QUITO Temporary Housing

We arrived Friday night at 10:00 pm Quito time. There were about 10 people there to meet us including the Mission President, what a surprise. We drove in the President's car to our apartment. Everyone helped with the luggage thank goodness. We climbed one flight of stairs took the elevator to the 5th floor then climbed up to the 7th floor. It is big with lots of windows. It has a large terrarium at the east end with a hammock stretched across that end of the front room. There are 2 bedrooms. The bathroom is up one stair. Kathy managed to forget and fall out of it the first morning. The laundry in the basement is included in the rent and they are supposed to change the sheets and vacuum.

It rains here a lot, almost every day. We are on the top floor of our building with a tin roof so the noise it makes is indescribable. This picture is a view from our bedroom window.

Tom managed to get down here without any pants to relax in so he sleeps in his thermals. I call him my man in tights. I have bought some fabric and borrowed the mission sewing machine and will make him something more comfortable.

There are three other sets of Seniors plus a single sister here. We have a lot in common with the Ottosen's who will be leaving soon. Tom and Elder O. love inventing and making and you name it. Kathy and Hermana O. both love doing productions and music etc. Too bad they have to go.

We will be moving into their apartment. The Wards are the financial manager and nurse for the mission. They have six months left. We also have a lot in common with them. They are a blended family and have 11 children. The Curtises will be taking the place of the Ottosens, managing and maintaining the mission apartments. Hermana Grissemer is the mission secretary, she is amazing. They all live at MultiCentro across the street from where we are now.

We usually walk to the office 1 1/2 miles away. We are on the 5th floor and the mission office is on the 2nd floor. There is no one there to train us but a girl who only speaks Spanish. Tom is doing so well. He could not understand her at all at first but after three weeks he is understanding quite a lot.

We have been to Guayaquil for training, It was in Spanish so not that great but better than nothing. We were able to go to the temple while there. It was beautiful and very calming.
We have also been to Otavalo. It is a town with an open market, lots of textiles, jewelry, carvings, paintings, chickens, vegetable, fruits, and more.

We were able to go to the mission presidents home last night for dinner with the new zone leaders. What a treat, they are wonderful young men. Dinner was great. The view was spectacular. And the spirit was amazing.

Next blog - MultiCentro and getting settled

MTC

This is my favorite teacher at the MTC. We were very busy the first week learning about Preach My Gospel. We would have to teach a volunteer actor. a lesson each day. That was pretty scary at first but it got better.

The second week first 3 days was about CES. We learned some new teaching techniques.

We really enjoyed it. Thursday we learned about what a great program PEF is. Friday we were supposed to learn about the computer and PEF but we had to fly out.

The meals were great at the MTC and we got prime rib at the church office building the day we were there for PEF training. Then we went to dinner one last time with the kids. Tom and I were not hungry but it was great to see everyone again.

This is our district that we had classes with. One couple is going to

Russia, one to Samoa, and one to Alaska.

Next post will be Quito

temporary housing.