Elder Luke Christensen **** Huancayo Peru Mission: This Week ... A Highlight Of My Mission

It was a very great week! So I have come to realize that the weeks in Huanuco are the exact same weeks over and over, repetition upon repetition. They're good, they just don't change much! But, this week was a little different. We got the news that Elder Crosland and I are different than ANY OTHER MISSIONARY IN SOUTH AMERICA! And I like that! So as of right now, President has given us the opportunity to be in charge of more than one ward. We now have the privledge of being in charge of the Micaela Ward still and now also the Paucarbamba ward! (weird names, right!) So, the great thing about this whole situation is that we have a ton of work to do, and we have to work super hard to be able to learn the new area and still keep our other area afloat and productive. There was nothing extravagant that happened this week other than that! And we are pretty happy about it! Grateful President has entrusted us with it!

I really loved General Conference. It's like fuel to the soul. I learned a ton of patience, humility and loved during every single talk in the Conference. I really loved them all, but the one that really stood out to me, and the one I think was my favorite, was Elder Russel M. Nelson's talk, he gave a killer talk about drawing the power of our Savior into our lives. He said, "the more we understand the doctrine the closer we will be to Him.... Look to Him in every thought and your doubts and fears will flee". I loved it a ton and will always remember those things!!

I think that the coolest part of the week and my very most favorite part was when we walked out of the first session of General Conference on Saturday. As I walked out of the church I saw a girl. I thought to myself, that girl looks awfully familiar. And then I heard her yell, "ELDER CHRISTENSEN!!!!!!" It turns out that it was Eloisa, a 21 year old girl that we baptised when I was here in Huanuco in Pedro Puelles like 7 months ago. She is still active, and she is dating a returned missionary from another ward and they are GOING TO GET MARRIED IN THE TEMPLE IN OCTOBER!!! It was one of the greatest moments of my mission! She looked so happy, and I was so happy that she was truly living the gospel and was planning for a temple marriage. It made my week, and I left the church grounds saying WOW! It's so good to know that I have brought at least one person into this gospel and helped them to accept it wholly. To watch her go from baptism to the temple is such a blessing. It truly is one of the greatest moments in my whole mission, and possibly my whole life. The gospel is so good. It's true and it brings happiness to us. I could see all of that in her!

Eloisa and her fiance and Elder Christensen

I am so tired lately. I don't think that this week there has been a day that I haven't fallen asleep in a lesson because I'm so tired, it's every time I sit down. So, we were with some less active members teaching them, and I fell asleep while Elder Crosland was teaching, then he passed it to me so that I could talk and add my part. I woke up and looked at him like, "I have no CLUE what you were saying, and I have no clue what I am going to say"!! My eyes apparently were red and I looked like I was in the middle of a REM cycle. Elder Crosland busting out laughing in the middle of the lesson, and so I started laughing and then everyone else started laughing too. It was a pretty funny moment! This same thing basically happens at 4 o´clock, on the dot, every single day of the week. haha I don't know why I'm so tired!

That was my week. Conference was the highlight and seeing Eloisa there! I really am so thankful for the opportunity to listen to our Prophet's testimony. He is getting old and I'm sure it's one of his last in this life. He is weak in body but not in spirit and testimony.

I'm in Huancayo today! We travelled last night by bus and arrived here at 5:00 a.m. this morning. We are here for Leader's Meeting, so we're going to go have a great p-day here in Huancayo and then Leader's meeting and then we'll head back to Huanuco, probably tomorrow night!

Goodbye ... I love you all!

Elder Christensen