Zone Conference & the Finca

This week we traveled with President Barlow to Riobamba and Ambato for Zone conference.  We left early Wednesday morning to go to Riobamba where President Barlow conducted interviews with the missionaries who are serving in that zone.  After a day of interviews in Riobamba, we traveled back to Ambato and spent the night.

While President is conducting interviews with the missionaries, Elder Lewis and I are visiting with the missionaries, learning about them and their families, asking about the missionary work they are doing in their assigned areas, checking on their health and living conditions, and sharing our thoughts and testimonies.

On Wednesday in Riobamba, I also administered an online English test to Elder Huerta.  About 50% of the missionaries in this mission are Latino.  They are strongly encouraged to learn English while serving a mission and are almost always paired with an English speaking companion.  That arrangement helps both the Spanish missionary learn English and the English missionary learn Spanish.

Sister Barlow oversees the English program available for Latino missionaries by distributing materials for them to use in their personal and companionship study, tracking their progress, and administering their final online test. Once a missionary has finished the 3 text books in the program, he or she can take the online test.  Latino missionaries generally take the English test a few weeks before they finished their mission.  If they score high enough, they are eligible to enter the PathwayConnect Program.

PathwayConnect is a reduced-cost online program that prepares students to start or finish a college degree by building spiritual confidence and teaching foundational academic skills.  All course credits count toward a bachelor's degree.  (See https://byupathway.lds.org/pathwayconnect)  It is a great opportunity for the Latino missionaries to obtain a college education from a US university at very low cost.  Elder Huerta was excited to tell me on Thursday that Sister Barlow had informed him that his test scores were high enough for him to enroll in PathwayConnect.

Thursday was Zone Conference for the Ambato, Oriente, and Riobamba zones.  It was wonderful! We echo President Barlow's words......the Ecuador Quito Mission IS blessed with outstanding young men and young women who are humble, obedient, hard-working, and have a great love for the people of Ecuador.  They work diligently to share the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and invite others to come to Him, make and keep sacred covenants, and received the blessings of His atoning sacrifice.

On our travels to Riobamba and Ambato, we saw some of the beautiful Ecuadorian countryside and almost got a glimpse of the well known volcano - Cotopaxi.  Cotopaxi is on our list of sites to see.  We will be making a trip to hike the volcano in the near future.

Patchwork of Ecuadorean farmlands.  It's amazing how high up the mountainside the farms go. 

A glimpse of Cotopaxi, an inactive volcano. This picture was taken at 11,200 ft, and the volcano rises up
from this base to an elevation of 19,347 ft!  When we hike Cotopaxi we will only be going to the first refuge.

Elder Lewis in Ambato at the Parque De Los Enamorados a few blocks from the Ambato Chapel.
Translation = Park of the Lovers.

Sculpted cypress at the Parque.  Yes, we did see a few couples besides ourselves enjoying a stroll through the park.

Elder Lewis standing next to a sculpted cypress.

We returned from our zone conference trip Thursday night.  Friday morning we were at the mission office until after lunch and then we left with the Guerrero family for an overnight trip to their cacao farm - finca, located about 3 hours northwest of Quito.  It is a mountain descent from 9600 feet elevation in Quito to 2000 feet elevation at the finca; thus the tropical/jungle terrain at the finca. 

We made a few stops to pick up supplies and then arrived at the finca after dark.   Once there, we turned on the electricity, primed the well for water, unpacked, and prepared our rooms for the night.  We then helped Sister Guerrero prepared a pot of homemade chicken soup for dinner.  After dinner, we visited, planned for the next day, and went to bed.

Sleeping with a mosquito net.  We haven't done that since our trip to Africa in 2003.

We awoke the next morning and headed into the jungle with Brother Guerrero to see the finca and to get breakfast supplies - it was literally "farm to table" for breakfast.  We gathered long stalks from a grassy plant to make a lemony tasting breakfast drink.  Then we cut down a bundle of plantains and carried them back to the farmhouse to make tortillas.

Elder Lewis on the edge of the jungle.

Fresh plantains for breakfast.

Once we had delivered breakfast supplies, we headed back out to see more of the farm........ There were bamboo trees, sugar cane, banana trees, plantain trees, heart of palm, cinnamon trees, lemon trees, lime trees, orange trees, avocado trees, pineapple plants, mango trees, and lots of cacao trees.  It was amazing!  We tasted about everything that was ripe and edible - sugar cane, heart of palm, yuca, lemons, plantains, and cacao.

Standing outside the farmhouse in our rubber boots.  

After our farm tour, we went back to help make a breakfast of lemon drink and plantain tortillas.

Plantain tortillas - boil 9 plantains until soft.  Mash with 2 Tbsp. of butter, fresh chopped cilantro and onion, and
1 clove of finely minced garlic.  Pat into a shallow cup, filled center with fresh mozzarella cheese,
cover center with dough, pat into a round pancake about 1/2 inch thick, fry.

After breakfast we hiked through the jungle to the river - Rio Blanca.  Brother Guerrero wielded his machete like a pro!  He cut down trees, sliced up sugar cane and heart of palm, and cleared a path to the river.  Once we arrived at the river we enjoyed exploring, sucking the sweet juice of the sugar cane, dipping our bare feet into the water, and taking photos.

Rio Blanca

Elder Lewis on the bank of the Rio Blanca

The Guerrero Family

Brother Guerrero finding the "heart" of the palm with his machete.

Getting a taste of the inside of a cacao pod.  The cacao beans are encased in the milky white center that is
edible and sweet. The cacao beans are removed from the center, dried, and sent to the market. 

When Brother Guerrero purchased his farm, much of the land was wet and swampy.  He was teaching Primary at the time and one of his Primary lessons shared the story of the early saints draining the land in Illinois to build the city of Nauvoo.  He felt impressed that he could do the same with his property - drain the swampy land and plant cacao trees.  He dug a few large ditches with a piece of machinery, but most of the drainage ditches were dug by hand.  It's impressive!

After our hike to the river we return to the farmhouse, gathered some wood, and cooked a delicious lunch in the open air kitchen before packing up and traveling back to Quito.  It was an Ecuadorean experience to remember.  We sincerely appreciated the hospitality of the Guerrero Family!

Brother Guerrero preparing a fire to cook lunch - chicken marinated in a cilantro sauce,
yuca, plantains, rice, and a tomato/cucumber/pepper salad.  Yummy!

Through our travels and experiences this past week, we have felt a deeper appreciation for God's creations, and for those like the missionaries and the Guerrero family, who exemplify God's love in word and deed.

Sending our love to all from Ecuador!
Elder & Sister Lewis

Santo Domingo & Sightseeing

On Tuesday, November 5th, we reached our 3 month Quito anniversary.  It's amazing how quickly the time has passed!  With the exception of the language, we feel very comfortable in our apartment complex, in the area of Quito where we live, in the mission office, with the missionaries, and in the ward.

This past week we had the opportunity to travel with President Barlow (mission president) to the Santo Domingo zone conference.  Santo Domingo is 3 hours west of Quito and about an hour from the coast.  The elevation drop was noticeable.  We went from 9600 ft. to about 2000 ft.  The climate was also much warmer and more humid.

The Beautiful Andres Mountains!

El poder brutal, also known as La cara del diablo ("The Face of the Devil"), is a colossal sculpture located in
Ecuador.  It is carved into the living rock of the mountain.  It is especially famous for its size and because
it is located on the most traveled route between Quito and Guayaquil. 
(See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_poder_brutal)

We left Quito at 9:45 AM and arrived at the Santo Domingo chapel shortly before 1 PM.  From 1 - 5 PM President conducted interviews with the missionaries.  Elder Lewis and I visited with the missionaries as they came and went.

We had some wonderful conversations and learned that there are 5 missionaries in the mission who have a twin serving somewhere else in the world.  We also discovered that the mission's tallest and shortest missionary are both in Santo Domingo.  Elder Marz at 6' 9" and Elder Chuquimango who is maybe  4' 9".

Missionaries celebrating birthdays in October & November.  Note Elder Marz at 6'9".  Elder Chuquimango is not pictured, but he is at least 8 - 10 inches shorter than the shortest Elder in this photo.

Knowing that we were going to be waiting several hours for President Barlow to finish his interviews, I took some piano music with me to practice if the opportunity presented itself.  At one point, while waiting for Elders to arrive, I sat down to play.  The zone leader Elder Wilkinson, asked me if I would accompany a few Elders who would be singing a special musical number the next day at zone conference.  I agreed to do so, and then I asked Elder Wilkinson what hymn they would be singing. He said they would be singing the lyrics from "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" with the music from "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." Elder Wilkinson then went on to say that they didn't have the music for "Come Thou Fount", but was hopeful we could find a copy.

Monday afternoon when I was packing my piano music for our trip, I happened to find tucked in a thin book of chord progressions a one page copy of the music "Come Thou Fount." It was there because several years ago, when I was working on my own piano arrangement of "Come Thou Fount", I had made a copy of that hymn from a previous hymnal and apparently had left it in the chord progression book.  I did not realize it was there until the day before our Santo Domingo trip.  I decided to just leave it there and take the chord progression book  along with the other music I had to Santo Domingo.

You can imagine my surprise when Elder Wilkinson said they needed to find a copy of "Come Thou Fount."  There it was!  I had the copy that I'd found the day before!!  To be sure, it was a small miracle!! The next day at zone conference, five Elders sang "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" to the accompaniment of "Come Thou Fount." It was BEAUTIFUL!

Following interviews on Tuesday night, President took us out to dinner at a nice restaurant in downtown Santo Domingo.  The food was delicious and very reasonably priced.  We ordered a popular dish in Ecuador - ceviche, which is basically a cold seafood soup.

Ceviche - is a seafood dish originating in Peru and typically made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices, such as
lemon or lime, and spiced with aii, chili peppers or other seasonings including chopped onions, salt, and coriander.

President had also made arrangements for us to stay in a hotel that was on the outskirts of Santo Domingo. He thought it would be the best place to stay because it would be more quiet than the hotel where we'd had dinner.  What President didn't realize was that it was the week of Santo Domingo's State Fair and the fairgrounds were right across the street from our hotel.  Needless to say, it was a NOISY night!  Music was playing until 3 AM and then the roosters started crowing at dawn's first ray of light - approximately 4:45 AM.  Elder Lewis and I got little or no sleep.  We were hopeful that President was able to get some rest, but discovered at breakfast that he too had had a sleepless night.

In spite of our sleepless night, being with the missionaries was energizing and we managed the entire day and the drive home without any problems.

Yesterday, we took the Quito City On/Off Tour Bus.  It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our 3 hour tour.  Some of the sites we had visited before and others were new to us.   We couldn't help but notice the Sherwin Williams sign.  I know that's not a "city site", but it's significant to us.  Have you been watching SW's stock price??

Sherwin Williams ....... cover the earth!

Homeless in Quito?

We do not consider homelessness to be a "city site", but this past week we saw 4 interesting situations.  This man was settled among the pigeons.  In two other cases, men were sleeping on busy streets in the morning hours. This morning on our way to Church, we came upon a young man (20 something), who was laying on the sidewalk at the corner of a busy intersection.  He looked as if he were dead.  As we approached him, I watched closely to see if his chest was rising and falling.  It was, and we knew he was still alive; but apparently he had fallen at that spot in a drunken or stoned stupor.  He was gone when we walked by two hours later.

We're not surprised by the situations described above.  In a city of over 2 million people, its amazing that we don't see more of the same.  But, it does cause one to stop and think, to count blessings, and to consider how best to share those blessings.

We are grateful to be here! We are learning and growing in new and exciting ways. We are serving and being served.  We are thankful for the love and support of our children, children-in-law, grandchildren, family members, and friends.  May God's choicest blessings be yours!

Love to all from Ecuador!
Elder & Sister Lewis

Halloween & All Souls Day

We mentioned in our last blog the celebration of "All Souls Day" or "Day of the Dead."  The office missionaries were eager to celebrate.......something. So, Elder Flint and Elder Martinez (Assistants to the President) asked the spouse of a new member to bake a cake for Halloween and for Elder Burga's birthday.  Elder Burga works in the office and oversees about 90 missionary apartments.  We celebrated both with a delicious homemade chocolate/nutello cake.

Elder Burga celebrates his 20th birthday - 28 octubre 2019

When transfers occur in early December, Elder Burga will be leaving the office and going out into the field.  He is currently training his replacement - Elder Fueres.  Consequently, he has a little extra time each day.  Never one to waste time, Elder Burga asked if I would read the Book of Mormon with him in English so that he could work on his English pronunciation.  We have been spending about 30 minutes a day reading.  At first, he was just reading out loud to me.  However, after a few days I realized that this would be a great opportunity for me to improve my Spanish pronunciation. So, I'm also reading out loud to him in Spanish.  Its a great exchange!

I'd like to say that Elder Lewis and I are getting better with the language, but it feels like the more we learn the less we know.  We will just keep working at it.  Sunday's at church are always humbling language days. We listen for 2 hours and seldom understand more than a small portion of what we hear. 

Today, I was asked at the last minute to play the piano for sacrament meeting.  It was fast and testimony meeting, and because of the large number of people who shared their testimonies the meeting went past the hour.  The counselor conducting the meeting announce the closing song and prayer.  I wasn't sure, but I thought he said that we would just sing the "primo" verse of the hymn.  Apparently I had heard correctly, because the young woman conducting the music finished the first verse, turned around, and sat down.  Anticipating that we were just going to sing one verse, I followed her lead and stopped playing, but the congregation continued and started to sing the "segundo" verse.  When they realized that there was no conductor or accompaniment, everyone eventually stopped singing and a slight chuckle rippled throughout the congregation.

Recently, I've had the opportunity to help some Pathway students edit their English essays. For the past 3 weeks, I've also been helping a potential BYU student with her college application essays.  Missionaries are encouraged to do 10 hours of service each week, and I'm enjoying my service hours assisting with English and teaching piano lessons.  This past week, I lost one piano student who went to work full-time, but added two new students - Camila (age 13) and Daniela (age 11).

A block down from the mission office is the Basilica of Saint Teresa.  We've had a desire to visit this basilica since we arrived in Ecuador.  On Saturday (officially All Souls Day). we stopped by the basilica and found that the main floor was locked, but the back entrance was open for those who wanted to go into the basement, tour the crypt, and pay homage to the deceased.  We decided to go inside and we found it to be fascinating and beautiful.

Basilica Saint of Saint Teresa

Basilica front courtyard.

According to Spanish Dict.com the little book above the front doors reads:
"I want to go into my Heaven, I am doing good on earth."

Crypt corridors........

You may have noticed the beautiful fresh cut roses in the Basilica photos.  Ecuador is a leading global producer of premium roses and you will find beautiful freshly cut roses everywhere.  A bouquet of long-stemmed roses cost about a dollar in the local markets. 

We are looking forward to the next two weeks, touring the mission with President Barlow, and meeting the missionaries.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers on our behalf.  Love to all from Ecuador!

Elder & Sister Lewis

New Missionaries & Ecuadorian Traditions

New Missionaries:
This past week we welcomed 13 new missionaries to the Ecuador Quito Mission.  The missionaries arrived on Monday morning and went straight from the airport to the Colon Chapel.  At the chapel, they received  instructions on mission policies, health guidelines, financial practices, etc.   While instructional training is taking place, each missionary is individually interviewed by President Barlow, the mission president.

After the interviews are over and the preliminary instructions are complete, it's time for the new missionaries to be paired with their trainer/companion.  This is the best part of the day.  The president invites each trainer missionary to the front of the room.  He then shares his feelings about the missionary and invites those in attendance to share their feelings about the trainer missionary.  After that, the president announces the new companionship and then the new missionary comes to the front of the room and formally meets his/her training companion.  It sounds so simple, but the Spirit is presence and the room is filled with unity and love!

Following the pairing of companionships, lunch is served and the new companionships have a chance to get to know each other better.  When lunch is over additional training takes place, luggage is collected, and the missionaries are off to their assigned sectors to work.

We are especially grateful for the new missionaries that arrived this transfer, six of whom are from the United States.  The week before their arrival, they had all been reassigned to other missions because of the violence associated with the transportation strike in Ecuador.  When the strike was resolved, it not only put our missionaries back to work, but it allowed the incoming missionaries to arrive as planned.

Ecuadorian Traditions:
This week the Ecuadorians celebrate "All Souls Day" or "Day of the Dead."  For some reason, I thought this holiday was the equivalent of our Halloween.  The truth of the matter is that it is more like our Memorial Day. "It is an occasion for remembering and celebrating those who have passed on from this world, while at the same time portraying death in a more positive light, as a natural part of the human experience."   (See https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/day-of-the-dead)

Elder Lewis and I were invited to join the Guerrero Family on Sunday afternoon for dinner and then again on Monday evening for Family Home Evening and to celebrate "Day of the Dead." The celebration included making the traditional drink of Colada Morada, and then drinking it with t'anta wawa.   T'anta wawa are bread rolls with a sweet filling that are shaped and decorated like a doll wrapped in a blanket. They are meant to represent the deceased.  

It was a fun evening and I've included a link to a recipe for Colada Morada that is very similar to the one we helped to make - Colada Morada Recipe.  Hint: You can use cornstarch instead of purple or black corn flour.

We were most impressed with the intent of the holiday - "to remember and celebrate those who have passed from this world, . . . while at the same time portraying death in a more positive light, as a natural part of the human experience."

The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches of our eternal existence.  Our spirit bodies were created by heavenly parents and existed in a pre-mortal state before we came to earth to receive a physical body.  At death, our spirit bodies leave our physical bodies and return to a state of happiness or a state of misery depending on how we exercised our agency - choosing good or evil in mortality. We remain in that condition until our bodies and spirits are reunited or resurrected through the power of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice. Following the resurrection, we will each have the opportunity to stand before our Savior and Redeemer and give an accounting of our lives.  We will then live eternally in a kingdom or realm that we are worthy of and that we are most comfortable in.

How grateful we are to know that life continues beyond the grave, and that we can be sealed together eternally as families, through the ordinances and covenants found in God's holy temples.

Speaking of temples, construction continues on the Quito Temple. Below is a rendering of the future Quito Temple that will bring great blessings to the saints in this area.  Currently, the closest temple is 8+ hours away in Guayaquil, Ecuador.   The Quito Temple is projected to be completed in 2022.  A return trip to Ecuador in 2022 sounds like a great idea!

Protest to Peace

Last Sunday night, October 13, around 11 PM the noise outside our apartment and in the central area of Quito escalated, it began to sound more celebratory than contentious.  Exploding fireworks accompanied the booming of tear gas guns, cars started honking, people began banging pots and pans, and the yelling turned too cheering.  Apparently, the government and the protestors agreed to talk; thus ending the confusion and contention that had been ongoing for 8+ days.

We woke up Monday morning to the familiar sounds of city life in Quito.  Our walk to the mission office confirmed that things were returning to normal.  Taxis and buses were running, businesses were opened, and the sidewalks were bustling with people.  We felt grateful that the unrest was over and that missionary work could continue once again.

When we arrived at the office, the office Elders and Assistants to the President were pleased to be out of their apartments and back to work.  Our excitement lasted for about 15 minutes and then a call came from President Barlow.  The Area Presidency requested that all missionaries remain inside for one more day, allowing another 24 hours for the aftermath of the protests to settle.

Monday afternoon we walked to the SuperMaxi to pick up a few groceries.  We recognized the wisdom in having the missionaries remain inside for another day.  There were pockets of protestors still lingering on the streets. Most appear harmless, but there were a few groups that had been drinking a lot!  Need I say more......

On Tuesday morning, the 30+ relocated missionaries returned to their sectors, and all missionaries had permission to leave their apartments and resume their work.  It was a happy day throughout the mission!

You may be wondering what the outcome of the transportation strike was.  We understand that they are still negotiating a final resolution.  In the meantime, the government has agree to leave on the fuel subsidies.  It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

After a short season of unrest, one begins to appreciate things like a busy street, crowded sidewalks, air that doesn't smell like burning rubber, the freedom to come and go, opened businesses, an accessible taxi or bus, and a knowledge that tomorrow might just be very much like today.

We hope your today was great and that your tomorrow will be the same!

With love from Ecuador!
Elder & Sister Lewis

Missionary Works Stalls as Strike Becomes Uprising!

Missionary work in Ecuador came to a standstill this past week as the transportation strike morphed into an uprising of Ecuador's indigenous population.  Young missionaries have been counseled to stay inside and away from the protesting and contention.  The sights, sounds, and smell of the uprising are ongoing and proof positive that unrest continues.

As the uprising moved into its 7th day, conditions became more severe.  Black clouds of exhaust billowed up from tire bonfires ignited in the middle of major intersections.  Tear gas guns boom every few minutes causing the smokey gray particulate to accumulate and dissipate; leaving you with a burning sensation in your eyes, nose, and throat.  Police and emergency sirens blare day and night.

Tires burning at the intersection two blocks from our apartment.

Tires burning in the sunset near the SuperMaxi store we shop at.

The indigenous people are gathering from all over Ecuador.  Some come on foot carrying their food supplies and sticks. Others, are crammed into the back of trucks or pickup beds, wearing protective face masks, holding sticks, and waving the Ecuadorian flag as they shout and yell.  It sounds crazy and it is.  Yet, in spite of all the turmoil we feel safe and secure.  The question in our minds is, "How much longer will this last before it is resolved and peace returns?"

Protestors gathering at our intersection.

The latest development occurred yesterday when the government declared a militarized zone and ordered everyone off the streets by 3 PM.  If you were on the streets after 3 PM you could be arrested.  We didn't take any chances.  Below is a photo of Red Cross workers mobilizing at our intersection shortly before the 3 PM curfew went into effect.

A view from our apartment window of the Red Cross mobilizing.

Violence and looting escalated on Tuesday, October 8th, in the Chillogallo and Turubamba zones.  As a result, thirty missionaries were removed from their sectors and relocated to our area.  We now have a total of fifteen sister missionaries in the apartment upstairs and nineteen Elders in the Office Elder's apartment nearby.

We think the missionaries are doing extremely well, considering their isolated and cramped living arrangements. They have permission to go out for food in the early morning..... if it is safe.  Otherwise, they are to stay inside.  We have given the sisters a key to our apartment so that they can come and go while we are at the office for a few hours each day.  My laptop is available for them to use to contact their families, watch conference or Book of Mormon videos, work on My Plan, or whatever else falls within mission guidelines.

Residents in our apartment complex met last night to discuss a security & safety plan, garbage disposal, and water usage.   The safety meeting gave us the opportunity to meet our neighbors.  We were impressed with the general concern for one another's safety, the organization of the meeting, and the discussion that ensued.

Our mission had forty baptism scheduled for this weekend.  All forty baptisms were postponed until further notice.  Church services for our faith were cancelled throughout Ecuador.

Today, with permission from President Barlow, Ecuador Quito Mission President, we held a sacrament service in our apartment for the sisters and us.  It was a sweet experience as we prayed, sang hymns, partook of the sacrament, and shared testimonies.  We felt strengthened as we renewed our covenants together under the comforting influence of the Spirit.

Preparing for sacrament meeting in our apartment.

We gathered in our apartment again this evening to celebrated Hermana Fernandez's birthday.  We enjoyed cake, ice cream, games, singing, and prayer.  It has been a good day and we are grateful for the choice opportunity to associate with the fifteen amazing sister missionaries who are weathering unrest and violence with us.

We don't know what tomorrow will bring, but right now Elder Lewis and I are planning to go to the office for a few hours.  With missionary work at a standstill we don't have a lot to do, but we are expecting some of the nineteen Elders who were relocated to our area, to stop in and use the office computers to contact their families.

Please know that your prayers for missionaries - general and specific, are felt and appreciated. 

Love to all!
Elder & Sister Lewis

Transportation "Stroke" in Ecuador

My apologies if I misled anyone with our post last week.  When I referred to "getting robbed" I was referencing the multiple incidents of missionaries getting robbed.  We personally have NOT been robbed, but we do feel the effects of robberies in the mission office.  Last month, more missionaries were robbed than usual.  Sorry for the confusion.

Well.... I don't think we have been robbed! This morning I pulled out my purse and discovered a huge slit in my Coach messenger bag (see below).  I haven't used my purse since last week and I have NO idea where the slit came from.  Nothing was taken, but now I'm suspicion that maybe on a crowded bus someone attempted to rob me.  The slit goes through the leather and the lining.  It's a mystery.  If anyone has an idea of what might have happened, please let me know.  Your criminal instincts would
be appreciated😉.......

Perhaps you've been watching international news and saw that there is a transportation strike in Ecuador.  It came as a surprise to us on Thursday morning.  When I woke up and started my morning routine of exercising I thought I heard people yelling and chanting.  It was short, but noticeable.  This thought went through my mind, "It sounds like a riot."  I listen for a few more minutes, but I didn't hear anything more that caused alarm.

We walked to the mission office at our usual time of 9:45 AM and noticed there was no bus or taxi traffic, and fewer people on the streets.  It was quiet and I thought maybe we'd missed a national or city holiday.  A holiday would explain both the yelling and chanting heard earlier and the lack of traffic.

When we arrived at the office I was planning to teach a 10 AM piano lesson to a new student.  We had decided on Tuesday to have the lesson at the office building on Thursday using the rarely played, but very nice upright Yamaha piano on the 6th floor.  However, my piano student didn't show up.  I texted her, but didn't hear anything.  About an hour later I received a call from a young friend named Eduarda.  We were scheduled to meet at the Colon chapel that evening for her verbal English test.  She had asked me to be her speaking companion for the exam.  Eduarda called to cancel because of the "bad things that were happening in the city."  She didn't have enough Spanish vocabulary to explain what those "bad things" were.

At the time of Eduarda's call, I was working at the computer/printer on the 3rd floor.  I decided to find out what was happening and ventured into Brother Canar's office.  Brother Canar is the Church's legal representative and coordinator for Ecuador.  I asked him about the "bad things that were happening in the city."  Brother Canar speaks good English and he told me there was a "stroke" going on because the government had lifted fuel subsidies.  The "stroke" (strike) was nationwide.

Ahhhh......that explained the chanting I'd heard early in the morning, the lack of bus and taxi traffic,  the quiet streets, my missing piano student, and the cancellation of the English exam with Eduarda.  When the buses and taxis are on strike, Quito quickly comes to a standstill because the majority of people use public transportation.  And YES that includes the missionaries!

Our work on Thursday continued, but by Friday morning we started to feel some of the affects of the transportation strike.  The Zone Conference for our zone was cancelled. Missionaries were counseled to stay inside their apartments and only go out for the basics provided there was no rioting or violence in their sectors. The Assistants to the President were stranded in Riobamba and 10 other missionaries were stranded in Puyo.

Arrangements were made for the stranded missionaries and we all just hunkered down for the weekend.  It was nice for us to have General Conference to listen to.  Not all the missionaries were that fortunate.

We did see a lot of police milling around the streets and after lunch on Friday, as we walked back to the mission office, we actually saw an Ecuadorian Power Ranger; he was clad in protective gear from head to toe!  I'm not sure who he represented, but he was walking the streets and his mere presence made you feel more safe.

We thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful spirit of General Conference and sincerely appreciated the counsel that was shared.  I especially enjoyed the Women's session.  The 3 Latino sister missionaries that live in our apartment complex came to watch the session with me.  We obviously have some language barriers, but the Spirit was strong and by the end of the session, we were all weeping together.  We celebrated our bond of sisterhood with ice cream and chocolate chip cookies following the broadcast.

The bus and taxi unions supposedly ended the strike over the weekend.  However, things were still slow at the office today and missionaries were told to stay inside until further notice.  Apparently, the indigenous people of Ecuador are NOT ready for the strike to end.  What we are seeing and feeling inside the city is "quiet."  We understand that outside the city, it is a little different.  For example, yesterday the AP's (Assistants to the President) made their way back to Quito from Riobamba.  To travel from Quito to Riobamba is normally 3 hours by bus.  It took Elders Flint and Pinto 10 hours to return.  They had a driver who was willing to take back roads.  Along the way they ran into road blocks set up by indigenous groups and either had to turn around and take another route or pay to go through the road blocks.   We were glad to have them back.

The zone leaders from Colon (our zone) came to the office this morning with a collection of tear gas cans that they had found outside their apartment complex.  Memorabilia to share with the other missionaries.

This morning President Barlow spoke with security in Salt Lake.  The current plan is for us to sit tight and wait.  We did hear that the US Embassy is going to evacuate families affiliated with the Embassy, but that has not been confirmed.   The strike could end tomorrow or continue for a few more weeks.  Time will tell....

Last week, Elder Lewis and I participated in the Turubamba Zone Conference with President and Sister Barlow.  We were planning to do the same on Friday at the Colon Zone Conference, but that was cancelled; and we will not be attending the Riobamba Zone Conference with President Barlow this week.  It too has been cancelled.  We hope by next week the strike is over so we can travel with President to the Santo Domingo Zone Conference.

We send our love to all!  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.