Feliz Navidad:)

Hola Familia, 

This week was a solid week for us. We did a lot of contacting and knocking on doors to get to meet new people around Christmas time, so that was fun. Everybody fed us well this week. It was a week full of: Turkey, Peruvian Christmas Rice, Panetón, Hot Chocolate, Pig, Pie, Chocolate, and I also tried something called Ceviche de Pota, which was super tasty. Normally we can’t eat ceviche, but this was an exception because the fish was cooked. But it was super tasty, and a classic Peruvian dish. This week I also ate a teeny tiny little octopus. It was the cutest thing. 

We walked into the market place, and they were blasting Peruvian Christmas music, and gave us free hot chocolate and panetón and said, ¨"Bienvenidos Al Mercado!" (Welcome to the market). That was nice of them. So, it was a nice Christmasy week. 

     On the 24th, we had the annual Mission-wide Christmas party in Tahuantinsuyo.  We had a dodgeball tournament, and a tasty BBQ. We then had a talent show, and our Zone presented our skit which was super funny. We had our Zone t-shirts, which came out pretty nice, and Zone Santa hats with our names and the logo of the mission sewed on. After the talent show, we all watched “Home Alone”, which was fun. We got little gift bags from President and Sister Erickson. We had to go to Tottus that night to buy all the food for the Zone Christmas breakfast/Secret Santa that we did on Christmas day.  That night there were a TON of fireworks, like usual, so that was fun to watch from the roof.

     On the 25th, we woke up, and opened the Christmas presents that my family sent my Companion and I. Thank you so much family!! I really appreciate it!! Then we had the Zone Christmas breakfast, and we had pancakes with toppings, eggs with bacon, and a bunch of different juices. We had a Secret Santa, and then we had a little devotional/group scripture study with the Zone. That afternoon we were super happy to be able to talk with our families via SKYPE!! Glad to see that everyone is doing well. 

     

The weekend was filled with saying goodbye, because my Companion, Elder Romero is finishing his mission and heading back to Honduras. This morning (Monday) we had another Baptism! We were able to baptize Hermano N. and he was baptized by his son which was neat to watch. I am happy for my Companion, because that was a perfect last day of the mission. Tomorrow I will get my new companion, which will be interesting as usual. 

Stay tuned. Love you all so much, and I am so glad you all had a great Christmas! It was so amazing to see a little more love between all the families in this wonderful Christmas time. I fully realized what Christmas is all about. Thanks to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, many people this year were able to have a very special Christmas season. 

 Love,

 Elder Reschke

Questions Elder Reschke answered this week:

How did you like SKYPING with us?

It was a really fun day, but after the third time SKYPING you run out of words.
(Last Christmas, Mother's Day, this Christmas.)

Who do you think has changed the most since you have been on your mission?

The one who has changed the most is Tess!!!!!

 (Tess is Elder Reschke’s 2 year old niece.)

What did you do with the rest of the day after we SKYPED?

After SKYPE we had a Christmas turkey dinner.  

Did you feel homesick on Christmas or after SKYPING with your family?

Not gonna lie, I don’t think I felt homesick at all.  

I am just so happy to be here.

Any last words for today?

I wanted to take a second to thank you guys very much for the Christmas gifts.
That was very thoughtful of you guys, and I loved them all.  

Especially the mission journal. 

I already filled out the majority of the first pages. 

Thank you so much.

My Companion, Elder Romero liked all his gifts too, and says “gracias”!

                                                               Decorating for Christmas:

                                                Our Zona Carabayllo Christmas tee-shirts:

                                                              Mission Christmas Party:

                                                 My trainer, Elder Martinez, and I:

                   I ran against these guys in high school cross-country.  Now we are all on the same team:

                                                 Elder Romero and Elder Reschke:

                                                           Elder Reschke and Elder Romero:

                                                                    Santa comes to Peru:

                                                                     Christmas gifts:

                             Elder Reschke and Elder Romero eating homemade turtle cookies
                                                         from Elder Reschke's Mom:

                                                                            Good food:

                                             A tiny little octopus I ate.  It was so cute:

                                                                            Baptism:

                                                            My beloved Peruvians:

                                                                   Happy people:

                                                     Christmas with my friends:

                                                                    Meetings:

                                                                            Baptism:

                                                                       Baptism:

                                        A baptism on Elder Romero's last day of his mission:

                                                             Christmas 2015, Lima, Peru: