Not IF, but WHEN.......

When COVID first came to Ecuador and the mission, Elder Lewis and I felt that it was not a question of IF we would contract COVID, but WHEN.  Well, that question was answered on Friday, September 25th (my 64th birthday), when our COVID test results came back positive.  

I began feeling poorly on Friday, the 18th.  It had been a busy week in the mission office with missionaries being released and 19 new missionaries arriving.  

When Friday arrived, I felt unusually tired and chilled.  Friday night and early Saturday morning, I started experiencing body aches, a severe headache, fever, and chills.  Tylenol took the edge off, but I was miserable.  Sunday, I felt a little better.  Tuesday morning I was feeling better, but when I tried to eat a little breakfast, I realized that I had lost my senses of taste and smell.  It was then that we decided a COVID test was in order.  By then, Elder Lewis was also showing similar symptoms.

Wednesday morning, we met two lab technicians at the old mission office.  The old office is a 5 minute walk from our apartment, and with the exception of the guard in the guardhouse at the gate, we knew the building would be empty, thus lessening the possibility of exposing anyone.

Elder Lewis, myself, and two missionaries arrived for the COVID test.  Only one of the missionaries needed to be tested because he had just been transferred from a zone where COVID rates are high.  The test was to insure that he was not infected.

For those of you who have had a COVID swab, you know it is not the most pleasant experience.  The technician first swabbed our throats and then went to work on both nostrils.  If you didn't flinch or wince, she just kept digging until there was a reaction.  I took the long road and tried to be tough....no pain! Advice to all,  I think it would be better to show discomfort from the moment the technician pulls out her 6 foot, I mean 6 inch swab!  

After our COVID test, we returned to the apartment with the understanding that our test results would be back within 24 hours.  Well, we waited all day Thursday with no results.  Friday at noon, we had the missionaries call the lab for the results.  They called several times, but the only responses they received were a list of questions like:  How long have they (meaning Max and I) been in the country?  Did they leave the country for any reason?  Where do they live? etc. etc.  Elder Lewis advised the missionaries to give them as little information as necessary.  However, the fact that the lab was asking questions, was enough for us to conclude that our COVID tests were positive.  Positive test results were confirmed late Friday night.

Interestingly enough, by Thursday and Friday I was feeling much better.  I had finally gotten some much needed rest.  I exercised, took a walk to pick up some sundry items at a nearby tienda, and felt my strength returning.  Saturday and Sunday were slow days, Monday I actually stayed in my pajamas all day.  Tuesday we were up, showered, dressed, and off to the office for a few hours.  

The office missionaries were instructed NOT to be in the office while we were there.  Before we left, we sanitized and wiped down everything from desktops to drawer handles, keyboards to keypads.  Elder Lewis walked directly back to our apartment.  I decided to go to Supermaxi to pick up some much needed grocery items.  Of course, who do I meet at the Supermaxi, but the office missionaries.  We kept our distance, but it was good to see them and I think they were relieved to see that we were on the mend.  We continued to stagger our office hours with the missionaries through the end of that week.  We definitely didn't want to make any of the missionaries sick,  and we DID NOT want President and Sister Winters to contract COVID.

Elder Lewis was 3 days behind me in recovering.  He's also experienced some COVID symptoms that I didn't have - a sore throat, cough, and skin discoloration!  We both agree that the most difficult symptom was insomnia.  Going one night with little or no sleep is doable, two nights makes one anxious, and three+ nights becomes intolerable.  We are grateful now to be sleeping well and we are regaining our strength.  I am still without taste or smell, which we understand can continue for another 4 weeks.  Elder Lewis' taste and smell has returned, his cough is nearly gone, and his coloring is normal again. 

Some friends have asked if we ever felt like our COVID symptoms were life-threatening.  Absolutely not!  We are both in excellent health and neither one of us has any pre-existing conditions, so we didn't expect anything but a full recovery.  However,  we do understand how those our age or older, who do contract the virus and have pre-existing conditions, could find themselves in serious condition.  Our hearts go out to all who have suffered from the virus and who have lost loved ones.

Before COVID struck, we enjoyed a trip to Papallacta to celebrate Max's birthday on September 11th.  Papallacta is a small community tucked away in the Andes Mountains and an hour drive from Quito.  There is little to do there besides visit the legendary Papallacta hotsprings. 

We scheduled a day at the Termas de Papallacta, a renown spa where the hotsprings have been channeled into seven large pools of water at varying temperatures.  All of the pools are comfortably warm and some are hot.  The spa is nestled in a valley with mountains on all sides.  

The spa had just opened a few days before we arrived, after being closed for several months because of COVID. We were one of a handful of couples who were there that day and we basically had the place to ourselves. We spent the morning enjoying the thermal waters and talking.  We ate lunch at the nice poolside restaurant, and then returned to the water for another hour.  After the thermal waters, we went on a beautiful hike before returning to Quito.  It was a very relaxing day and the water felt wonderful.  

I wondered if perhaps I'd contracted COVID at the spa, but Elder Lewis thought it was far more likely that I got it from a missionary, a grocery cart, a restaurant, or even the door handle on the front door of the apartment complex.  

Missionary work in Ecuador is changing, but it continues to move forward.  The missionaries are utilizing their smartphone in wonderful ways to find people who are interested in learning more about Jesus Christ and the restored gospel.  We are grateful to be a part of the work!

Today, we welcomed 12 missionaries who will do their remote missionary training in the mission, instead of at home.  They will come to the chapel everyday, where each companionship will receive a smartphone and do training throughout the day.  At the end of the day, they will return their smartphones to the office, and then return to their assigned apartment.  The mission will officially orient the new missionaries on their original scheduled arrival date of October 27th.  

We thoroughly enjoyed General Conference and the uplifting and inspiring counsel that was shared....to be of good cheer, to prepare ourselves temporally and spiritually, to love others, to be an example of the Savior, to trust in our loving Heavenly Father, to do justly, love mercy, walk uprightly, and much more. 

We send our love and blessings to all!

Elder & Sister Lewis