Monday October 9th

Hello everyone! Well my companion and I are still together for this transfer and we have 2 people with dates for baptisms for October 30 so pray for you that everything will work out and we'll get them baptized!

I think this will probably be my last 6 weeks in Ituzaingo but who knows? My Companion is wonderful and I am learning a lot from her. We are trying to help this area and we have seen little miracles here and there. Yes my Spanish has improved a lot and my companion says that I am learning really fast and that my Spanish is as good as her other American companion who has 11 months in the mission. But I still have soo much to learn and its not easy.

I have officially eaten my first weird food in Argentina......cows stomach!!!!!!! We had lunch with our investigator Salvador and he made up a really good dish of food and my companion just about died when he said what it was. She hates cow's stomach with a passion. It was weird but because he prepared it really well with spices and pasta and other things...it was almost like chicken. But I ate it because he is awesome and always wants to help us which is kinda funny because we want to help him!!!!!!!

But yeah........you can bet after my mission I will be returning to my healthy vegan ways soooooo prepare yourselves family for rice milk and dairy free ice cream, fake meat when I return in 1 year!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Note from Laura-oh joy...)

Here's something that I have learned that's interesting......you know how everyone thinks that all Spanish is the same??? Its NOT!! Every Spanish speaking nation has a different version of Spanish and different words!!! We are very close to Paraguay and they speak a total different version of Spanish that Argentines can't understand but they can understand us more or less!!!

In Formosa half of the people there speak paraguan. SO it'll be interesting to experience if I go there. I also have something kind of funny but also sad. I saw my 3rd dead dog in the street about 2 weeks ago! But guess how he died?? He was struck by lighting and he was lying on his back with his legs sticking straight up and eyes wide open like he was frozen and then turned upside down. It was a crazy sight to see!!!!!!!

! I have also become familiar with the smell of something that died. My companion and I cover our noses and gag. We are teaching a lot and trying to help all the inactives and get people to come to church!!! Its not easy but we had a fast Saturday night and the next day Sunday was amazing!

But anyway I'll tell you more about it later! I will be 25 yrs old this Saturday at 10:30 pm! How crazy is that? I am halfway to 30!!!! WOW.......that is really crazy and scary!!! Please tell the Turners Happy Belated Birthday to Taylor Turner and that I really miss her soooooo much!!!!

Also how are the Beckstroms?? Can I please have the addresses I keep asking for the Beckstroms and Bret Wink??? I love you all every much and pray for ya'll A LOT!!! Please pray for my companion as well!! My companion said that her Mom knows all about every companion and prays for them by name and puts their name in the temple!!! My Companion's name is Jessica Catricura!!!! Please pray for us!!! I love you all!! love hermana anna schmidt