Hey everyone!!
I am so sorry that this blog entry is a day late, but there is a new mission rule, is that when holidays take place on P-day, we have to work that day and take the next day as a P-Day... such is the case this week. This week the whole of Argentina celebrates the death of beloved freedom fighter San Martin, and they celebrate this day is a national holiday. BUT missionaries work holidays... Jaja.

The transfer has gone by SUPER fast, I can hardly believe that we are in week 6 of the transfer. This past week was one for the record books, but eye opening. We worked hard running from one area to another, discovering a new neighborhood that holds alot of promise, and saw a part of our area that I had never seen before, that seemed like the center of nowhere, but in reality is in the geographical center of Posadas (not the commercial center, but geographical) Walking for this part of our area, by an avenida called Aguado, I felt so far away from everything, stuck in the middle of the jungle with tiny little shacks surrounded by toucans, monkeys and tarzan-like vines... (a little over-exageration about the monkeys. They tell me the monkeys exist, but I haven´t seen them... The toucans... that´s true, we really did see them.) Its so strange to see that especially when in the other side of our area is where all the businesses and factories are. What a stark difference!

There is alot of that here, big huge expensive homes right next door to little shacks without indoor plumbing or insulation. Its always been a little hard to get used to.
In other news, my companion had her first wedding preposal this week. My companion was doing a contact while I was buying some mandioca that we were going to cook for lunch, and he said, "I I come to church and I get baptized, will you marry me?" and my companion, in good missionary form, said the argentinian equivalent of "Heck, NO!" and I finished paying for the mandioca and we runned-walked to our apartment without looking back.

Missionary work-wise, We tried to pull a miracle, when we had a great idea that we could get Maria (one of the girls who severly wants to get baptized, but can´t because she does not have permission of her parents) to come with her parents to see a baptism that a neighboring ward was having, we tried all week to pull it off, but in the end it we could not pull it off. Pucha. Now we are down to four investigators that have baptismal dates... they are all falling like flies.

Remember 14 year old Julieta? Well, she has gone to church 5 Sundays, and WANTS to get baptized, but her home still is not Mormon-friendly, among shouting, criticisms and we think there might even be physical abuse, we do not want to baptize her and put her into that environment. She is still very young, so we will see. We want to see bigger changes in her and her family to see if she really is ready for such a big commitment, and that the home will be a better place where she can be strong and loyal without criticism or shame.

We have many people who go to church that we can´t baptize, and people that have baptismal dates that don´t go to church! We have no idea how to solve this problem. So we contine working and trying to find people that GO to church that we CAN baptize.

Ah, well. The life of a missionary, I guess.

Love you all,
Hermana Tritsch

PS: I hope by this time in my mission that some of you are still in tune with my blog... if so thanks so much. Thanks for visiting it, it means alot that there are people that read it. I love you all and I hope that I will be able to see you all in time for New Years!!

Hey Everyone!!!

This week has been rough for me health wise... We figured out that I don´t have a cold, but ALLERGIES and that is why my sudafed has not been doing anything.... NEVER IN MY LIFE have I had allergies, but there is some kind of dust or pollen or something that makes my nose angry, so the area doctor perscribed some sort of Argentinian version of Allegra that I have to take until I return to my homeland where the pollen does not make my sinuses nervous.

A headache-cito with some of our investigators... we HAD 8 that had a fecha bautismal, but now we have 5 because some of them lost it for not going to church. Damaris, we lost because she actually lives in another area, and we had to pass one of our golden girls to the elders that work in her area. We are working with Maria still, but the timeline is getting really short. We are hoping to be able to talk with her mother this week. Also, Jorge Alvarenga senior, who was to be baptized the 21st of August decided to change his baptismal date without telling us, (we found out from some of the members) and skipping out on the lessons... GRR.

Also THE lesson we were going to have with Mabel and Armin (about the law of chastity and eternal marriage) was the first one we ever had that fell through. The good thing is that it seems like they have come to the realization on their own that they need to get married first. I don´t know if someone told them or it was divine inspiration, but they are working on that a little more, and it seems like Mabel already knows. God gave them a little help when they realized that Armin had been completely erased from the Paraguayan system, which somehow (I am not exactly sure how) makes it easier for him to get an Argentine document. Its ALOT cheaper and he does not have to go anywhere, so marriage may not as far away as we thought it was.

We had also been talking to a woman named Noelia, and yesterday, she told us that her Marido left her, which is really sad and hard for her right now, but in the long run, may help her be in a better position to come to church and to get baptized. She could not come to church before because she had to go visit him in Jail, but now that is not something that will get in the way of her church attendance. Also, she won´t have to get married first. It just goes to show that there is a bright side to every situation.

I guess the Lord works in misterious ways.

-Hermana Tritsch

Hey All!!!

This week was a really great one... After what seemed like a month of rainy days and thunderstorms and coldness that noone, not even the argentinians were prepared for, we had nearly a full week of sunshiny days.

But alot of really cool things happened this week.

We are teaching two girls named Damaris and Maria, who have burning bright testimonies and parents that think they are crazy and in the past, refused to sign the permission slip to get baptized. and so now, they were learning about the gospel with us in secret, and living in fear of talking with their parents. They had a baptismal date for the 14th of August, so we were getting really anxious for them to talk to their parents.

So we had a super lesson that we had been planning for a long while about faith, hope and courage, but it always seemed that something was missing, then the morning of our charla, we had a great idea to use the story of Esther to help us illustrate our point. How she had to do something that could cost her life to save her people and also stand up for what she believes in. So we taught it in this way... I really love the story of Esther because it shows that a woman can do great things to save herself and her people. Even though she did not have the priesthood, she did not have to be the damsel in distress. And we taught about the faith and courage that she had, and it went really well.

Then at the end of the charla we took various parts of the story to give them ideas about what they can do to make it easier to talk to their mothers... The spirit was really strong and it felt really inspired. They hesitatingly accepted the commitment to talk to their parents before the 7th of August.

Then in the week, we were walking to another investigator´s house and found Maria in the street (The mother of Maria was the more dificult of the two) and she looked really happy and told us that she had talked to her parents and felt so much relief. We found out that her parents had not given her permission to get baptized right now, but told her that they would not try to stop her when she turns 18 in November. Now we just have to wait and see what happens with Damaris.

I know its not exactly what we had hoped, but we are counting it as a milagro-cito and a great victory for Maria. We are very happy for this news.

Then, Some elders in another barrio, Barrio Jardín had a scare when they went to fill their baptismal font, and found that the city had cut the water going to their part of the city. So everyone rushed over to our chapel and had their baptism in our chapel, and we ran around like chickens with their heads cut off looking for investigators to come and see the baptism. This is really important in developing a testimony because when somone can witness a baptism, they can feel the Holy Ghost very strongly and develop an internal desire to do the same. 80% of the people who witness a baptism while investigating the gospel get baptized themselves.

So we ran to a part of our area where we have many investigators and within an hour, with the help of God himself (surely) we got three investigators and a family that is less active that has a daughter of the age to baptize and got them all to the baptism. 7 people altogether. The collectivo was delayed and we got there like 5 minutes before they started the ordinance, so by a breath they all got to see a baptism (WHEW!!!!)

Then yesterday in church, Mabel, our golden, and one of those who went to the baptism, got up and bore her testimony. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever heard. And thankfully, with the help of the members, 5 other investigators, including three that attended church for the first time got to hear it and feel the spirit.

Needless to say that this is a happy week.
Happy. Happy. Happy.

Love,
Hermana Sarah Tritsch

Hey Everyone!!!

What a rainy week... and with the rain, cold, and wet, and muddy... and the red dirt makes a mud that has a soapy slick sticky consistency... But working hard we have been able to see many awesome things. We have shifted our focus a little on a neighbor of Mabel, named Nora and her two daughters Julieta and Marianela. Nora is a member but so less active its hard to tell, so we decided to work with her to baptize her two daughters and bring a little of the gospel that was lost over the years... We quickly put a baptismal date for the girls the 28th of August as a goal to help them prepare, and seem really exited about the idea... They are busy reading and marking up the copies of the Book of Mormon that we gave them... I had a feeling that they hadn´t had a copy in the house in many years and I was right.

So yesterday morning before church, we decided that we were going to go and find them and bring them to church with us... we got to their little shack, and found it all locked up... So we knocked on the door... nothing. again.... nothing again. four times we knocked, and I was about ready to give up, but Hermana Madariaga felt that we should knock again, so we did and we heard... ¿quien es? and we told who we were and a groggy eyed Nora came to the door... We talked with her and got her to let us in and wake up the girls.... Which we did... In the most happy-go-lucky girls camp way possible... We got them all up and out of bed and with a little push and pull, got Nora and Julieta to church... Marianela still did not want to come, and we can´t force her, so Nora and Julieta came without her...

But you should have seen the look on the bishop´s face when we walked in with Nora. I think that she was the last person he thought he would see in the church. But everyone gave them both a big warm welcome. We hope that we will be able to see big changes in this family... There are copies of the Book of Mormon, and the beginnings of church attendance... Its a miracle in the beginning stages, I just know it.

In other not so happy news.... I recieved my trunky papers.... foo. Trunky Papers are a letter that the mission sends you when you have like 5 months left on the mission that asks you to verify your contact information and where you live so they can buy your airplane ticket home... They call it that because when it comes, many missionaries start focusing on packing their bags (or trunks in the olden days) and become useless missionaries. Its like a big slap in the face that my mission is coming to a drastic close. on the 30th of December, I start my journey home... Just in time for New Years.... I just hope that I don´t get trunky and ruin all the hard work I have done for missing home too much. I am not gonna lie, Christmas will be quite difficult for me.

But I guess I will see all of you in five months, I have no doubt that Mom already has a countdown.

Love,
Hermana Tritsch

Hey All!

Time is devestatingly short, so I am going to type fast... Enjoy this group of random pics from the few past weeks... I lost my card reader, but I just bought a new one so I am sending you a ton. This is my curly-haired companion, Hermana Madariaga... Really she has become one of my best friends in my mission. She´s fiercely dedicated, so its not very hard to work at a fast pace and help many people.

This past week has been dreadfully cold... the coldest it has been in years, and everyone says so, and I have had a rough battle with a cold, that its been rather difficult to shake. Last Tuesday was the worst, but I am better now. I have been trying to take it easy, but its hard to do that when you have the words of presidente whispering in your ear, "Ponga su salud en su mochila y pongase a trabajar." So we bundle up and put on two skirts and four pairs of socks and three sweaters (including my Aggie Sweatshirt, because it is warm, and hide its non-missionary nature under other, more appropriate ones) and get to work.

I think God is blessing our sacrifices, because despite the cold and rain that we have had for almost a week, We are finally meeting many of our goals (still no baptisms. but Baptisms are not everything). But I am so exited to see the ward rally around one of our families. We have had a really cold winter, and noone has been prepared for it, and Familia Cabaña (Mabel and Armin) live in very dire circumstances... a wood house with many openings, and no insulation, and little good clothing to help them aguantar el frio... but the ward is fiercely attatched to this family, and the Relief Society is putting together clothes and blankets for them, and the Elders Quorum is organizing to go over and fix up the shack, so the breezes don´t come in and attack the children... All of this without the family knowing, by the way. Even though it may be awhile until the family can be baptized, a service the size the ward has been planning is not easily forgotten.

The people in this ward are not rich in money, by any means, but they are rich in heart and have a great capacity to work miracles in Posadas. I am truly blessed to work in posadas with these people, I love them, and I will miss them, not only the investigators, and the people that I have had the privelege to see baptized but everyone. And when I think that I only have about 3 transfers after this one left, It reminds me that everything is so dreadfully temporary... Well the work isn´t, and God isn´t, but my time to labor here is.

I love you and miss you all, and can´t wait to see you all upon my return, I can´t promise that I will be home for Christmas, but definitely by new years. (although, for me, it feels like Christmas right now... except I don´t hear the music.)

Love Ya,

Hey All!!!

I found myself missing home a ton this week... I don´t know why... maybe the fact that I only have five measly months left has something to do with it.

This past week, we achieved almost all of our goals... the really important ones at least... Five investigators in the chapel, six investigators con a future baptismal date, and seven lessons with members. No baptisms yet, but its a process.

Mabel went and enjoyed the service project and we went to the church to visit her and to take advantage of the time and we taught her the first part of the plan of salvation... we found out later that she stayed to help almost the whole day, and really loved visiting and chatting with the other hermanas in our ward and stake. She said that she very much enjoyed it, and to show it, brought herself, her husband Armin, and her three children to church... que lastima we can´t put a baptismal date... the whole marriage and document thing makes things super difficult... Its a really big problem here. About 2/3 of the people here are not married to the person they live with, but its something we as missionaries very much dread.

The father of Jorge, my convert, also named Jorge came to church yesterday. He has a history with the missionaries longer than the time of a missionary, but always had problems with drinking, but after a lunch appointment in their house, we felt that we needed to talk with him, and we talked to him about the blessings that come from obeying the commandments and put a baptismal date for the 21st of August. He confessed that he hadn´t drunken anything in 3 months, and hesitantly accepted the fecha... He felt it was a little soon, but we put it as a goal, and if he is not ready, we could change it. But he came to church yesterday with a different mirada, a look of peace and a little happiness, so we hope that he will feel ready to enter the waters of baptism. When he gets baptized, they can work together for a temple meta, so we are really exited for it.

We continue to work with the ward, and as we gain the trust of the members we get more and more assignments to look for menos activos. We are teaching a TON of menos activos, and with the Sociedad de Soccoro, which recently renewed and rennovated the visiting teaching list, we saw many less actives in church too. One of the families we are working with, Familia Acuña, is a really interesting case, the mother, Nora, got baptized forever ago, and none of her children got baptized, we started working with her and saw that she had alot of shame in her eyes, so we started by looking her in the eyes and told her that regardless of what she did, she was of worth, and then we told her that we were going to work with her and her kids so they can get baptized, and she can enjoy the blessings of the gospel again. We sang "I am a child of God" and taught part of the first lesson, and at the end, she smiled, the first real smile I have seen from her, and we have been working with her since Hermana Loria.

Sometimes, I think that people need people to look them right in the eyes, and instead of telling them that they need to repent all the time, tell them that they are worth saving, and they develop the need to repent on their own.

Anyway, Food for thought.

Love,
Hermana Tritsch