President Winters and family were released from quarantine last Saturday. On Tuesday, following a Zoom mission leadership council meeting, they were off on a mission tour with the Assistants - Elder Duran and Elder Fueres. Their objectives were to see the geography of the mission; meet face to face with missionary companionships; and gain a first-hand perspective of missionary health, missionary apartments, and missionary living conditions.
The week following transfers is always a little slow in the mission office. This past week was no exception. We worked through Thursday and then Elder Lewis and I took Friday off to celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary. We traveled to Quilotoa Laguna for a day of hiking and sightseeing.
It was a wonderful trip and we loved seeing more of Ecuador. Our first stop was Canon del Rio Toachi........
Canyon entrance.
You read about tragic accidents when someone falls to their death while taking a selfie. It's easy to see how something like that could happen. In this photo, notice at the end of the path the small rod sticking out of the sand. At this point, the path was barely 18 inches wide and all 3 sides were shear rock cliffs that dropped to the canyon floor. Venturing out to that point would have been extremely dangerous. One misstep and you would be over the edge.
We maintained our safety by holding onto the wooden fence and staying a safe distance away
from the end of the path and the edge of the cliffs. A great analogy here. We thought
of Lehi's dream of the Tree of Life and his admonition to hold onto the iron rod or
the word of God (1 Nephi 8). We, too, can maintain our safety by holding securing to the word of God and staying a safe distance from the temptations of the adversary.
Our next and final destination was Quilotoa Laguna. Quilotoa is a water-filled caldera and the most western volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. As you stand at the top of the volcano the view is incredible. The hike to the bottom and back is 10 km/6.2 miles. You begin at an elevation of 12,841 ft. and descend 1000 ft. to the water's edge.
A view from near the top of the volcano.
Early in the day it was windy and cool at the top of Quilotoa.
A panoramic view of Quilotoa at the half-way point.
The walk down is on a 5-6 foot wide, sandy, well-charted, and maintained path. It takes about 30 minutes to walk down into the volcano and 1-2 hours to hike back out. We managed the 30 minutes down and hiked back out in 53 minutes. It was a pretty steep ascent. When we would stop for photos or a drink on our way down, I could feel my legs quivering because of the steepness of the trail. You also had to be careful not to slip when the sand was just a light dusting on the rocky face of the path.
The Quilotoa hiking trail.
The descent was steep.
When we arrived at the lake, I decided to test the temperature of the water with my feet. I pulled off my dusty shoes and socks and waded along the bank of the laguna. While doing so, I happened to step into an undetected sink hole. Within a fraction of a second, my left leg was engulfed in the grasp of gooey black sludge. l instinctively reached for a nearby rock to maintain my balance as I pulled my leg out of the sticky sludge. As my foot came to the surface, you could hear the sucking sound of the release, and smell the sulfureous stench of the mud.
Enjoying the cool water after a steep and dusty hike down.
A view across the lake.
In the course of my relaxing exploration, I found a sink hole that seemed just the right size for me.
That sink hole was a gentle reminder that sometimes in life we step into a place, intentionally or accidentally, that seems just the "right size" for us, only to discover that it's sticky and smelly, and we sink quickly. What a blessing it is to have a stable rock nearby to steady and support us as we move to safer ground.
In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Helaman teaches his two sons Nephi & Lehi, and us, to "Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery [or a sink hole] and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)
As missionaries it is a privilege to testify of the blessings that come when we build our lives upon the rock of our Redeemer, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God!
I would consider this to be my first, and hopefully only, experience with something like quicksand. With further investigation, the sink hole was just the right fit for my size 6.5 foot. Checking beneath the water's surface, the sandy beach around the sink hole was solid ground.
After scrubbing away the sludge, I climbed onto a nearby dock to visit and enjoy the scenery. Elder Lewis, myself, and our father/son tour guides then took a small motorboat ride around the lake. Along the shoreline you could see places where the water was bubbling as the gases from the ground were being released.
On our hike back, we had the option to take a horse or mule taxi to the top. But, for a cost of $10 per person, we opted to walk. We stopped several times to catch our breath and drink some water, but we made it back in good time....53 minutes. For a couple of seniors at 12,000+ feet elevation, we impressed ourselves!
A final view of Quilotoa Laguna - 14 August 2020.
An anniversary kiss to celebrate our hike to remember!
After our hike, we stopped to eat and then headed back to Quito. We were fortunate to have a father and his son as both our drivers and tour guides. It was a wonderful trip and we enjoyed our time together.
How grateful we are for this beautiful world that was created for us by our loving Heavenly Father, and the opportunity to explore parts of it in Ecuador.
Blessings to all!
Elder & Sister Lewis
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