Happy Birthday Mom

Dear Mom,

Feliz cumpleaños, as they would say here. Just think, it´s your last birthday with me here in chile. Next time, I´ll be home! And I´ll get to eat the lemon berry cake!!!

     Do you still put my ornament on the tree? Who puts it on the tree? And now you´re the mia maid advisor - weren´t they going to call you to that position two years ago? My how time flies. 

     I really don´t know how much money I will need, but it shouldn´t be a lot. I will be calling home between 3:00pm and 3:30 pm my time on christmas. That will make it between 10:00am and 10:30am your time. Is that okay? Just let me know. 

    I´ll be waiting on your package - still nothing from  mrs hairston. And I am absolutely sure about BYU - lets just say that I recieved revelation about it. Still nothing about a major, but that will come with time.

     I´m doing well - a lot better actually. I am excited for christmas next week. I love you, and can´t wait to talk.

Elder Hjelm (AKA: El Destructo)

Baptism Picture

Working Hard

Dear Mom,

    I will be able to talk via skype with you. Just let me know when, and I will make it work. I have to finish before 6:00 pm my time, which would be 1:00 pm your time. I´ll talk with the members to find out who has skype, so just let me know when and we´ll talk.

    I´m working, reading, praying, and waiting for inspiration. It hasn´t come yet. The only thing that has come is some depression, which I´m also overcoming. I know that there are things that I need to learn, and that here I will have the chance to do that. I´m just low on enthusiasm and a little high on trunkyness. but I´m doing okay. 

    Can you include the recommendation letters that I got for my eagle scout in my package? Dad should know where they are. I was told that I could read them when I turned 21. Well, here I am. Also, we need to get started really, really fast on BYU application. I want to start in fall 2014, so we have about two months to get it in. I already have permission from President to do it.

Love ya mom, thanks for everything.

Elder Hjelm

Out of the office, back to the field

Hey mom,

   I have nothing planned for thanksgiving, mainly because they don`t celebrate it here. I wish that I could be there, eating turkey (even though ham is so much better) and the traditional anti-pumpkin dessert. I think that I might actually try the pumpkin pie next year. If it`s anything like pumpkin bars, I should like it.

     Kjersten is going to korea too? Wow, that is pretty cool. When does she head out? I get back there on april 8th, just after general conference. That`s only four months away, or 19 weeks to be more exact. Fun stuff.

     Chad Bangerter is in lacey now? Wow. I will have to visit him when I get back. And you found him in the temple of all places. I plan on going there quite often when I get back. I can only go once a year here, which kind of sucks. I would love to go more often. 

     I don`t need recipes anymore because president sent me out of the office to the field. He said that he needed me out here instead of in there. I`m not very happy about it, but you just have to do it. I learned that from you and dad, ya know.

    Anyway, thanks for everything. I`m really grateful for your prayers and support. I don`t have much time left, so I`m trying not to get trunky. I love you all, and can`t wait to see you again.

Elder Hjelm

Got the Trunky Paper

Dear Mom,

     I think that living under the stairs would be just a little too "Harry Potter" for me. You should really send me pictures of what he´s doing. How many things has he changed? 

     Office work is going well. I´ve now got my international drivers license, so I´m driving now. It´s actually pretty fun, but the chileans don´t know how to drive very well. I´m learning a lot, actually, and trying to remember it all. Sister Condie is hemming my pants for me. She is so nice, and she and her husband are really funny. We listened to Elder Holland and he actually shouted and pounded his fist on the pulpit several times. It was pretty cool.

    My seahawks just keep winning. It´s a miracle! And my buddy kearse just keeps on doing really well. I hear that things are going kind of hard for Jonah. I am trying to help from my end, and I know that you and Dad are doing all that you can to help him.

    Can you send me some quick, easy recipes that are cheap and something that I could cook? So far, I´ve cooked hamburgers and barbecue chicken tacos - not really that hard. Also, how much money do I have on my account? Could you spot me some money to buy a few things? I need a new memory card for my camera, and maybe some new ties. I have about $90 in american bills here, but I can´t exchange them because they have to be in almost perfect condition to exchange them - what a stupid policy. 

     Anyway, I love you Mom. It´s weird to think that I only have four and a half months left. The mission secretary sent me what we call "the trunky paper". I have to fill out a bunch of information about home. By the way, the system says that I´m a member of the Gravelly Lake ward. If you could fix that, that would be great. I also need to know if we´ve moved (ha ha ha) and if you are coming to get me at the end of my mission. I really don´t expect you to, but just know that I already have a family who has offered to let us stay in his house and to use it as our base of operations if you want to come. I want you to know that I am happy, and doing well. I love you.

With love,

Elder Hjelm 

Happy Birthday in Chile

Dear Mom,

     Yes, I am in the office. I am the new financial secretary. My companion is Elder Wright (for the second time, he was with me in La Rioja). Grandma´s friend Joyce Condie is serving here too. She and her husband are training to be the new housing secretaries. I know that she has already emailed Grandma, telling her about how she met me. It´s pretty fun. My life revolves around the office. I get here when I need to do stuff, and I leave when the stuff is done. I would say that my schedule has been thrown off, but I don´t really have a schedule. I´m learning from Elder Wright how to be the finance secretary - reimbursing missionaries, making and approving payments, and receiving lots of phone calls from the missionaries about their accounts. I haven´t met Elder Holland yet. And yes, I did buy some pants today. Dockers actually. One pair is khaki, and the other is a shade of gray that is really hard to describe. Good news: I´m down to a size 40. Bad news: The pants are kind of long, so I´m going to ask Sister Condie to hem them for me. 

     I got my package on monday, and the first things that we ate were the pepperoni sticks and the hot chocolate. I´ll be waiting for the other package. I celebrated my birthday by waiting in line for a long time to get my new visa. That was fun. I doubt that Isaac is really that much like me. My new P-day is saturday, so keep those letters coming. I love you Mom,don´t forget that. I´ll be home in five months, so don´t worry. I´ll be back soon enough. 

Keep on smiling,

Elder Hjelm

Elder Holland is coming

Hey mom,

     No sign of the package yet, but I´ll be one of the first people to know when it gets here, mainly because President has called me as the new mission finance secretary. Just think - you´re soon to be twenty-one year old son is now being trained on how to manage the finances of 250 missionaries. Fun stuff. 

     The past week was crazy. Monday we carved Jack-O-Lanterns. Tuesday I got sick, and used about 25 tissues throughout the day. Wednesday we had to go to Priesthood executive committee. Thursday I fell on bike and skinned my and ruined a pair of pants. (That reminds me, I need to buy pants, one or two pairs. Can you pass me some money to my account to buy some pants?) Friday our lunch fell through, we left late, we got caught in the rain about twenty minutes on bike from the house, and when we started back, my bike tire popped, so we had to walk 45 minutes in the rain. Saturday we had a sector attack with the stake presidency and bishopric, followed by stake conference. Sunday we had stake conference, and at night, when I was making hot chocolate, president called to call me as the finance secretary. It was quite a week. 

     Next week Elder Holland is coming to visit and to speak to our mission. Thanks for everything mom. I love you. And just so you know, my P-day will now be on Saturday.

Love,

Elder Hjelm

Los Andes with Elder Ferreira

Hey Mom,

     I`m doing well. I`m still here in Los Andes with Elder Ferreira. There are now four sectors in our ward - four companionships. It`s crazy. Two are sisters and two are elders. It`s crazy, eight missionaries in one ward. We are trying to find more people to teach, so that is fun. You`d be surprised with the things that I do now. I go and talk with people that I don`t even know. Yesterday, I did it more than thirty times. And now I`m looking forward to turning 21, the age where I can do anything ha ha ha. Thanks for sending me a package - It still gets a little cold in the mornings, so I will enjoy the hot chocolate. I have started doing more exercises - only five and a half months left. I plan on leaving about sixty pounds here in chile. Should be fun. Anyway, good luck on your test. I`m sure that you`ll do well.

Elder Hjelm

Missing Grandma

Dear Ma,

     Sounds like a rather interesting wedding. Jacob is 18? And he officiated the wedding? Wow.

     I can just imagine my grandmother with "big sexy hair." I don`t even want to know what she did at the wedding, but I imagine that you all had a good laugh. Did she transport alcohol across state lines again? That would be funny.

     We will be having our primary program soon here. There is a bit of a battle between the primary presidency, the Bishop, and the stake president. The stake president or somebody issued a decree or something that only the older kids can participate in the program, and they can`t be up on the stand. The bishop supports the stake president. The primary wants all the kids to participate, and I personally think that they are right, but I`m not about to get into this argument. It all got to a climax in ward council when the bishop said, " do you know what this is? This is apostasy!!!" Oh the things that happen in chile.

     I`m doing better. We had a baptism - photos to come. We have changes tonight, but I think that I am staying. I bought a soccer jersey last week because I found it on sale thirty percent off - you did teach me how to shop. Today I`m going to buy a jersey of the chilean national team. Chile qualified for the world cup, and prices are going to be raised soon. Please don`t forget my package!!!

I love you mom. And yes, I still miss you.

As Always,

Elder Hjelm

It's like an oven

Hey mom,

    yes, it`s really eighty degrees here. It`s like an oven. And the worst part is that it`s a dry heat - and it burns. Everytime that I step outside, a johnny cash song sounds in my head - I fell in to a burning ring of fire. It`s about the same. I hope that I get used to it quickly, or I´m going to die. 

      Congatulate the bride and groom for me please! They just had to wait to get married while I`m in Chile. What great timing they have. 

     I don`t have any other wants for the package. And I would like some money in my account so that I can buy some nice souvenirs and things for myself and for the whole family. Thanks for Everything mom. I love you.

Elder Hjelm

Six months to go

Hey mom,

     Conference was super awesome!!! My favorite was Oaks, hands down. Maybe it`s just his voice. It was a great conference all together. Pres. Monson made me cry when he talked about his wife - it was so sweet. You could tell that he really loved his wife.

     Hope you know, this conference marks the start of my six remaining months in Chile. I should be coming home the day after the april general conference. Crazy right? That`s how fast time flies.

     My companion is a freaking riot! His name is Elder Ferreira, and he is from concepcion, chile. He has about three months in the mission, and he arrived in La Rioja when I left, so we know the same people. He is super fun, and keeps me enthused to knock doors. 

     I`m freaking out about being 21 too!!! Where has all the time gone??? About the package... I need allergy meds, and a package of riesens. If you could send me a sounders jersey, that would be cool too. Really, It doesn`t have to be a big package - just something small. Sometimes I think that It would be easier to give me the money and I  could buy things here. But I like packages. Love you mom. I couldn`t do this without you.

Elder Hjelm

Life in Chile

Excited for General Conference

Hey mom,

    this past week was rough. We`ve had everything from vomiting in the street while on an exchange with the assistants to recent converts with huge relationship problems. It`s quite stressful. Sounds like you had a better week this week. Would you like me to release doves at your funeral? I`m glad to hear that the funeral went well. Tracy was a really nice person, and I`m sure that she is learning a lot.

     I too am excited for general conference. We get to see all of it, and it will be shown in our ward`s chapel - sweet!!! Can you transfer what I have in savings to my checking? I`m making a list of stuff that I want to buy. The majority are soccer jerseys, which range anywhere from 40$ to 80$. Yikes. But I`ll make it. Thanks for the love and support mom. I love you.

Elder Hjelm

The will of the Lord is first in everything

Hey Mom,

     Sorry to hear about your friend tracy. Yes, I remember her. She was always very nice to me. If there`s one thing that I have learned here in the mission, it is that the will of the lord is first in everything. If it`s your time to go, you go. That might sound kind of cold, but it`s true. It`s important to remember that tracy is probably being taught the gospel right now in the spirit world. It could be Grandpa warby that is teaching her. She probably found out that he is your grandpa, and started right up on the lessons. And now, you can start on the temple work for her. You can share the knowledge that you have with others 

     Thanks for writing. I am doing well. I survived the chilean holidays. I`m working hard and having fun. The postal strike is over, so you can send things. I`ll let you surprise me with the package - fun stuff, and maybe some candy. You know me well enough to know what I`d like. Oh, and if anyone wants to give me money or anything for birthday/christmas/ or because they want to be nice, it`s better to put it in my account, because it`s hard to exchange bills here because they have to be in near perfect condition. That reminds me, how much money do I have in my account? Thanks for everything mom. I love you.

Elder Hjelm

Big brother to little brother :)

Hey bud,

    I created a new message because the other one was getting really big. Anyway, I enjoyed the scriptures that you sent me. They were pretty cool. I hope that you are reading the scriptures everyday, and praying as well. I know that when I didn`t read or pray, my days were miserable, and I didn`t do too well in school. But as you read and pray, Heavenly Father will bless you in all things. If you don`t believe me, try it. But believe me, my brother, it works. Hope that you are having fun and learning lots.

Elder Hjelm

Senior Companion

Hey mom,

    Sounds like fun stuff in Washington. We had changes today. Elder Bush - with whom I got along surprisingly well - was sent to Santiago to be a zone leader. I`m still here in Los Andes, but I`m now a senior companion. My new companion is chilean, from concepción. He`s waiting to recieve his visa to go to Venezuela, and has about three months in the mission. I`ll try not to corrupt him. Anyway, things are going well. I`m working hard and having fun. Brooke wrote me this week - I gave her a hard time for not writing me before. And jonah didn`t write me this week. You`ll have pull his ear for me. Thanks Mom for all that you do. I love you, and miss you.

Elder Hjelm