Hey Everyone!!

Here I sit with my companion at my side, reporting on the weeks activities from the cyber in the middle of Ituzaingó. Its a pretty spring day, but the summer heat comes quickly, and I am in store for one of the hottest christmases I have ever had, I am sure. The heat, though brings the people out of the woodworks and onto the streets, and we have a goal this week to find investigadores nuevos, and we are firm in the faith and in our minds to achieve our goal.... si o si.

Last week, we got to see the baptism of José Balmacera, a gaucho from the campo... He was really golden because he was quick to recognize the spirit and the truthfullness of the message, he just had a little problem remembering what we had taught him, he is a 55 year old man who looks MUCH older than he is, and has many heart problems, But with much fasting and prayer, he sailed through his entrevista with ease, and enjoyed a simple servicio bautismal that was smooth and easy... no problems at all. We are sooo happy for him, and the spirit was strong, sweet and simple, both during the baptism and during his ordination yesterday... I am so glad I got to witness it, and that I could be part of it all.





I have been sick lately... The weather can´t decide what it wants to be, and so it changes regularly. I had a very nasty cold, and am running out of american over-the-counter sudafed, but luckily I am on the mend... I just work through it. No time to take it easy when there are people to teach and lives to change with the miracle of the restored gospel.

I really love it here in Ituzaingó. Its like the place that worry forgot... this tiny little beach town, where people still drink out of glass bottles, and sit around talking for hours about everything and nothing at the same time. Where people would rather fix what they have than buy it new, and find pride in the simplest of homes – because they built it themselves. Everyone has motos, or walks everywhere... and only the very wealthy have cars. The people are very humble, and willing to listen...

The only trouble is that it is hard to change, and there are not many who want to change. When we contact on the street, nearly everybody lets us pass by, but when they find out that being mormon is hard, they give up, and only wish to be our friends.

But we do find people who are willing to go the extra mile, they are good, and worth waiting for.

Miss you all dearly, sorry this one is a little shorter.
-Hermana Sarah Tritsch

Here is another entry to the life and times of Las Hermanas Misioneras Tritsch and Schmutz:

Happiness reigns following the miracle of General Conference this past weekend… I love having my birthday right before conference… It makes me feel as if I am recieving God´s word for a birthday present… Truly impressed as always with Elder Holland´s firm and stalwart testimony of the living divinity of the Book of Mormon. I know its not really kosher to have a favorite apostle, but he ranks very high in my list. Probably just shy of the prophet himself. I love all of his talks, especially recently. I felt the spirit so strong, I forgot to take notes… Mental Note: Get this when a printed version is available.

I love conference, and even more now since I am a missionary. It seemed as if every word of every talk was directed toward missionary work... both in and outside of the home.

The members watched it in Castellano in the chapel while Hermana Schmutz and I cheerfully camped out in the primary room in front of a small TV playing in English... The funny thing was that many of the youth and primary children decided that they were too cool for spanish, and decided to hang out with us. Surely they could not understand the conference, but they could understand the spirit, and it was wonderful to know that they loved us enough to listen to conference with us.

With the end of conference, Hermana Schmutz and I decided to shift our focus onto the menos activos and familias en que todos no son miembros. (less active and part-member families) We will work on a very strong impression of Hermana Schmutz, and we know that we will be able to recieve our meta (goal) of 5 more baptisms by the end of the year by working with them because less active families and part member families usually know more people to teach. We were kind of hesitant at first, because it means that our reports will be lower than normal, because we are not working purely with investigators, but we think it will help bring people back from inactivity, unite families, fill the capilla, and help with rama unity.

We ask that you pray for us in our efforts, that they will recieve us, and we will be successful in our endeavors.

José Balmaceda, gets baptized this Saturday and we are sooo exited. With our last lesson with him, he prayed with us for the first time with him voicing the prayer. It was so awesome and the spirit was so strong. His prayer went something like this:

Padre Celestial (Heavenly Father)
Gracias por... (Thanks for...)
Te pido por... (I ask thee for...)
En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen. (In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.)

No content... really said nothing, but he said it with so much reverence and respect for God, that we could not deny that he had really prayed, and that Heavenly Father had truly listened. It was amazing.

He taught that it really does not matter what we say, as long as it is sincere and with pure intent. God will listen.... ALWAYS:


I miss all of you terribly, and I want you all to know that I am thinking of you.

-Hermana Sarah Tritsch

PS Cynthia and Anastasia, If you read this blog, I have letters for you but do not know where to send them since you went off and got married to your fiancees... please send me an email with your new addresses, so you can get my letter.

Hey all!

Here to report that Ituzaingó is not done with me yet! I finished my first transfer, and Hermana Schmutz and I are still companions… YAY! Still teachin´ lessons and takin´ names… We are working hard to serve the people here and are enjoying a measure of success.

The missionary work here progresses faster and faster every day and we are seeing many of our key investigators progressing very rapidly… Our closet-Mormon Mauricio secretly falls in love with the gospel of Jesus Christ more and more every day, and we can see the big changes that the gospel has brought him in his life, and we pray every day that he gets the courage to notice the changes too. His friends, Luz and Lucas, both members, (and lucas, mission bound) create a nice niche for him to be too.

Our Fecha Bautismal with José fell through... sad but true... because he got called to work in the campo again... We think he has got a big piece of land that he co-owns with some other men. However, we rescheduled his baptism for the 10th of October and are somewhat thankful for the extra time to assure he understands every principle. The good thing is that for his work last weekend, he solidified the fact that he was not going to be called last minute the weekend of the tenth. See? God does work in mysterious ways.

Happiness comes to those who are anxiously waiting for conference. I LOVE doing missionary work around conference times because it completes the pattern of revelation... God called prophets biblically, he called Joseph Smith to be a prophet in 1820 and today, now you can listen to a modern-day prophet that gives us counsel for our modern day problems and difficulties, and in the first fin de semana en Octubre usted puede ver el profeta hoy y escuchar sus palabras por su mismo. Its great.... and about 10ish investigators promised to come to the broadcast in our little capilla.

Its a totally happy thing...

Speaking of happy things Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes! :) :) :) :) :) Birthday celebrations started early this year when Hermana Mohor, the branch president´s wife threw me a mini-party on Sunday.

Then today, the 28th, I shared two cakes with Hermana Sena (its her birthday too) at her little fiestita. We made a chocolate tortita (little cake) for her and she made a torta grandiosa for my birthday. Imagine a cake where there is a chocolate layer, then peaches in the middle, a lemon layer, covered in dulce de leche (caramel-like substance) and then covered in sprinkles. Topped with a firecraker. It was a sight to see...

And then tomorrow, Hermana Fortunato and Hermana Fantini both want to make me a cake.... I feel like I am swimming in birthday cake.

Its so nice to know that I am loved here and that people have their eyes out for us and take care of us... And I had a false impression that my birthday tomorrow will be a lonely one. It might just be the biggest one I have ever had...

This week we are going to focus on giving baptismal desafios (challenges) and working in and around general conference. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, suprisingly, is really popular here... with members and nonmembers alike, so Hermana Dirie and Hermana Fortunato are trying to get their friends to come by advertising the choir. Hopefully it works.

Its so wonderful to be here on a mission... Its still so surreal that I am wearing the black tag and serving my Heavenly Father... Sometimes I feel like I got here yesterday, and sometimes its hard for me to remember what it was like to NOT be on a mission... and I have only been on a mission for a little less than 4 months... I can´t even imagine what its like for someone who is nearly done.

I love you all, and if you are reading this and have any idea who Kira Johnson is, I want everyone to tell her that Hermana Sarah Tritsch says ¡Feliz Cumpleaños! (We are birthday twins 5 years apart...)

Love you all. You are always in my prayers.

-Hermana Sarah Tritsch