Week 31: Pueblo Nuevo

Hey everybody, 

I have finished my first full week in the Puebs (short for Pueblo Nuevo). It was a super busy week and everyday flew by super fast. We were going back and forth from Piata (30ish minutes away) everyday. So lots of traveling. But my new companion is Elder Schneider he is 6´ 5" from Snowflake, and holds New Mexico's state record for the longest touchdown pass, 99.5 yards. He is also really good at the uke and is super funny. He is the bomb. 

My area here is super cool, we are far away from everything (which I love). We are also over 2 small little pueblitos (or tiny towns) and the only way to get there is to take a 20 minute moto ride, then take a 10 minute boat ride (but they push it with a stick). We have to go there weekly to collect the tithing from out there. So that is pretty neat. 

Our family group here is super small, they meet below us (technically in our house), with about 30 people in attendance. Its super small, and so much different than all my other wards I've been in. I also have a calling, I play the music in sacrament meeting. I but the DVDs in the DVD player, find the song on the disc and hit play, then change the disc and find the next song. (I'm going to try to talk to the branch president and get an electric keyboard so I can actually play). This week we also woke up Saturday morning and didn't have any water, so we waited and waited, and nothing. So we were super gross all of Saturday. Then Sunday woke up, and again no water, so again no shower. We go to church, and then after church there was water, so we hurry up and get ready to shower, my companion showers, then right as I hop in, the water cuts out again, so a showered with 3 water bottles of water. Then this morning we finally got water back and I was able to shower. We also have a member who works a burger shop, so every other night we get free burgers and they are soooo good. That's about it for the week, every day in the best day ever. 

Love, 

Elder Gruber

Week 30: Surprise Changes

This week started fairly normal, we had a week full of appointments, lots of activities and service. But then Friday morning we found out the horrible news that both the Assistants to the president were involved in a bus accident, their bus flipped after a moto taxi cut them off on the highway. Many ask if the day of miracles have ended, but I know of certainty that they have not. The Elders were returning back from the temple after attending a sealing session from 2 of their converts. Both are badly hurt, but through many miracles neither suffered life threatening injuries. 

Then on Saturday we got permission to watch conference in English in the house of a member, so we spent all Saturday and Sunday watching conference. The best moment for me was the chance of sustaining everybody. This is probably the first time in my life when I felt the spirit sustaining the prophet and other leaders. In that moment when I rose and offered my sustaining vote the spirit testified to me that President Nelson is the true prophet of the church, and that God had noticed my vote and had acknowledged my vote. 

Sunday morning came one of the biggest surprises, Sunday morning we received transfers. And last week I said I was 98% sure I wasn't leaving. Well the 2% happened. I left San Bernardo today at 6 AM. But we got the news during conference, and didn't get back to our room till after 8:30pm. Then only had 1.5 hours to pack everything before going to sleep in the zone leaders room. It was very hectic. I didn't want to leave, especially because I hate packing and traveling with all my things. But the good news is my new companion is Elder Schneider from Snowflake, Arizona (hallelujah, a gringo who speaks English). He is super super awesome, I feel like this transfer is going to be awesome. Especially because my new area is called Pueblo Nuevo. and is in the zone Piata. Piata is 45 minutes west of Piura, and my area is 30 minutes north of Piata, so I'm basically the middle of no where in a super small town, but I am supeeeeerrrr excited. I said I really wanted to go to Piata before the end of my mission, and here I am, in a super awesome area, with a super awesome companion. (google map search "pueblo nuevo de colan" and you should find my area). That's about it for the week, it was super awesome, but full of changes, I am looking forward to the future and all that it has, everyday here is the best day ever. 

Love, 

Elder Luke Gruber 

They also have a really weird tradition here were during holy week nobody eats any meat, goes swimming (other wise you will be turned into a fish), and a bunch of other weird traditions I don't remember). 

Also, my new area is only a house chapel that we live in, its not even a branch. Our room is super nice, but we share a bathroom with the entire ward (of 25 people).   

Week 29: Spicy Pepper

This week was really good, the highlight is that we had two baptisms, first Emerson (17) and second Allison (13). Its super awesome to see success out of our work. This week since it is general conference weekend we can't baptize anybody, but the following week we have another baptism planned. 

My area here in San Bernardo is progressing really well. The funniest/worst part of the week is in our backyard we have an Aji bush (or a spicy pepper bush). And my companion dared me to eat a few of them. So I decided to eat a few of them, and it wasn't a very pleasant next 30 minutes. They were a lot hotter than I was expecting them to be, I was crying for a while. My mouth was on fire, it was pretty painful, but my companion highly enjoyed it. 

That's about it for the week, we went to a town called Catacoas today, it has a market filled with some pretty cool stuff, I bought myself a really good rubix cube for 8 soles, so I can now perfect the art of the cube. We also ate a really bad ceviche today, it was super small and filled with bones. 

I am super excited for general conference, and next Monday is transfers, my companion has 7.5 months here so he might be leaving, but he also only has one more transfer in his mission, so he might die here. I'm 98% ill be staying here, but whether I get a new companion or not I am not sure. 

Everyday here is the best day ever!! 

Love, 

Elder Luke Gruber

Also Peru played Croatia this week in Miami, the stadium was fuller than when the dolphins play, and I heard $280 to get in. This week they play on Tuesday in New Jersey, Peru practically shuts down when ever they play, so there is nothing to do. I cant wait for the world cup to start, then it will get really crazy! 

Week 28: BBQ Sauce

Hey all, 

So the highlight of this week was Saturday, our investigator Sergio got baptized! He is 15 and was super ready. After the baptism he bore his testimony and it was super powerful, and I could really see the difference the gospel has brought to his life (now if only the rest of his family will accept us). 

The non highlight is that Mafer wasn't baptized. Sunday in the afternoon something happened to her cousin and she had to visit him in the hospital. So her baptism got pushed to this Saturday, and we have 2 more investigators that have a date for this Saturday, so if all goes well we´ll have 3 baptisms this week. But I also found out that this week 2 of my favorite investigators from Tumbes got baptized, I was able to talk with them Saturday night so that was super awesome! 

Awkward/funny story, today I decided to spend a lot of money, $3 (it seems like a lot here) and buy some barbeque sauce. On the bus ride home I got bored and decided to open it up to smell it and have a little lick. But the bus hit a bump when the cap was off and a big lump flew out and landed all over my tie and white shirt. The 5 other Elder's lost it and laughed for a solid 5 minutes and everybody on the bus was staring at me. It was horrible. But I rushed back to the room and I got the stains out (hallelujah). This week all kids went back to school, there summer vacation ended. Which makes the work that much harder because we now have to schedule our appointments around kids school hours. That's about it for the week, I have been dying of heat, this week felt hotter than the others, I need a break. Everyday here is the best day ever!! 

Love, 

Elder Luke Gruber