Hola!

"Hey Everyone,

So everything down here in Peru is going great. Last night was probably the craziest New Years Eve celebration I have ever seen and I didn't even leave the walls of the CCM. The people here make giant dolls of bad world leaders like Bin Laden and people like that and then at midnight they Blow them up! All night there were explosions and music and all kinds of stuff. It was tough to get to sleep but eventually I was able to tune everything out.

So the weight that I gained back in Provo is now officially gone. I had a little bit of a pudge but my pudge is no more. We are so much more active here and the food is alot healthier so all and all its a good deal

The other night I was able to meet my mission President and His wife. President and Sister Perez. They don't speak any English so my first interview with him will be very interesting, hopefully i don't say something really bad and they send me home for it, lol. But they both demand so much out of their elders but they also have a great deal of love for them. It was great to have been able to meet them so soon. I am taller than both of them and I’m not that tall so that was kinda funny.

This sat we are going out on the streets to teach to REAL people. I cant wait. I’m really nervous cuz my Spanish isn't all that great but still way excited. We will be paired up with a Latino companion that way us North Americans don't blow it and something is actually taught, lol.

Elder Smith and I officially passed our first milestone or test with lesson one. I can officially teach lesson one in Spanish. Its definitely shaky but its all good. I was pretty stoked about that. We also had to make a street contact by ourselves and I survived that as well thank goodness.

Oh and you all know how I always have a rubber band on, well my Latino roommates asked me one day why i wore one and I told them I had alot of reasons and they said that it looked cool, so I gave them each one and they are so proud of it. Its crazy how something so simple can mean so much to someone. But it made my day!

I seriously wish you all could be here to experience what I am. It truly is an amazing place!! I will try to send pictures as soon as I can but I'm not real sure when I will be able to. I wish I could send more emails cuz I hate not being able to personalize them, its just kind of a general ´´this is how its going´´ kind of a letter. but I hope you all know that I am so thankful for your support and prayers."

Elder Schofield