Latacunga

My apartment (for those who care) and Latacunga! It´s really nice, but still lacks a lot of the things we Statesman are used to.

Week 22

Hey Everybody-

Ecua-fact: It usually costs 10 cents to go to the bathroom in a public place. When the toilet paper is free, it´s a pretty happy experience. They are some of the shadiest bathrooms I´ve ever seen.

Things are going really well with Paco (M. thought you would appreciate that name) and Estefania. They have already been to church twice now, which is the minimum requirement for a Baptism, they even came and stayed for all three hours. Which is more than the majority of our members come for. Their mother Maria Luz is so glad that they´ve stopped drinking and smoking that she wants us to come by every day at about 8:00pm. A bit hard, but it´s always nice to go somewhere we are wanted. Sometimes even rare! They really are doing great. Paco is always asking questions and Estefania has decided to wait for Matthew to come home from his mission ( I told her she would have to be a member first). The gospel really does do wonders for the family. Everyday I become more and more convinced that I´m the luckiest person in the world to have been born into the Gospel. I can´t believe how blessed I am, I really had no idea!

Ana is doing okay, but she didn´t come to church this week! We are still working with her husband, but he hasn´t been able to quit drinking and smoking yet! I´m hoping he will soon because you never know how long your going to be in an area, and I´d like to see him get baptized!

We had a ward activity this week, probably one of the most stressful things ever. We watched the Joseph Smith movie. Which isn´t available to you spoiled people in the United States, but in Ecuador pirated copies are legal...interesting no? More members came then attended Sacrament meeting. We have an activity planned for every week in May and are hoping it will motivate the ward.

We had Zone Conference this past week which meant traveling to Ambato 4 times, 8 dollars wasted in buses, smelly, people crammed buses. It´s always worth it though, President Sloan really is a great man and I always come away with so much afterwards. He told me I will be changed again, so I don´t have much time in Latacunga left! He said I´ll be heading to Otavalo or Ibarra again! He has been known to change his mind though! Let you know in a couple of weeks.

Hna. Whitney Tanner

Yes, A P-day Post

Seriously beautiful, no?

This is my fish, that I caught, and that I ate, and that I touched when it was alive. I had to include it or some people might not believe me.

See, you didn´t believe me did you?

I thought you would all like to see the most beautiful place in the world: Baños. We had to cross the canyon in a basked that ran on a motor! Seriously cool. Get this Utahns: The waterfalls name is Vela de Novia or Bridal Veil Falls. Crazy.

Remember Ibarra?

Mika!

The Echegaray Family (parents of Estefania, below). One of the best families.

Me with Estefania, Carlos, (our investigator) and Mika! I can´t even tell you how much I miss them.

I finally got my pictures to work!

Week 21

Hey Everybody-

Ecuafact: No legal drinking age. They usually get started at about 15.

Ana Moscoso was baptized on Saturday! This baptism was really special to me! Satan really tried hard with Ana. She has had to face a lot of opposition! My companion and I were so happy for her and didn´t even mind watching her 3 children (HA!) during her Baptism. I was covered in cookie crumbs and gum by the end but it was worth it. That is probably why I look a bit haggard in the photos. Omar is 4, Fernando is 3, and the baby is just over 1! Talk about a handful. Her husband Patricio wasn´t able to come because he had to work, and they need the money! So now my companion and I just have to work on him!

We are teaching a new family, they seem really interested. Paco and Estefania are twins (15). Their mother is really worried about them because he´s started drinking and she´s started smoking. They are really receptive and have both committed to quit. They came to church to, we usually have to struggle with that one a whole lot! I know they can do it- the gospel is true and really does change lives! I can definitely see it!

We´ve had an interesting week! The Elections were this Sunday and voting is mandatory here ages 16 and up. Church was shortened to one hour and we weren´t allowed to go anywhere but church. So p-day started a bit early. Rafael Correa won, of course, some of the missionaries are worried that he´ll kick us Gringos out, but I doubt it. At least not in the near future, I think I´m safe. Correa isn´t big on the States! His father was a drug lord and died in a US. prison.

We also have Zone Conference this week so we haven´t been working much and feel really decadent! Back to work on Thursday!

Happy Birthday to my dear sister Amanda! I love you gags! I miss you sassy!

Also to Brittany A.-Happy 24, hope your little family is doing well!

Week 20

Monday, April 20, 2009

Hey Everybody!

Ecua-fact: They use carbonated water for Sacrament! Agua con gas!

We had quite the eventful week!

Our Investigators Ana and Patricio got married (on probably what was the most hectic day in my entire mission)! We got to the Civil Registro at 11:00am and didn´t get finished until 3:00pm, the simple quick marriage ceremony isn´t all that quick and simple here. We also helped Patricio and Ana get their 3 children ready (did I mention he´s 18 years old?) and I´ve decided they are the Motely crue on speed. They rival a certain family in my ward back at home...we can´t make it through a lesson without somebody getting hurt and crying. It was great though, Ana asked us if she could be baptized on Sunday. We decided it would be best if she waited until this Saturday. She is really firm and really wants to be a member. We have some really interesting members who have actually tried to disuade her from being baptized but she still really wants to be! Her husband Patricio still isn´t quite ready yet, but we are hoping that he will be really soon. Ana really has a strong testimony I can´t believe how firm she is! She is my first investigator who doesn´t let anything get in the way of her Testimony she is such a great example to me!

Hopfully I´ll have photos of her baptism next week!

Although...She always offers us food and usually it is pretty decent. Until Saturday night that is. We had rice, potatoes, and flesh of pig. Pig skin isn´t usually all that bad, I never eat it but if I had to I can. This kind was slimy and still had hair. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Fortunately my companion and I only had ot eat a little of it and quickly stashed the rest in our backpacks to give to the stray dogs later. Absolutely the worst thing I´ve ever eaten, bar none.

Hna. Tanner

Week 19

Hey Everybody- I hope everybody had a happy Easter!

Ecuafact: To build a home in Ecuador you will need Rebar, cement, and cinder-blocks! Most people don´t finish there houses, over the years they gradually build up.

Well, the unexpected happened, I was transferred! Ibarra Central is now an Elders Sector! I had time to say goodbye to Carlos and his family but that was all, now I´m trying to get letters written to all of my investigators and members I had to leave behind. I´m a bit on the heart-broken side and being me I sobbed!

My new Area is Latacunga and my companion is Hermana Merida of Guatemala. She doesn´t speak a word of English so my spanish is rapidly improving. We are the only missionaries in the entire city so we always have work to do! We also travel to Ambato every week for p-day and for district meetings. We are pretty far away from everything. The active volocano Cotopaxi is just 25 kilometers away, in case it ever explodes the missionaries evacuate to Guayaquil. I kinda hope it goes off so I can go to the temple! It´s also been destroyed 4 times by earthquakes since being founded in 1534! Cool right?

I don´t know many of our investigators yet but we do have Ana and Patricio and they have a baptismal date for Saturday! They do have to get married on Friday first...and this has proved to be a bit tricky thus far! They have three children: Omar, Fernando, and Alejandro. Patricio is just 18 and Ana is 22. They are really poor and all live in a 2 room apartment.

We also have Victor he is 17 and is a student at the University here in Latacunga. He is currently having some doubts and we need to help him recognize the spirit so he will know that the Book of Mormon is true.

Easter is the Semana Santa here, or Holy Week. As far as I could tell though it wasn´t celebrated at all. Nobody really did anything! It´s a bit more celebrated in the States! We had a few talks about it in church but that was all!

The growth here is a bit slow, out chapel is about an eighth of the size of mine at home and most members here are inactive. I have my work cut out for me!

I forgot my camera cord so I´ll have to post my last pictures of Ibarra next week! Sorry!

Hna. Tanner

Week 18

Hey Everybody-

Ecuafact: The most popular type of sliced bread you can buy here is called BIMBO!It´s the Latin equivalent of Wonderbread.

I´m still doing really well! Loving Ibarra!

Last week we were able to do two services! We helped some investigators move, and into our sector! So we also have some new investigators! Later in the week we missionaries headed off to do some hard labor, believe you me, hard. I´m still sore 4 days later. We basically just moved dirt and big rocks to different locations with some very old tools. Back at home I probably would just have rented a bobcat for a day. I´m sure my dad (and Tim) are thrilled at this development. On a sad note, many creepy creatures lost their homes. I personally had the priviledge of unearthing the tarantula. Among the other victims: A scorpion, 3 frogs, a field mouse, and a whole bunch of centipides. On a happy note, I think I will be able to kill my own spiders when I leave Ecuador.

This is all of the missionaries crowded around the TV inside the church safe. Our outlet went out just before Elder Holland spoke! We rushed around and ended up next to the bathrooms and inside the safe. We missed most of his talk, so I´ll have to get it online!
I made Lasagna on Saturday and Tacos on Sunday in between sessions. Those of you who know me, know why I am posting this picuture...I´m learning to cook!
The Gringo Room- A room of English, at least before we lost power!
In between sessions!

I was in fact able to watch conference, and in English. In case you were wondering, General Conference is to Missionaries what Spring Break is to college students. No lie, it was amazing. All of the missionaries came down to our Chapel to watch, via satellite, and we had lunch and played cards (Uno) in between sessions both days! I´m sorry it went by so fast, now we all have to wait six more months to hear from the Prophet again! It´s pretty amazing being one of the 52,494 Missionaries serving right now and to be thanked by Apostles and the Prophet himself.

Raúl, Daniela, and to my great surprise (and pleasure) Carlos all came to a session of conference! Carlos even mentioned that he thought Elder Anderson´s was really powerful! I think we are going to put a baptizmal date with all three this week! So hopefully they will all accept it! I´m sure they could all feel how inspiring and spiritual conference was!

Changes are here! I will find out who my new companion is today! I´m super nervous. For the first time I´m going to have some real responsibility in the Mission! I´ll be teaching the sector to my new companion! Wish me luck! I´m going to miss Hermana Escobar, we´ve had a really good companionship!

Week 17

Zona Norte!

Hey Everybody-

Ecuafact: There is no such thing as a screen for windows,it´s also very unusual to see banisters on the stairs. Children be darned


Well we´ve been to Tulcán twice this week. I hope we won´t be going again for a while! The bus ride really is pretty nauseating. We went for district meeting and today for a Waterfall. Yes, another one. Very pretty though, Ecuador is nothing if not picturesque.

We have an investigator named Carlos Espinoza, his wife, Estefania is a member. He´s only a couple of years older than me. He has a ton of potential. He´s probably my biggest hope right now. I found out that he married Estefania even though she already had a little girl. Virtually unheard of down here in Ecuador, of course, Mika is pretty loveable. He pays for her schooling (about 200 hundred dollars a month)and everything. He´s by far my favorite and I have a lot of respect for all that he has done. He always has a lot of questions for us which is always great.

I don´t have much time to write today! I hope this finds everybody well! I Love You Guys!

Week 16

Hey Everybody-

Ecuafact: All of the Spanish Speaking countries recently voted to eliminate the letters ch, ll (ayay), ñ (nyay), rr from the alphabet. It passed but Ecuador was the only country who voted no to the change.

Ibarra is still my favorite, I know I only have two sectors but I can´t help it! Right now we are teaching Daniela, she´s 17 and knows the Book of Mormon is true. I think we are going to try to set a baptizmal date this week. It might be tricky though when she was 14 she was baptized, with her family, into an Evangelical church. Right now she is living with her Uncle who is a member and also our Mission Leader. The Branch President also lives in the same complex so we are hoping that she will recieve a lot of support from them. She is a really great person though, she always follows through will our committments and prays to know.

We also have Raúl, he actually brough a friend of his to church yesterday! He was a little worried about the Law of Chastity, we taught him that this week, but agreed to live it. Raúl works on buses selling things and is from Colombia. He also took my companion and I to try Colombian food after our appointment. We had Papas Relleno, they were really good. They are potatoes stuffed with an egg and some meat. You eat them with ketchup and mayo.

It really is so great to see how excited they are about the gospel. Sometimes it is easy to forget how important this Gospel is. Especially if you have been a member for your entire life like I have. Everytime somebody gets excited about the gospel I feel like I get to experience things for the first time. It makes me appreciate the Gospel so much more when I realize how long some people have had to live without it. It brings families together and I know it´s true!

I was having a bad day last week and I prayed for help, because everything is harder when you have a bad attitude. While my companion was making some calls I saw David, he´s a little down syndrome boy who lives accross from the church walk by with his father. His brother is a member of the church and I desperately wanted to meet little David. When they made their way back I stopped them and got to talk to David! To my surprise he took hold of my hand. He reminded me so much of my Jared back at home. For the rest of the day I was so grateful to be here and for little David.

Yesterday in church I had another stretching experience. Much to my surprise my name was called as the second speaker. I quickly pulled together some scriptures and made my way to the stand when my turn came. I gave what I´m sure was a very choppy and incoherent talk. It really wasn´t so bad though. I asked the members to show some faith and share the Gospel with their friends and to give us references, because as missionaries we need the help of the members. I of course cried, but I know the Lord definitely helped me!

Chao,

Whitney

Week 15

Hey Everybody-

Ecuafact: Ecuador´s President (Rafael Correa) makes 3,000 dollars a month for his salary!

Still love Ibarra! Don´t you worry! It´s beautiful and friendly! Although I seem to be the solo means of keeping all of Ecuador´s mosquito population alive...I´ve a new bite daily! It´s crazy!

I´m trying to learn our sector really well because when my companion goes home at the end of the change I´m going to teach the sector! I haven´t had to do that so far, but my new companion is going to depend on me! Scary, especially because the streets have really long names like ours is Guillermina Garcia Ortiz. Yeah...not an easy feat and I only have three weeks left. Wish me luck. President Sloan told me to Be ready for callings and assignments that come my way. Both cryptic and frightening.

This week our Zone Leaders needed some help with a wedding so I agreed to sing in what I thought would be a choir. I was oh so wrong. Turns our I had a surprise solo of I Need Thee Every Hour. Most nerve racking thing I´ve ever done. Turns out I was supposed to be singing with another girl but in true latin fashion, she didn´t show! I don´t think anything will scare me when I get home. Rabid dogs, that´s nothing. Heights, nada! The mission seems to be boosting my confidence, not that it needed it.

We are still working with Cielo and Raul and they really are ready! They come to church and have answers to their questions! They just keep saying that they need more time, that seems to be the old stand-by! How do we get people over it? Any advice RM´s? We also have Daniela she is definitely ready to be baptized too but she is only 17 and we are waiting for the permission of her parents, who are devout Evangelicals. Crossing our fingers and holding our breath!

Hna. Whitney Tanner

My Ibarra Apartment!

These are some pictures of my apartment! In case you were wondering!

Week 14

Proof that I am in fact in South America! Isn´t it great?



This is the view from my roof! Isn´t amazing?

Zona Norte- smallest in the whole mission (Elder Glass, Elder Lazalde, Elder Seguro, Elder McGary, Hermana Escobar, Elder Stieber, Hermana Sloan, Elder Hernandez, President Sloan, and Me!
My companion and I (I´m a bit taller...and wider).


Hey Everybody-

I hope this finds you well!

Ecua-Fact: They have french fries everywhere! They cover them in this sauce that vaguely resembles fry sauce. If you get them to go, they come in a bag and they give you a spear to eat them with!

I´m doing really well! I forget to tell everybody about my transfer to Ibarra from Quito! It was pretty eventful (for me anyway). So Sorensen dropped me off at the terminal and I bought my ticket. I found my way to the bus and then my 3 hour bus ride (which has to only take about an hour in car) began. My Spanish not being great I had a little script written out so I could ask the bus monkey to tell me where to get off ( I didn´t want to end up in Colombia). Finally he told me we were at the Ibarra terminal and I got off! So I waited for Hermana Escobar to come and pick me up. Nothing. After about 45 minutes I finally got up the courage to ask somebody where the terminal was. I found out it was about 2 miles East! I quickly grabbed a taxi and went to the Terminal. When I got there I couldn´t see anybody. I was starting to panic a little now! They haved armed guards everywhere, and I asked one of them where the phones where so I could call the offices. He let me use his and then all of the sudden some Missionaries walked out. My companion with our Zone Leaders! I can´t even explain the relief. Changes are stressful!

We had Zone Conference this week, it was great as usual. President Sloan invites the members to attend. We set a record with 140 members in attendance. Most of them were from the Otavalo zone (combined Zone conferences). It was amazing to see. We also had district meeting like we do every week. What made it different was when we decided to do it in Tulcán. It´s two hours away and on the Colombia border, we have two Elders up there and our District Leader decided we should make the 4 hour bus trip at least once. It was beautiful, I can´t believe I didn´t have my camera! We´re going again though before the change is through! I have never been so carsick in my whole life. Passenger bus through the Andes mountains is now a pleasant ride!

We have some really great investigators right now. Cielo especially, she always comes to church which is great and she knows the Book of Mormon is true. She doesn´t feel quite ready for baptism yet but were hoping she will be soon. We also have Raul, he is from Colombia. He needs a bit of pushing but he also comes to church every week. We need some new investigators so I think we will be contacting this week! Scary! Wish me luck, I´ve never done it before!

We hiked the Waterfall above today for our P-day activity! It wasn´t too bad, and my ankle wasn´t a hinderance at all! I have a great zone/district!

Love and miss you all!

Hna. Whitney Tanner

Chao Santa Ana

Bishop Chinchin using the stove to dry off!

It really is so gorgeous here!

My District (L-R): Montgomery, Apaza, Sanchez, Gonzalez, Cevallos, Weatherhead, Hna. Sorensen, and me!

Luis and DianaVillota.

Digna Montenegro de Cartuchie, she takes really good care of Hermana Sorensen and I.

The Flores Family- One of my favorites!

Joao!

Pink Banana´s! They seriously have all sorts of Banana!

Proof that Ecuador is going socialist- these are everywhere. In every store!

Translation: Much Better if it´s made in Ecuador!

Isn´t Ecuador beautiful?

Week 13

Practicing with Josue...I can´t believe somebody as terrible as me plays in Sacrament Meeting!

In the second largest city in Ecuador, llamas!

I know I´m not supposed to have a boyfriend right now, but I can´t help it, I love Joao! So adorable!

Jonathan Flores Montenegro!

Monica Jeanneth Villafuerte Cadena!

Hey Everybody-

As you can tell Sorensen and I had a pretty great week! Jonathan was baptized this Saturday. Not much of his family came (which is odd because they are all members), but the entire ward showed up. It was great and I, of course, cried! We were finally able to get an interview for Monica and she was baptized on Sunday. It was a great moment, especially because Edgar and Irene (her 2 children) were baptized last November, now the whole family are members. It was seriously a miracle, we hadn´t seen Monica in so long because of my ankle. Then one day we bumped into her getting off a bus. We decided that it was time for her to get baptized, because she was definitely ready. As you can see, it worked out!

Changes (transfers) are tonight and I know I will be leaving for Ibarra (about 45 miles Northeast of Quito) with my new companion Hermana Escobar. From what I can tell it is beautiful! It´s her last change in the mission and then she goes home. I guess this is when I start really learning Spanish! Apparently I need less hills for my ankle to fully recooperate! I don´t want to come home early! Sadly I´ll be leaving my companion and trainer, Sister Sorensen! I´m slightly terrified but also excited to go on to other things! Weird how transitory life on the mission is! Wish me luck!

Congratulations to my brother Matthew! He recieved his mission call to Portland, Oregon this week! He´s going to be the best Missionary!

Week 10

Carnival is coming up! That means a lot of silly string and squirt guns, just like this! Yikes.

Just a note from me!

I adopted this as my personal mission motto after I fell. Remember: "Come What May, and Love It"

Me ready to go to work!

Ecua-Facts

1. Gas prices have been at $1.48 for about 2 years without changing so much as a cent.

2. They have shopping carts for inside and outside, if you use the outside ones a bag boy comes with you and you tip him.

3. There is no tipping at restaurants

4. You eat cereal in yogurt, they even sell personal sized portions.

5. Nobody owns real silver or gold, Sorensen and I always get asked if our earrings are real.

6. Movies cost $1.50 and are all pirated.

7. The only non-fruit soda they have is cola. They have Strawberry, Pineapple, Orange, Apple, and Lime.

8. They love popcorn and put it in soup, much like we do with crackers.

9. Pineapple is white here, if it is yellow it´s Hawiian Pineapple. They also have a Mora berry, it´s a mix of a blackberry and raspberry. Kinda weird but good.

10. Almost nobody has doorbells, you either bang really loudly on their gate or whistle.

Hey Everybody!

Thanks for all the Birthday wishes from everybody! I had a great mission birthday! I was sung to in 3 different languages including: English, Spanish, and Kichwa! It was all pretty cool. Sorensen and I were able to find an ice cream cake, the very kind I loved as a kid. It was all pretty awesome. Thanks again to everybody!

Things are going really well down here in Quito! Most of all because I´m back on my feet and sans one really bulky uncomfortable cast! We are able to go out and work much more effectively. I said good-bye to my crutches on Saturday, just counting down until I can lose the ace wrap as well.

We had a great service project this week with our Ward. The Bishop wanted us to clean some stairs. Sounds weird I know, but here they are about 13 flights (seriously) and covered in weeds and garbage. Still on crutches at this point I had to hobble to the top, but we had a great time. I even got to use a machete on some of the weeds. That´s a lifelong goal I can cross of my list: I think we can all agree that machete´s are awesome! It was a great service project because we had a lot of curious by-standers. Perfect for Sorensen and I to go and contact later this week! The stairs also look awesome now!

We also have a investigator with a baptizmal date! It´s not until March but Sorensen and I are very excited for Elena Iza! She is a really great person and really has a lot of potential!

Love and miss you all! Chow

Week 9

Hey Everybody!

Ecua-facts:

1. Nobody has car seats for toddlers and infants.
2. Nor is it illegal to have an entire family on a motorcycle, including infants.
3. Sometimes on the hills that are particularly steep, natives walk them zig zag style. Like you would on a hike. I tried it once, didn’t seem to help the breathless panting much.
4. Making 10 dollars a day is a decent living.
5. This is really more of a mission fact but they have their own lingo: To machete is to lecture.
6. Garbage day is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You just leave it on the street, in some places they pick it up every day.
7. They don’t think there is any poverty at all in the United States.
8. They also think that North Americans are really racist too my companion always has to tell them that her sister is married to a black man. They are actually a lot more prejudice.
9. They aren’t big fans of flavor in anything, not just spicy. They don’t like too much of anything sweet, sour, spicy, salty. You name it! I just miss me some flavor!
10. All the pre-made Superbowl memorabilia for the Cardinals will be sold down here! Anybody want a Cardinals Champs T-shirt? Hehehehehe.

My cast is off finally! I’m am however, still on the crutches, but only until Friday, I’m very excited to get back to work! A broken ankle isn’t very much fun when you have work to do!
I’m not having any companion problems don’t worry, except I do feel bad that Sorensen is basically my glorified babysitter. That has got to be wearing on her. We still aren’t doing as much as we would like and were able to get out yesterday. There is a woman at the Cabina’s, like pay phones, and she has had a really difficult life. An abusive husband, major health problems, and her mother is dying. We taught her about a month ago but she kept standing us up after that. We had kind of given up on her as an investigator. However, the other day we were making some calls and she had her bible out and asked us what the verses were that we had shared with her. We were so excited and explained that they were in the Book of Mormon. Yesterday we were able to drop one off to her and tell her a bit more. Angel and Norma are some recent converts that are having some hard times, and we got to drop off their triples too! They were so excited! Triples down here are a little uncommon. Interesting fact for you- They don’t have the King James Bible down here so every member has a different version of the bible. The church is retranslating the Book of Mormon into Spanish right now and working on making a quad, which doesn’t exist in Spanish either. I also carried on a 3 hour conversation in Spanish with a member. My companion and I did splits so she could get some more work done. Our numbers aren’t great, it is still really hard and expensive for me to get around, I feel like I’m just blowing through money. Not really a great feeling!

We had zone conference this past week, they are so long, but always good. This one was all about how we had to have more faith in this mission so the Lord can work miracles. They also teach us how to make some sort of food every conference. I think that portion is mostly for the Elders, but we always get to sample. Cooking is hard down here because nobody has ovens, they don’t even have microwaves so we can’t live off of hot pockets! Just kidding, eww. We really do eat a lot of Raman noodles, we have some pretty creative ways of cooking them though. Then we get some training from the Assistants from Preach My Gospel. The best part is when you go to President’s class full of doctrine. Then there is always some sort of activity. Last month is was tug-o-war, this month we played red light, green light. Then they sing Happy Birthday to all the people who have Birthdays this change, I tried so hard to get out of that but I didn’t succeed. At least I got some Peanut Butter M&M’s out of it! Then a Testimony meeting, then we get to close at around 5 o’clock, it takes so long!