¡¡¡Hola Querida Amigos y Familia!!!

Espero que todo esté bien con vida en los Estados Unidos mientras yo escribo un medio mundo en distancia. Esta semana fue relativamente tranquilo… Trabajamos muchísimo para arreglar nuestros números, que eran feos por los tres días estábamos in Resistencia. Estoy un poco enojada porque perdimos muchas citas mientras.

Encontramos una mujer muy buena, se llama Marité que está muy interesada in el mensaje que compartimos. Recién empezamos a trabajar con ella, pero yo tengo un sentimiento que no todo está bien en su casa con su esposa… no sé todos los detalles, pero yo pienso que su esposo es un poco abusivo, espero que el mensaje que compartimos pueda ayudarle en estas circunstancias difíciles en su familia. Sé que el mensaje que tenemos sobre un profeta moderno que esta guiándonos pueda traer más paz y gozo en cualquier situación.

También estamos enseñando ex gendarme Ramón y su hija Antonella. El es re inteligente y ella también, y esperamos que ellos puedan ser líderes en la iglesia si ellos se van a bautizar. El nos dijo que este mensaje que compartimos es re familiar por él, aun que él no escuchó los misioneros antes. Los dos son re capas y sé que el evangelio esta tocándoles. Queremos que podemos enseñar la esposa de Ramón, pero todavía, la faltamos.

En otras noticias, Hermana Araya se va a su casa en dos días, y no pienso que aun que se va pronto, no ha entrado su corazón ni su alma que ella se va. Todavía trabajamos a full, y estoy muy agradecida que ella no está floja en estas días finales de su misión.

Yo he aprendido muchísimo de la Hermana Araya, ella, mi madrasta me enseñó sobre cómo ser una misionera capa. La Hermana Schmutz era mi “mama” y me enseñó cosas básicas, como nosotros no podemos tomar el agua, y como vivir en Argentina sin ofendiendo alguien, pero mi “madrasta” me enseñó cómo enseñar bien, y como podemos trabajar con los miembros, y como hacer la obra misional.

Estoy muy agradecidas que yo tenía dos compañeras muy capas para enseñarme todos.

En verdad, muchas son yendo y llegando ahora. Cuatro hermanas nuevas vienen de los estados y van a abrir un área nueva por Hermanas. Ni idea adonde va a estar, pero puede ser El Dorado o Ituzaingó porque las dos áreas son grandísimas. El Único cosa que yo sé sobre los traslados que vienen es que voy a quedar y recibir una compañera nueva. Al fin de este traslado va a marcar seis meses en Argentina y casi ocho meses in misión (con el tiempo en el CCM). El tiempo volé cuando estamos en el servicio de Dios.

Bueno, Bueno, Bueno… Tenemos que irnos, pero les quiero muchísimo y espero que todo esta bien. Y si ustedes quieren una carta en ingles, tiene que escribirme… No ha recibido nada de nadie que no es mis padres en casi un mes y media.

Chaucito,
Hermana Tritsch

If you need to have this translated, go to http://translate.google.com/#, and copy and paste this into the field. Spanish to English.

Hey Everyone!!

So this week, all of our plans and citas were dashed to pieces, when we got last-minute noticias that we have to travel to Resistencia to fill our papers to stay in the country. They are technically making me a resident... although the papers will probably not come back until after I am done with my mission, I can legally stay in the country while I am “waiting.”

When we got to Resistencia, we immediately went to work with the misioneras of Barrio 4, Hermana Beers and Hermana López.. We recieved a very warm welcome as we went to a Noche de Hogar with a family that is really progressing in the house of a family in the ward. I quickly found out that these people were old investigators of Hermana Schmutz, as she started her mission in Barrio 4. It feels rather awkward and familiar here, because I have heard so many stories about this place, and Hermana Schmutz´s writing is everywhere in this apartment.

That night it thundered and rained throughout the night (yes... its an important detail.)

This morning we went to the mission home, and started the work on our papers. When we went to the Registro Civil to do our papers, the afteraffects of the storm were sorely felt, that, athough it was technically open, noone came to work for the rain... That´s Argentina for ya... EVERYTHING here stops for the rain.

So we have to stay in Resistencia yet ANOTHER day, lose more time in our area, in hopes that they will show up for work tomorrow. Meanwhile, we are still hanging out with Hermana Beers and Hermana López.

Sorry this one is short, but thats the mish for you.

-Hermana Sarah Tritsch

Hey All!

I hope this letter reaches all of you in good form, as I am pleased to announce, even though there was TONS of opposition, Débora is safely baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We woke up the morning of, and Hermana Araya and I had a similar feeling that with all the problems that Presidente had, that we should call for backup priesthood, and asked two elders to come from Posadas to support us. At the end, we were short one witness, which Elder Blacker, very happily filled for us.

The baptism, all in all, was AWESOME, and the spirit was super strong, as if to testify to the importance of the baptism and also to testify that all was well, and that she really was ready and worthy.

Eventually, we want to reactivate her family and get them to the temple, and her whole family was there to watch, and I know that the baptism touched every single one of them, a strong motivation to start making some major changes. A really awesome way to get the ball rolling.

Many might ask, why did we baptize her to put her in such a volatile environment… Well, for two reasons, one because she deserves the Celestial Kingdom just as much as the next person, and its not her fault she was born in Ituzaingó, and two, because she will need the Holy Ghost more than ever to keep on enduring to the end. I know we did the right thing, and the Holy Ghost testified of it too.

The next day, in church, she was to be confirmed, and someone higher-up sent us a high-councilor stake representative, and his ex stake president, ex mission president Dad. Now, whenever there are stake representatives, things always seem to go smoother in the Sunday meetings… someone to keep in check the Presidente, but yesterday it was even more awesome because the ex stake president, ex mission president, Hermano Romero, keeps everyone on their toes. They say the only ones who don´t fear him are the missionaries.

But he did the confirmation of Débora, a really fortunate thing. Because everything ended with her being confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints by a man who´s word is pretty much law around these parts.

I am realatively calm, as opposed to before when I was a nervous wrecking ball, but now the hard work begins… reactivating a family thats been inactive on and off for fourteen years. But if we can do it, it will be living proof that miracles do happen.

I am gonna need all your prayers for that one.

Love you tons,
Hermana Sarah Tritsch

¡FELIZ AÑO NUEVO EVERYONE!

This week, I felt like I spent more time in Posadas than in my actual area... between zone conference, district meeting, p-day last, and nuevo año, we actually spent very little time in Ituzaingó.

Monday past was P-day, and because Hermana Araya siempre le gusta ir, fuimos a Posadas. It was relatively tranquil, but we spent most of the day chasing Hermana Loria, one of the other Hermanas in our district, around Posadas because she had to go to the doctor because of something with ther foot, and to the other doctor, and to the x-ray people, and then to the Farmacia... We got to see alot of Posadas, though.

We stayed the night in Posadas because we were going to Zone Conference bright and early. Zone Conference was amazing. It was so awesome to hear from Presidente and los Asistentes. We got tons of really good training, and Presidente taught us an awesome doctrine from John 8, and how its “a day in the life of a missionary” and began to pick apart the chapter verse by verse and word by word within those verses and how it applies to us as missionaries. Starting with “and Jesus went up to the mount of olives” and it continued from there. It was really cool.

We accidentally missed our collectivo para viajar a Ituzaingó so we did “divisons” with Hermana Loria and Hermana Galbraith so Hermana Loria could rest her foot, which by this time, was painful for her to walk. I stayed to take care of her and Hermana Araya went to algunas citas con Hermana Galbraith.

We finally get to our area after reunión de districto the following morning, and we return to disaster because Presidente Mohor, the Branch president told Débora Cabrera, our 13 year old investigator, that she wasn´t getting baptized because he did not think she is ready (he does not have the right nor the authority to say that... but another rant for another time) and wasn´t going to girls camp because she was not a member, and only members can go (thats not true either...)

So we spent the afternoon trying to repair the damage, restore her baptism for this Saturday, and make everything ready for her... after tons of work and anxiety, We have got all the proper signatures for both her baptism and girls camp and she is happily enjoying the campamento now.

We are really happy that she went to girls camp, because in the mission, we have a program to protect those who have a fecha bautismal coming up, were we do all possible to minimize the influence of Satan, which includes but is not limited to, daily visits and calls from us and from the members. Its called “Protección Total.”

Even though we can´t contact her at girls camp, its really the best form of “Protección Total” because she will be with members and surrounded by a spiritual environment 24/7 in the week leading up to her baptism. Its really a fantastic blessing.

Saturday we decided to ditch all of our plans and go again to Posadas, this time with Débora, so she could witness a baptism that Hermana Galbraith and Hermana Loria had in their area... It was a really beautiful and awesome way to prepare her for her baptism, but we stayed a little too late, and had to take a really expensive remis back to Ituzaingó. It was caro, pero no tanto if I thought about it in American Dollars, and remembered the face of Débora when she got to witness the baptism.

To backtrack a little, we spent New Years Eve in (suprise suprise) POSADAS! And all the zone gathered for a cena and we exchanged gifts secret-santa wise. It was a little awkward because there are 8 Elders and 8 Hermanas and somebody (ni idea quien) had the bright idea to give all the Hermanas the names of Elders and the Elders the names of Hermanas. I had no idea what to get... I gave Elder Lehite a wallet... rather boring, but there you go... And Elder Arestegui, one of the Zone Leaders gave me a Damas game... its a really crazy variation on checkers... I really like it but its a little more difficult, because the queen has significantly more power. Its kind of hard to explain in an email...

Anyway, long story short, after a little bit of craziness, everything is fine and happy here in Ituzaingó, just in time for the start of the new year.

All my love, and I am waiting for your letters and emails still.
Hermana Sarah Tritsch

Hola Familia, Amigos, y Todos,

José died this week, if you can´t remember who he was, read back… he was the Gaucho that Hermana Schmutz and I baptized in October. On Sunday, we were stopped by a lady I had never met before in my life, who told us that “Toto” (his nickname) was in the hospital, in room 9.
Hermana Araya, Hermana Godoy and I went to give him a blessing, and we got to room 9 I thought there had been some mistake, because I did not recognize the man in the bed. He was frail, unresponsive, and his legs were the ugliest shade of purple. He was just lying there, with nothing but a t-shirt and an adult diaper, surely this wasn´t my José, and then I saw his alpargata shoes at the foot of the bed, and I just knew. I knew it was him.

We then set to the task of convincing his family that he was Mormon and to let us give him a blessing for his health, which after some trouble, we were able to do. Hermano Godoy gave him a really beautiful blessing and we stayed with the family about a half an hour longer and had to leave.

We found out Christmas Eve from his drunken roommate that he had died, probably about a half an hour to an hour after we left.
Everyone tells me that I did a good thing though… the best thing, because now he has a one way ticket straight to the Celestial Kingdom. I still feel like the converts are slipping through my fingers though… Oscar Triay is devastatingly sick too… something with the kidneys. But at least he is upright and walking.

All things considered, I survived my first Christmas away from home just fine.

Hermana Araya y yo celebramos New Years Eve with Familia Gómez and ate asado a full. It was a good way to spend Christmas Eve, because Hermana Gómez´s son is on a mission in Cordoba right now, so she lacked one missionary but got two others in his place for Christmas Eve. I love this family so much… probably because they remind me of my own. I feel such at ease there, and it almost feels like I am in my own house… except I was in Argentina.

We had a later curfew than normal and got Christmas Morning to rest, which Hermana Araya and I aprovechemos el tiempo y descansamos. We woke up just in time to call home. Which was the highlight of the fiestas for me.

In another entertaining note...

We have been having a tiny problem with money lately, we were expecting our money the 25th, but still it hasn´t come and its hit harder for some companionships than others… so when we came to Posadas for p-day today, and for zone conference tomorrow, we decided to bring pan dulce y sandia for some of the other Hermanas in our zone. Especially because we have had enough sandia to fill Ituzaingó. We had almost gotten it to Posadas when the bus took a sharp curve, and the sandia dropped and exploded in the bus. The juice spilled everywhere. I don´t know if we are welcome in that empressa anymore. Igual, We started riéndonos aful. Hermana Araya asked for funny/awkward situations to end her mission, so there you go.

Well, at least the other Hermanas still have the pan dulce.

We are looking forward to the final weeks before Hermana Araya goes home and the start of the new year. Expect more sandia and fireworks for sure.

Love you lots, and thanks for reading this bittersweet blog.
-Hermana Sarah Tritsch

¡FELIZ NAVIDAD, PROSPERO AÑO Y FELICIDAD!

Hola everyone! Hermana Araya and I are avidly preparing for my first and hopefully my only Navidad in Argentina... Never thought I would actually have a Christmas in the middle of the summer, but there you go... I fully intend to enjoy the sweltering heat of summer for Christmas, and I am so exited to be with La Chilena for a Chilean-Argentinian christmas. Especially because I really do not know If I will spend the next one here or in the States... The end of my final transfer is four days after Navidad. I guess I will not know until I get my trunky papers. (the paper that we get about 4-5 months before that outlines our travel plans)

The whole city is anxiously celebrating in the catholic kind of way... they have all sorts of fiestas and it makes it really hard to do street contacting because everyone is either going to or coming from mass or some sort of catholic ceremony or fiesta, and to contact them is rather insensitive. We made the mistake a few times and people got really mad at us. “can´t you see that I am busy worshiping mary and the baby jesus and how dare you tell me to stop going to my church when I am headed there now...” type of stuff.

Either that or they are plastered drunk.

In a completely unrelated note, Hermana Araya will go home to La Serena at the end of this transfer, and instead of slacking like some missionaries do, she has added desire to work fully until the end of her mission, and its her goal in life to be 100% obedient... Its hard to do, she just wants to know if she can or not. Its good, because she is keeping me 100% aware of everything I do, and keeping me on my toes.

Her going home at the end of this transfer pretty much solidifies that I will be in Ituzaingó por lo menos 7½ months, which is really long for a first area... make it 9 months, the longest I can stay in one place, and I will have spent more than half my mission in one area. Casi unheard of for my first area.

We were anxiously preparing for a baptism, a baptism of Débora Cabrera, a 13 year old daughter of menos activos. But the President of the Rama doesn´t think she is ready, even though we think she is more than ready. So we had to move her fecha for the 8th of January. Well, we don´t get our Christmas Baptism, but its okay... at least its still on, even if only for another weekend. We also got her little sister Melina to accept a baptismal challenge for that date. Hopefully she can get baptized with Débora too.

Griselda is our golden woman, and she is progressing fantastically. She will be baptized the 16th of January barring her marriage on the 11th of January. Its really fast, but we have confidence the marriage will go through, because it was their goal from before las Hermanas Misioneras were even part of the picture.

Anyway, time is short, like always when you are a missionary, so I gotta get back to work.

Love you tons, thanks for your letters, and Merry Christmas in whatever language you happen to speak.

Love,
Hermana Sarah Tritsch