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.
