Merry Christmas!

Greetings from the Lewis Family!  We send our warmest wishes for a wonderful Christmas week!  We hope and pray that you will feel the spirit of the season, the Spirit of Christ, in meaningful and memorable ways.  We bear our humble testimonies that He is the Son of God; because of His birth, His ministry, and His mission to redeem all mankind, we know that families can be together forever!

Family photo taken on 12 July 2019 following Natalie's & Brad's marriage sealing ceremony in the Provo City Center Temple.

The week before last, was slow and quiet in the mission office as we prepared for upcoming zone conferences.  This last week, the office staff was busy assisting with the Christmas zone conferences, welcoming 3 new missionaries, and saying "farewell" to 5 departing missionaries.

A special honor for the Ecuador Quito Mission was to have Elder Mathias Held and his wife, Irene, attend and speak at the conferences.  The missionaries were uplifted and inspired by their messages.  

Elder and Sister Held "could aptly be called personifications of a global church.  Both are Columbians of German ancestry.  Jobs and schooling have taken them from their South American homeland to Canada, Germany, Guatemala, Brazil, and, finally, back to Colombia.  In each country, they've adjusted to new languages and cultures." (See https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/)

109 Missionaries from 4 of the 9 zones - La Colon, Los Chillos, San Rafael, and Turubamba.

I was looking forward to hearing Elder and Sister Held speak on Thursday, but at the request of Sister Barlow, I stayed in another room with Sister Hammond, a missionary who was ill and resting, so that her companion could hear their messages.

My time was not wasted.  Earlier in the week, I had downloaded onto my smart phone "Insights From a Prophet's Life" by Sheri Dew.  It was a perfect read while watching over Sister Hammond.  I finished the e-read this afternoon and would highly recommend it to all!  

During zone conferences, the missionaries received a mission Christmas card, a notebook with the mission logo on the cover and a pen from President and Sister Barlow, a pair of socks from a missionary's parents, and their flu shots.  Gifts that will keep on giving.....especially the flu shots😉!

Yesterday, Elder Lewis and I took a trip to Otavalo with a personal tour guide (Enrique) who is also a member of the La Colon Ward that we attend.  Enrique told us that Church members in Quito, referred to Otavalo as Utah-valo, because the Church is very strong in that area.  Many of the members are of the Quichua tribe and maintain their tribal customs of beautiful handmade native dress and longer hairstyles for men.  They are also exceptional craftsman and sell their wares at the well known artesian market in Otavalo.  

It was a perfect day in many ways.  Our first stop was at Puertolago, a beautiful lakeside resort with a strong Swiss-German influence.  The meticulous grounds and gingerbread chalets were charming and inviting.  

Elder & Sister Lewis at Puertolago Resort near Otavalo.

Following our stop at Puertolago, we went into Otavalo to spend some time at the Artesian marketplace.  We were looking for a hand-carved nativity set and an Ecuadorean alpaca blanket.  The market was LARGE and busy.  But, we were successful in a very short time, and among other sights and sounds, found both a nativity set and a blanket. 

Yes, a roasted pig at the Otavalo Market.  

Hand-carved and hand-painted nativity set. 

Alpaca blanket with an Ecuadorean metric design.

When we finished our shopping experience we went to the waterfall park - Cascada de Peguche.  It was a beautiful, romantic park that posted the following reminder - "one who serves nature, will be served by her."  

Elder & Sister Lewis at the entrance of Cascada de Peguche in Otavalo, Ecuador.

The cobblestone walkways, waterfalls, foliage, hiking trails, unknown Quichua man, bridges, caves and the Quichua's solar calendar provided an exhilarating afternoon of exploration.  

It may be difficult to see, but there is a line of cobblestones to mark the middle of the path.

The beautiful Peguche waterfall is considered one of the main tourist attractions of the country 

and is an intercultural representation of the Quichua people.

A stairway to the point of purification and cave entrance.

Thermal-medicinal and curative pools build in the 17th century.

Unknown Quichua man who appeared on a trail.  When I pointed to my camera to see if

he would allow me to take his photo, he waved a friendly greeting.

Elder Lewis on the swinging bridge that looked and felt rickety. It was a solo walk for both of us.

Elder Lewis standing in a cave to the right of the waterfall.

Quichua solar calendar that represents the father sun who determines the times of harvest, preparation of land, and sowing.

We also thought these alpacas were cute and festive, and we couldn't resist getting our photo taken for $1😉!

Max & Kary?

No......here we are for real!

On our drive back to Quito, Enrique suggested we stop for some bizcochos, cheese, and hot chocolate.  Bizcochos are unsweetened shortbread like cookies that are eaten with a stick of mozzarella cheese and a cup of hot chocolate.  There were multiple "Fabrica de Bizcochos" shops just outside of Otavalo.  

Bizcochos Shop outside of Otavalo.

We stopped at one, and then I suggested we travel to a bizcochos shop that I had noticed on our drive into Otavalo.  We traveled a little further and found the shop I remembered.  We weren't too impressed with the bizcochos, but the cheese and hot chocolate were tasty.  After I had eaten 2 of my 4 bizcochos, I went back to the counter to ask for a take-out bag.  The young woman at the counter didn't understand what I was asking for, but a co-worker (who looked North American) understood what I was asking for and said a few words to me in perfect English.  I responded with a friendly, "You speak English!"  He must have sensed my excitement at his "perfect" English, because a few minutes later, after I returned to our table and told Elder Lewis and Enrique that the man behind the counter spoke great English and had to be North American, he came to our table.  We found out that he was originally from Oklahoma (we lived in Ponca City, OK for 8 years), had lived in Panama for 15 years, and was now living in Ecuador.  We had a wonderful conversation about his path to Ecuador and our work as missionaries. He was Protestant and we invited him and his girlfriend to investigate one of the many wards in Otavalo.  

To end a perfect day, I asked Enrique to stop at one of the multiple roadside flower stands so that I could buy some flowers to arrange.  The beautiful mountains outside of Otavalo are dotted with greenhouses.  In some places, there are just a few rows of greenhouses; and in other places, there are acres with rows and rows of greenhouses.  

We purchased 2 dozen flowers for $4.  There were so many to varieties and colors to choose from, but I settled on a bouquet of mums, roses, and lilies.  It was fun to bring them home and try my hand at flower arranging.  

We are so grateful to be serving as missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We feel the hand of God in the work we do and our hearts are filled with love for God, for the missionaries, for President and Sister Barlow, for the Ecuadorean people, and for our family and friends.  We send our love to all of you and pray that  God's blessings will be with you as 2019 draws to a close.  

Sincerely,

Elder & Sister Lewis