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:

b
                                                       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: