I'm Here and Alive!

[This was Andrew's first email as he arrived at the MTC or as it is called there CCM. I also found out that he arrived about 2am at the CCM. I will be editing his posts as needed, either to clarify or to share his mom's point of view. lol]]

I'm at the Peru MTC and all is well!!!  I have my companion, his name is Elder Bell, and so far Spanish is already necessary.  The flight from Atlanta to Peru was quite possibly one of the worst trips I have ever taken, it was long, and hot, and I just couldn't move.  Dinner on the plane was good, it was some sort of mexican dish, but hey, that is what I will be doing for the next while.

Oh, my caps might be a bit off, the shift is next to a different key making it harder to type.  [That is why mom is editing his blog's where necessary]

All in all its pretty good here, I do have my luggage, there was an issue where some of it was missing, but I was able to find it in time before we left the airport.  Yea!!!  

I will probabably send you guys a new email next week as I believe my P-Day is on Monday.

Tell Jennifer That I love her, and the rest of you guys and hope the best for you all.

I have to go, but wanted to also tell you that i just got my mission name tag.  I am now Officially Elder Holmes, which is awesome.  Breakfast was ok, they served a type of oatmeal in a cup... That was new and different...

Humid here in Lima, there is a constant layer of [fog] but we all thing it is smog, because it doesn't smell good.

Send you another email next week!
Love,
Elder Holmes

5 More Days in The United States!

So... Down to 5 days!  What have I been up to in preparation for the next 2 years in Peru?  Well, for those who are going on a foreign mission, I'm sure this will be a helpful list for you as well:

• Immunizations (Yellow Fever and Typhoid Specific for Peru)
• Shopping Spree - Buying all the stuff I need for two Years.  Some of these items include:
• Smaller Bath Towels
• Sleeping Bag (for colder, and less heated missions)
• First Aid Kit
• Rechargeable Devices (Flashlight, Camera, Batteries, Etc.) - I went all solar for everything, so all of my devices are 100% Off Grid.  No need for any power incase of any emergency. 
• 14 Sets of Clothing.  Yup.  That is for everything. From Under Garments, to White Button Up Shirts, and a couple short sleeve white shirts...
• Suits
• Superglue, Duct Tape... All the essentials!
• Passport/Visa - Worked with LDS Mission Travel to have them arrange my Visa for me
• Luggage
• Power of Attorney (For issues that may arise when I am away from home, and I cannot spend hours trying to fix a trivial issue) I.e. Credit Card Issues, Medical, etc...
• Generic Point and Shoot Camera with GPS Capability ( I can send photos from Peru to Home, and they will see EXACTLY where I took the photo.  How Cool!)

Don't forget to do the following before you leave!

• Update Credit Cards you are taking with you (set the expiration date for after when you return)