Ecuador

Two weeks ago tonight we arrived in Ecuador at midnight.  Monday and Tuesday we organized the apartment.  Wednesday we started working in the temple.  Since then, we have been busy night and day.  Sorry to miss posting in the blog for two weeks!

Last night was the ward talent show.  It was amazing to see so much very excellent, well developed talent in one ward: classical violin, dancers who did traditional Inca and Criollo, also Charleston, Spanish Gypsy, Flamenco, jazz, roc, and more.  Also very fine singers, actors, and poets.

My contribution included accompanying a temple missionary couple (Fuhriman) who sang a Mexican Bolero in harmony, a sing-a-long led by Elder Rigby: "Solamente Una Vez"; also they wanted me to sing "El Aguacate", a traditional Pasillo Ecuatoriano that I learned last week.  They all say that they are greatly honored and appreciative that I would learn their national music as soon as I arrive in their country.

Last Monday, 24 May, was the celebration of the "Batalla de Pichincha, 1822", the decisive victory over the Españoles that resulted in Independencia for Ecuador.  So, I composed a song about it in Pasillo style, recorded it, and played it at the show.  This was also requested, as everyone seems to know that I wrote this and they are very pleased that I would honor their country in this way.

I also arranged Elder Rigby's original hymn " for 3 part men, and created a Spanish version "Mi Alma Se Deleita, el Salmo de Nefi".  We will sing it soon.

In the past two weeks I also: learned 7 temple ordinances in Spanish, found an Otovaleño to teach them to me in Kichwa, started a Kichwa curriculum for the temple workers, played the organ in the temple chapel for meetings, and worked every position in the temple except clothing and laundry.

In my spare time I started a piano tuner course with 15 students, acquired funding for 18 keyboards to give "piano" lessons, had friendly conversations with hundreds of people from all over this country, and established working relationships with key people including National Government: the bank minister and the Indigenous Language Literacy Bilingual Education Committee; Professional Musicians from the Symphony, the Piano Pedagogy, and the traditional Criollo and Andean music; and the U.S. Peace Corps.

Today I am too tired to remember what else we have done.  Of course, Janeen has done much more than that, particularly with sewing, cooking, and building relationships in the ward, the mission, and all the people back home with phone calls ( we can call your phone number from our computer ), Skype, and emails.