Quito, Ecuador Temple

Quito, Ecuador Temple
Here is where we will be working until Feb. 2023

Welcome

Dear Readers,

We hope as you read this blog of our mission to the Quito, Ecuador temple you will feel the joy and happiness we are experiencing by being in the service of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We hope you can experience some of what we feel. Christine and I met in Quito, Ecuador 51 years ago while serving as missionaries. We are going home.


John and Christine

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Monday, August 28, 2017

August 21th through August 27th

August 21th through August 27th: Monday after taking the Fishers, Winkfields and the Gordons shopping, we headed to Antigua with Charlotte and the boys.  The first thing we did was take Mom, Evan and Moose to the Choco Musuem for a tour and demonstration on how they make chocolate.  Charlotte and I then headed for the artisans market.  Last day in Guatemala and there were still things that needed to be bought.  We shopped for two hours while the other three were doing the chocolate tour.  We picked up the chocolatiers and then went to lunch.  
Two of the best chocolatiers ever.

Click below to see the boys making chocolate.

 
Evan wanted French fires and pizza, Moose fried chicken and so I took them to Pollo Campero and Mom and Charlotte went and had a nice shrimp dinner.  Life is not fair.  
It's not fair--I had to take the boys to Pollo Campero.
They got to have lunch together while I took the boys for fast food.
We did a little more shopping and then went to Chapuchinas, an old church and convent.  We only had time for one church and this is one of our favorites.  
Evan got into caricature. 
Moose just smiled for the first time.
We only had time to visit one of the many many churches that have never been rebuilt.
Outside the doors to the church at Capuchinas.
Pano of the Convent. 
These three enjoyed exploring the church and convent.
This church suffered damage during the 1751 and 1773 earthquakes and was then abandoned. 
Charlotte at Capuchinas.
Capuchinas couldn't be prettier, blue sky and green green grass.
Evan in Antigua.
We then went back to Guatemala City and straight to the central market for a few last things.  We found everything and made it home with 15 minutes to spare.  Family Home Evening was at our home at 6:00 pm.   We got to know the three new couples a little bit and had a nice evening together.  Sorry, I did not take pictures.  I promise pictures of our new missionaries next week.  Tuesday early we took our visitors to the airport and said good-bye till the end of the year.  It will be so nice to be able to give everyone a hug when we go home at the end of December for Xela and Jake's baptisms. 
They got their boarding passes and are headed home.  So sad.
I set apart the Holman’s at 8:30 am so they could begin to study and they also had to be the witness couple for a session of MTC missionaries.  I got things ready for presidency meeting and then after presidency meeting I set apart the Jenson’s and the Fisher’s.  We then took the three couples on a short tour of the temple.  We finally got home about three and were able to have lunch.  Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we worked the evening shifts.  I had to trade with President Funes so I could have Saturday off in order to drive to Chiquimula for the Zacapa stake conference.  Friday morning we needed the temple van and our car to drive everyone to the Senior Missionary Zone Conference at the area offices.  Elder Ochoa, our new Area President, and his wife, Nancy, spoke to us.  Elder Ochoa said that in the last 20 years, the number of missions and stakes in Central America has doubled and there are now 6 temples instead of one.  He testified that it is the Lord’s work and He is doing it.  He asks us to participate so that we can grow and develop.  He also emphasized the need for charity and that people are watching everything we do. He finished with a strong testimony of the Savior and that He lives.  It was a very nice meeting.  They then fed us a nice lunch.  
Senior Missionary Zone Conference.
Lunch after zone conference.
We got back just in time for our shift.  Saturday we took a group of missionaries shopping and then we loaded up and drove to Chiquimula.  We went the back way because the last few times we have been stuck in construction traffic on our way to El Rancho.  It took us four hours, but we had not driven that way, so we were seeing new vistas. The mission president was not able to attend, so President Salazar gave us extra time in the adult session.  Mom talked about the importance of temples and that we are living in an era of temples.  When she was born there were only 8 temples and by the end of this year there will be 160. She does such a great job and always brings the Spirit. I testified that the Lord is hastening his work on both sides of the veil and the importance of temple ordinances for all of Heavenly Father’s children.   We felt good about our talks and felt the Spirit testify of the truth of the work.  We always come away edified and uplifted.  We stayed in Chiquimula Saturday night.  
Adult session in Chiquimula for the Zacapa stake conference Saturday night.
Sunday we got up and drove to Zacapa for the general session.  It was our first time to visit Zacapa.  The conference was well attended and we really enjoyed the meeting.  Once again there was a great Spirit during the conference.  
The chapel in Zacapa.
The flowers are always so beautiful.
Mom is convinced that even she could grow flowers here in Guatemala.
Sunday general session in Zacapa.
President Salazar and some other guy.
We drove home and after seeing some of the pictures of Houston, we called Scott, Chris’ brother who lives in Houston.  He is ok for now, but can’t get out of his neighbor hood because of flooding.  Driving for 4 hours to go to a stake conference is tiring, but so worth it.  
We got stuck when a fire truck was called to put out a car fire.
Lots of cattle on the road.
Mom said the mountains around Zacapa remind her of Utah.
More of the almost Utah mountains.
Here was where the traffic was the slowest.

Click below to see the traffic.

Road work
They are literally moving a mountain to widen the road.

Click below to see more construction.

more road work
We feel so blessed to be able to be in the temple everyday and then spend our weekends with the wonderful saints. We truly have the best calling in the church. 

Monday, August 21, 2017

August 17th through August 20th

August 17th through August 20th:  Thursday I made Swedish pancakes for breakfast and then we headed to Lake Atitlan. We drove to Santiago Atitlan where our good friends Oscar and Toni De Leon have a home on the lake.  It is wonderful.  It was 2 houses west of Hotel Bamboo.  So after getting settled, we walked over to the hotel and had lunch. Then we got rides in mototaxis to the central plaza.  We visited the church which was originally built in 1571.  
Mototaxis ride.

Click below to experience a Mototaxis ride.       
Mototaxis ride through Santiago Atitlan
In front of the church in Santiago, Atitlan.
Inside the church.
Courtyard of the church.
Then we walked the streets buying souvenirs for Evan’s and Moose’s family and friends.  When we got back, the caretaker of the house got the hot tub heated and the three guys got in the hot tub.  It was very relaxing and a beautiful view of the lake.  We played CEO and snacked the rest of the evening.  
Hot Tub time.
This is the good life.
Friday, we got up and took a boat to the other side of the lake and did more shopping.  Charlotte was on a search for a purse for a friend.  We finally found one that fit the requirements  and through messaging back and forth with her friend,Shannon, we settled on a price and got it purchased.  
View from our bedroom window.
Morning on the lake.  Volcano Toliman in the background.
Santiago Atitlan across the bay and volcano San Pedro in the distance.
Moose refuses to smile--this is the best I could get, a smirk.
Boat ride across the lake.
On the ride early in the morning the water was smooth.
We ate lunch at Pollo Campero and then found our boatman and headed back across the lake.  Charlotte wanted to try paddle boarding and so she and the boys got in their swim suits and went for a dip in the lake.  
Boat ride back to Santiago.
Charlotte didn't even fall.
She is a pro now.

Click below to see them jump into the lake.





We headed back to Guatemala in time to get home and get cleaned up so that Mom and I could pick up two new senior missionary couples, the Holman’s and the Jensen’s.  When we got home we also found out that Sister Gordon was in the hospital with stomach pains.  They had done some tests and ruled out kidney stones and a couple of other things, but she needed to stay the night and have a scope in the morning to see if they could see the problem.  We got the two couples picked up and settled and then I got a phone call from Elder Holman telling me he left his I-Pad in the seat pocket of the plane.  So I drove him back out to the airport.  It was about 10:30 pm and we could see that the counters were all closed down and a guard told us that there weren’t any planes leaving.  We decided that the plane that they had arrived on would leave in the morning.  We went home and we decided to go back to the airport at 5:00 am the next morning.  Saturday morning we went back to the airport and we got his I-Pad.  Then at 7:00am I took the two new couples grocery shopping.  Mom and I and the Winkfield’s went and checked on Sister Gordon.  They found that she had severe gastritis. She has not been eating until after their shift ends at 9:30 pm and that has exacerbated the problem.  She will need to eat foods with no acid and eat smaller meals more often during the day. With medication she will be fine.  What a relief.  We then took Charlotte and the boys to the Ixchel and Popol Vu museums at the University Francisco Marroquin.  They enjoyed these two museums.  We then went to lunch at a big mall here in Guatemala City. 
Enjoying the museum.
This is the mall where we at lunch.  It is huge.
We got home in time to go and do some more baptisms for the dead and Mom and Charlotte did some initiatory ordinances.  
Doing more baptisms for the dead.
Then Mom and I headed off to the adult session of the stake conference for the Nimajuyu stake conference.  We both got to speak and it was a nice meeting.  
Adult Session.
We got home and we went and visited the Fisher’s, another new missionary couple that arrived while we were at the stake conference.  My first counselor went to the airport and picked them up.  We gave them a few essentials and welcomed them and then said good night.  So we now have 4 north American senior missionary couples serving in the temple, 1 couple from Belize and 2 couples from Guatemala.  We will add Mike and Merlene Ellington, our good friends from Mt. Pleasant, in October.  This will help the temple to run much smoother.  Sunday, we got up and went to the general session of the stake conference.  Mom and I both spoke.  We found a recently returned sister missionary who had served at temple square and she offered to translate for Charlotte and the boys.  Mom and I both got emotional during our talks and mom finished her talk bearing her testimony in English so that Evan and Moose could understand.  It was a good meeting and we enjoyed feeling the Spirit witness of the truth of this work.  
General Session.
Part of the choir.  They are really good.
Elder Galvez presided at the stake conference.
We got home and fixed dinner for the 3 new missionary couples and our family.  So we had 11 for dinner.  We had a nice visit and got to know each other a little bit better.  We had popcorn and root beer floats for an evening snack while we played some more CEO.  All in all, a wonderful ending to a great week.  We have sure enjoyed the visit of our family.  Family is the best.