Making Chocolate From Cocoa Beans!

Early last week we met President & Sister Chacon from the Quito North Mission in the office building parking lot.  The Quito North Mission office is in the same building as our mission office and we often see Quito North missionaries, but we rarely cross paths with the mission president.  President Chacon said that he had been reviewing the photos from Elder Holland's visit and that there was a really good photo of Elder Lewis shaking hands with Elder Holland.  President Chacon emailed it to us later that evening.  Just for the record, I'm in the photo as well shaking hands with Elder Zeballos of the Quorum of the Seventy, but I'm completely hidden from view by Elder Holland.  

When Elder Holland spoke in our missionary meeting, he said that he'd had a personal eye to eye interview with everyone while shaking hands.  I'm wondering how Elder Lewis' interview went?? 😉

Last week, we went on a teaching appointment with the Elders to a young woman who had returned from serving a full-time mission in the Chili Concepcion Mission.  She was totally inactive within 2 months of returning home.  She said she would come to Church on Sunday, but we didn't see her.  It is sad to think that just a short time ago she was encouraging others to accept the blessings of the restored gospel, and now the missionaries are encouraging her to REMEMBER the blessings of that same gospel that she so recently testified of. 

Life can be challenging for departing missionaries.  Many return to difficult family situations, have little or no money, and have no definite plans for their future.  Despite all of that, they do have what is most important - a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ and a knowledge of His atoning sacrifice for them.   It's important that they protect that relationship at all costs.

When missionaries leave the Quito Ecuador Mission we have an opportunity to see them in the office before their departure.  I always look them in the eye, express appreciation for their service, and lovingly, but firmly tell them to STAY TRUE TO THE FAITH!

Today, as I was finalizing the mission history and reviewing photos of departing missionaries, I was wondering how they were doing and how they are progressing.

Speaking of progressing, progress is being made on the new mission office in the Colon Chapel.  With that being said, Elder Lewis and I spent Saturday looking for an apartment that would be closer to the chapel.  Our current apartment is a 5 - 7 minute walk from the mission office, but a 12 - 15 minute walk to the chapel where the new office will be.  We don't mind the extra walking distance, but when there's an emergency it would be nice to be close.  Last week, we made two emergency walks to the mission office.

While searching for an apartment, we were able to get in and see two apartments.  We will be seeing more apartments on Wednesday.  We know it is going to be challenging to find another apartment that is as nice, spacious, and inexpensive as the one we are currently living in.

Last night, the Guerrero Family invited us to learn how to make chocolate. It was a GREAT follow-up activity to our November trip to their cocoa farm (https://quitoquest.blogspot.com/2019/11/zone-conference-finca.html). 

We began making chocolate by roasting the cocoa seeds/beans over the stove.  After the beans had cooled, we took them in our fingers, gave them a slight twist and broke away the shell, revealing the actual cocoa bean.  The bean looked like the body of a large cockroach. 

Roasted cocoa beans in their shells.

Removing the shell.

The top bowl contains the cocoa bean. The bottom bowl are the broken shells.

Once we had shelled the cocoa bean, we put them in a grinder and ground them into a powder that was the texture of cornmeal.  That meal-like powder was ground a second time, bringing out the oils. We were then able to squeeze the oily powder together with our hands, knead it, and form a soft chocolate dough.

Grinder

Grinding the cocoa bean into powder.

Cocoa powder.

We then put the dough in round or square molds and placed the molds in the refrigerator to harden the chocolate. In less than 5 minutes, the chocolate was ready to remove from the molds and store for later use.  With no additives or preservatives, the shelf life of the chocolate is approximately 4 months at room temperature.

100% Chocolate rounds. 

Before we kneaded the chocolate into dough, Brother Guerrero had taken a large tablespoon of powder to make some delicious hot chocolate.

Homemade hot chocolate and dinner rolls.

While we were making chocolate, Erika - their 18 year old daughter who is taking a 12-week baking course, made some delicious dinner rolls that we enjoyed with the hot chocolate.

L - R: David, Brother Victor Guerrero, Sister Silvia Guerrero, Elder Lewis, and Erika

The process of making chocolate was much easier than I expected.  We were also impressed with the concentration of the chocolate.  One tablespoon of the chocolate powder made at least 2 quarts of hot chocolate.

The Guerrero's sent us home with some chocolate rounds.  I'm excited to try some "homemade chocolate" in my "homemade" brownie recipe.

Love to all!
Elder & Sister Lewis