Introductions

I would like to introduce you to the wonderful people here in Guayaquil who are our new best friends. We are lucky enough to have a built-in peer group that has welcomed us so warmly. We joined three other senior couples from the USA: the Martins, the Johnsons and the Bottorffs. There are also four senior couples who are native Spanish speakers: the Estrellas, the Zunigas, the Campos and the Chamoros. The first Monday we were here we were invited to a game night with the English speakers.  Sister Bottorff, Brother Martin and Brother Bottorff are in the photo below. (Brother Bottorff went to the emergency room that night in severe pain and later had his gall bladder removed. He had not had any previous pain but it was very badly infected. Scary experience for him and his wife but he is recovering very well and will resume his temple service soon.)

 Sister Martin and Sister Johnson

 Grandpa and Brother Johnson

Sister Chiza came to join us less than two weeks ago. It is our same Sister Chiza from the PEF Service Center in Quito on our last mission. She had been traveling by bus to serve in the temple part time. Now she is a full time missionary and living in one of the apartments here. There is another single sister who will come and share the apartment with her who will arrive later this month. Anibal and Lucia Morales came to the temple! They are the couple who also worked with us for an entire year in Quito. We were so happy to have a reunion. We didn't know they were coming and were gone part of the first day they were here but we did get a visit before our shift. They came and had breakfast with us the next morning before they went to another session and then returned home. They hope to get their affairs in order soon and come and serve full time here. (They had a house built and the builder has not finished several important things. They need to be there to see that he completes the job as agreed.)

The Morales and Sister Chiza

We have a monthly Family Home Evening with all of the senior couples, President and his wife and the couple who manage the building where we live along with their two young adult daughters. Our first one included a fun getting to know you game and a tribute to the Campos who will end their service here this week. The are from Otavalo (Remember going there, Morgan?) and have the long hair they wear in a single braid down their back. Their young men can serve missions without cutting their hair. They speak Quichua. Brother Campo speaks Spanish but Sister Campo only speaks Spanish about as well as I do. She has never learned to read or write so it is difficult for her to do some of the jobs in the temple. But no one has as sweet a smile as she does. She is very small, the mother of 10 children and 36 grandchildren. All of their children are married in the temple and their grandchildren are beginning to serve missions just like ours are. Some of their children live in the USA and in other countries. They are as proud of their family as we are of ours.They will be missed here in the temple. Brother Campo is always ready to go home after their temple shift before Sister Campo comes out of the sister's dressing room. He says, "I am hungry" in English and complains that she takes too much time painting her face in Spanish. I think he is really very proud of her. And I don't think she paints her face.

Thank you for living good lives and caring about other people and being the kind of individuals that we can't help but be proud of.
Love, Grandma Pettingill