Guayaquil

Not too long ago, Lee went with some of the volunteers to Guayaquil, which is Ecuador's largest city, to visit the temple. Lee went because they needed someone trusted who could meet the tour guide, feel him out, and make sure it would be good to send the girls out with him in future without an OSSO chaperone. The guide was great and so were the views.

Another bonus about Lee's trip was that he got to surprise his old mission president Jorge Bentancourth and his wife, who are currently serving in the Guayaquil Temple presidency, by stopping in at the temple unannounced. It was fun for Lee to catch up with them and hopefully they'll be able to get together again soon, because while the temple closes for its regularly scheduled cleanings, some of the couple missionaries and some of the temple presidency will be taking a few days of vacation in Cuenca.

More information on that as it happens....

Many of you may recognize this picture seeing that a similar one was taken in the 2007 Rogers Family Reunion... but this time I have a wife, she just wasn't with me.

Birthday Party at HML

Lee and Gabby, this girl LOVES Lee!

The main attraction of the evening: Taking turns hopping on Lees back while he pretended to dip their head into this rain puddle.

Some HML girls + the OSSO volunteers. Danika is in the front row on the right and Lee is taking the photo.

Birthday cake for all of the girls with a July birthday.

Pictures of us at Turi, a daycare where we serve once a week

Our new assignment

Every Monday and Thursday night our volunteers plan activities at an all girls orphanage called HML- Hogar Miguel Leon. Lee and I have been able to attend weekly with them. HML is located right in the center of the city. To gain entrance we must knock on a gated door and wait for a nun to come greet us and unlock the gate. This routine ALWAYS reminds me of scene from the Sound of Music when the children go to the Abbey to look for Maria!

The weekly activities at HML are fun and active. There are many outgoing girls who meet us ( the OSSO volunteers and Lee and I) at the gate, hug us, take our hands and want our attention the rest of the evening. When this happens the shyer girls go unnoticed and do not receive the attention they need.

However, starting this week, Lee and I will take 4 girls at a time on a private outing every Wednesday! This week, we arrived at HML around 10:00 am and brought Paola, Yuli, Gloria and Tanya to a private room to do a self reflection exercise. Lee had previously helped me translate an exercise I had learned in recreational therapy called the I Am poem. The girls were very focused and quiet during the exercise and we were very pleased with their willingness to share their poems with us.


Tanya wrote:
I Am
I am joyful
I ask myself where God came from
I hear to music
I see people
I want to be famous
I am joyful
I pretend to sing
I feel happy
I believe in Jesus
I worry about my studies
I cry when I’m not with my family
I am joyful
I understand that people love me
I say that friendship is good
I dream that I am here
I make an effort to be good
I hope everyday
I am joyful

Paola wrote:
I Am
I am funny and fun
I ask myself ¨when will I visit other countries? ¨
I listen to the sound of dolphins
I see the sunset
I want to be a doctor
I am funny and fun
I plan to finish the high school
I feel that I am a very special person
I believe that God will help me
I worry when I don’t understand
I cry when things don’t go my way
I am funny and fun
I say continue forward
I understand that life is what it is
I dream to travel to other countries
I try to study well
I hope that somebody can help me
I am funny and fun

After the exercise we took a taxi to El Mall de Rio where we went bowling. This was the first time any of these girls had ever been bowling. I am so grateful that Lee and I are able share these experiences. It is so touching to watch him interact with the children and people of Ecuador. His attentiveness and compassion is inspiring.

Here Lee is teaching Paola how to bowl

It was so fun to get to know Gloria in a private setting and I cant wait to visit with her more each monday and thursday night.

Paola, Yuli, Gloria and Tanya on an escalator. This was the first time the three younger girls had ever seen an escalator.

I Can Fly!

Yesterday we went on a field trip with the volunteers to a zip-lining course called Cuenca Canopy. It was incredible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0I_4P5GSNs

July 1st, trip to Ingapirca