I am finally in Resistencia, and I have met my mission president and my new companion, Hermana Celia Schmutz, She is from Utah, and is very nice and continues to help me with my Spanish.

We have been assigned to labor in Ituzaingo. An area on the North end of Corrientes province. We have a four hour bus ride to get there, so I am emailing you from an internet cafe close to the mission home.

I do not have much time, but will email more on my preparation day, Wednesdays, when I get to my area.

I am glad I am here, now that I have met my companion I do not feel so scared anymore.

I love you all,

Hermana Sarah Tritsch

Hey All!!!

I guess I will not wait as long as I had been lead to believe.... Flight plans for Thursday, August 13, 2009 to Buenos Aires arrived, and these ones seem rather definite.

Everyone is getting anxious to go, and its really distracting to everyone. In order to calm my nerves, I have been reading the Book of Mormon straight through, in order to find my favorites, highlight them, and give away the Book of Mormon on the plane.

In order to blow off steam, as well as boycott our weekly Teriaki Styx meal (which always seems to make us sick) Our zone, a couple of nights ago, decided to drain 4 large containers of cereal in one meal. It was arguably the most entertaining thing I had seen in 9 weeks. 54 Elders, and 4 sisters consumed 238 bowls of Marshmallow Mateys, Life, Frosted Flakes, and Tootie Fruities. It was..... ugh. But it suprised me how dedicated our elders were to the cause. I myself, was only able to consume two bowls, because I was hesitant with the milk because of my recovering from a nasty cold. So I kept tally. One Elder, Elder Vincent, consumed 9 BOWLS of the sugary cereals.

On another note, Hermana Allen left for Buenos Aires yesterday, so Hermana Sorenson became a third companion for me for these last few days. When her roommates leave, she may have to move into our room for a night... Which seems rather odd... but noone can be left alone in a room.

I don't feel ready to go, but I feel that I have gleaned as much as I can from the MTC, so I guess its time for me to get out of here and get to work.

WISH ME LUCK!!!

P.S. Just because I am going out of the country, does not mean that you have to start writing me... email me at sunrisenightingale@myldsmail.com or send letters to the pouch. Send one page letters folded into thirds and taped shut without an envelope to the address listed in the sidebar. Just write the address directly onto the paper. This way, you only have to pay in-US postage, and I will still get your letters.

I love you all, and want you to know how much I love you and am praying for you.

-Hermana Sarah Tritsch

NOTE: THIS BLOG POST WAS RECEIVED BEFORE #9. SARAH NOW HAS HER TRAVEL PLANS TO ARGENTINA, LEAVING AUGUST 13TH.

Bienvenidos a mi Blog para la ocho semana!

Nearing the end of the eighth week at the MTC, I finally recieved travel plans to Argentina... A flight on the tenth to Salt Lake to LA, LA to Lima, Peru, and Lima to Buenos Aires! and then on to Resistencia or bust, RIGHT?

CHISTE! (Just Kidding!)

Not to be outdone, the travel office informed us a day later that we would indeed be delayed. As they say in spanish, CHISTE! I will be delayed out of the MTC until we can meet with the Consulate from Argentina, however, whomever I ask has different ideas about when that would be.... Some say the 12th, some say the 31st.

So I am stuck here in the MTC for anywhere from a week to a month, but the thing is, when our visas finally do come through, we could leave at the drop of a hat, so everyone is rather on edge. All of the missionaries going to Argentina are delayed, and there are about fifty of us that are delayed, (at least that I know of...)

Meanwhile...

I have developed a rather nasty virus (NO ITS NOT SWINE FLU) that feels like the worst kind of head cold ever. I have to take over-the-counter sudafed and Aleeve as an anti-inflammatory. The good thing is that the doctor does not think I am contagious, so I can still go to class and study. The bad thing is that he prohibited me from dairy products until sunday. So I am lactose intolerant until Sunday.

I just hope that I can shake this thing before I meet with the consulate, so it doesn't get in the way of my visa once he finaly does come to meet us. But I feel better every day, and even can breathe out my nose now!

In other news, things are getting repetitive now, because the teachers have taught us all they have planned to teach us, and everyday is a review now. Which I desparately need, but there really isn't anything new now.

Our TRC appointments came to an end on Monday, and we have no more scheduled. Which is a mixed blessing because I liked the practice, but Hermana Greene and I did not really feel it helped us at all.

I am doing my personal study almost soley out of my Spanish PMG and Scriptures now, and am also reading the Spanish Conference Liahona, and Find that I can understand just about anything that's written down. However, speaking and listening is a different story.

Hermana Ramos and Hemano Tateoka (our teachers) suprised us this week by informing us that now, we would be doing Spanish outbound calls in the RC (referral center). Talk about nerve wracking! I was way nervous my first time, but Hermana Ramos was on the phone with me and prompted me with what to say when I did not know, but my real trouble comes from understanding what they were trying to tell me. My listening skills in spanish are sub-par at best, so most of my study this week with be working on understanding people as they speak.

But things are otherwise going smoothly. Three of my roomates left for the field yesterday and Monday, so we get new roommates tomorrow, I am kind of nervous for them, I hope they like me and that I will like them...

But I know that God loves me and has a plan for me. I know that sometimes life is fustrating, but I will survive, because I am going to Argentina for a reason... Even if I don't know the reason at all.

Love you all.
Hermana Sarah Tritsch

Hola from the CCM!

Hope all is well in the home front, as I continue my adventures serving the Lord. This week flew by faster than the 747 that will take me to Argentina. All the days seem to meld into one, and I have a hard time, sometimes, telling the days apart.

This week, however, we got to contact a much younger (meaning newer) district the second lesson in Espanol and they returned the favor with lesson 1 in espanol. I know we are not supposed to compare, but I was exited to realize the immense progress I have made in my Spanish compared to a visual and aural reminder of where I was just over a month ago.

Its truly a miracle how fast people learn languages here, and I am glad that the Holy Ghost is my constant "Study Buddy" at the MTC, else, I would be nowere near the place where I am in studying the language. We have learned all of the basic verb conjugations, and now, we are just practicing the application of the language, which, on some days, are better than others.

I know, that the days where I am the least selfish, and the most centered on Christ, both my teaching and my Spanish come quicker and easier.


Update on Samuel: We had another quick phone call with him and officially passed off the main teaching responsibility to the missionaries in his area. He went to visit his mother in the Dominican Republic, but by the time he returns, we will hopefully be proselyting in Argentina, and will be unavailable.

But our hopes are high, because his faith is good, and he has kept all of our commitments, even some more difficult ones, and works heavily on overcoming his problems and learning to depend on God and Jesus Christ.

The last commitment we gave him before he left, was to take his mother with him to church when he visits the Dominican Republic. I hope he does so, so his mother can realise how happy he has become, and can learn more about the gospel that her son has begun to embrace.

I wish him the best of luck and continue to pray mightily for him and his family.


In other news, John H. Groberg visited us with a wonderful fireside about the importance of temples and temple work. He also talked about how much earnest temple attendance can teach us about how to be good missionaries.

He urged us all, in our next temple visit, to ponder about what kind of power are we endowed with when we leave the temple, and how to more efficiently access that power.

One of the things that I have been most quick to learn is that we can't just baptize just anyone, because we need to make sure that they understand and are ready for the bran new life ahead of them. We need to be searching for the Elect, the ready and the willing. Not just anyone, we are not trying to just boost our numbers, but really, honestly, change people's lives and save them through the message of Salvation that only comes through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Its like a giant game of "Where's Waldo" -- missionary-style. We are looking for specific people with specific traits that show their willingness to follow christ through the waters of baptism, through the temple and on to eternal salvation.

I know that as I tune my heart and mind into the spirit the best I can, I know that I will be able to find those who are ready, "already to harvest," even if it takes months and months.

Happiness to all,
Hermana Sarah Tritsch