Elder Luke Christensen **** Huancayo Peru Mission: It was a Great Christmas!! Happy New Year!!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! It was so much fun for us to spend some time with Luke through Skype! Technology is so amazing and what a blessing to be able to SEE and TALK to him!! It's really probably somewhat of a miracle ... Skyping from the top of the Andes Mountains, with a clear picture and perfect sound has to be a miracle! Thanks for the love and support each of you give to Luke. He really wanted everyone to know how much he has appreciated getting emails, and cards and letters through the mail. Mail is a lifeline to a missionary! Thank you so much! We wish you all a wonderful new year!

Hey Everyone!!

So this week was the worst, but also the best week of my mission so far. It was bad because we only had 5 lessons and 10 contacts!! But, we were only in Carhuamayo for like 2 full days so that might explain most of it. Everything else was super awesome!!

Tuesday night we had some super amazing good milkshakes in Huanuco!! And, I had about a gallon of them! They were mint chocolate chip and we put Oreos in them. Oh man that was super amazing, I haven't had anything like that for so long! We went to Cerro de Pasco on Thursday, Christmas Eve, and then my comp went to Tarma on Christmas Day to baptize some dude. So I was just hanging out with Elder Baca, my zone leader, and we had a super cool time. I really like him, we get along so good! We made hamburgers as a zone! They were so good! Hamburgers!!! Then after that we went and Skyped our families. It was awesome because we wore those funny witch hats when our families answered the Skype. After we both talked to our family went and ate some pretty good Chinese food. Then we went back to the room after picking up some packages. When we got back to the room we didn't have any power, so no lights, so we just hung out. Elder Baca opened his Christmas packages because he hadn't done that yet. I opened mine the day before on Christmas Eve before I left Carhuamayo. Because we didn't have any light or anything we just used flashlights all night long. We ate some good American candy and talked about funny and crazy things.

As you know, there is a mail strike here in Peru, so mail is just coming in really slow. It was slow before, but now it's just a few things coming in here and there. I was told I had some mail at the terminal so I picked it up and that night I also read some letters that is got. I should have more letters, but I did get a few. Mom, I got your letter that you sent me back in November. It was a way good letter!! I wish I would have had it when you sent it and meant for it to get to me! It helped me so much, you said some things that I really needed to hear. I really wish I'd had it sooner, it could of helped me sooner! thanks mama!!!!

Saturday I got super trunky because I was just thinking about my family after talking to everyone on Friday! It was the best! Sunday it all changed! I haven't thought about my family at all, because I don't like you guys anymore!! haha!! I'm just kidding. I love you all a ton!! But, that was my week! I don't have many things to talk about since we talked just a few days ago. My Spanish is coming along better. I really can't wait until I am fluent, but I know I need to be patient with myself. And, also I might have said this on Friday, but my cool investigators that we've worked so hard with. They don't want to get baptized till like March!!! What the heck!!! Well, that's all!! Until next week!

love you all,

Elder Christensen