Tacos.

 Hola Familia Y Amigos!

Hope you all had a great week. This was a good week down here in Perú. For P. Day we made tacos as a Zone and watched “Dispicable Me” and “Monsters University”. It was a fun day.

We did a way cool Service Opportunity up in the hills...moved a bunch of rocks and dirt, and picked and shoveled our way into the hill to get more dirt and rocks to make a wall. 

So the drivers of the Convees just hang out of the window waving these signs of where the Convee is going, and I want to collect a sign from every one of my areas. I got talking to someone who worked in the Convee, and they gave me my first sign! haha. 

Saturday we played fútbol as a Zone which was fun, and our investigator came! After that, Elder Aoki and I cooked french toast and scrambled eggs at the A______’s house. It was a good breakfast:) 

Christmas is coming up! It’s a pretty big deal here. Lot’s of Panetón which is kind of like fruitcake. They still drink hot chocolate, even though it’s the middle of summer, and they still decorate with Christmas trees and garlands. It will be fun to Skype on Christmas! 

On the more spiritual side of things, we taught Jhordan about The Book of Mormon this week. He was pretty excited because he heard a story from the Incas about a white God that came in a white cloak and is supposed to come again, and I just happened to have  the picture of Christ coming to the Americas in my hand. I pointed to Christ, and all of the sudden, for him it was just like "OH IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW!" We think he will progress really well. 

We also had a reference from the bishop that we taught last night and he seems pretty interested in the church. We are excited to teach him more. The Church is doing this huge initiative for Christmas and the missionaries are showing this video called “él es la dádiva” (“He is the Gift”).  Not sure what they call it in English, but youtube it, because its only two minutes long but muy bonita. It reminds us all that the best Christmas present we could ever receive is Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I hope you can all remember that this week, I know I will. 

Con Mucho Amor, 
Elder Reschke

P.S. I would love more than anything to get a pic of a Peruvian dog wearing a Santa hat, but if I risk trying that, I might lose my arm!

Questions Elder Reschke answered this week:

Are you having fun opening your letters each day?

(We sent him letters and pictures to open each day of December.)

The letters are super fun every day.  The Aspen one (annoying dog over our back fence) made me laugh, and the picture of Tess today is adorable!

What are you studying in your personal study time?

I started The Book of Mormon my first day in Peru, and I am about halfway through Helaman.  I think I’m becoming a Book of Mormon Addict, which I suppose is a good thing.  I was studying the other day in Ezekiel about the stick of Ephraim, which is pretty interesting stuff.

Are you brushing and flossing your teeth well?

I am brushing and flossing better than I ever have before, because I do NOT want to visit one of the dentist offices down here.

What is the drinking water situation there?

I don’t need my water filter stuff because every month, they deliver jugs of water to our apartment, and every member has boiled water.  I drink lots of water.  Lots of Inca Kola also.

What is Christmas looking like in Peru?

People have Christmas lights but they are those really bright purple or neon lights that blink really fast.  Lot’s of the families have Christmas trees, and the A_________’s have a BIG one with really nice decorations.  It’s amazing because their home is very humble, but they are strong in the Gospel so there is just a really good feeling and Spirit in their home.

Is there any Christmas music around?

With the exception of the Christmas hymns which we sing at church and Zone meetings, and in our apartment, I haven’t heard any Christmas music at all.  But Christmas is a pretty big deal here and everyone celebrates it!  There are going to be big fireworks apparently, and everybody eats dinner at midnight on Christmas Eve.  An investigator gave us a WHOLE PACKAGE of Paneton yesterday so that was pretty sweet.

                                                       Really yummy cupcake dessert:

                              A rooster head.  The rooster lived on the roof of an investigator and
                                   she slaughtered it in front of us and I took a Selfie with it's head.

                                        Peruvian dog.  It wouldn't face me and smile
                                             at the camera so this is the best I could do:

                                       District Service Project.  Digging up rocks for a wall:

                                                                      Service Project:

                                       Elder Martines and Elder Reschke at the service project:

                                       Elder Aoki and Elder Reschke at the Service Project.
                                 (Note they both have Cottonwood High School tee-shirts on!):

                                                    Elder Martinez and Elder Reschke:

                                                            Working in the hills:

                                                                          Our area:

                                                                        French toast:

                                                   Eating breakfast with Elder Aoki:

                                         Hermano Solano.  He was the thirtieth missionary
                                         to ever serve in Peru.  He is teaching me Quechua:

                                                       Hermano Solano with the Elders:

                             Elder Reschke, Lucia (Hermana Norma's daughter), Elder Martinez

                                                                       Serving in Peru:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjFEMmM0Xs