Kids:
We are now in Ecuador. We had an uneventful trip down. We got to the temple. It was about 12:30 am before we got here. We went to work in the temple for a shift on Thursday.
We have gone out shopping to stock the pantry, and seen a bit of the city on foot. We won't have a computer for a week or more, so we will be out of touch for a while.
The climate is very pleasant. Warm but not hot. The people are wonderful. Very friendly. More when we have our own computer.
Love, Dad
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
On our way
Kids & Mike:
The visas have arrived as well as our itinerary. We get on the shuttle at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow, and arrive in Guayquil at 10:30pm.
We are pumped. We have cancelled our tutor for this afternoon and are doing laundry and packing.
Pete
We are pumped. We have cancelled our tutor for this afternoon and are doing laundry and packing.
Pete
Sunday, November 23, 2008
News from MTC
Dear Kids & Mike:
We made good use of our extra week at the MTC. We had 2 tutors a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and a private room to study in. We put in 7 hours a day on Espanol. We still don't know much, but we did learn a few things, and we know how to study it. We will continue our studies once there.
Our visa has been approved by the Ecuadorian consulate. It is expected (or hoped) to arrive in SL on Monday. If it arrives then, we will be off to Ecuador on Tuesday.
Saturday was our "P" day. We went to the mall in the morning. In the afternoon Debbie and I took a hike up Rock Canyon. It was beautiful. It is a passageway between two fairly steep mountains. There were a number of rockclimbers practicing dangling from the sides of the mountains with pitons and ropes. It was a beautiful warm sunny day. Very nice. I think we saw a condor. It was a huge raptor type bird that didn't look like an eagle and was too large to be a hawk. After supper we attended the temple. It was a full day, and most enjoyable.
Sundays are always enjoyable here. Speakers are always great. After Sacrament meeting Espanol)we went and heard a broadcast of music and the spoken word. After that, Debbie went to RS and I went to two priesthood meetings, both spanish, except for the lessons, which were excellent.
The afternoon consists of naps, Skype, email and reading.
We found out on Thursday that our visa has been approved by the Ecuadorian consulate. Travel figures they will get it on Monday. If they do we will most likely be flying out on Tuesday. We have a tentative schedule for this week consisting of more tutoring and study, until we leave. As useful as the study is, I would much rather learn Spanish by immersion and less of the formal study. Debbie seems to really like to study, but I get pretty restless after an hour or two.
We are back to working out in the morning. We are too pooped by the end of the day to do it.
Should try to get in a little walk this afternoon. It is a beautiful sunny day.
Love, Dad
We made good use of our extra week at the MTC. We had 2 tutors a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and a private room to study in. We put in 7 hours a day on Espanol. We still don't know much, but we did learn a few things, and we know how to study it. We will continue our studies once there.
Our visa has been approved by the Ecuadorian consulate. It is expected (or hoped) to arrive in SL on Monday. If it arrives then, we will be off to Ecuador on Tuesday.
Saturday was our "P" day. We went to the mall in the morning. In the afternoon Debbie and I took a hike up Rock Canyon. It was beautiful. It is a passageway between two fairly steep mountains. There were a number of rockclimbers practicing dangling from the sides of the mountains with pitons and ropes. It was a beautiful warm sunny day. Very nice. I think we saw a condor. It was a huge raptor type bird that didn't look like an eagle and was too large to be a hawk. After supper we attended the temple. It was a full day, and most enjoyable.
Sundays are always enjoyable here. Speakers are always great. After Sacrament meeting Espanol)we went and heard a broadcast of music and the spoken word. After that, Debbie went to RS and I went to two priesthood meetings, both spanish, except for the lessons, which were excellent.
The afternoon consists of naps, Skype, email and reading.
We found out on Thursday that our visa has been approved by the Ecuadorian consulate. Travel figures they will get it on Monday. If they do we will most likely be flying out on Tuesday. We have a tentative schedule for this week consisting of more tutoring and study, until we leave. As useful as the study is, I would much rather learn Spanish by immersion and less of the formal study. Debbie seems to really like to study, but I get pretty restless after an hour or two.
We are back to working out in the morning. We are too pooped by the end of the day to do it.
Should try to get in a little walk this afternoon. It is a beautiful sunny day.
Love, Dad
Sunday, November 16, 2008
What's Happening
Friends:
Debbie and I have been at the MTC for two weeks now. The first week was spent in classes working with "Preach My Gospel". It involved preparing lessons for investigators or less actives and then role playing with volunteers from Provo. They work us hard, but it is most interesting.
Every Sunday and Tuesday evening there is a devotional in the large auditorium, where all the missionaries gather, both old and young. The speakers and music are excellent.
This past week we had training for temple service in the Provo temple by Rex and Bonnie Pinegar. We had presentations there by the temple president, recorder, engineer, and head of the laundry. They all have very demanding jobs that entail more than I had ever imagined. In the laundry alone they do over 3,000 lbs of laundry every day. They have to sort and fold and restock it all. Considering that most of the patrons bring their own clothing, you will start to get an idea of temple use. I would estimate that there is al least 30 acres of parking lot, and every morning when we arrived at 8am they were 3/4 full, as they were also last night at 8pm with people still coming and going. During the middle of the day the lots are completely full and cars are parked in the streets around the temple. I used to think they had too many temples in this area (8 I think), but when I see how these faithful saints make use of their temples, I no longer feel that way. I am also starting to feel that Debbie and I have been especially blessed to be sent on a temple mission.
For these past two weeks Debbie and I have met with Spanish tutors three evenings each week for two hours per session. We both felt pretty rusty, as we had stopped our tutoring about a week and a half before leaving NS, since we felt the need to get finished with our preparations to leave NS.
There have been some complications with our visa. There was an oversight in the travel office and we were not given instructions on what we needed to do before leaving NS. Things that should have been done during the summer didn't get started until after we arrived. Thanks to some for helping us in NS, and the travel office now has what they need to begin the application process in Ecuador. It seems likely that we will be here all week, and possibly longer. That is good, because they have made up a schedule of language training that will involve us all day every day and a couple evenings. It will include tutors, as well as how to use the computor program. We have the TALL (Technologically Assisted Language Learning) progam on our computer, so we will continue to use it in Ecuador. We would like at least the one week of training, but after that we are ready to move on to our assignment, ready or not. What happens is in the Lord's hands. We are learning to go with the flow, as He directs things. Whatever happens, I assume happens for a reason.
If a person has to hang out, this is the place. The spirit is strong, and the people are wonderful. The teachers are inspired, and everything about the place is exceptional. Even the food is excellent, and as much as you want. There are usually 5 different serving lines with three different offerings, and most of the time no lines or short ones that move quickly. For beverages there are several kinds of juice, or pop or milk. There are usually several varieties of dessert, or fruit, salad, wraps, you name it. Learning not to over eat when everthig is so good and plentiful is the big challnge here. There is a very fine gym here which we can use whenever we want. We get there every weekday at some point and use the machines.
That is the way it is with everything about the MTC. Everything is top drawer, done right and nothing spared. The laundry is free, and the MTC bookstore gives a 40% discount to missionaries on everything. Debbie and I have a room with it's own bathroom, desk big enough for two and closets and dresser. Modest, but very adequate. There is a shuttle service available to seniors that is ready to take us anywhere in Provo, every half hour, and will come and pick us up when we are ready to return. Last saturday we had them take us up to the parking lot at the beginning of the trail to the "Y". We hiked up to the Y. It is high up on the side of the mountain overlooking BYU and the entire valley. It is a huge letter Y they have made on the side of the mountain. While there, a youn fellow hiked up with a para sail in a packsack. He went a little further up the mountain and spread out his sail in the grass and sagebrush and waited for just the right updraft, then pulled on the strings and the sail filled and he lifted off and sailed right over us. We watched as he circled and slowly decended and finally landed in a baseball diamond on the BYU campus.
Yesterday we had the shuttle take us to the Budget car rental place. We rented a car and drove to Roy, UT and visited with Wayne and Bessie Davis. The Davis' we senior missionaries in Liverpool, almost 20 years ago, and were well loved by all. They are now both 85. Bessie is sharp as a tack, and looks great. She is positive and upbeat, and still does a lot of needlework. Wayne is not faring so well. When his plane was shot down in WWII he had a broken left ankle, and a bullet in his right knee. He had difficulty with his legs 20 years ago, but now he has a lot of trouble with them. He uses a motorized wheelchair at times. A lot of other stuff doesn't work as well as it should either, including his mind. He was fairly lucid while we were there, but Bessie says there is a lot of time that he doesn't really know what is going on. It was nice to see them, but very sad to find Wayne kind of down and out on life.
That is the news here. This is a great experience that I highly reccommend to anybody.
Elder Ripple
Debbie and I have been at the MTC for two weeks now. The first week was spent in classes working with "Preach My Gospel". It involved preparing lessons for investigators or less actives and then role playing with volunteers from Provo. They work us hard, but it is most interesting.
Every Sunday and Tuesday evening there is a devotional in the large auditorium, where all the missionaries gather, both old and young. The speakers and music are excellent.
This past week we had training for temple service in the Provo temple by Rex and Bonnie Pinegar. We had presentations there by the temple president, recorder, engineer, and head of the laundry. They all have very demanding jobs that entail more than I had ever imagined. In the laundry alone they do over 3,000 lbs of laundry every day. They have to sort and fold and restock it all. Considering that most of the patrons bring their own clothing, you will start to get an idea of temple use. I would estimate that there is al least 30 acres of parking lot, and every morning when we arrived at 8am they were 3/4 full, as they were also last night at 8pm with people still coming and going. During the middle of the day the lots are completely full and cars are parked in the streets around the temple. I used to think they had too many temples in this area (8 I think), but when I see how these faithful saints make use of their temples, I no longer feel that way. I am also starting to feel that Debbie and I have been especially blessed to be sent on a temple mission.
For these past two weeks Debbie and I have met with Spanish tutors three evenings each week for two hours per session. We both felt pretty rusty, as we had stopped our tutoring about a week and a half before leaving NS, since we felt the need to get finished with our preparations to leave NS.
There have been some complications with our visa. There was an oversight in the travel office and we were not given instructions on what we needed to do before leaving NS. Things that should have been done during the summer didn't get started until after we arrived. Thanks to some for helping us in NS, and the travel office now has what they need to begin the application process in Ecuador. It seems likely that we will be here all week, and possibly longer. That is good, because they have made up a schedule of language training that will involve us all day every day and a couple evenings. It will include tutors, as well as how to use the computor program. We have the TALL (Technologically Assisted Language Learning) progam on our computer, so we will continue to use it in Ecuador. We would like at least the one week of training, but after that we are ready to move on to our assignment, ready or not. What happens is in the Lord's hands. We are learning to go with the flow, as He directs things. Whatever happens, I assume happens for a reason.
If a person has to hang out, this is the place. The spirit is strong, and the people are wonderful. The teachers are inspired, and everything about the place is exceptional. Even the food is excellent, and as much as you want. There are usually 5 different serving lines with three different offerings, and most of the time no lines or short ones that move quickly. For beverages there are several kinds of juice, or pop or milk. There are usually several varieties of dessert, or fruit, salad, wraps, you name it. Learning not to over eat when everthig is so good and plentiful is the big challnge here. There is a very fine gym here which we can use whenever we want. We get there every weekday at some point and use the machines.
That is the way it is with everything about the MTC. Everything is top drawer, done right and nothing spared. The laundry is free, and the MTC bookstore gives a 40% discount to missionaries on everything. Debbie and I have a room with it's own bathroom, desk big enough for two and closets and dresser. Modest, but very adequate. There is a shuttle service available to seniors that is ready to take us anywhere in Provo, every half hour, and will come and pick us up when we are ready to return. Last saturday we had them take us up to the parking lot at the beginning of the trail to the "Y". We hiked up to the Y. It is high up on the side of the mountain overlooking BYU and the entire valley. It is a huge letter Y they have made on the side of the mountain. While there, a youn fellow hiked up with a para sail in a packsack. He went a little further up the mountain and spread out his sail in the grass and sagebrush and waited for just the right updraft, then pulled on the strings and the sail filled and he lifted off and sailed right over us. We watched as he circled and slowly decended and finally landed in a baseball diamond on the BYU campus.
Yesterday we had the shuttle take us to the Budget car rental place. We rented a car and drove to Roy, UT and visited with Wayne and Bessie Davis. The Davis' we senior missionaries in Liverpool, almost 20 years ago, and were well loved by all. They are now both 85. Bessie is sharp as a tack, and looks great. She is positive and upbeat, and still does a lot of needlework. Wayne is not faring so well. When his plane was shot down in WWII he had a broken left ankle, and a bullet in his right knee. He had difficulty with his legs 20 years ago, but now he has a lot of trouble with them. He uses a motorized wheelchair at times. A lot of other stuff doesn't work as well as it should either, including his mind. He was fairly lucid while we were there, but Bessie says there is a lot of time that he doesn't really know what is going on. It was nice to see them, but very sad to find Wayne kind of down and out on life.
That is the news here. This is a great experience that I highly reccommend to anybody.
Elder Ripple
Monday, November 10, 2008
Reunited
Horray-- Our missing power cord finally arrived at the MTC tonight-- we drew a big sigh of relief to be finally reunited and connected with you all. We can finally Skype! Horray!
We have decided exercising early in the morning and then sitting in the temple meetings all day does not make for a good combination-- Pete and I slept through most of this mornings training. We have enjoyed meeting so many people.
We have enjoyed some great firesides with General Relief Society Pres as speaker, then on Sunday morning RS meeting the guest speaker was Couns in Primary General Board. Our Visa to Ecuador has been delayed-- we will focus on Espanol next week .
We have decided exercising early in the morning and then sitting in the temple meetings all day does not make for a good combination-- Pete and I slept through most of this mornings training. We have enjoyed meeting so many people.
We have enjoyed some great firesides with General Relief Society Pres as speaker, then on Sunday morning RS meeting the guest speaker was Couns in Primary General Board. Our Visa to Ecuador has been delayed-- we will focus on Espanol next week .
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Communication
Dear Kids:
On our P day (Saturday) Debbie and I climbed to the top of the Y yesterday. We took along a young fellow who is a volunteer at the MTC who we thought needed to go for an outing. We had a great time. It was a beautiful day. There was a football game and every time BYU scored we could hear the big roar. Also, a young fellow carried a para glider up the mountain. When just the right updraft came along he got it up in the air and flew right over us. We watched till he landed in a field on the BYU campus. Looks like fun.
This coming week we will spend each day in the temple learning the routines in English. We will have Spanish lessons in the evening.
The fellow that we were borrowing our power cord from leaves for Mongolia, so we have no way to recharge our computer until we find somebody else with a cord, or ours arrives here. Till then, no skyping and not much email. We gotta be careful.
Love, Dad
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Mom's in at the MTC
Pete and I just finished our first week at the MTC. The focus this week was the Preach My Gospel manual and we had opportunities to teach investigators--- not real ones but volunteers who have had lots of practice being investigators. I have a whole new appreciation for the young missionaries.
Tonight was a testimony meeting for the senior missionaries who are learning a new language- couples are going to Mongolia, samoa, chili, Brazil, France etc so we heard lots of humble fledging testimonies . We have enjoyed meeting so many couples and appreciate their dedication and willingness to take on these challenges. Our geatest challenge is the cafeteria where there is too much delicious food , too often. We all struggle with this challenge.
After the first few days we began to settle in . We do not feel stressed as we did at first. We are relaxing into this.
We will be delayed in leaving here because we did not receive some important papers needed for our visa to Ecuador. The papers are on their way as is the power bar for our computer. Thank heavens for people at home who are willing to support us when we needed them. We will use any extra time here after next week to focus solely on Spanish. We will be provided tutors. Currently we have a tutor 3 times a week but that will be increased once we finish our temple training next week.
Tomorrrow is our first day with no committments-- othe days have been busy from 6 in the morning till 8 at night -- whew.
Carrie, I love the calendar page--- thank you so much- I have an exceptioal family. We will try to skype on Sunday though we are without our own power cord--- if we can borrow one we will be on line in the afternoon .
Lots of love to you all and your wonderful families.
Mom
Tonight was a testimony meeting for the senior missionaries who are learning a new language- couples are going to Mongolia, samoa, chili, Brazil, France etc so we heard lots of humble fledging testimonies . We have enjoyed meeting so many couples and appreciate their dedication and willingness to take on these challenges. Our geatest challenge is the cafeteria where there is too much delicious food , too often. We all struggle with this challenge.
After the first few days we began to settle in . We do not feel stressed as we did at first. We are relaxing into this.
We will be delayed in leaving here because we did not receive some important papers needed for our visa to Ecuador. The papers are on their way as is the power bar for our computer. Thank heavens for people at home who are willing to support us when we needed them. We will use any extra time here after next week to focus solely on Spanish. We will be provided tutors. Currently we have a tutor 3 times a week but that will be increased once we finish our temple training next week.
Tomorrrow is our first day with no committments-- othe days have been busy from 6 in the morning till 8 at night -- whew.
Carrie, I love the calendar page--- thank you so much- I have an exceptioal family. We will try to skype on Sunday though we are without our own power cord--- if we can borrow one we will be on line in the afternoon .
Lots of love to you all and your wonderful families.
Mom
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Variety is the spice of life
We've had lots of opportunity to visit with many senior couples who are here with us-- we are all going to diverse places-- Mongolia, Korea,Nigeria, Ghana, Chile-- and a few common spots like Wash DC, Toronto, Texas. The story is so familar-- those who taught Spanish for years are going to Mongolia or Korea, those who wanted to dig wells and build houses are going to a compound in Nigeria surrounded by a high fence and barbed wire. Another couple is driving their car to a Reservation in Colorado were the young elders drive 4x4 over dirt roads, and they allowed their car will be used up by the time their mission is finished. Many are going on Temple missions-- Mexico, Washington DC. Some are on their 4th mission. They come home for a year and then are off again. All are looking forward to their adventures.
I don't like the cafeteria. Now, I am enjoying NOT organizing meals, shopping for food,concern over cost, preparing the meals, clean up ,or managing leftovers. So what is there not to like--- the MTC treats the 2000 youth who are currently here very well with no end of variety of foods, well prepared and served with generous helpings. Yes ,I do ask for small servings but the variety is immense and I am trying to resist . Pete and I work out in the gym in the early morning but it is definitely not enough time to make a dent--- all you mothers are not sympathizing with me, I'm sure . The youth are on their best behavior removing our trays from the table when we are finished. They are all a striking lot-- handsomely groomed and dressed and so well behaved. There is hope for our world when you see so many all in one place and see the wonderful power and potential.Their parents would be so proud if they could see them .
Debbie
I don't like the cafeteria. Now, I am enjoying NOT organizing meals, shopping for food,concern over cost, preparing the meals, clean up ,or managing leftovers. So what is there not to like--- the MTC treats the 2000 youth who are currently here very well with no end of variety of foods, well prepared and served with generous helpings. Yes ,I do ask for small servings but the variety is immense and I am trying to resist . Pete and I work out in the gym in the early morning but it is definitely not enough time to make a dent--- all you mothers are not sympathizing with me, I'm sure . The youth are on their best behavior removing our trays from the table when we are finished. They are all a striking lot-- handsomely groomed and dressed and so well behaved. There is hope for our world when you see so many all in one place and see the wonderful power and potential.Their parents would be so proud if they could see them .
Debbie
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Elder and Sister Ripple at the MTC
Hola--We arrived at The MTC in Provo Saturday evening to a balmy 70 degrees. We discovered in our furry of preparations to leave our house that we left our power cord to our laptop behind. Pete did pack an almost empty tube of toothpaste , a sliver of soap in his kit and 4 pairs of swim goggles but no power cord. With help of other couples we are settling in and have a borrowed power cord plugged into our computer!
We were assigned to Branch 59 this morning for Sacrament meeting. In a room with about 50 people less than half were obvious Northamericans , as young missionaries struggled with English as they blessed the Sacrament and bore their testimonies. Many had come to the MTC from their homelands of Korea , China, Brazil, Japan etc many not knowing a word of English when they arrived. We were assigned to this branch because our last name begins with an R. We are all humbled as we struggle with a new language and customs.
As we met for a Mission Conference, voices of 1000 plus missionaries filled the centre. It is an uplifting experience for us all as we are taken out of the world for these few weeks to be surrounded by the spirit in this place.
MTC
Kids:
We are at the MTC. We got here late last night. Things are kind of confused because we get oriented tomorrow. We left the power cord to the computer in Liverpool and we are running out of time. Gonna try to get one. More later.
Love, Dad
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)