This week was just an average week. Not much new happened. We had changes this last week but both of us are staying. Zone counsel on Wednesday in Cuilapa and then Elder Ventura (Zone Leader) came to do divisions with us. Divisions went well, nothing too special. We did go to show him the baptismal font and we saw a massive spider inside of the font. Spiders just come from everywhere. It ended up running back down the drain. Uploaded pics. On Thursday it started raining and we got drenched as we forgot our umbrellas. It was as if we had jumped into a pool. It was so hot though that after it stopped raining we dry within 30 minutes. We had fun though jumping in puddles and just acting like little kids in the rain as everyone stared at us thinking we were out of our minds. On Friday we had interviews with president and that went well. Sister caffaro gave me a tub of planters crunchy peanut butter which was awesome. On Saturday we went looking for a young man who is preparing to leave on his mission to help support him. We went walking 3.5 km out in the middle of nowhere, just cornfields. He lived so far away. It was about 7 km round trip and that was all before lunch. I also built a pull up bar in our house again that doubles as a swing. Overall things are great and I am doing fantastic. -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber
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This last week felt like I was out of my area more than in it. On Tuesday we went to Barbarena for divisions. On the way, there was a car accident and we got stopped in traffic for an hour just sitting on a bus. It was nice there in Barbarena, because it is a lot cooler. I can walk around and not be sweating, It is awesome. Then as I was studying in the morning my glasses just randomly broke and fell off my face. It must be from all the heat and humidity. I do not know why the side came off, it makes no sense. All is good though because super glue is only Q1 and makes an easy fix for everything. I also found a bigger speaker for Q90 that I bought so I can blast my hymns loud. Elder Lindquist and I had our last divisions as he will be going home this week. He has been one of my favorite missionaries here. To finish the divisions we cooked 12 eggs, 35 ounces of beans, Q10 of bread, a 3 liter soda, and a gallon of chocolate ice cream. I was so full, but it was really good! A little sad he will be going home. Then in the night we saw a brown hairy spider crawling across the wall that was the size of my hand. I tried taking a photo of it but it strarted running away and jumped at me, so I sacrificed the photo to kill it. I could not let it live. I would never have been able to sleep. It was awful. I have also started eating a lot of yogurt. I ate 1kg of yogurt in one night just as a snack. It was supposed to last the week. It was just a tub of yoplait strawberry yogurt. I had a great experience on Wednesday though. We heard that someone was killed in a farm field here in Taxisco at lunch and a lot of them were talking about it. I did not think much of it, it happens all the time here in Guatemala. We started contacting after lunch and were not having much luck so I said a prayer asking for the Lord to guide me and help me find those that needed us. I felt impressed to contact a certain street so we went to contact it. Not more than 5 minutes later I contacted a house and saw that the two women inside were sad. I presented my self and started talking to them, telling them our message could help them feel Gods love for them and help them find the peace they were looking for. They let us in and as we talked we found out it was the moms father in law that was shot/killed- the daughters grandpa. We were able to share the plan of salvation with them and bring some peace into their lives. I know the Lord heard my prayer and allowed me to be an instrument in his hands. I was guided to the people that most needed us. I am so glad i was able to think to pray and understand the promptings of the spirit. I know that is where the Lord wanted us to be. I do not know if they will progress or decide to keep listening to us but I do know that we did what the lord wanted of us- that we were sent to comfort two of his daughters in need. I know the Lord loves and knows each and everyone of us. I also know that if we are worthy and do what the Lord would have us do, he will allow us to be instruments in his hands and help those in need. Sometimes all we need to do is pray and ask for opportunities to help others and the Lord will give them to us. Conference: A lot about prayer and the Book of Mormon --- DO IT/Read it! Liked: First talk from President Uchdorf and the talk from Elder Gary E. Stevenson. Loved: Juan A. Uceda and J. Devn Carnish from the Saturday morning session. Also the talk by Elder M. Russel Ballard from the Sunday morning session. Also loved the talk from Elder Renald, the very last talk of the conference on Sunday afternoon. Talks everyone should read: The talk from Dalin H. Oaks in the Saturday afternoon session and Peter F. Meurs from the Sunday morning session. Also the talk from Elder Holland from the priesthood session. -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber Eggs and beans. They make beans different here. They stick beans in the blender and make it like a pudding thing. It is really good. I like it this way a lot. We do not have a blender but we just buy the beans in a bag like that and just heat it up. Picture below was our set up to watch conference.
Well this week nothing new happened. It was a fairly boring week. We stayed the night in Barbarena on Tuesday for Multi-Zone conference on Wednesday with Elder Ochoa. The conference was nothing too special but still a lot of fun to go and see Elder Ochoa and all the other missionaries. I have also been cooking a lot more for dinner. My comp and I worked out a wonderful compromise. I cook the food and he does the dishes. It is the best thing ever!!! We also went to Chiquimulia as a district on Saturday to have a lesson with one of their investigators who could be baptized this next month to help him get over his doubts. It was a crazy giving lessons with 6 missionaries in house and I do not think it was very effective. Other than that not much happened. I am doing great and having the best day of my life. Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber Well this week was a slow week. We did not do much. On P-day we made brownies as a district in the Guazacapan chapel (they were just alright) and played pass with a Frisbee and did penalty shots with a soccer ball. On Wednesday we had to wake up at 2 am to catch the bus that left at 3 to go to a new missionary meeting (for Elder Hansen) in the capital with president. We got to the capital crazy fast. We were there at 5 am and it did not start until 8. We got there so early because president gave us permission to take the bus that leaves our mission (goes the other way through Esquintla) so we would not have to stay in Barbarena for the night. We walked around the streets of Guatemala for a little bit until Dunkin Donuts opened at 6. We then ate breakfast and studied a little. The meeting was good and we got back home at 6pm. This past Thursday was independence day here and it was crazy. There was a carnival going on, loud music blasting everywhere, school marching bands played, a small firework show in the night, and just general chaos. There is also a room in our house that was locked and we wanted to know what was in it so we took the windows out and crawled in, to open it from the inside, and now we have two bathrooms. It was quite the adventure and it payed off. That was about it for the week. This next week we will stay in Barbarena again on Tuesday as Wednesday we have a multi zone conference with Elder Ochoa. It should be a lot of fun. I am healthy and staying dry. Things are going great! -- Having the best day of his life and sweating like crazy, Elder Gruber Got my shoes fixed and resoled for Q100=$14.
This week was a fairly good week. On Monday we went to Barberena as a zone to have a zone pday and that was a lot of fun. We had a water fight, passed a frisbee and football, and then had an "amazing race" type competition. We stayed the night there in Barberena and had a pizza party with the other elders. We woke up early Tuesday morning to go to presidents house for breakfast. We crammed 22 people into a 16 person bus. It was so tight and not worth it. Presidents house was cool and it was a really good breakfast. It was also good to see president again. On the way back the bus we had rented left, so we all took a public bus which was a lot better. On the bus as a zone we sang I am a Child of God for everyone and that was actually really cool.
On Wednesday morning we gave service husking corn for an hour. It was nice and actually really relaxing. We found the jungle in Guatemala too. Part of our area is just walking through nothing and there are little houses just in random places in the forest. We found some massive spiders and had fun exploring. Also went walking through large corn fields and contacting the house at the other side. I also had divisions with Elder Lindquest in Guazacapan and a member family gave us dinner. On the table was a large jalepano and I asked if I could eat it. They all said yes and as soon as I bit it they all started laughing and said I was going to die. It did make me tear up (First time eating a chile here) and they all loved it. It was not bad and I actually enjoyed it. Love eating spicy things. Our pool of investigators is growing and we are slowly activating the youth here. I gave a talk again on Sunday, no surprise, and had a great week. Oh, I can not remember if I wrote this or not but a couple of weeks ago I ate the stomach of a cow. It was nasty. -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber This week was a good week. The first couple of days it rained so we continued our river crossing adventures and walking around all day in wet/soaked shoes and clothes with just dry hair. The rest of the week, when it was not raining, it felt like we had just got out of the shower with how much we sweated. The work here is progressing little by little and we are finding more people to teach. My comp is awesome and we get along great. I am healthy and of course having the best day of my life. We had 24 members in church 2 of which are young men 18 years old that we reactivated and are helping them prepare for a mission and the Melchizedek priesthood. We are working with 2 other inactive young men as well. We are working just as much to activate people as we are working to baptize. Not much else happened this week. We also realized the potential of a rope swing in our house (will send a video of Elder Lindquist using it- one drive will not upload at this internet cafe that I am at today) and had fun with a bird that an investigator owns. I must of startled the bird because it bit my finger. I said, "ouch" and the bird started laughing at me! It was a bird with attitude, but would also "talk" a little. Not much else, just living it up here in Taxisco in the hottest place in the mission. -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber Well this week has been one of the craziest weeks of my mission. On sunday I found out that I had changes and would be training a greenie in Taxisco, the hottest and furthest area in the mission (President has put his trust in me again, since it is so far away we could get away with anything, and no one would know). I am also reopening the area. I am training Elder Hansen, from Idaho. He is really great and is a ginger. We started the week by hopping on a bus with all of our luggage to take a 2.5 hour bus ride to Cuilapa. We then hopped on another bus to take us another 2 hours to Chiquimulia. Then from there we had to take yet another bus, for 30 minutes, to take us to Taxisco and then walk a ways to our house. It was about 5 hours in total and it was a crazy hopping from bus to bus as they threw our luggage on and off the tops of the busses. We finally got all settled into our house and started cleaining. Our house looked like a pigs home when we showed up so the first thing we did is clean. It still is not really clean and we can not use the kitchen yet, but it is a lot better than it was. We then went out to work and realized just how hot and humid it is here. The entire day sweating puddles. IT IS SO HOT!!! On Wednesday we had zone councel in Cuilapa which is another 2.5 hours, 2 busses, travel one way. Elder Lindquist is my district leader again which is a lot of fun. On Thursday we had division and I stayed in the area with Elder Venegas who was here for 1 week before the emergency changes and before they closed the area. He showed me more of the area and our recent converts. In our area we have about three little towns that we have to take tuk tuks to get there. One is about 15 minutes in tuk, another is 30 minutes in tuk, and the last is 1.5 hours in tuk. Our area is really large and the houses in the little towns are really spread out, but it is really cool. The beach is also in our area but as far as I know we can not go there. On Wednesday the electricity went out in our house too. I did some investigating and turns out that the previous missionaries did not pay the light bill for the last 4 months so it got cut. I quickly got it all payed and figured out, but we went with out electricity for 2 days. No fans for 2 days was awful. We would be sweating puddles as we studied and sleeping in the night was almost impossible. Just sweating so much, the bed was even wet. On Saturday and Sunday it rained here which at first was nice because it made it a little cooler and not so humid and hot. However when it rains here it rains cats and dogs. Man it rained so hard. Nothing is waterproof and umbrellas serve very little, only keeping your hair dry. The streets here flood really easy and so when we had to cross streets we were crossing rivers that were calf deep or just below the knee in places. It was awesome until all my shoes were soaked after two days. Lots of fun and the lightning and thunder storms are really loud and cool too. On Sunday we found out fast that we are really in a branch. We are pretty much the counselors to the branch president and help run the branch. We blessed the sacrament and both gave talks. We will have to do it every week and might even have to run the meetings every now and then. We have about 15 active members in the branch. To Top it all off- I am recovering from Chickungunya. I had an awful rash, fever a couple of nights, and everynow and then my wrists and ankles still ache/hurt. It has been an awesome week! I am really loving it here and am enjoying training and teaching spanish to Elder Hansen. It is really awesome here outside the capital. We write in internet cafes and there are not a lot of places to eat. I have already lost weight. It is truly the best week/day of my life. -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber Rash from Chikungunya. Church building in Taxisco. New apartment. Elder Hansen
This week was a good week. We have found more success in the area and have found a lot more investigators and people to teach. Our hard work is paying off but I feel like I am going to have changes so I started saying goodbye to some of my favorite members this week.
On Thursday we decided to cook for a member family that always gives us dinner and lets us into share messages with them and helps us out. I decided to make them an easy american meal that they have never had before, one of dads specials. I made them Mac-n-cheese with fried hot dogs. They ate it all and said it was good, but said, "this is the most american food ever." It was a lot of fun. Tonight if all goes well we'll pass for another member family and have root beer floats (yes I found root beer here) with them and then share a small message with the family. We will also go eat lunch in Santa Catarina Pinula today with my district when they are on their 1 hour lunch break. I am doing great but hoping for changes. I have gotten bored here in the area and a bit complacent. I want a change of scenery. We will find out changes tomorrow in the afternoon and see what the lord has in store for me. That is about it for this week, not much new or interesting. -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber Well this last week was a great week. On Thursday we went to the Temple as a zone and I was able to receive many answers to questions I had. I love going to the Temple and wish I could go more. Hopefully everyone with a temple recommend uses it and goes at least once a month. I also bought a small Spanish quad which I am so happy about. One book now for everything and it means a lighter bag with more space. After the Temple President took us out to Chile's since we are saving money and are still under budget. I had my first steak in a year and IT WAS SO GOOD! I had a 12 oz Sirloin steak cooked to perfection! I guess you could say that Thursday was easily the highlight of the week.
The area is good. The work is slow but steady. We are trying to work more with the members and as a mission we using a program called "never go alone." The point of the program is that every week one member invites a nonmember to church. If they say "no" that is ok. keep inviting them and share parts of your testimony with them weekly. Ask the lord first who you need to invite and who you need to share you testimony with. The lord will inspire you and you will see miracles and find more happiness in your life. Think about it. If every member invited just one person, someone is bound to show up (most likely a couple) and the work of the lord will progress even faster. I invite all to never go alone to church and invite someone to Church every week, maybe it will be the same persone every week for a month until they finally come. You can invite more than one and everyone should share their testimony daily with someone. You will see a change in your life and the lives of others and will see your testimony grow and find more joy and happiness on a daily bases. I promise you! Things are going great here. I am happy and I am having the best day of my life. Still healthy, and learning lots. Well that is about it for this week. -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber This last week not much new happened. Last week we went to a really cool museum for Q5 about the Mayans and ancestors here in Guatemala. It was especially cool because there was a wall of paintings showing the change of religion through time and one thing that was painted towards the end of the wall were two, guys in white shirts and ties holding a blue book, or in other words two Mormon missionaries. I thought that was funny.
We also ate Panda Express this last Saturday after standing in line for about 30 minutes as it is the first one here in Guatemala. It was good, but not quite as good as in the states. I did miss orange chicken though and that was awesome to eat again. On Monday we had interviews with president which went well and then president bought us all Little Caesars pizza. This last week we were also able to pass for an Elderly lady in our ward who is a widow and bless her house which was a really cool experience too. Other than that things are going well. Knocking doors, teaching lessons, saving money, serving others, learning Spanish, leading my district, oh and of course having the best day of my life and making sure those around me are having the best day of their lives too. -- Having the best day of his life, Elder Gruber |