A Private Concert and Lunch at Sister Pacheco's home

We had a lovely experience when the choir that sang at our Christmas Devotional came and sang to the temple missionaries before a training meeting. They were at least as wonderful as they were in the stake center. We felt very privileged to have a special concert just for us. They also shared their experience of singing at the temple dedication 14 years ago. They said that they were sure that their voices were joined by others beyond the veil during the dedication meeting. They remember their experience vividly and enjoyed sharing it with us.

Sister Pacheco is a small, regal lady who has worked in the temple for many years. She apparently has quite a life story. I found a copy of the book she has written about her life and am in the process of reading it. It is in Spanish so it will take me a while. She invited the Tuesday morning shift and all of the temple missionaries and the president and his wife to her home on January 6th (which is the official end of the Christmas season and was conveniently on a Monday) to come and have lunch with her and welcome the new year. She lives about a 1/2 hour away from the temple by taxi and we traveled with the Martins. When President Groberg and his wife arrived we were welcomed formally by Sister Pacheco with a speech. Sister Viteri conducted and we had a spiritual thought by Brother Estrella and then each of us was asked to say a few words. Spanish speakers have a hard time saying only a few words but I enjoyed it and was able to understand most of what was said. It was all positive and grateful and a very nice beginning to a new year. We were served pork chops, Russian salad (a potato salad with lots of extra stuff in it), rice and something I thought was very strange. I was surprised that it was cold and I couldn't identify what it was. Another cultural mystery. I should ask Sister Chiza. Sister Pacheco tried to send some home with me later and I deferred - I hope tactfully.

Sister Chiza, Sister Gallo, Brother Chamorro, Sister ?, Brother Estrella, Sister Estrella, Sister Pacheco, Sister Groberg, President Groberg, Brother Zuñiga, Sister Zuñiga, 

 Sister Landetta, Sister Chiza and Sister Gallo

 Sister Estrella, Sister Pacheco, The Grobergs

Christmas tree, nativity scene, the painting of the Salt Lake temple was done by Sister Pacheco

Sister Groberg telling us about Sister Pacheco's book.

 Another of Sister Pacheco's paintings

She painted this view from the living room's front balcony. The Christmas tree is in the right corner location in the painting. The balcony visible in the photo above is on the side wall of the living room. We are on the second floor of the house.

The Martins are thanking Sister Pacheco, in her kitchen, for a lovely afternoon.

Celebrating Christmas

It is all about the food. Not really but it seems you can't get members of the church together to celebrate without good things to eat. We decided to have a very casual Christmas Eve. We were each going to bring something nourishing and something with sugar. I took a couple of photos when we first got to the Bottorff's apartment and then forgot about my camera. There was lots of yummy food both with and without sugar. We brought a spicy Asian noodle dish with chicken. I'm not sure where that idea came from. It is certainly not traditional in our family but it hit the spot. We had lots of treats as well: cornflake cookies, toffee bars, pies, candy, brownies, cake. We certainly missed the Johnsons They were both still at the hospital but we talked with them by cell phone and learned that Brother Johnson would have surgery in the morning to put screws in his broken bone. He had indeed broken his hip but if one had to choose which kind of a break to have, his was the easiest to heal.

Christmas Day we all got together to enjoy a delicious roasted turkey and stuffing - thanks to Sister Bottorff, mashed potatoes and gravy with salads and vegetables and more goodies of course. It was a lovely meal with good company and we were happy to be together. We learned that Brother Johnson's surgery went well and that he should be home in a couple of days. Then we were all anxious to go back to our apartments and spend time "Skyping" with our children and their families. Christmas is for families and we were so happy to have the chance to talk with you and wish you a Merry Christmas from sunny Guayaquil.

Good Bye to the Ripples

This is one very special couple. They were called to leave their home in Nova Scotia, Canada to serve as missionaries in the Guayaquil Temple several years ago. Neither one had ever had any experience with Spanish. They served in the temple every day that it was open but Brother Ripple had more energy and desire  to serve than the temple used up, so his wife set out to find something he could work on. With her limited Spanish she tried to explain to Sister Valero that her husband was a carpenter and needed additional work to do during their mission. I'm sure it was an interesting conversation. I understand that before it was over there were a lot of sketches on scrap paper and both were in tears. The Valero family had been saving for years and buying used building materials. Their family needed (not just wanted) improvements in their home. It was not completely enclosed--both the elements, and other people, could enter at any time. The bathroom and the kitchen did not have all the most basic requirements to serve their purposes. There were no interior doors or closets. This wonderful couple, who both work outside the home long hours, serve 1/2 day in the temple every Saturday and have heavy responsibilities in the ward did have a need and Brother Ripple was the man to provide a solution.

Debbie and Peter Ripple had been wondering why they were in Guayaquil and promptly decided that the Valeros had simply prayed them here. Over the year and a half of their mission the "house" was transformed into an appropriate home for a family. There remained a problem with the roof that was aging rapidly but the time and money ran out. The Ripples returned home, saved for a couple of years and came back to finish the job. Again they lived in the alojamiento and served as patrons every morning and worked on the house every afternoon for two months. It now has a new roof, several more improvements and will serve the Valero family well for many years.

Brother Valero is a counselor in the bishopric and Sister Valero is the Primary President of the ward we attend. We work with them in the baptistry on Saturdays. They are remarkable. They decided when they were baptized that they would take their covenants very seriously and devote their lives to serving others. They do that. He works in the rice fields that are over an hour and a half away from here. He gets up at 4:30 every morning to catch a bus and returns home long after dark. Sister Valero works as the principal and one of the teachers of a school for handicapped children that is located several hours away. She spends the weeknights in that city and comes home by bus on the weekends and school holidays. Their children are now grown; 2 daughters and one granddaughter live in their home with them. They have educated their daughters and now they each have promising employment. On Saturday mornings the Valeros always say they are fine and not tired.  I am amazed at how much they are willing to do to serve others. Brother Valero comes here to be a home teacher to the temple missionaries once a month. Our records are not even here in their ward. They must not have any idea of what leisure is and therefore do not miss it. They certainly set a great example for us. And they are never late to anything! That is remarkable in a Spanish speaking country. I do not yet have a photo of Alfonso and Mariana Valero.

Finishing December & 2013

I took this photo from the third floor where we live looking down on the first floor lobby. This is a family having their photo taken because the daughter was just set apart for her mission and she is leaving to travel to Peru. What a happy time that she has chosen to serve a mission but poignant because they are going to miss her for 18 months while she is far away. The missionary herself is excited and looking forward but sad to be away from those she will leave for the duration. We could empathize with everyone below.

The temple has been very busy during December and especially during the Christmas vacation for school kids. The baptistry has been packed and the adults have wanted to come before the end of the year also it seems. It has been busy and happy.

On Christmas Eve day we had an outing to Parque Historical here in Guayaquil. We hired one of the temple workers who owns a small school bus to take us. We left at 9:00 and found the park almost empty so it was peaceful and lovely. There is no admission charge and the park is very beautiful with mature plantings of many of the plants that grow in Ecuador.

In back, the Johnsons and the Pettingills. In front, the Bottorffs and the Martins.

 

 

 

Above are some of the animals we saw. There were lots of parrots as well as other birds. This species of deer is native to Ecuador. Here are 3, or are there 4,  2-toed sloths? This animal is a peccary (related to pigs), they travel in packs and can cause a lot of destruction. The lizard was just visiting the enclosures. They are great climbers and he had access to everything. The next guy is a tapir, related to horses (distantly) with three toed hooves and a strange nose. The last photo is of two otters. We watched as one of the workers entered the enclosure with a male otter in a dog crate. He was there to visit with the female. It was fun to watch them swim playfully with each other.

Another section of the park has re-assembled historical buildings. This was the home of a Doctor Coronel who was a wealthy shipbuilder. He, his wife and 11 children lived in this house, built in 1901.

Above is the Coronel house. It is situated right on the river. Lewis is studying the construction of the pavilion to see if he could build something similar for Sunflower Lane. You can see Brother Johnson climbing the stairs that cause a major problem shortly. I am taking a "selfy" in the mirror. The upstairs of the house, which they have opened up. Previously it had a lot of bedrooms on this floor. The view out of the windows is wonderful. You can see both the river and the park.

Brother Johnson was the first one to descend the stairs. The rest of us were at the top of the stairs and could not see him but we could all hear him falling from the landing mid way down the stairs. It was awful and so scary. His wife rushed down first and we all followed. He was lying at the base of the stairs on his back with an impressive pool of blood around his head. He responded to his wife and said he thought he was OK. He could move his arms and legs. Our guide immediately called for help on his radio. Grandpa and Brother Martin gave him a blessing. People from the park came and then an ambulance. The cut on his head was small. He said that his right hip hurt. They put him on a stretcher and then a gurney. Sister Bottorff advised Sister Johnson to request a specific hospital. (She had found out the hard way that the one they had used was very expensive and not very good.) Lewis went with the Johnsons in the ambulance. We were all a bit shaken but grateful that he was responding normally and his wife was lucid and doing so well after that shocking experience. We slowly moved toward the exit. Our young guide was so patient and kind. We got in touch with President Groberg to let him know what was happening. He and his wife were visiting people but would go to the hospital as soon as they could. Sister Johnson called us to be sure someone had their camera. So we were in contact with them. I had remembered to get keys from Lewis because I had not brought mine with me. We felt very blessed all around. It turned out that Brother Johnson had fractured his femur but not all the way through the bone. He needed surgery to put two screws in to hold it securely together. He spent three days in the hospital but then was released and is doing great. Not a lot of pain, just a lot of inconvenience. He has no cast. He can get around the apartment with a walker and has visited in the building with a wheel chair. His wife has been an amazing trooper and they say he should be able to resume his activities in a month. We realize that our lives can change, or end, in an instant and we need to be grateful and appreciate every day we have to enjoy during this life.That evening we had our Christmas Eve dinner together without the Johnsons but they were certainly in our thoughts.

The next morning was Christmas Day. The highlight was talking with all of our children. Being in the same family with our descendents is the best gift anyone could have. Thank you all for the emails and best wishes. We look forward to the time we can be with you in person but we are grateful that we can communicate even when we are far apart. We also enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner on Christmas Day. Sister Bottorff roasted a turkey and made the dressing and gravy. We all brought stuff and did indeed have a Merry Christmas.

I can hear the trash truck singing as it makes it's way down the street. I guess those guys must work even on New Year's Eve.

It is almost 2014!
Love, Los Pettingill

Two Christmas Events

We enjoyed our Christmas Devotional with all the temple workers. It is the one time a year that the temple can pull everyone who serves in the temple into a single meeting. We were pleasantly surprised by how lovely and enjoyable it was. The head gardener at the temple was responsible for decorating the chapel of a nearby stake. It was very different from anything I have seen in the states. He had the whole temple lot to pull from and there were many, many flowers and greens in the front of the chapel and at the back on the stage in the cultural hall. I do not have any photos, of course, but it was impressive and made the chapel feel very festive. They also had a choir that obviously had some professional talent. They did several numbers and there were solos as well. It was wonderful. My favorite part was the talks. I was surprised that each one was concise and I gleaned some important concepts. I was taking notes. I should do that more. It helps me concentrate. What I wrote down may not be exactly what was said. I will share some of the ideas I wrote down:

1. If we understand the temple we will live what we learn there.
2. We need to adopt the culture of the temple.
3. One worker (Eme Vera) explained that when the temple was built here, she and her husband wanted to return to Guayaquil where they had been born. They made it happen, found a small house very near the temple and made attending and serving in the temple an important focus of their family life. She said it has helped her family feel peace, find additional strength and understand the atonement more clearly. She said we should learn from our Heavenly Parents in the temple just as children learn from their parents in the home.
4. President Groberg talked of his childhood home. He said he was the 7th child with lots of brothers and sisters older than he was and also lots that were younger. John H. Groberg (The Other Side of Heaven) is one of his older brothers. He said it was the tradition in their home that his mother read the Christmas story from the book of Luke. He said many years later in his own home he invited his mother to read again and worried that she would not be able to see the words. He found that she had the entire chapter memorized.

It was a meeting we were very glad we attended. Unfortunately, we do not feel that way after every meeting we attend. (Probably more a reflection on us than on the meetings.)

Last Monday was our turn to present a Family Home Evening for the Senior Temple Missionaries, President and Sister Groberg and the family that manages our building. We were determined not to have a lecture type lesson. So, Grandpa wanted to show the PEF movie and I wanted to do a craft. We made Nativity scenes with some printed figures and watched the videos while coloring and cutting and pasting.  I think most enjoyed the diversion and they did like the refreshments. We had hot chocolate, cornflake cookies, toffee bars and cinnamon sugared almonds.

Christmas is coming very quickly. Enjoy, appreciate your loved ones, and remember the wonderful gifts for us from our Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ.

Love, Lewis and Jeri

Plant Parts

I took photos of amazing seed pods and natural things that the Grobergs have picked up on their walks in Ecuador. They are avid walkers and have found some cool things. I took the photos below during the birthday party and didn't get a chance to ask questions. Someday I hope I can learn more. I do know that the fluffy white stuff (kapok) and some of the pods are from the Ceibo (Spanish name) trees. There are several different species. Here is some info I found about these special trees:


"The flowers open during the nighttime and are pollinated by bats.  Usually, the trees flower every five years and only when the tree is leafless. This generally occurs during the dry season.  Fruits and seeds from the tree contain lightweight fibers that are water-repellent.

The ancient Maya of Central America believed that a great Ceiba tree stood at the center of the earth, connecting the terrestrial world to the spirit-world above.  The long thick vines hanging down from its spreading limbs provided a connection to the heavens for the souls that ascended them.  Even today, these grand trees are regularly spared when forests are cut — it is a common event to see lone, isolated Ceiba trees proudly spreading their shady branches high above a pasture or agricultural field, a relict of the great forests that once were there.

Ceibas have had a long commercial history.  During the 1940s the fluff, or kapok, that surrounds the seeds was harvested commercially for stuffing life preservers, seat cushions, mattresses and saddles. Being lighter than cotton, buoyant and resistant to saturation by water, it made an excellent filler for life preservers.  Until the middle of the 1900′s, nearly every stuffed life preserver and upholstered automobile seat was filled with kapok fibers.  As modern materials fell more in favor, demand for kapok fluff has fallen, and the Ceiba fruits are no longer harvested commercially. This is a blessing in disguise as deforestation of these trees has greatly diminished.

The trunks have been adapted for use as canoes.  Indigenous peoples traditionally prized the Ceiba for constructing enormous dugout canoes out of the tree’s large and cylindrical trunk.  The construction process normally takes months to complete, and may involve over a dozen men’s labor.  For many villages nestled in the forests of the tropical lowlands, these giant canoes provide the only connection to their neighbors and the rest of the world, as they are plied on the winding waterways of the rain forest.

While the wood of Ceiba is soft and light, and thus not suitable for furniture, it has been used commercially for pulpwood and plywood.   The low desirability of the wood however, may have been the Ceiba’s saving grace and one of the reason one still sees these giant trees gracing the tropical agricultural landscape."

These seeds have a very large wing attached to them:

The large dark oval below is what chocolate comes from...

I'll bet you recognize these if you have lived in Camarillo:

Remember the helicopters that would fall out of the trees in front of Christie's house on Boise Street? This is a much larger version:

Here is a side view and a top view of the same thing. Any idea what it is? Ni yo tampoco.

These are beautiful.

Alyssa, Rachel and Lydia: Do you remember the very large pods we found in the park in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. These pods (below) are much smaller but in our last Family Home Evening Sister Groberg brought a pod that was even larger than the ones we found. She broke it open (that wasn't easy) and there were large black seeds covered in a cottony white stuff. She explained that we were supposed to dig one out and pop it into our mouths and chew off the white part. I was courageous and tried it. The texture was strange but the taste was very mild and somewhat sweet. They call it guava here. It is not the same as the guava that is available in the USA.

Isn't it amazing how many different kinds of plants there are? We live in a wonderful world that has been created for us to take care of and enjoy.

Enjoy whatever nature you have around you. I've heard it is mostly ice and snow in many places this month.

 Love, Los Pettingill

Birthday Party for the President

President Groberg's birthday is the same as Cary's on November 30th. The Tuesday morning shift arranged a surprise party with Sister Groberg. I snapped some photos and thought I would share the little bit I know about some of these wonderful people. We are in the apartment of President and Sister Groberg. It is on the ground floor of the alojamiento where we also live. This first woman is Sister Landetta. She is not young and she is always beautifully dressed. She wears the most amazing shoes and carries herself like a moviestar. (See all that cool stuff on the low table. I took photos and will make another blog post with those.)

This woman below recently came back from a long vacation in the United States. She had with her an old expired recommend instead of the new recommend she had received in the USA. Lewis and I were at the recommend desk that morning. She did not know the name of the new bishop in her ward in Ecuador. She had to wait until the preparation meeting was over and then the counselor in the temple presidency came to talk with her. They discovered that her new bishop is the counselor's son.

Sister Pino in the blue dress is the coordinator for the women on Tuesday mornings. Her husband is beside her. Brother Pino is the coordinator of the men on Wednesday mornings. I don't know the story but there is a big difference in their ages. I suppose his first wife passed away. They spend lots of time and energy serving in the temple. They are always ready outside the temple long before the presidency member is there to open the door on Tuesday mornings at 6:00 AM.

The man speaking is President Paralles. He is giving a lovely tribute to President Groberg. He and his wife were called to serve as temple missionaries and they were asked to serve in the presidency. He does the funniest thing sometimes when we open and he is the member of the presidency serving on that shift. It is their job to open the door and stay at the desk until the missionary has changed his clothes and is ready to accept responsibility for the recommend desk. President Paralles scans his own recommend, verifies that the screen flashes green and then shakes each of his own hands, gives himself two hugs and then kisses his fingers and touches his own cheeks. Then he threatens to give his wife a very special welcome kiss to the temple. I love it because he is both confirming and making fun of the customs here that North Americans find less than efficient. Then he scans the recommends of the workers waiting to enter. In Ecuador the person at the desk usually shakes the hand of each person who enters.

This is Brother Munoz. He is the coordinator for the men on Tuesday mornings. He was asked to sing and he did and I was impressed. He sang two lively and fun songs very well indeed. 

Below Sister Pacheco is reading the lovely card that she made for President Groberg. It is made from the thin shapes of foam that are sold in craft stores but she makes amazing folk art with it. She also wrote a beautiful tribute to President Groberg mentioning his strengths and expressing appreciation for his service.

 This is President Groberg.

Sister Groberg had commissioned Sister Pacheco to make a piece of art that they will take with them and hang on the wall of their home. She made this and said it represented the tree of life with an indigenous Ecuadorian Adam and Eve.  

There was also a gift box containing the hammock you can see below. They are laughing about where they could hang it on the temple grounds. They also got wool scarves because everyone knows that they must return to snowy Idaho Falls when they leave Ecuador. 

The young woman on the couch at the left is the coordinator on Saturday mornings which is the busiest and most demanding time of the week. Her husband is in Atlanta working and in the process of getting his citizenship and she expects that she can join him in one more year. It will be three years of living apart to fulfill their dreams. She says she has a cat to keep her company. She has photos of her husband on the inside of the door of her temple locker. The woman on the right is Sister Paralles.

December is a wonderful month. Enjoy, and remember what is most important.
Love, Los Pettingill