Elder Luke Christensen **** Huancayo Peru Mission: Tender Mercies and a Baptism

So how is everyone in Utah? Freezing their butts off jajajajajajaja! I am getting super used to the great 100 degree weather here, it feels good in the day, pray for rain still!! Mom, you asked where I’m living. I live in a 3 story building with my companion and 2 other Elders. I like my pensionista, she is a great cook and makes the best food! I am starting to get fat from all the yummy fried stuff! jaja

Last week we went to Huanuco on Sunday. I stayed with Rocky Evans, he’s my zone leader. Then on Monday we went to La Corona del Inca. It was super cool. It is as high as Cerro de Pasco (almost 15,000 feet). I got some super cool pics! The pics that I sent on top of it look like I just smoked a ton of marijuana (haha). But, I didn’t!! It was super bright that day, and it’s so high, like right next to the sun! haha It was so hard to breath walking up there, funny how fast my body lost it’s acclimation from that high, high altitude and went right down to jungle elevation! The weird Peruanos were singing some weird creepy satanic song to us as we walked up there! Going up I didn’t really notice how narrow the road was, but when we were going down the mountain, I realized just how skinny the road really was! We were literally driving 40 mph on a road that is one lane with a cliff with a huge drop, a foot away from the road, and it has a million turns. It was super sketchy, and so scary, but fun, and was it ever beautiful!!!

This week was crazy. We did divisions, I went with a member and my comp went with another member. Remember the lady I talked about last week with the dying mother …. Well, when I showed up at her house again this last week with the member I was talking to her and she was said, " I have been investigating your church for five years Elder Christensen, the Church of the Mormons, but it wasn’t until last week when you showed up at my house with your companion that I really knew it was true. You Elder Christopher (yeah, no one can remember my name or pronounce it for some reason, I guess it’s way too long?? haha ) you gave me a chapter to read to my dying mother (this is Edmunda, the lady with the mom that is paralyzed) and I read it to my mom and I really feel like I want and need to get baptized, and in time, I want to go to the temple." I sat there and almost burst into tears!! It was amazing to me, the spirit was so strong, and because I listened to the spirit that day I made a difference in someone’s life. I love seeing the Spirit in action! She has a baptism date for either this Saturday or next Saturday. We’re thinking it’s probably the next because her mom (the paralyzed lady that I was able to give the blessing to) died on Friday morning. We visited her on Saturday and she was super chill, and she wasn’t crying at the funeral because she said she knows the Plan of Salvation now, and knows that she’ll see her mom again. That was a super big tender mercy in my life, to see what the gospel did for her, hearing her testimony, and hearing about the life of her mom.

On Friday we went to Huanuco again for a Multi Zone Conference. Elder Godoy came to teach us. It taught me a lot about how I can better myself. I really loved it every minute of it. That night I got to see my “dad” in the mission (Elder Bullock), it was super cool, I’ve really missed that guy. After, every zone leader and district leader went to Lookcos (it’s a burger place like Astroburger, but it is really more like McDonalds) haha . I was the only “non leader”! But so fun to see and be with all those guys!

I can honestly say that I know that this church is true. If not, why in the world would Joseph Smith do and go through all of the things he did in his life. It was all for us, those who were coming after him, he witnessed and saw God the Father and His Son. He knew! Why would he have died for the gospel if he didn’t know for a fact that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father live! This church is true. I love Joseph Smith and I know he was a prophet. I know Jesus Christ died for us and God is our Father. It’s so great to have that knowledge. I’m happy and I love what I’m doing, serving my Heavenly Father!

Happy birthday to KAITLIN, DEMI, GRANDMA LINDA, AND GRANDPA VERN!! All of you have a great birthday this week, and for the other people reading this…. you have good week also!!! love ya all!

¡nos vemos pronto!

Elder Christensen