sweat pants, and then skinny at the ankles? maybe Cassie knows what I´m talking about. I have the one pair we bought before the mission, but I had to give away my XC sweatpants away in the MTC because they didn´t fit. And thanks for the MP3 player! I´m super excited. Sorry I´m so high maintenence!
I hope you get all my photos. Service with some members and the zone. It´s the house of the Vergaras (members) out in the campo. And then Roberto´s baptism!
Also, a member showed me my facebook! Awful! Please feel free to change my profile pic. Long story, Elder Broadhead wanted them to friend request him because he´s leaving and then they wanted mine---uh! Me flying on the broom! So AWKWARD! Feel free to change it to now. You have my info right...aye.

Well, I love you so much family! I hope you enjoy the photos! Roberto will be confirmed a member next week in Sacrament meeting.
I´m loving the work. I miss you everyday. Happy Five months!

Love,

Elder Poirier.

p.s.
Neither can live while the other survives.

Going good

Family, 

I´m so glad you all had a great Easter! Mom, those lyrics made me teary eyed. haha, embarrassing. Of course Cassie would go egg hunting, and find the golden egg! Please don´t tell me she got to keep the money! The Dearmans and Pellegrini´s all look so great! I love and miss you family. Chesney was in the background of one of the photos of Cassie, it appears she is still being well fed. I´m just glad to see she was out of her cave and being social. Cassie didn´t write me this week. Shame. Aleksi, your house looks fantastica! That wall with all the frames in the kitchen looks cool - are you not moving out in April then? When does mom come? Mitchell and I might be weighing the same here pretty soon, haha how weird would that be! I have yet to find a scale, but one of these days, I think I might actually be a man now! 150pounds! I don´t know. Don´t get all excited. Family, I can´t even express to you how great this week was. I don´t have words, so I´ll just explain. We taught Roberto on Monday (last Monday) and asked him how he was feeling about the 14th and about the church. He said he knows Joseph Smith was a prophet and wants to be baptized! Yoanna was stunned. She´s become even more doubtful than him. "Are you sure Robero?" "You want to be baptized?" So we went into full gear, taught him everything he needed to know for his interview, and then on Saturday he had his interview. The Zone Leader who interviewed him later told us that it was one of the best interviews he´s ever had, and that he has no doubt that Roberto is ready and will be a leader in the church! How incredible is that. And after the interview Elder Rainey (Zone Leader) told me that Roberto wants me to baptize him! How incredible is that? Elder Broadhead wanted a memeber to baptize him, and I did too because we leave, and the member will always be here and then they'll have that bond, but Roberto chose me. I´m a little worried because he´s man weight, and I´m still not sure I am - so it´ll be interesting. But I´m so excited. and humbled. My first baptism. This saturday! Roberto! I just can´t believe it. I know this church is true and I know that Roberto being baptized has nothing to do with my spanish speaking ability or influence and is completely a result of the power of the Espiritu Santo. I can´t believe I was able to find him, watch him change before my eyes, and enter into the waters of baptism! I love you family. 
On a more not so uplifting note, people here don´t do anything super special for Easter. Well, the entire week is "Semana Santa" and the Catholics have parades and sing in the street, but on Sunday was just a normal lunch. A sister in the ward did give us a little chocolate egg. I was appreciative and I got to eat Elder Broadhead´s because he doesn´t like sweets. 
I ate my FIRST Chilean empanada made by Mamita! Mom, it melted my face off it was so good! I don´t know how she did it! It had everything we put in it, but somehow different. I think she might have put cheese in with the meat or something! 
:B (Alexa this is your shoutout, I´ve been getting your dearelders and I´ve responded - I hope you´ve been getting my letters!)
I also hope someone finds a way to send Mitchell my emails, because I don´t know how. 
Mom and Dad thank you SO much for the Easter package! I love the tie (that´s what I wore on Easter) and Elder Broadhead LOVED his tie. He really did. He wouldn´t stop talking about it. 
So quick, funny story. I traded my CTR ring with a missionary from Honduras in our Zone because he kept telling me how much he liked it, and I never really cared too much for it. So I gave it to him for some ring he found in Punta Renas. But weeks later I lost the ring in church. but yesterday, almost a month after losing it, I saw the ring on the finger of one of the young women! I didn´t know what to do! So I just stared at her and the ring. and then I told Elder Broadhead and he FREAKED out because we looked for it a lot that day. Anyway. That´s the story. She has my ring. I don´t know if I´ll ask for it back. The Honduras Elder really likes the ring, don´t worry. Everytime I see him, he´s wearing it. 
Well I love you family, mom maybe in my next package you can send me gillete gel d.o. they don´t sell that here and my ipod with the cord to plug into the computer? If you do I´ll buy some speakers here. but take off all the music and put church stuff on it. and my favorite church songs are "If you could Hie to Kolob" "Come thou fount" and "Be still my soul". Piano and Violin songs? I don´t know. And I hear Tswift has just piano versions of some of her songs....haha just kidding....kind of. But really...
But when you send me my ipod, my companion said to be crafty with how you send it. put it in something, hide it well. 
I bought a jacket today. I needed something lighter than the Mr. Mac ones. they take up so much space in my bookbag, and the weather here is so random. It´s cold and rainy but the next second it´s hot but then windy and cold at night. Don´t worry though, I´ve worn everything we´ve bought so far - except that trash bag winter coat but I have a sick feeling I´m going to have to break it out sometime soon. Ontono? MI BOQUITO! This is the coldest fall I´ve ever lived in. Winter´s going to kill me. 
Elder Broadhead only has two transfers left after this one. He wants some letters. If you have time, write him one for me. Same address, different name - obviously. 
This is my last week of training! Week 12, I made it!!! Oh, it feels so good! 
I know the second photo of me makes me look REALLY phat, but I´m sending it anyway. 

I love you family. I pray for you always. Happy Spring in the US! 
I´m so grateful for all your letters. 
The church is true!

Love, 

Elder Poirier. 

Sana, Sana

Dear Family, 

Hello. I know, only three photos! My apologies. I meant to take more this week but I kept forgetting. It was a great week for us. We had a day this week where we taught so many lessons, Elder Broadhead said it was one of his best teaching days on the mission! I´m so happy you´re all doing well. I got tons of letters this week! Reagan - thank you for all those puerto rican photos! Kate, Kelly, Chris, Sean - I don´t think you guys know how much your letters bring me up. I love you guys. Mom, the package is here! I can´t wait to get it. Probably tomorrow. Every tuesday we have district meetings and that´s when they distribute mail. Thank you so much to everyone who´s given me support and love. Words can´t express the gratitude I feel. General Conference was really great, wasn´t it? I know this church is true. I love Thomas S. Monson and I know he is a prophet of God. I love and sustain the leaders of the church. Mom, I agree Jeffrey R. Holland´s talk about conversion and compassion was incredible. "The redeeming light of Jesus Christ has no end." I also liked when Dallin H. Oaks shared that one story about the guy who was going to lose everything because of his conversion to the gospel and when he asked Gorden B. Hinckley, "It´s true isn´t it?" and after his response, he said, "Then what else matters." All the talks were great. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Wow. Faith. Hold on thy way. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. I will not leave thee comfortless, I will come to thee. Fear not, I am with thee. I watched conference in English, yeah right mom - like I would understand ANYTHING if I watched it in Spanish, haha. The English elders (five) watched it in a little classroom in English at the church. Roberto and Yoanna came to two of the sessions. They enjoyed it. Our other investigators, Rodrigo and Karina came to a session too. We´re getting closer to Roberto´s April 14th baptism date. He said he´s still not really sure that this is the ONE true church. But he and Yoanna, both say that they´ve seen the blessings already from just meeting with us and the things we´ve taught them. Baptism is only the beginning, it´s only la puerta. We need them to understand that, baptism isn´t the end goal - it´s only the starting point. and it´s a step of faith. But it´s worth it. My gosh, is it worth it. I love you family. 
Happy Easter this week! Tell the family I love them. 
Dad has an Iphone?! What?! Mom, I had strawberry flan this week, my mamita made it! It was so good! "He´s as mad as a hatter!" And, can you believe they sell mil hojas cake at every little pandelería, I can´t wait to get it. One day. 
This week we had zone conference with our mission president. Wow, President Rappleye is incredible, and his wife - inspired. They are really great. "Falta poco, pero hay montanas." They talked about how we´re so close to being great, but in that little space that we have to go --- there are mountains to cross. It inspired me. I want to do good, I want to be a little be better, try a little bit harder. 
Also this week, Elder Broadhead went on an exchange with another Elder and I was with the other companion´s companion. Elder Barriga from Chile. It was a good day, and I know Elder Broadhead drives me absolutely crazy sometimes, but I was ready to have him back. Elder Barriga was a good missionary but I forgot how many inside jokes and laughs Elder Broadhead and I do have. So now I´m afraid for my next companion! ahhh! What´s going to happen in two weeks! So soon. How did I already get this close to finishing my training!
We were eating once this week with Roberto and Yoanna and I was drinking Ecco and I breathed in the hot air and my my face really close to my glass and my glasses got all foggy (as usual) and then I did the windshield wiper noise and pretended to have windshield wipers on my glasses, and everyone CRACKED UP. haha. Guess you had to be there. 
Every one here says "Poocha" or "Shootah" for "Shoot" or "Dang it" So now I say it too. because I´m Chilean. 
Everyone here continues to call me Justin Beiber, even the members. and the Drunks call me Harry Potter, but I think they´re trying to insult me? Little do they know...
Also in the conference, there was this one lady who kept making kristin wiig faces!!! Every time the camera would pan the choir I would look for her! haha. I almost lost it. I laughed to myself because no one else would get it. 
Come Thou Fount during Conference, was that incredible or what!? That was my MTC song! We sang it all the time!! I´m not going to lie, I got a little teary eyed. I love that song. 
Well, I hope you all have a great week! I love you, I miss you! 

Has mitchell been getting my emails? Aleksi, are you so excited to have mom come and visit you? Cassie, how many more weeks til summer!? 

I love you. 
Sana, sana boquito de rana, si no sana hoy, sanara manana. I get it! 

I love you, 

Love, 
Elder Poirier. 

Deathly Hallows sign.