Zone Conferences in August 2010

After the stake conference in Chillogallo, we met with all of our wonderful missionaries for a few minutes of the Chillogallo Zone. L to R front row: Hermana Pakay (Guatemala), Sister Pakay (Philippines), Stephanie, Natalie, Cindy, Tim, Elder Pereira (Costa Rica), Elder Arellano (Mexico), Elder Wallace (USA), Elder Messer (USA), Elder Mann (USA); second row, L to R: Elder Pomalaza (Peru), Elder Sotomayor (Ecuador), Elder Corado (Guatemala), Elder Woods (USA), Elder Whitlock (USA), Elder Resendiz (Mexico); third row, L to R: Elder Guadamuz (Nicaragua), Elder Parrish (USA), Elder Briggs (USA).

Elder and Sister Curtis perform some humorous but serious role playing for the need to maintain apartments clean and orderly. We will miss them very much for the many contributions they have made to the mission.

Tim routinely meets with the stake presidents in the mission, usually the night before zone conferences or other training meetings to discuss missionary work and the progress being made in their stakes. Here in Otavalo Tim met with President Camp (left) from the Otavalo Stake and with President Arellano from the Imbabura stake. These are wonderful leaders and we feel honored to serve them.

In zone conferences and in all kinds of meetings we always do role-playing. Here is Tim as an investigator "demonstrating" with a pair of Zone Leaders in the Iñaquito chapel in Quito.

Sometimes Zone Conferences can be little boring, especially around the sixth time for the girls. They are real troopers who endure long rides all over the country. Stephanie and Natalie can fall asleep just about any where, especially sitting in the back of the SUV. Here they are sleeping in the Santo Domingo stake center.

Here is the Santo Domingo Zone of whom we are very grateful for their hard work and dedication: L to R: Elder Redd (USA), Sister Jaramillo (Ecuador), Sister Herrera (Guatemala), to Tim's left is Elder Marín (Bolivia), Elder Nole (Peru); back row L to R: Elder Kearns (USA), Elder Olguin (Bolivia), Elder Wright (USA) and behind him, Elder Fuentes (Chile), Elder Vogl (USA), Elder Noe (USA), Elder Mendoza (Mexico) and Elder Cujilan (Ecuador). Tim, Cindy, Stephanie and Natalie are in front center.
We love to recognize the accomplishments of our missionaries! These are hard-to-earn certificates that missionaries receive when they memorize scriptures listed in Preach My Gospel and organize their Area Book with perfection! L to R: Sister Figueroa (Chile), Sister Sandoval (Guatemala), Elder Cevallos (Ecuador), Elder Moreyra (Bolivia) and Elder Larrea (Ecuador)

After zone conference in which zones from the San Rafael Zone and Esmeraldas Zone joined together, we took a moment to take a picture of our wonderful sisters. L to R: Sister Perez (Guatemala), Sister Sandoval (Guatemala), Stephanie, Tim, Cindy, Sister Figueroa (Chile), Natalie and Sister Mateo (Guatemala).

This is the Esmeraldas Zone with great missionaries. L to R: Elder Smith (USA), Elder Gallego (Colombia), Sister Figueroa (Chile), Elder Merrill (USA), Sister Sandoval (Guatemala), Elder Garcia (USA), Cindy, Natalie, Stephanie, Tim, Elder Segura (Costa Rica), Elder Hendrickson (USA), Elder Cevallos (Ecuador), Elder Moreyra (Bolivia), Elder Larrea (Ecuador).

This is the San Rafael Zone serving in Esmeraldas. These are great missionaries! L to R: Elder Hymas (USA), Elder Cauhuana (Ecuador), Sister Perez (Guatemala), Elder Vergara (Chile), Sister Mateo (Guatemala), Elder Diaz (Guatemala), Cindy, Stephanie, Elder Steiber (USA), Natalie, Tim, Elder Pincay (Ecuador), Elder Pinchana (Peru), Elder Ariaga (Guatemala), Elder Caballero (Peru), Elder Visca (Argentina)

The Orient Zone which covers the isolated branches in the mission which are located in the Amazon region. L to R: Elder Dávila (Peru), Elder Farinango (Ecuador-Otavalo), Sister Chu (Peru), Sister CujCuj (Guatemala), Cindy, Natalie, Tim, Stephanie, Elder Vomocil (USA), Elder Eliason, also known as President Eliason who presides over the Tena branch, Elder Cumez (Guatemala) and Elder De Hoyos (Colombia).
The Ambato Zone of missionaries who have worked hard to help the Ambato stake grow. L to R: Elder Mercado (Bolivia), Elder Lopez (Ecuador), Sister Alava (Ecuador), Elder Alarcón (Ecuador), Sister Nicolas (Bolivia), Elder Garcia (Nicaragua), Cindy, Elder Ward (USA), Natalie, Tim, Stephanie, Elder Matsen (USA), Elder Benavidez (Mexico), Elder Coc (Guatemala)

Natalie loves to ride her little scooter around the chapels when we hold zone conferences or specialized training for the missionaries. Here she is in the Imbabura stake chapel outdoor basketball court (Otavalo).

August 2010

When we travel to Tena or Coca we cross many one-lane bridges like this one. So far the bridges have held up!

We were driving along the ridge of the mountains on our way to Quito from Tena, at about 11,000 ft. when we came to this landside which had just happened moments before. It was a river of mud that was about 100 ft. across the road. The current of mud carried small logs and rocks down the cliff on the left. There is never a dull moment traveling through the Andes.

When we came to the mudslide, we didn't have a lot of options. To turn back would mean that we would not arrive home until about 24 hours later with a detour through another route in the Andes. L to R: Natalie, Tim, President Espinozo's two sons, Elder Dominguez (Mexico); in the back, L to R: President Espinosa, Tim's second counselor, and Elder Morales (Ecuador).

This man entertained us all with a little shock and horror as he walked from one end to the other. He is just inches away from a ledge that dropped down hundreds of feet!

Finally, a big bus decided to trudge through the one foot thick of mud and debris. The bus started to slide towards the edge, but the driver made it across, giving us all hope that we could do the same. The Ecuadorian bus drivers are fearless.