FOURTH AREA: Zone Conference

3 Zones Conference in Pelotas

Max saw Elder Jones, Elder Piccin AND Elder Headley!

"Man, it was so great to see all of them again, especially Elder Headley cuz it had been about 7 months! It was weird to see them and be with all of them at the same time"

The 4 American missionaries that live together in Rio Grande.

"So, another dude came to church with us named Éderson and he is so sweet.. its amazing to hear about the change that He made with his life.. it was the 1st time He came to church and He loved it and we marked his baptism for the 10th of October and he’s great.. E. Bischoff and his last companion started teachin him before i got here and the 1st time they talked to him He was usin all kinds of drugs and He was possessed.. Elder B and his comp gave him a blessing and He started grunting and so they expulsed the evil spirit, man i never knew how real and dangerous this stuff really is until i came to Brasil cuz it happens a ton here because theres a lot of the batooki.. but they kept teachin him but He was still usin drugs so they stopped.. we started teaching him again this week cuz He went to get treatment and stopped usin all of the drugs and is completely clean now and only wants to do what is right and He hás made a complete 180 degree turn in his life, it is amazing to witness..."

"We have been trying and trying to talk to Suelma’s husband and the whole fam together but He doesnt want to ever talk to us about the Church and always leaves as soon as we get there.. He says that he’s happy for his wife and that she is goin but its not for him.. man, it hás been so frustrating.. and to add to the stress, Jessica didnt come to church yesterday once again! Man, but suelma was there of course and church yesterday was great and the Spirit was so strong throughout all of the mtgs and suelma loved it and finally stopped drinking coffee and so we think she’ll be ready for this Sat!  she is amazing.. we Just want more than anything to help out the whole fam together cuz they are so amazing"

FOURTH AREA: Blessings and Miracles

A week full of blessings and miracles.
"Us on the beach last week with the kids from our ward and the other ward here close, it was so sweet, we played american football and chilled all day on the beach and it was a beautiful day - not too hot, not too cold. The weather has been heaten up this week, and fast! Ha ha, i think winter is officially over here but we will see"

"Our baptism on Saturday with all of us together, it was amazing.. We had our baptism together with the zone leaders at the stake center in the center of the city and it was amazing.. Emilia and Guilherme were baptized from our ward and they baptized the other boy.. It was a miracle - Emilia's mom, Tuca, came back from her trip on wed night and so we werent plannin on it until we found out thurs. morn that she was back in town and they were ready for the baptism. Elder Bischoff baptized her and had to do it twice cuz of her knee and Guilherme's friend, Douglas baptized him and had to do it 3 times cuz it was the first time he baptized, ha ha, but it all turned out perfect and it was so amazing.. Guilherme is amazing, he already wants to teach with us and bear his testimony about the Book of Mormon and how it changed his life! How amazing is that? :) He is such a smart kid and yesterday in church, i had the opportunity to confirm him and it was amazing because i was completely guided by the Spirit just as i was in my first area with Igor"

"So this week we had two divisions.. the first, i stayed in our area with Elder Almeida and it was great and then the very next day i went to another city close to here called São Jose Do Norte with my buddy Elder Cézar - he's in my group and got here from the CTM with me.. it was so sweet.. the coolest thing is is that the only way to get there from Rio Grande is by boat! ha ha and so we picked up a boat thats just like a bus on the water and its just like a half hour to there and i took lots o pics and will send some next week. There in that area, we taught a guy named Sandro for the first time and it was a great lesson, he accepted everything and is great.. there in São Jose, they dont have a ward, just a branch and not a real chapel so its harder to get ppl to church, but it is a great area with so much potential.. "

FOURTH AREA: One Year Mark

ONE YEAR - HUMP DAYSEPTEMBER 17, 2009

Areas Elder Kirschman has served in:

1. Brazil MTC with E. Watts - 9/17/08-11/19/08

2. Cristal with Elder Jones - 11/19/08-12/31/08

3. Office with E. Fernandes - 12/31/08-2/4/09

4. Cavalhada with E. Headley - 2/4/09-3/24/09

Cavalhada with E. Piccin - 3/24/09-6/9/09

Cavalhada with E. Romeiro - 6/9/09-7/21/09

5. Rio Grande with E. Biscoff - 7/21/09-Present

What the rest of the Kirschman's did on Max's year mark. . .

Braza Grill Brazillian Cuisine in SLC, UT

FOURTH AREA: Work and Rewards

Ola from Rio Grande, BRAZIL

(no mission "fat face" to be seen! )

(Max ordered a special-made leather scripture case. It turned out beautiful!)

August 3, 2009
"There is just so much work to be done and we are killing ourselves doing it, ha ha, our area is huge and we just walk all day cuz we don't have money for the bus but it is good cuz i hopefully wont come home like the plum girl on willy wonka, ha ha.. so am I officially mission weird yet? Ha ha, jk.. so the mission is just going and it is so amazing. I feel so so blessed and lucky to be a part of this most important work on earth and to witness miracles each and everyday."

"We ate lunch with an investigator and after, the lesson was one of the most spiritually powerful lessons I have had on the mission so far, it was amazing. We taught about baptism and confirmation and the lady smokes a ton so we're helping her but her daughter's baptism is marked for the 15th of August and she's great."

The following is a story that happened in Cavalhada with E. Romeiro around July 4, 2009:

"I want to tell you the story that I have waited so long to tell. So, when I was in Cavalhada about a month ago with E. Romeiro we were teaching one night and almost left an area but felt to try a few more addresses that we had and ended up teaching a girl that's 21 I think named Denise and it was amazing and the Spirit was definitely there. So towards the end of the lesson she told us that right before we showed up she was crying in her room beggin Heavenly Father in prayer for help and just as she finished she heard our clapping.. it was crazy cuz I have heard so many stories like this but its the first time that it has happened to me and it was amazing and strengthened my testimony."

Tchau!

FOURTH AREA: *Rio Grande with E. Biscoff* 7/21/09 to 10/14/09

Max finally got transferred from Cavalhada on July 21, 2009. He's in a new area called Rio Grande, which is about four hours south of Cavalhada. His companion is Elder Bischoff from Rexburg, Idaho.

"So, I finally went south and left Porto Alegre. I am in Rio Grande, the city, and its completely different, a whole new world once again, ha ha.. so its crazy cuz i'm with another american, his name is Elder Bischoff and he's from Rexburg, Idaho, but his fam moved to salt lake while he was already on the mish.. he's way cool and teaches so well. He has about a year and 4 months here so only about 6 months ahead of me. Man, its been hard and frustrating cuz hes kind of lazy so i've gotta help him out a lil bit.. but he is such a great missionary, he just needs a little push"

"We are in the center of Rio Grande right now and its a pretty cool little town and i will be sure to take lots of pics :) Our area is just south of the center of the city and now the biggest area in the mission - its about 33 miles long! ha ha! look it up on google earth and it'll be sweet :) so i heard that Rio Grande has the longest beach in the world! Can you believe that? I also heard that its pretty ugly in the winter and i havent been there yet but we'll go one p day and get pics. Its freezing here! Ha ha, it has been a really cold week but its always better cold than hot i say :) and i'm from Logan, UT so i'm used to it :)"

"We were greatly blessed with a baptism this week. Her name is Tuane and she is a 16 year old girl. She's way sweet and so nice and quiet and it was such a spiritual baptism. She cried after with her friend and I felt the spirit so strong during the whole meeting. We are teaching her older brother, Tiago and he's 17 and way cool too. We are teaching his friend too, Anderson and hes 18 and Tiago came to church yesterday and went last week too and so his baptism might be this saturday.. so i'm gonna send a pic of the baptism :) This area was two but they joined and now it is just us in two areas and so we have a ton of great investigators and it is such a great area with a ton of work to be done so we are just running now all day and i am lovin it and excited for the challenge" Tiago, Anderson, Tuane (in purple coat), E. Biscoff (in all white), E. Kirschman, and mom

THIRD AREA: Last Week in Cavalhada

Last Week in Cavalhada.

Max is being transferred out of Cavalhada. After six months and many friends, investigators and converts he is leaving to see new places and meet new people.

"Oh man i haven't told you yet, ha, i just found out that i'm getting transferred tom, but i already knew it pretty much so it wasnt much of a surprise, but still it'll be hard gettin used to a new area, but part of me is excited too because i think i'll be goin to another city in the mission cuz with almost 11 months i havent left Porto Alegre yet, but you know how much i love it here.. so thats all we know, i have no idea where i'll be goin until the bus station tom (Tuesday July 21, 2009), crazy huh?

Thanks to the Kerns' for being Max's "family"! For all of the churrasco and fun! What a great area.

(Lulu Kerns)

"Our churrasco that we had last week with Isabel and Volnei. . . . . . and the young guy with me is Viniscius, our investigator and it's not a gang sign he's doin, it means peace"

"Raquel's baptism (her name is pronounced Hakel) she is so cute. . . . . . and look at the baby boy, he's so funny and so dang cute! His name is Artur which is Arthur in english I think." "A pic of Brasilian money, "the real", pronounced Hay-al.. and then check out my first pair of shoes, they are down to the insole, worn all the way threw! Sweet as huh?! I stopped using them a while back and I'm already way into my 2nd pair :) ha, but dont worry cuz i can find dang cheap shoes here in Brasil, so dont worry about sendin them"

"There's us with another fam in our ward, André and Cristiane and their lil boy, Pedro."

This picture is a mystery)

Adeus. Foi um experiance maravilhoso.

THIRD AREA: New President

"The one pic is of me in Gaucho clothing, ha, member the Brasilian cowboys? and the other is of me on Rodrigos brand new motorcycle, sweet as huh? Rodrigo is the husband of the couple that will be married on the 20th of July and baptized on the 22nd!! Member them? They are a part of the whole fam that will be baptized and the two baptisms we had last week. Rodrigo and Fernanda have a son thats 10 too named Murilo and i just love the kid :) They will all be baptized together with Rodrigos younger sister Analise too. So we are really excited for them, they are an amazing family. And I really want to come back here in a year for the sealing of the entire family, it would be absolutely amazing. Missionaries are usually allowed to do this I guess so i'm super excited. We're doin all we can to help them make that their ultimate goal altogether here in a year."

"So new pres this week and he's so awesome! ha ha, hes so dang funny and seems way cool. He got here on Wed. morn and Friday we had a zone conference again for him and his wife to introduce themselves. He hugged every missionary right at first, ha ha.. He served in the exact same chapel that we have conferences in 35 years ago on his mission, crazy huh? He hasnt spoken portuguese for 35 years but he already speaks better than me! ha ha, dang it! :) jk.. his wife is awesome too and so so nice - she just started learning port. a month ago and so doesnt speak alot but speaks really well for only a month. They have 3 sons that are all married and one daughter that is at BYU-Idaho and they said that she'll come here for Christmas and stay for 5 or 6 months with them. So yeah, they are just here alone for now and have a grandbaby on the way and they are really funny but know when to be serious too and their testimonies are so powerful."