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