Week 60: Semana de todo

Hey all, 

This week was pretty good, but also pretty bad, but also crazy, but also calm and relaxing. On Tuesday we had a dessert night, where people made a bunch of different desserts/cakes/flan/ice cream, etc.. I made no-bake cookies. Then the night turned into karaoke. It was super cool, very sweet and sugary but fun. We met lots of new faces and friends of members who we are going to visit this week! 

Thursday we slept in Sullana and I had a pretty bad fever, I sweated the entire night through, then woke up at 6 and didn't have time to shower because we went to Piura for a zone conferences. Friday we had a conference with Elder Held. A general authority, he is the second councilor in the South America Northwest area (our mission is a part of the area). He gave a really good talk and we all got to shake his hand. It was also nice to see half the mission all at the same time. I got to see a lot of old friends I hadn't seen in forever. 

Also Tuesday night we were called at 9:15 pm to go give a blessing to a sick mom. She gave birth 20 days ago, and was super sick. Then Saturday morning at 1:30 a member came knocking at our door saying the lady passed away. She was family with almost all the members here in Huangala. So the last few days have been pretty rough for the members here. But we were also invited to give a little talk at her funeral service. It was really odd and uncomfortable but a new experience for me. 

Also this week I found the most awesome dog! Its a small like baby dog, its super friendly and loves to bite. We'll be teaching his owners a lesson and its just comes and starts biting my shoes and pants. Then I go to pet it or push it way and it starts play biting my hand, he's super awesome! 

Also this Sunday we are all super hot in our Sunday school class, all dying of heat. We were super hot! but there was a solution, the room had a fan. So my comp went to turn it on and a member rejected him, she had her baby of 5 months and the fan would kill the baby because it pushes out artificial air. So we all suffered for an hour. 

That's about it for the week, everything is going really good!! Today was transfers but I am staying in the same area with the same comp. 

Everyday here is the best day ever!!! 

Love, 

Elder Luke Gruber

Week 59: President Nelson

Hey all, 

This week was super awesome!!! The main highlights went down on Saturday! We had a day full packed! So we had a transmission  from Lima of President Nelson and Gary G. Stevenson to all the missionaries in Peru, which was super awesome!! Hermana Wendy Nelson gave a really good talk, my favorite line from the talk ¨Satan is mean." Then she talked about how Satan is always fighting to stop good. 

Afterwards we had a baptism planned. It turns out the font was broken and all the water leaked from the font. Then it just so happened that there was no more water. Then the investigator and his family had problems and wouldn't show up till an hour later. So we had a to rush and find another chapel to baptize. Luckily by a miracle on Thursday there was an open chapel in another chapel and the baptism font was still full. So we all rushed over there. But after lots of work we were able to baptize Jaren (Ya- ren) who is 11 yrs old. Then we all had to rush back to the stake center and had another conference with all the members and Russel M. Nelson. He started his talk in English with a translator, then out of no where he was like, I want to talk to you all in Spanish now, dismissed his translator and then just starting talking perfect Spanish! The gift of tongues was so real. He didn't make a single mistake for his 20 minuteish talk. He did have a gringo accent but it was super cool and amazing and really fortified my testimony that he really is a prophet of god! 

That's about it for the week, it was super awesome! 

This upcoming week we have a conference with Elder Held from the South America north west area presidency. So we will be going to Piura on Friday to hear from him so that should be super awesome!! Everyday here is the best day ever!!! 

Love, 

Elder Luke Gruber

Week 58: Short Week

Hey everybody! 

This week was so maximo! On Tuesday we had interviews with president, my companion and I were the 2nd to last companionship to have our interviews. So we had to wait 6 hours in the chapel doing nothing while everybody else had their interviews. Then on Wednesday we had our multi zone in Piura. Thursday through Saturday were pretty normal. Sunday we got to finish watching conference which was super awesome.  That was really about it for the week, nothing really exciting happened. Just a lot of work, knocking doors and teaching people! I'll have more to write next week! Also in 2 weeks we will be having a conference with the 2nd councilor of the area presidency which should be super cool. Everyday here is the best day ever! 

Love, 

Elder Luke Gruber

Week 57: Waterless

Hey Hey Hey, 

This week was super awesome. It is super awesome because we have a brand new bathroom. The only problem is the entire town of Huangala got their water shut off. So we have a new bathroom, but we cant use it... We had to wake up at 6 to go with a member in his car to the local canal, fill up buckets, and water jugs to bring to our room and shower with. And sometimes the member couldn't go, so we had to walk their and walk back. I thought with my new bathroom I wouldn't have to shower with a bucket and a cup. But I was wrong. The problem is there is no end in site, so we might be waterless for another week :(   

Yesterday was election day here, so there wasn't really anything to do, we were able to watch the 2nd session on Sunday but the Internet cut out during the last talk. Next Sunday I'll be able to watch the rest of conference. For the Saturday session 11 of us gringos were crammed into a small little bishops office to watch it in English, it was really hot! 

Also this week we went to a lesson with a member who is 12, and when we looked over to him to ask him a question and he was snoozing. He really wanted to visit people with us, but was too tired to stay awake during the lesson. We had a good laugh with our investigator.

This week I also prepared 2 ¨traditional¨ USA meals for a member. First I prepared macaroni and cheese with hot dogs. It was a pretty big success, everybody liked it. I also made waffles this morning. Which also turned out really good! 

Then today we went with a member to his banana farm. It was pretty cool, he taught us all about how it goes down. From this small town they send bananas to all over the world. They have big sponsorships from Dole,  Walmart, and many others I don't remember or have never heard of. 

That's about it for this week. This upcoming week we have interviews and multi zone conference! so it should go by even faster! I love and miss you all a ton!! Everyday here is the best day ever!!! 

Love, 

Elder Luke Gruber

Week 56: Stranded

Hey, Everybody! 

Sorry for the late letter, Internet was shut down yesterday. This week was awesome, not a whole ton went down, most just work work and more work. 

One of the highlights is that our bathroom got worked on, we now have a toilet, and a shower, and a sink!! But all week to shower or use the bathroom we had to go to the members house that lives across the street. and in our new bathroom after 9 am the water gets shut off so we can only use our bathroom from 5 am to 9 am... 

The members here don't name their kids after other family members, or after bible names. But they name them from the Book of Mormon. There are two kids here the first is Nefi, and the other is a girl named Alma. One member named his car captain Moroni. Its pretty sweet. 

But Nefi is very rebellious and says what ever comes to his mind, and while we were eating lunch this week he asked us ¨Don't you think that the Catholics are nasty?¨ 

Also this week we went to Sullana Sunday night for a meeting and a member said he could take us. But he forgot to fill up his car with gas, so halfway between Sullana and Huangala we were stranded. It the middle of nowhere at 7 pm. We had to wait half an hour for a friend to bring us gas. 

Also this Sunday here in Peru is election day, the entire country shuts down so people can vote, and if you don't vote you get fined 270 soles. So nobody works, or does anything. Which also means we cant have church, or in other words, we cant watch conference :(. so we will watch conference Saturday for the 2 sessions, and then wait till the following Sunday to watch conference. So you will have to email me next Monday all the big changes cause I wont know. 

Also the members here are on a mission to get me fat. They call me gordito Gruber, and say they want to make me fatter. That by the time I leave Huangala I'll be over 100 kilos. every second they get they try to give me more food. 

That's about it! I love you, miss you all everyday, here it the best day ever!! 

Love,

Elder Luke Gruber