Grandchild #29 Arrives & COVID Strikes the Mission!

We are pleased to announce that our 29th grandchild arrived this afternoon - Jane Lew Cooper.  Congratulations to our sweet daughter Staci and her husband Kraig.  Dad, Mom, and baby are doing well.  Little Jane weighs 8 lb. 9 oz. and is 20 inches long.  Jane is welcomed by her two sisters Mae (4) and Emma (2).  Mission blessings for us!

JANE LEW COOPER: Her Mom's summary - "Fresh from Heaven.  Two weeks late, but worth the wait!"

Today, we discovered that COVID has been in the Ecuador Quito Mission for several weeks.  On Thursday, we sent back 10 Peruvian missionaries.  When the missionaries arrive in their home country, they are quarantined for 2 weeks.  The Peruvian missionaries were also given the antibody test and 3 of them tested positive for COVID.  One of the missionaries was Elder Felix, the housing secretary, who we have been working with nearly everyday for the past 6 months!

Missionaries test positive for COVID-19 in the Ecuador Quito Mission! 
Precautions were taken and will continue to be taken to insure the  health and safety of all missionaries.

About a month ago, Elder Felix missed a few days at the office because he was sick.  I assumed that he'd either picked up a stomach bug from one of the other missionaries or had eaten some contaminated food. It never occurred to me that he might have COVID.  Once he returned to work, he seemed a little despondent.  I attributed it to his disappointment about leaving the mission before his release date in December.   Poor diagnosis on my part.  With current pandemic conditions, my mind should have been screaming ...... "COVID!"

This week, those missionaries who lived in the same apartments as the Peruvian Elders that tested positive, will be tested for the virus, along with the office missionaries (which includes us.)  I'm pretty sure that Elder Lewis and I have not had COVID.  However, knowing that we've been so closely exposed will keep us on red alert for symptoms.

Our mission continues to welcome new missionaries.  This week we had 4 Elders and 1 Sister arrive.  These missionaries are the first remotely trained missionaries to arrive in the mission.  Their arrival was notable for me, because when President Barlow asked Elder Lewis and I to introduce ourselves I stood up and started my introduction in Spanish.  It just came out!  I wasn't planning on it, I hadn't rehearsed it, and I was not expecting it.  After the first few sentences, when I realized I was speaking in Spanish, I quickly reverted to English.  Looking back, I think I could have said almost everything I did say in Spanish, IF I would have just continued with faith.  Don't misunderstand, I'm far from conversational in Spanish and I have absolutely no fluency, but I'm making progress.  YAHOO!

[L-R:] New missionaries arriving on May 19 - Elder Oviedo, Elder Torres, Elder Abad, and Hermana Tuapanta. 
All are native Ecuadorians, and the first remotely trained missionaries to enter the mission. 
Not pictured is Elder Yambela who arrived on May 21.

With 65 days of ongoing COVID  restrictions, we have noticed some enterprising individuals adapting to the circumstances as they work to provide for their families.  For the past 3 Wednesdays, this truck has pulled up and parked outside of our apartment complex to sell fruits and vegetables.  The truck doesn't arrive quietly and wait for costumers.  Rather, the entrepreneurs make their presence known with loud announcements and music.  This week was especially boisterous, interrupting both Elder Lewis' and my morning study and reverie. 

Love and blessings to all!
Elder & Sister Lewis