Well not much has happened this week. It is about the same routine everyday. The work in the office and the Villa are going great. We are under budget and Teresa is still waiting on her papers to get married so she will probably be baptized this next month (if she actually decides to marry him, she has had some doubts recently about her future husband). Being district leader has been good. Definitely has its advantages and disadvantages like going to sleep a little later because I have to make calls every night and check up on my district and plan District councils. However this last Thursday I was able to conduct a baptismal interview for an investigator of the sisters in my district. That was a really cool experience. I never thought I would be interviewing people to be baptized. I learned how important the Holy Ghost is to help discern the needs of the person and if they have truly repented. The investigator did not pass even though I know he has truly repented. He did not have a testimony of Joseph Smith, he works every Sunday so is not keeping the Sabbath day holy, and did not have a strong desire to be baptized. He was doing it more to make his wife (who is recent convert) happy. Felt kind of bad telling him he could not be baptized but I made goals with him to help him continue progressing. However I know it is better that he does not get baptized because he is not ready than make covenants with God and fall away.
This morning we were invited over to a members house in Montùfar again for crepes and they were so good! I think the first Panda Express in Guatemala opened up in Oakland mall this last weekend and we are planning on eating there today for lunch if everything goes as planned. Man how I have missed Panda, Chipotle, and just good food in general. I am healthy for the most part (though I have diarrhea or as they call it here boo), I am having the best day of my life, and I am enjoying every moment. I have not regretted for one moment serving a mission as it is changing my life. I know it is the best decision I have made and encourage all young men and young women to serve a mission (especially you Luke!). https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-01-009-good-to-be-alive?lang=eng -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber
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Just a normal week. Nothing to new happened. Things in the office have gotten better and are back to normal. I realized I will never be an accountant as I hate having to keep track of all the money and if we are spending too much or money is missing it is all my fault.
Our investigator Teresa is doing great. She is in the process of getting married to live within the law of chastity, so the Baptism was pushed back a little, but she has such a strong testimony and I know she will be baptized soon. Another reason I think I am gaining weight aside from the fast food is that Teresa gives us a large dinner every other night with food to bring home and recently members have given us food every night when we visit them. Not complaining about the food, but dinner at 8 pm is not the healthiest thing especially when it is not healthy food to start with. These last two weeks president has sent 7 missionaries home for disobedience to the rules. He is really putting an emphasis on being obedient with exactness. It is not a one time thing and your out, he really gives missionaries a lot of chances- but when they go to the church building, use the church projector and watch Super man vs. Batman, there is not a whole lot more you can do. He is saying how one can be a good member of the church and not be a good missionary. Also I'm glad I know how to change a tire as we were walking to a lesson this last week and saw a guy on the side of the road with a flat struggling to get his tire off. We were able to help him change his tire and get him back on his way. The best part is he lives in our area and called us later saying he wanted to come to our church to see what it is all about. Service truly does never fail. also got pooped on by bird this last week, how awesome is that. Well that is about it for the week. Challenge: Alma 48: 17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men. 18 Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God. 19 Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God, and they did baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would hearken unto their words. I challenge you to be like Captain Moroni and Ammon and serve those around you. I challenge you each night and each morning in your prayers to ask the lord for an opportunity to serve someone the next day/that day. I promise you the lord will place in your path those that need a helping hand. It is up to you to listen to the whispers of the Holy Ghost and ACT. I know that as you do this and serve someone everyday you and their lives will be blessed greatly. Remember service can come in many forms and sometimes it is just listening and showing interese to someone passing through a difficult time. I would love to hear about one way you served in the week. -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber Well this week was a chaotic week. Changes did not go as smooth as I would have hoped. We finished late and there were a lot of problems with missionaries and taxis. A lot of missionaries left unpaid things in their old areas so I have been having to call them to get their money and get everything in the mission working smoothly again with the finances. Some missionaries are just so dumb. Sometimes common sense is not so common. There has just been a lot of little things all come up this week making me feel really overwhelmed, especially as my comp does not know very much yet. It is overwhelming because I am doing everything in the offices right now and I do not want to forget something or have us lose money.
With these changes Elder Baum left and my new companion is Elder Hailstone from Utah. He is a really great guy and we get along well. He is one of the tallest missionaries here and I am one of the shortest, so members have fun making jokes with/at us. Having to train him in the office just adds one more thing I have to do. He is learning fast but just having to stop what I am doing to teach him just makes it a little harder. With these last changes I was also called to be the District Leader here in the Villa. In my District I am over 4 other missionaries. Two elders (Zone Leaders) and two sisters (the sister training leaders). Every night I have to call and talk to them about their day. I have to try helping them through any problems they are having in the area and keep them animated in the work. Every Tuesday morning I have to lead district counsels where we have a little workshop (spiritual thought type thing) and talk about how our weeks went and the goals we have put for the upcoming week. The work in the area is going great and we are teaching someone named Teresa who is preparing to be baptized this month. She is really awesome I am pretty sure she will be baptized here soon. Things are going great though and I am having the time of my life here in Guatemala serving the Lord. This next week will hopefully be a calmer week for me as things start to die down from changes. Something the mission is starting to say more and more that I really like and think everyone should be put in practice is "Love more, Judge less." At times I think we judge more than we should when we should really just stop and see them as a child of God and look for the good in them. We are all different but we are all children of God. Love more, Judge Less -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber Well last Saturday we got special permission from President to go to a trampoline place inside a mall in Don Justo. It reminded me a lot of sky high and just showed all of us how out of shape we are. All of us were dead tired after only 10 minutes, it was bad.
For the 4th of July we all wore the best red, white and blue ties (we had) to the office. We played the American anthem, threw U.S. Flags up all over the office, had a cheese cake, and then went to Price Smart (costco) and bought a lot of hot dogs and fries to bring back to the office to eat. The rest of the week was just a normal week with nothing too interesting. We did go over to a members house in Montufar as an office and she made us crepes with strawberries and bananas and that was really good. This morning we went to Presidents house and played basketball with him, spike ball, and a little bit of tennis. Sister Caffaro then gave us lunch. It was a lot of fun. This Tuesday marks changes and I will be getting a new companion. These next couple of days are going to be really busy preparing for changes and getting everything organized and then training someone new in the office. I am healthy, happy, learning lots, Spanish is coming along, and I am having a great time! No regrets. -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber This last week was a good week. Last Saturday we had our three baptisms. They all went really well and we had a good turn out from the ward. The Dad and youngest son were confirmed the next day and the Dad received the Arronic priesthood too. The other son apparently collapsed walking home after the baptisms and they had to carry him home as he had a high fever. He is doing better now and hopefully will be confirmed and maybe receive the Arronic priesthood tomorrow.
Last Saturday we also went to Oakland Mall, one of the nicest malls here in Guatemala, just to check it out and eat lunch as an office. Yesterday was my comps birthday and Sister Caffaro had given us a pack of brownie mix so we decided to make brownie waffles. The brownie waffles did not go so well, the batter was the best part and we cooked some in the microwave too. Not anything close to brownies baked in an oven. There is not much going on, all the days are about the same. Changes are coming up and I think my comp might leave so I will have to train someone else here in the office. I will have to lead the mission finances all by myself for a couple weeks until my new comp has learned. We are hoping for more baptisms here in July so we will see what happens. Things are going great though, everything with the crazy landlady worked out, I am still healthy, and of course having the best day of my life! -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber |