My First Transfer!

Hola Familia Y Amigos!

 What a crazy week it has been. We had transfers on Monday, and I got transferred! I must say, it was a total surprise, and I wasn’t expecting it at all. My new area is Año Nuevo 2, in the Comas Zone. I am really excited to work with my new companion, Elder Melgar from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. He is the District Leader, and he is a cool guy who likes to work hard. 

Monday night, I went around saying goodbye to everyone in Progreso, which was pretty tough because I made some good friends while I was there. They gave us lots of refreshments, fried bananas, etc, and one hermana gave us some Peruvian bracelets, and our Investigator gave us some woven scripture bookmarks which are pretty cool. I am absolutely amazed at the love that the Peruvian people have showed for some gringo stranger that’s only lived in their country for six months. They are absolutely the most amazing people ever, and I am always going to have them in my heart. 

I got to the new area Tuesday, and our new room is way nice. We have three couches, a big sink to wash clothes, and we live above the Bishop. I’m not sure what the deal is with the shower cause you only get hot water for like two minutes before it blows the circuit. 

But yeah we spent this week going around, getting to know the people, and I am very excited to work here. There are a bunch of potential baptisms, so Elder Melgar and I are excited to work hard. 

On another note, we got a gym membership today. It will be good to go to the gym every morning to work out, AND they have a treadmill, which is always good news for a runner. Unfortunately, we don’t have a pensionista, so we are on our own to make breakfast and dinner. Members still cook lunch, and for breakfast I’m eating stuff like juice, oatmeal, bread, instant breakfast, and fruit. Also, I feel like I stepped in a time machine and went back to the year 1978, because the avenue right next to our house is full of these old school cars from the 70s and 80s ready to take people up into the hills, because the old cars have better engines to drive uphill. Haha it's pretty sweet, I’ve always liked the Classics. 

The Zone is way cool. It's like THAT ZONE. You know what I’m talking about, that Zone that is super pumped, has awesome Zone unity, has a ton of baptisms every month,  and the Zone that everybody hates because they are jealous. So, my time here is going to be absolutely great.

I know that the Lord has great things planned for me here in Comas, and I am very excited to see the miracles that the Lord works day by day here in the mission field. I know that everyone is a child of God no matter where they serve, and so I am very excited to work hard, and bring them the glorious message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Have a great week, and I will keep you posted!  Stay tuned.  Til next week.

 Con amor,
Elder Reschke

P.S. My first companion, Elder Martinez is in my Zone! 

It was a pretty glorious reunion to see him again!

Questions Elder Reschke answered this week:

How do you feel about being transferred?  Were you sad?

Kind of a shock, but I know that the Lord has his plans, and it was actually kind of nice to have a change of scenery.  I am in the Comas Zone now, actually reasonably close to where I was before, just about fifteen minuted down the road.  I am excited to work here in Comas.  I am going to have some great experiences.

What is the new area like?

The cerros (hills) are equally poor as my old area, but down in the city is actually a lot more rich than down below in my old area. It is gong to be a good experience.

What is your companion like?

My companion is from Bolivia.  He has one change in this area and he has been out two changes longer than me, so we are relatively equal. Also Elder Barrientos, the old Assistant to the President is our Zone Leader and also in our District, so I’ve gotten to know him pretty well and he is a nice guy.

Do you do your own laundry now?

We just drop our laundry off at the District Meeting and somebody picks it up and washes it.  This week they left a candy bar in my clean shirts for me to find, which was a nice surprise:)

What do you do for food now?  Do you have a kitchen?

Our “kitchen” is just a table and a mini fridge.  We fix our own breakfast, 

we eat lunch with members, and dinner is just a snack.

Have you gained or lost weight?

I think I filled in a bit in the CCM (Missionary Training Center), but then lost it all out here, and I think my muscles are actually more toned now than when I left home.

Are you taking probiotics and being careful with the drinking water and what you eat?

I took probiotics this week, and yes I’m careful.  Don’t worry:)

                    Saying good-bye to the missionaries and people of Progresso is bittersweet.

                                             Elder Stilton and Elder Reschke:

                                                     Elder Walker and Elder Reschke:

                                                      Elder Sangama and Elder Reschke:

                                             Hermano Solano and Elder Reschke:

                                                           Saying good-bye to families:

                                                            Good-bye Progresso:

                                                                        Progresso:

                                                                         Progresso:

                                                            Good-bye to a family:

                                                         Good-bye to Progresso people:

                                                                            Good-bye:

                                                  Good-bye Progresso after 6 months:

                                                                Good-bye first area:

                                                                      Good-bye:

                                                              Last visit with a family in Progresso:

                                                       Saying good-bye to Tobias:

                                                                         Good-bye:

Good-bye:

                                                                Good-bye Tobias:

                                                     Good-bye to families in Progresso:

 Elder Quille's last days as a full-time missionary, Elder Reschke and hermana in Progresso:

                           What I eat for breakfast now that we do not have a pensionista.
                                  We eat juice, oatmeal, bread, instant breakfast and fruit:

                                           This brick is a pile of maggots I found under a
                                     pile of trash that I was cleaning up in my new apartment:

                                                                  My new apartment:

                   
                         The "Scary Room", which is attached to our room, and is full of stuff.
                     I think a couple of Zombies live in there, and quite possibly a cat as well: