Monday, February 23, 2015

Miracles! And Cow Stomach for Lunch!

Hola Familia Y Amigos! 

Whoa what a week. Had disappointments, but saw many miracles. First off, let me just say that the Peruvian marketplace on a Saturday morning is more crowded than Costco on a Saturday, although I’ve never seen a stray dog roaming around in Costco. Haha.

That being said, I ate cow stomach this week! I didn’t find out what it was until I was almost done eating it, so I don’t have a picture, but it happened I promise! Kinda chewy….

For P. Day, we kinda just chilled. We went to Metro to get some ice cream, and they gave us WAY more ice cream than normal. SCORE! We had a good lunch from the jungle. I will send a pic, it was pretty tasty.

So on the Spiritual side of things, this is what happened:

Miracle number one:  We met this really sad less active lady that just came to the church because she wanted help. We happened to be at the church and gave her a blessing, and she didn’t want us to leave because she was too sad so we had a good little lesson with her and I think we cheered her up.


Miracle number two:  is that the first English class was a good success! Five Investigator’s came, and they all are excited to learn English. We had a good class. 

Miracle number three:  is that I found this older couple and they seem so familiar to me. I am thoroughly convinced that I knew them and was good friends with them in the pre-existence, and told them I would come down here to earth and find them. Well I found them, and they live in the middle of Peru and speak a different language, but I found them. They are married, which makes our life so much easier. They are super excited. They gave us food, and then the hermana was doing a closing prayer and was just crying and crying, thanking Heavenly Father for sending us to her. 

Miracle number four:   is that they came to church the next day on their own will. Loved it, and sat in the front row during Sunday school and answered all the questions. 

Miracle number five:  is that this Convert girl came to church for the first time in all the time that I have been here in this area teaching her.

Miracle number six:  is that we reached the goal of 32 lessons this week, and that we surpassed the contacts goal of 100, and did 103 instead. The best numbers I’ve had for a week in all my mission, and we worked way hard this week. 

We were a little disappointed that our Investigator with a baptismal date wants some space, but we will keep on working hard, and I am excited for another good week! Hope you all have a great week, and remember that the Lord has a hand in all things!   Love you all so much.

 Con Amor,
Elder Reschke 

P.S. I ate a fig this week. I didn’t even know what it was in English until a few days later, but I can't say I ever ate a fig before my mission. Hey we try new things every day I suppose:)

Questions Elder Reschke answered this week:

Did you get the package we sent?
Yes.  Got an awesome package from you guys, and birthday gifts from Melissa and Lizzy. 
 Thanks so much!  The snacks are awesome, I’m excited for the music, and the tie was nice.  Thanks for the package!  It’s awesome.

Do you eat a lot of fruit?  What kind?
We eat a ton of fruit.  Mangos, bananas, apples, grapes, maracuya (passion fruit), sugar cane sometimes, papaya, figs, cocona, and another one I can’t remember the name.  And Avocados. I didn’t much care for avocados before, but I am growing to like them.  They are pretty tasty!

What do you like about the Peruvian culture?
I love all the colors of the Peruvian culture. And the music is pretty sweet!  

Your companion finishes his mission and goes home in two weeks, how are things with that?
Elder Quille is doing good.  I am just getting him to work really had these last two weeks.  But, everyone feels kinda bad for me because they know how hard it is to have a companion that is finishing his mission.  Usually the other companion gets super homesick, but I’m not homesick and that is because I am working hard!

I think about 99 percent of your senior class is on a mission, girls included:
Haha!  I know crazy, right?  I’m proud of all of them for Serving the Lord.  

What is your favorite scripture this week?
My favorite scripture right now is:  Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

You look so happy in the pictures.  Are you happy?
Yes I am.  And I am very happy to be on my mission.  It’s so amazing.

Teaching English classes.  We tell everybody about the class, and I made up these little flyers that we are distributing.  Even more people might come next Saturday, which will be cool:
                                                   English class taught by the Elders:
                                                      Sharing the Gospel in Peru:
                         This food is from the jungle....not sure how to spell it...Juane, I think.
(Juanes are the Peruvian jungle way to prepare tamales, using rice instead of cornmeal.):
                                                             This fish was way tasty:
                                   Platanos fritos!  Or, fried bananas They are so delicious!
                                 Elder Quille and Elder Reschke eating food from the jungle:
                                                    Maracuya (passion fruit) juice.
                                They have this juice at almost every lunch and it is delicious.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Seis Mesis! (Six Months!)

Hola Familia Y Amigos!

This week I completed six months of my mission. Wow the time passes rapidly. BUT I still have 18 months, and I am going to make it the best 18 months ever!

Glad to see you are all doing fine and dandy back home. This was a good week for us. For P. Day, we went to Center of Lima, and visited the Plaza de Armas, and the National Governmental Palace. We were there for the "Changing of the Guard" ceremony which was pretty sweet. This huge presentation with all these marching soldiers and a marching band as they changed the guards outside the Governmental Palace. I got some cool pics, which I will be sending. Afterwards, we went to a mall called REAL Plaza, and found a Papa Murphy’s Pizza, so it was a good day:) We also went shopping for Peruvian souvenirs. 

Tuesday we had a good Zone Conference with the President, and I got a certificate because I finished my first three months as a missionary. (They just got it to me a little late).  

It was a pretty good week for the work of the Lord as well. We had some real neat experiences with Priesthood blessings this week. We gave one Investigator a blessing of health last week, and she said it totally healed her and so now she has faith that what we are teaching her is true. We met with a ginormous family. More and more people kept on coming until there was like 20 people in the room during this lesson. It was awesome. All about the Restoration, and the members there gave testimonies, and they wanted us to dedicate their home, and give blessings to their sick babies. And then we got Inca Kola:) So yeah it was a SOLID lesson, and I believe that this family is on the road to becoming an eternal family.

We are still meeting with Domingo, teaching him all the things that he needs to know to be baptized. 

Oh by the way, hope you all had a good Valentine’s Day and President’s Day. I love hearing all your stories, so keep them coming! 

We had over one hundred contacts in the street this week, so that was a good week for us. We are going to work super hard this week and teach tons of lessons! It’s always difficult when the people don’t follow through with their commitments, but we are planting seeds little by little, and some seeds grow faster than others.

Had a work visit with Elder Sitton from Arizona, and we contacted this lady that worked in a little Tienda (Store). She was like, "What can I get you?" and I was like, "Actually, Hermana, WE have something for YOU!" and what-d-ya know, we have an appointment with her, so cross your fingers. I will let you know how it goes. 

Anyway that’s about all that’s new down here in South America. Have a great week everybody, and don’t forget to read your scriptures! Like Jeffrey R. Holland says about The Book of Mormon"For 179 years this book has been examined and attacked, denied and deconstructed, targeted and torn apart like perhaps no other book in modern religious history—perhaps like no other book in any religious history. And still it stands."  People have died to bring this book to you, so don’t just let it sit on your shelf collecting dust. Treat it like the sacred book of scripture that it is. Protect it with your lives, read it, mark it, apply it in your lives, and your lives will be changed. I promise you!

Love you all so much,

 Con Amor,
 Elder Reschke.

P.S. I saw a scorpion last week when we were doing service!

P.S.S. The service was pretty manly. We climbed up onto the mountains, and used sledgehammers and pick axes and chiseled into the mountain to clear room to build a house. Muchas Gracias to the little Peruvian boy who lugged a bucket of homemade limeade up the mountain for us to drink, it was fantastic. 

Questions Elder Reschke answered this week:

1.  What did you learn this week in your studying?
I learned some awesome lessons this week about the origin of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, the lineage of Christ, and about the Law of Moses.  I’m learning a ton out here!  My desire to study has been more than ever.

2.  Are you getting mail?
I get letters from “dearelder" (letters from this take two to three weeks usually), and I got a letter through the mail from McKenna.

3.  How is the weather?  Has it rained?
It didn’t rain that I can remember.  It’s been pretty hot.  Maybe it misted a little bit….


4.  You made your 6 month mark this week.  Has time gone slow or fast?  
The six months passed rapidly.  I started keeping a list in my journal of all the things I have learned.

5.  What are you doing for P. Day today?
P. Day is a kind of a whatever kind of day today.  WE will find something cool to do. Maybe go explore the market and find some crazy jungle food or something.

                                                 P. Day trip to Centro De Lima:

                                                      Missionaries at Lima Center:

                                                                    Guard changing:

                                                                   Guard changing:
                                                                    In the city of Lima:
                                                      Elder Sangama and Elder Reschke:
                                                        Elder Quille and Elder Reschke:
                                                            Missionaries at city center:
                                                               Buildings in Lima:
Peruvian flag:
                                                                  City of Lima:
                                                               Visiting city center:
                                                                            The District:
                                                     Elder Reschke and Elder Sangama:
                                                                  Old building:
                                                                        City of Lima:
                                                     Elder Reschke in Lima city center:
                             I thought this ice cream picture was funny.  It's supposed to be
              like "MMMMMMM", but it's like "UMMMMMMM"...kinda unsure of it's self.
                                                                City buildings:
                            This big hill is a famous Cerro (hill)  called Cerro San Cristobal:
                                                              Cerro San Cristobal:

                           Our Zone and another Zone smack in the middle of Centro De Lima:
Peruvian dolls:
                              Receiving my "3 months as a missionary" certificate (a bit late):
                                                    Elders who have completed 3 months:
                                                                         On the bus:
                                       Aji de Gallina (chicken in a spicy sauce).  I love it:
                                                               Elder Reschke's area:

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                                                       A beautiful sunset in Peru:
                                                            Statue in city center:


                                                                    Centro De Lima:

                                                                       Day in the city:
Selling brooms on the street.This is how they sell things in
Peru, they just drive around in a cart loaded up with the product and
yelling through a megaphone the thing that they are selling:
                                                    Elder Reschke's area.  Up the stairs to the hills:
                                                                 Centro De Lima:


Monday, February 9, 2015

Perú‏.


Hola Family Y Amigos!

Sorry for the lack of a cool subject line in this email, I couldn’t think of anything elaborate or cool. This week was pretty chill. Nothing extremely exciting, but sometimes that can be a good thing right? 

In case ya´ll are wondering, the thing around my neck is a monkey! And that crazy jungle fish that made you sick just looking at the picture, actually tasted delicious:) It’s like exotic Market Street Grill pretty much.

But yeah. for P. Day we went to “Happyland”  As the name implies, we had a ball. AND there was an air hockey table, so “Happyland" was definitely the place to be. We went to Plaza Vea and actually found peanut butter! I was going to buy it but I couldn’t  bring myself to spend 25 soles. That’s like nine bucks! 

We had a pretty good week teaching lessons...we taught a lot of less active people this week. I am really happy that they have such a desire to change their lives. We had some good lessons with Domingo, and it looks like he is going to be baptized the 21st of February, so that is fun. 

The Spanish is coming along just great. One returned missionary from the stake was listening to my Spanish, and said I sound just like a Limeña, with my manner of speaking,  So that was good to hear:) 

But yeah, it was a pretty chill week. The highlight lesson was probably when we took a reactivated member to teach an investigator with us. His testimony of The Book of Mormon that he bore during the lesson was SO GREAT. The Spirit was pretty strong, and I really think that his testimony will have a huge influence on whether or not she decides to listen to us.

I was reading something cool in the bible this week. Did you know that there are tons of places in the bible where it talks about the Restoration of the Gospel, Joseph Smith, and The Book of Mormon? Just look up Book of Mormon in the topical guide, and there’s a ton of scriptures. I am excited to study it more in depth, but my favorite so far is the description found in Isaiah. 

Wow this Gospel is so perfect, and true. I am so grateful for the opportunity to share it with others. Hope you all have a great week, and remember to ALWAYS read the scriptures!:)

Con Mucho Amor, 
Elder Reschke.

P.S. Quechua Phrase of the Week:  “Cimata munanqui gulpetacu?” It means, Wanna Fight? Hopefully I´ll never have to use that one:)

Questions Elder Reschke answered this week:

1.   What was that animal around your neck last week?
It’s “Marten The Monkey”!  Don’t you recognize him?  He belongs to some members in the other area of the Ward.

2.  What have you learned from your companions so far?
From Elder Martinez:  I learned a TON, like how to be a hard worker, and really just how to be a good missionary and stuff.
From Elder Quille:  I have learned that my desire to work hard is something in ME and not just because Elder Martinez taught me, but because I really do want to work.  Elder Quille also has a really good knowledge of the gospel, because he has more time as a member.  Elder Quille and I get along perfectly, so that’s good.

3. How is your Spanish?  
I understand just about everything….but there’s the occasional word I don’t know or some people are drunk and mumble so it’s hard to understand those people.

4.  Where are you in scripture reading?
I finished The Book of Mormon in January, and I restarted it this week.  I am in like 1 Nephi 9ish. I also started the New Testament, and I am almost done with Matthew.
You should read “Jesus the Christ”, great book.  Really changes my outlook on things.

5.  What was that blue house you took pictures in front of last week?
That is the A_______’s home.  Pretty much our home away from home.  Most of the homes here look similar.

6.  Any random thoughts?
Ha ha.  I must say, you picked well when you choose to marry Dad. It is my goal in life to become half the man that he is.  There is no man on this earth right now that I respect more than my Dad!

It was a "Selfie" kind of week in pictures:

P. Day at "Happy Land":
                                         We found an Air Hockey table at "Happy Land":
                                The Lima skyline.  If you look carefully you can see the ocean:
                                                           Up in the cerros (hills) :
                                                Elder Reschke working hard up in the hills:
 Fried rice, which was quite possibly some of the best I've eaten.  We didn't have plates or utensils, so I cut up a 2 liter bottle and made a plate and spoon.  Now, that is finding solutions!  This chifa (Chinese restaurant) in our area made the fried rice.  5 soles (1.63 American) , but it was delicious:).  There are SO many chifa restaurants here in Lima.  Fried rice is ole one of the favorite foods.
   At a Peruvian wedding:
                                      Saturday morning breakfast after soccer.  Cocoa Krispies!:
                                                               Spreading the Gospel in Peru: