Easy vs. Difficult

This week, 41 native Ecuadorean missionaries who were serving in Mexico missions were released from quarantine and welcomed into the Ecuador Quito Mission.  Receiving 41 missionaries at once is a pretty BIG event.  This time, the welcome was hosted in a large conference room at the Hilton Hotel where the missionaries had been quarantined.  It went very smoothly.  As seen in the photo below, the conference room was set up to accommodate social distancing. 

Honoring social distancing for the introduction meeting.  Missionaries moved a little closer together for a group photo.

The missionaries arrived with their masks on, left their luggage in the large gathering space outside of the conference room, came in, and took a seat.  President & Sister Barlow and the Assistants conducted the meeting from the front of the room.  Elder Lewis and I were invited to make our brief introductions and we did so in Spanish. 

Following his introduction, President Barlow gave some brief instructions and then, one at a time, announced new companionships and their area of assignment.  The new companionships came to the exit where they received a smartphone, keys to their apartment, and a welcome packet by the office secretaries.  After exiting the conference room, they picked up their luggage, and were directed to one of the 4 buses that were waiting outside to take them to their sector.  Logistically, it was exceptional!

With quarantine restrictions partially lifted, President Barlow's was planning for the missionaries to begin teaching again in public locations between the hours of 2 - 6 PM.  However, shortly before he made that announcement, the Area Presidency texted him and said, "Absolutely NOT!  Missionaries are in quarantine until further notice."  So, 41 new missionaries went from hotel quarantine to apartment quarantine.  We continue to fast and pray that they will soon return to their labors. In the meantime, we are impressed with their optimism and obedience.

Wednesday we had a severe thunder and hail storm.  When you live at an elevation of 9600 feet, a severe thunder storm sounds and feels life-threatening, and heavy hail makes you appreciate quarantine conditions.

Hail collected on the tin roof below our apartment window.

On Thursday, we had a Zoom verification meeting with the new missionaries that had arrived 3 weeks ago.  Elder Lewis and I had the opportunity to do our office presentation in Spanish and it went well.  Elder Lewis did exceptionally well.  We are learning Spanish, and we're feeling more comfortable trying to use what we know.  We appreciate the patience and encouragement of the missionaries.

During the verification meeting, while President Barlow was talking about adjusting to mission life and a new companion, I felt impressed to make a list of the things that I found to be EASY and DIFFICULT as a missionary, and then to discuss it with Elder Lewis.  It was a timely impression because on Friday, June 5th we reached our 10-month mark in Quito.  Here’s the list I made:

EASY - it was easy to:

Love the people, culture, climate, and food.

Love the missionaries.

Love President & Sister Barlow.

Find new friends.

Love our little apartment.

Overlook the language differences.

Use technology for frequent family communications.

Use the same currency - US dollar.

Adjust to the time zone (same year round) and the year-round consistency of sunrise/sunset - 12 hours of light, 12 hours of dark.  

Let go of home, yard, and car maintenance.

DIFFICULT - it was difficult to:

Miss important family events - birth of Baby Jane, baptisms, temple experiences, etc.

Not be busy enough and occasionally feel a little useless (especially during quarantine).

Rediscover companion differences - extrovert vs. introvert. (Who's who?  Your guess!)

Experience language limitations.

Loose so much hair.

Have my phone stolen.

Be without my desktop computer, grand piano, and sewing machine - especially during quarantine.

I'm sure my list will have modifications as we continue our service.  But, at this point in time, we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission, and for the incredible blessings that the gospel of Jesus Christ has brought into our lives over the past 10 months.  

Perhaps you have seen the recent photo of President Nelson preparing for "home church" and the sacrament by vacuuming their dining room on Saturday.  I'm pleased to share that Elder Lewis has been doing his part to maintain our apartment.  

Elder Lewis vacuuming his office area and removing any evidence
of chocolate bars eaten while studying.

For the first time in over 75 days we were able to take an Uber, go to the mall to buy some much needed ink for our printer, and shop at Megamaxi (equivalent of a Super Walmart).  It was liberating! I was also able to take a long walk in the late afternoon and enjoy the beautiful weather.  Wonderful days are upon us!

Quicentro Mall - temperature and a spray-down were required before entering.
Each store within the mall had its own requirements for entering. Some required
another temperature check and another spray-down, others didn't require anything but a face mask.

We send our love to all!

Elder & Sister Lewis