[shinkamalei]

oh and one thing i wanted to say is ganbatte is as you say but if you say "ganbatte kudasai" it can be used in virtually any situation (when you're saying it to them) and can mean do your best - i.e. someone is in the hospital, cheering for a team, etc etc.
also shikari shite is also a way of saying hang in there but i havent asked what the real meaning is, i just know when you use it.

and one mistake- it should be "kochira wa". Kochira is also a very formal way of saying this. Not that that is bad. It's actually quite good to learn formal.