Week 24: New Area

Hey Everybody, 

So this week was really good, filled with lots of work, it seemed like everyday was filled with a new adventure. We had a service project this week cleaning the stake library, our entire district reorganized everything, it looked as though it hadn't been touched in over 5 years. We found some super cool things including some Liahona's that date back to 1985. 

Then this week was also had a fundraiser selling food for an investigator that is going to be married this Friday and then also baptized 2 hours later. We walked for about 2 hours delivering food to members. Then we also had an activity of typical plates where people from the ward bought a bunch of food and we ate it all while listening/dancing to good music. So to contribute I made some wan-tons stuffed with hot dog and cheese. They turned out really delicious and were a big hit. 

Today was transfers AND I left my area. I got transferred to an area called "San Berndando" in the zone "Castillo". So Saturday and Sunday I spent packing and saying good by to everybody. I loved Tumbes a lot and didn't really want to leave. I had 4.5 months up there and it was awesome. I had a 6 hour bus ride this morning, and I am now just 20 minutes south of Piura. My new companion is Elder Villegas from Bolivia. He has 21 months in the mission and this is now his fifth transfer in this area, he's been here for 6 months already. This week is going to be strange, and a lot of work figuring out my bearings and trying to reaccustom. I am sad because I will be missing the marriage this Friday, and the baptism that I have been working on for the last 3 months :(. That's about it for this week, It was super awesome, sad to leave my area but excited for the future and all that it has in store. 

Everyday here is the best day ever!!! 

Love, 

Elder Luke Gruber

Week 23: Hectic Friday

Hey Everybody, 

This week was super awesome, it went by super fast. It started Tuesday and Wednesday, when in the morning, my comp and I went to the gym. The biggest gym here in Tumbes is owned by a member and the missionaries get in free. So we worked out both days from 6:30 to 7:30. But that was a big mistake. I was super super sore all week. Walking hurt, lifting my arms hurt. Then my companion made it worse by every five minutes poking me and pushing me asking me if it hurt. But it was great. 

But the best day was by far Friday. That gym that is owned by a member asked us to do some service, (they are moving their gym to a new location) so from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, 14 missionaries worked non stop hauling weights, bikes, and exercise equipment. Put it in a truck, driving 5 minutes to the new location, then hauling it up 3 flights of stairs. It was such a hard service, in a million degree heat, working for 8 hours moving a gym, it was so much fun. 

Then afterwords we went to the church to clean the baptismal font for a baptism we had that night. We got there, the font was full of gross yuck water, it had garbage in it, dead bugs, mountains of dirt. It was disgusting. We opened the drain, it drained about 6 inches then stopped, it didn't finish, but there was no way that we could baptize. My companion wasn't having it, so I got a mop bucket and for 2 hours I hauled out the water from the font. It was hard, and a million degrees but I got it done, then cleaned the font. Then had a baptism for 2 people that night. It was such a hectic day, but it will go down as one of the best days in the mission, it was so much fun, and so crazy. 

That was really about it for the week, it was so much fun, everyday was amazing. The weeks are starting to go by really fast. Every day is the best day ever! 

Love and miss you all a ton!! 

Elder Luke Gruber

Week 22: Fast Week

Hey all, 

This week was really good, but really fast, it flew by without me knowing it every happened. It started Monday traveling 6 hours to Piura, stayed there for 12 hours, then traveled another 6 hours back. Then Thursday I spent the day with Elder Taylor, from Puyallup, WA. He is super awesome, he has done tons of things that I've done in Seattle, climbing Mt Saint Helens, Crescent Lake, San Juan Islands, and just Seattle things. So it was a day of just trunking out talking about home, it was awesome. 

Friday all the power went out from Ecuador, to Zorritos, about a 2 hour stretch of land. Its like all power from Seattle to North Bend, it was really sketchy, and it was out for a good 2 hours, but all was well. Then on Saturday there were 2 baptisms for the zone, the first one was at 4pm, the other at 8pm, and my comp and I are some how in charge of the keys to the building so we basically spent all day at baptisms. The first baptism the father baptized his wife and daughter, took a combined 20 tries to baptize them both, then the next day the bishop told the Elders he didn't have the priesthood to baptism them, so all that work and they weren't actually baptized. It was rough. 

Sunday was fast Sunday, we ate 2 lunches on Saturday to prep for our fast, then ate 2 lunches on Sunday to end our fast, it was a lot of food, but very delicious. Sunday was also super bowl Sunday, I was pretty stressed/sad all day. I really missed it, I wanted to go to a members house and watch it so bad (but don't worry I didn't). But I definitely thought about it a ton, and prayed all day for the Patriots to lose. 

Then today we went to a town called Puerta Pizarro. You can take a boat tour through these cool islands, they have a crocodile farm, super nice beaches, and a bird island just filled with cool birds. It was about 20 soles for the day, so super cheap. That was this week, super fun, and super fast, I hope you all had a great week, love and miss you a ton!!! 

Love,

Elder Luke Gruber

Week 21: Crazy Week

Hey everybody, 

This week was a crazy week, I thought it was going to be a good week of work but everyday something new came up that changed all of our plans. Monday night we went to a family home evening, which doesn't happen often, they made us a tradition meal of Venezuela (there are thousands of Venezuelans that are flocking to Peru for refuge). It is called an arepa, its like a corn biscuit stuffed with meat and vegetables, it was really delicious. 

Tuesday we actually had a really good day full of work and lessons, but then at night we went to teach an investigator, but at his grandpas house, and we didn't know where he lived. We knew it was close to a park but that's it. So we head to the park and we found the little brother of the investigator who was able to show us the house. It was a big miracle that we found the house and that we were able to teach our investigator. 

Then on Wednesday we had a good day, we had a lesson in the afternoon with a really awesome family, then after the lesson the mom told us how much that our few lessons has helped her and her family. Also that she can feel the difference that we have brought. That really testified to me the truthfulness of this gospel, and the many blessings and happiness and joy that it brings. Then to show us how grateful they were for us, they gifted us a rice cooker. Its like a mini crock-pot but specialized for rice. That was really strange but also pretty awesome. 

Thursday in the afternoon we got a call saying the cops were searching for the zone leaders because a member called a bunch of people saying they stole a phone. They were luckily 30 minutes out of Tumbes. President told them not to return to their room and stay with Elders there. So me and my comp dropped everything and packed a bag with some clothes, and traveled out to where they were, so they could have clothes and things they needed. We then found out that the member was a big liar and that nothing happened, but we already spent the majority of our day figuring out this problem, it was very crazy. 

Then Friday morning we woke up, and our room didn't have electricity, or water. So we couldn't cook breakfast, and we couldn't shower. We had to get a bucket of 4 liters of water and a cup and shower out of a bucket, and it is not as pleasing as it sounds. Then we had to prepare the church for a baptism that we had in the night. But the church didn't have any power or water. But luckily at around 6pm the lights came back on and at 8pm I was able to baptize our investigator Aron. 

Saturday was normal. Then Sunday night we got a calling saying that I needed to pack because I have to travel to Piura today to finish my getting my visa. So that crushed all my p-day plans. Then today woke up and again have no water. So I showered again with a bucket and cup. And then in an hour we will be travelling 6 hours by bus to Piura, then tomorrow travel 6 more hours back. Luckily I don't have to go with my comp I get to go with another gringo from my group. So that was my crazy week. I hope you guys had a good week, everyday here is the hottest, and best day ever! 

Love, 

Elder Luke Gruber

Week 20: Busy Week

This week was a really busy week and it went by really fast. Wednesday we had interviews with the president, which went well, but then after wards he took me and a few other companions out to lunch at a really nice restaurant. I had a huge plate of ceviche, shrimp, octopus, and conchas negras. It was so good I was so full after wards, and it was only a bunch of sea food. 

Then on Thursday we had the multi-zone conference, it was really good, learned a lot, but I was called to teach during it. But my companion didn't want to do any preparing until the night before, so that was really stressful to teach in front of the president and 2 zones. Then  that night it started down pouring, and after about an hour of down pouring, the power went out, but not just of a few blocks. The entire city was powerless for about an hour. It was pretty sketchy, but also very fun. 

This week I also gave my first blessing of health. I had done the anointing before but never the blessing, it was good. The only part that's hard is saying the full name. The first name is always easy, Jose, Carlos, Monica, Elisabeth, something like that, but then the next 3 names are the worst, its like they are in Chinese, it took we ten times to say the name right, and the family just kept laughing at me, it was pretty bad. Then on Sunday I gave another talk in church, which is always really fun. I just roasted the ward on how they need to work more and give us more references. That's about it for the week, it was really fun and really quick. I hope that you are all doing really well. 

I love and miss you a ton!!!! 

Love, 

Elder Luke Gruber