January in Ecuador

I want to share some things that have taken place here in Ecuador this month. Ecuadorians and I think most Spanish speaking countries have a tradition of making paper mache figures, often life size, and then burning them at midnight on New Year's Eve. It represents burning up and clearing out all of the bad and making way for the new and better in the New Year. And every holiday is a good reason for fireworks. This was the view out our window at midnight on New Year's Eve:

There were a lot of burned spots in the park the next morning but everyone had a good time and I hope everyone was safe and sound after all of the fires and fireworks from the previous night.

On Sunday, the 4th of January we went to Saraguro and they were having a parade!

 

 

 

 

I do not know much about the Saraguro culture. It is one of many indigenous cultures in Ecuador. Both the men and the women wear their hair in a long braid at the back of their head. They wear dark clothing and the men wear short pants that come below the knee. They almost always wear a hat. The individuals I have met are very nice and I respect people who choose to retain their culture and traditions. They live in a very beautiful mountain valley. We were there that Sunday so Lewis could confirm Jorge Ollala. He is the young man in the center forming a heart shape with his fingers. We have a "group" in Saraguro - smaller than a branch. After Jorge there are a few more photos taken in Saraguro.

 

 

Our mission is participating in a new trial program designed to improve the health of the missionaries. They usually have their mid day meal (the largest meal of the day) at the home of a member who is kind enough to feed them. The missionaries have a schedule that does not allow time for preparing and cooking a full meal with all the needed nutrition using only very basic equipment. There are a few microwaves in the mission but this is a culture of shopping very frequently and doing everything by hand. Most people do have a blender but that is about as exotic as it gets. They prepare a new soup every day, cook a meat dish, make rice and a vegetable side dish for their main meal. Our mission is beginning to train "pensionistas" who will cook for the missionaries five days a week for two weeks and receive $2.50 for each meal for each missionary. They made it clear that it might not cover all of their expenses but it would certainly make it easier to accommodate hungry missionaries. President Torres came to Loja and the nurses taught basic sanitation rules and explained our mission rules as well. The Elders and Sisters cannot eat together. There must be an adult male in the home when the Elders are there. Our missionaries cannot eat lettuce or raw cabbage, raw vegetables or pork. The women who cook for the missionaries are wonderful and certainly appreciated by the missionaries. It is a marvelous thing how so many women are willing to sacrifice for the missionaries.The Relief Society presidents help coordinate this program and the missionaries choose the pensionistas. We also went to Zamora to do an additional training with Sister Brule who is the local nurse here in Loja.

 

We had a fun outing with President Garcia who is a counselor in the District Presidency. The District is planning a camping activity for the Young Men in February. We went with him and his son to Podocarpus to make arrangements. This is the largest National Park in Ecuador and is very large. We only saw a tiny part but it is obviously beautiful. Spectacle bears, big cats, tapirs and innumerable birds and insects and plants live here.

 

 

 

 

My translation: This land is not a gift from our ancestors but rather it is on loan from our grandchildren. 

 It had been raining and crystal clear water was flowing everywhere. In the creek bed and through the stone pathways.

 Oso de Anteopjos is a Spectacle Bear

 

Look at these "mushrooms". Aren't they beautiful? Moss is everywhere and so very many kinds of plants.

 This is a map of the park. It is in the very south of Ecuador near Peru.

I saw a half dozen of these amazing red plants during our short walk in the rain. 

President Garcias has been on this hike. He says it is about 8 miles as the crow flies but none of it is straight or level. He says not everyone comes back alive. This is not a wheelchair friendly kind of place. They take your name and identification and ask how long you plan to stay. If you don't return as expected they will look for you but make no promises as to the time frame.

This is my new best Russian friend. He is my only Russian friend. His name is Linas Davidavicius. He was born in Lithuania. He speaks Lithuanian, Russian, Polish, Spanish and English. He has lived here in Vilcabamba for 5 years. He has joined the LDS church here and left last Sunday to go to Denmark. He has yet to learn Danish but he is confident that he will learn it quickly. He is an intelligent, earnest man who is delighted to have been baptized and wonders exactly why the Lord wants him to go to Denmark. He promised to send us an email. Today is the day he is to arrive. He has a place to stay and he knows where the church is located. We wish him well. He is more comfortable with English than Spanish so Lewis taught him one lesson and he and I have had several conversations. Good man.

Here he is with Elder Collins and Elder Del Pino who taught and baptized him.

We are going to Guayaquil tomorrow for a presidency meeting at the mission home and a leadership meeting with the zone leaders and sister trainers on Monday. Love those bus rides.

Wonderful Event in the New Year

On January 3, 2015 our daughter Leiann's oldest son, Colby was married in the Mt Timpanogos Temple in Utah to Kyrsten White. Our family has begun another generation. Wow, I remember thinking that I would never be able to go anywhere without a diaper bag and now I am not too far away from being a great grandma! We have not yet met Kyrsten but from all reports we are sure she is the perfect addition to our family and we look forward to getting to know her.

They had a lovely reception that evening and will also have an Open House at Snyder's home in Nampa, ID next Saturday. Here a few photos of the players and the festivities so we can participate.

The five Barnard daughters got together at Costco to get last minute things needed for the celebrations. Above you can see Leiann, the mother of the groom, Nancy (who lives in American Fork and generously houses all of us when we pass through Utah), Susan and Christie (mother of another returned missionary and who was probably taking notes) live in Idaho near Leiann and us. Emily lives in Camarillo, CA where we all lived together quite a few years ago.

I love this shot. This is the five daughters plus Rosie. Rosie is our almost daughter we met in Tenerife on our first mission and who lives in Provo. Above you can see Christie, Rosie, Susan, Emily, Nancy and Leiann. In front is Ella, Emily's youngest. She is always sure that every photo is directed at her. She is not afraid of the spotlight and a very cute photo-bomber.

Here is the reception:

This is the Snyder family except for Troy who is serving in the Ghana Accra Mission. When we left Bryce was not that tall! Bryce, Leiann, Colby, Kyrsten, Cary and Paige.

This is Kyrsten's mother, Randalee who is the daughter of Randy and Verda Wilkinson. Before we left on this mission we were serving as ward missionaries in the Spanish Ward in the Nampa West Stake. Randy was the ward mission leader. Verda was the chorister in Primary. They invited us over for dinner and we enjoyed the many hours we spent working with them. Colby chose their granddaughter. We live in a small world full of great people.

This is Paul and MarJean Lewis with Leiann and Cary. Paul was the Snyder's bishop when they lived in Camarillo. I remember one time when we were out of town years ago with the Snyders, Bishop Lewis called to wish one of the children Happy Birthday. He would call every member of his ward on their birthday. Amazing...but then they are an amazing couple.

I think all of the Snyder family was able to attend. This is Amberly Snyder, who is also an amazing person. She was in a car accident and is now confined to a wheelchair except when she is on the back of a horse as a competitor in rodeo events. She does barrel racing and is very, v e r y good.

We appreciate receiving photos and being able to feel included in this special day. We wish Colby and Kyrsten every happiness.

Christmas 2014

Lots of Christmas decorations adorned the city of Loja this year. This tree features Disney characters and is in one of the plazas downtown. Lots of shopping and bustle as we were looking for a place to copy DVDs so all the missionaries could have a copy of "He is the Gift" produced by the church. Below is the manger scene the district of Loja created for the Christmas Devotional presented by the Guayaquil South Mission. It is on the front porch of the district chapel.

 

 #He is the Gift, #SharetheGift:

SUD is LDS in Spanish. 

They did a great job of decorating the chapel for the performance. There were seven Sister missionaries and four elders plus two pianists. They did the songs from "Greater Than Us All" by Kenneth Cope. Amazing music and beautifully done. Sister Murri plays the violin so very well and Elder Martinez is a master on the flute. The guys on the piano made it all come together. I am no musician but I thought it was wonderful. They performed the concert three times in Guayaquil for the stakes there. They also came to the districts; Santa Rosa, Cuenca and Loja. Below our missionaries are arriving and are available to help get everything ready.

 The performers are here. They are warming up and testing the speakers.

Below are Sister Pack, Sister Nelson, Sister Whitmore and Sister Nazer:

Here is Sister Murri, Sister Flinders, Sister Alvarado and Sister Pack again. 

Here are our piano guys, Elder Wendt and Elder ?:

Elder Orange, Elder Gaetas, Elder Valverde and Elder Martinez:

In Loja, we had a group that opened the program with two Christmas carols.

There was narration and the music was presented with such feeling that the Spirit was very strong. It was a lovely experience. The chapel was very full. Catamayo actually rented a bus and 30 of them came together. It definitely brought the Christmas spirit to our members and all who attended.

The second Christmas event was a visit to the temple. President Torres invited all of the missionaries (except Galapagos) to come to Guayaquil and attend the temple. It took three days with two sessions each day to accommodate all of the approx. 250 missionaries.  They stayed in the temple apartments and went to the 8:00 AM or the 9:AM session. At 11:30 all were invited to have lunch in the cafeteria in the temple. We had the privilege of being with them for the three days. Below are the ones waiting Tuesday morning in the alojamiento.

 

 

 

We stayed in Guayaquil for another two days to do apartment inspections, Lewis had a mission presidency meeting and we joined the Guayaquil stake presidents for a lovely dinner at the mission home with President and Sister Torres. Also the choir gave a concert to the temple missionaries and the temple presidency in front of the alojamiento. I was so happy to get to hear it again. 

Below is Elder Martinez:

Sister Murri makes it look so easy to get wonderful music from a violin:

This is Sister Pack singing "His Hands".  She told me this day that she was so surprised to see Lewis in Loja because he looks so much like her grandfather. She is from Logan, Utah and we couldn't find any close relations but how nice to feel a connection if only from appearance. We do have more in common than appearance just by being members of the church.

 President Torres thanked the temple missionaries for their service and wished us all a meaningful and Merry Christmas.

 

On Christmas Day we ate dinner with our landlady, Maria Luisa and her two daughters, Carolina and Cristina. Carolina's boyfriend joined us as well. They are college students. Cristina has graduated in accounting and is working at the College of Architecture in Quito. She came back home for a Christmas visit. Maria Luisa has been a great friend to us here in Loja.

The highlight of our Christmas Day was the chance to talk with each of our children. They are all doing well and we look forward to seeing them in person in 2015!