New Years in Guayaquil

So far, New Years seems to be the biggest celebration in Ecuador. The people make dolls of paper mache to get ready. Some are on display around the city during the week preceeding. There are places where there are open air markets where they sell them, such as is shown in the attached pictures. The market under the tree is also a manufacturing shop. Picture three shows a shell of a doll not yet assembled, and 4 shows a young artist putting on finishing touches. I think the under tree operation was a one family enterprise. There were many such operations going all over in this area of the city. These pictures were taken on Dec 31, and we were told that by evening every one would be sold. People write down their troubles of 2008 and put them inside the dolls along with some firecrackers, and stack them in piles in the streets and then douse them with gasoline at midnight and set them on fire. I think it is a great idea if it works. Actually I think it is a great idea even if it doesn't work. It brings people together and promotes a positive attitude toward life. All day long there are fireworks going off all over the city on the 31st. After dark, it increases. From 10:00 till midnight the fireworks are spectacular. From the roof of our 3 story alojamiento, we had a view of the city as far as the eye can see in all directions. People were setting off fireworks continually. These are not little piddly skyrockets either, but big ones, just like at any big fireworks display. Those plus some heavy duty firecrackers went off continually. From about 11:45 until shortly after midnight there was a frenzy of fireworks. At midnight the fires started all over the place as the people burned and blew up their troubles. I wonder how many added to their troubles that night with all of the powerful fireworks that were detonated by amateurs. As temple president Rojas observed," these are a happy people." I would have to agree. As poor as many of these people are, I bet most of them managed to find a few dollars to celebrate with. It was the most incredible celebration I have ever seen anywhere. That much enthusiasm is contageous to be around. Even if you aren't a big fan of fireworks, it just brings a smile to your face to see this much enthusiasm as far as you can see in all directions. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. May all your woes go up in smoke. Love, Peter & Debbie

Telephone to Ecuador

If you need to call,our number is 000000. That will get the guard station. If you talk in English they will hang up, as John found out. Only one of the guards speaks English. The guards are great fellows, they aren't being mean, they just don't know how to deal with English. Meet them half way with an effort and they will work with you. When they answer, say "ola" (hello) Then say: "Elder Ripley, por favor." Roll the r's if you can, and that will translate to "Elder Ripple please." They will know that we are at extension 314. (trece- uno- cuatro) that would sound like "exten-see-own trace , uno, kwa-tro" Even if you mess up the R's, they will know what you mean. The can't pronounce Ripple, and have turned it into RRRipley, so that is how we introduce ourselves now. Love, Dad

Temple Turf

Just to put the temple in context, I have included some shots of the surrounding neighborhood. Ten years ago, some people in the area were building houses on savings. The country switched from the sucre to the US dollar as its currency. The savings that were to complete these houses were wiped out. The sucre became valueless. Work on these houses stopped then and never resumed. The current economic difficulties are impacting Ecuador as well, as exports of flowers, fruit, and the small amount of oil they sell has been cut back. Peru stole most of their oil patch.

This picture shows a house that actually has a family with several kids living on the first floor. Hammocks are slung for beds. They share the space with a small flock of chickens. The third picture shows a very nice house on the top of the hill. It might be a condo, with unfinished houses in the foreground. There are several nice houses in the area, that people were fortunate enough to complete before the change. The bottom one is showing an outdoor furniture refinishing business. The cars were parked for safe keeping off the street by neighbors on New Years eve. New years eve is wild. More on that later.

Lots of contrast in this area. Dirt poor to wealthy living side by side. Other areas of the city seem to have one or the other . Pete

Ecuador from a Women's Perspective

Family and Friends,

We are nearing the 2 month mark since we left Nova Scotia and life is starting to settle with familiarlarity.

We live in a city of 3 million people which looks totally different from the small town we left.However, like most large cities it, too, is broken down into areas and as I become more familiar with this area in which I live it is taking on a certain hominess.

I love the people. They are so warm. The women all great each other touching cheeks and kissing the air by the ear , which gives a certain bond of support and caring and acceptance.The women are beautiful with their long thick glossy dark hair and warm skin. Everyone dresses well and up.They love their shoes and acccessories. At the temple, on the street and on the buses. The woman and all people young and old look good. I have rarely seen someone acting out-- no piercings in weird places , no tattoos, no torn clothes or baggy clothes. I have rarely seen anyone smoking or down on drugs. ( Now I may change my opinion after I have an opportunity to go to the very south of the city where there is more poverty). Where we live is a complete mixture of well to do and those without much ado. All properties adjoin with high walls of concrete or metal fencing surrounding each property. Well to do houses abut rundown houses. All are enclosed. Well ,I have seen one not enclosed but perhaps there would be not much to take other than the flock of hens running in and out the door searching for a living in the dirt by the front door.Old and new, rich and poor live side by side here.every so often I pass a property and hear the happy sounds of a rooster coming from behind the fence. (The eggs at the supermarket are unrefridgerated and fertilized) We spent Christmas eve in a home that was VERYwell appointed and a few days before Christmas in a home that had no bathroom or hot water and where water runs over the concrete floor when it rains. They ,too ,were grateful for their home . Perhaps having something when one knows it could be worse makes folks more grateful and appreciative.

Many homes in our area were abondoned half finised apparently at the turn of the century when the country converted from Ecuadoran currency to American dollars.Many lost big time. it was an economic measure to ensure stability. The president is quoted as saying it may be better to switch back.

The city is set at the convergence of 2 large rivers , which I have seen when downtown, but where we live are all gentle hills. The surrounding city is beautiful on these warm balmy nights with the lights of the houses and the rectangular shape of the concrete homes covering the hillsides, with palm trees silhouetted in the lights.I love to walk by day throughout this area of the city and look at the variety of homes and people and the trees and bushes covered in flowers . I am getting more immune to the constant honking and rush of the cars(i'm sure the horns wear out first), but I especially love walking in the evenings(its dark by 6:30 all year round)with its cooling breeze and the lights of the homes on the hillsides as I circle the enclosure in which we live .

This country exports oil, and bananas, and flowers and rice. Folks eat a lot of rice , it is the staple. Fruits are plentiful and our friends who have not much shared fruits that were gathered as drops in the "countryside" where he works as a supervisor at rice fields. A dozen long stem red roses cost 1.88 at the store .The current world credit crunch is also affecting adversely Ecuadors exports of oil and flowers.

Anything can be purchased here that can be puchased where you live-imports are more expensive than where you shop and can be unreliable in their availability, so if you want something particular that is imported and you see it ,buy it now; when you go back to the store it may not be there and I am told may not be for months. The malls look just like the malls in any large city. They are one half hour away by foot. I got a great haircut at a hairdressors-which was very busy and cheap--4 dollars, but I came right home and shampooed my hair well. Perhaps I would have seen fancier tools at the hairdressors at the mall but would have missed out on the experience at the local place just down the street. Ever frugal I saw that they were reusing the foils for highlights.

Yes , I miss my home and my family and my friends. but I am loving this experience with sights and sounds (the language is getting more familar) and tastes, and people.I wish you all a healthy and happy new year. Felix Anos.

Debbie/Mom/Nana

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I hope you are all having fun and not stressing-- this too shall come to pass so put on that favorite music and enjoy the activities! Love ,mom/Nana

News from Ecuador

Friends and Relatives:

It is time to break the long silence. We just got the internet connected a day ago. It doesn't seem to be up to speed as Skype is not working well. Maybe there is a kink in the wire. Also, our Easyshare program doesn't want to accept any pictures from our camera, so rather than wait to do show and tell, we have decided to tell all now and show later. Technology seems to be the biggest problem so far, and I get uncomfortable when it gets more complex than a hammer. Well, OK maybe a nail gun. But after that it is Greek to me, just like Spanish is also Greek.

As some of you know, we spent three weeks at the MTC (Missionary Training Center), in Provo. That was a week beyond schedule because of a hangup with our visa. That was ok because we got a week of language training that we wouldn't have gotten otherwise, which was very helpful, especially to Debbie who has taken to Espanol like a duck to water. I am kind of like a cat to water with it. We got to be tutored live by a couple of the tutors that we had on the phone before leaving Liverpool (Andrew Baer and Javier Bucheli). It was great to finally meet them. They do a great job. In fact everything that happens at the MTC can only be spoken of in superlatives. Also in some of our free time we did get to go hiking in the mountains and up a canyon.

However great it was at the MTC, we were glad our visa came through and we were able to get on with the adventure. Now that we have the internet we are able to see on The National, on CBC what we are missing in NS. THe weather here is plenty warm, but not as bad as I expected. High 80's to low 90's during the day, and the most beautiful balmy evenings imaginable. It is pure joy to be out in the evening. The temple is on a hill (of course) and is a very prominent feature in the landscape. Because of the hill, the perimeter wall is down the hill, and on one side you can look out over the city. It is on an enclosed lot about 20-30 acres in size. It is enclosed with a high wall with a laser beam inside and video cameras everywhere, and guards at the gate. That kind of security is par for Guayaquil. Every house has high walls, some topped with broken glass, or iron barbs or barbed wire. Most if not all apartment buildings have armed guards, as do all the malls, both inside and out, and even ice cream parlors. The guards wear flak vests and carry a pistol as well as a 12 guage pump shotgun with a pistol grip in place of a stock. There is no such thing as police brutality charges or tasers in Ecuador. I understand that they are trained to shoot first and ask questions later. The small convenience stores are ofen completely enclosed with a heavy iron grate. You can point at what you want and exchange money through the grate but you don't get inside. To me, it does not indicate that crime is worse here than elsewhere. It is a recognition of human nature. It seems like a sensible crime deterrent. Knowing you might get blown in two with a load of double 0 buck is probably a stronger deterent than knowing you might get a few days in jail with three squares a day and early release for good behavior, or because the jails are so full we can't afford to keep anybody there very long anyway. I suspect Ecuadorian justice is a lot cheaper and a whole lot more effective at discouraging repeat offences.

I think lawyers are not in great demand in Ecuador. I don't think that there is much you could litigate. If you get hit by a car it is your fault for being on the street, or if it was on the sidewalk, it is your fault for not jumping out of the way. If you fall down a manhole or drive into one with no cover, it is your fault for not looking where you are going. (They leave them off all over the place). They want a sign, they put the post in the middle of the sidewalk. If they change their minds, they might cut it off leaving a 6" stump. You trip and get hurt, your fault for not paying attention. You know what? I think they have the right idea. We North Americans are litigation crazy. Here you can ride in the back of pick up trucks, or stand in an open bus door if you want. You get hurt, your fault, you pay the price. Simple.

Even though the signs point to a high rate of crime, we do not at all feel unsafe on the streets. DEbbie and I walk together, or alone with no difficulty. When we go out in the evenings, which is rare, we go in groups. We generally go by bus or taxi, which are very reasonable. Buses are frequent because in a city of 3 millon, with a very small percentage of people with cars, it is public transit for the masses. All the cars and buses drive like crazy. The buses seem to have no springs or shocks, and they all have manual shifts and cowboys for drivers. They are quite fun actually. We prefer them to taxis. Everybody drives with their horns, and nose in and out and butt in and seem to be almost rude, but they never seem to get road rage, and we have never seen accidents, and the vehicles are not all dented up. They have their own rules of the road and it seems to work. Generally speaking the Ecuadorians seem to prefer buses to to walking. We travel by foot as much as possible, and until you get in the immediate viscinity of a mall, we have the sidewalks, such as they are, to ourselves.

The people are great. We have only been here three weeks, and we love them. The Ecuadorians are very gentle and loving. We have a particularly slanted view I suppose, because the criminal types do not come to the temple. We love working with the people we work with. All have been helpful and patient as we struggle with the language. The women all greet each other with a hug and touch cheeks and kiss the air near the ear. Kind of a symbolic kiss that doesn't quite connect. Men all greet each other with a handshake. Just to make sure, you might wind up shaking hands two or three times with the same person. They take no offense when you butcher their language, and find it funny. They seem to appreciate the fact that we are trying.

Since being here I don't believe I have seen more than 4 people smoking. They have all been women, which proves that Ecuadorian men are smarter than women. I have not seen cigarettes for sale in the stores. The only place I have seen them for sale is by street vendors who have them in a little tray that is supported by a stap behind the neck. Obesity is also the exception in Ecuador. Survival seems to be more important than indulging in excesses. I have seen no bars, and only a couple of what are probably night clubs. The Guayaquil phone book is the size of the Halifax directory. The yellow pages are a section about 1/2"thick.

I love the skin color of the natives. It is a nice rich light brown. Generally the natives have very clear unblemished skin. In a warm climate like this, a lot of the women expose more of it that they should perhaps; a practice I find disgusting of course. Actually, I find us white folks to be a bit pastey and washed out looking by comparison. Some of the people from Otavala, come by the busload in native costumes. Men and women have long black hair that they wear in a single braid down their backs. The women have white embroidered blouses, with many gold necklasses, and black dresses. They speak a separate language.

We spend long hours at the temple. When on the morning shift we are up at 5:30am and then are done by 12 or 1:30 depending on if I am at the door. The evening shift we are there at 4:15 and get home around 10:30. Saturday is generally a 12 hour day,for everybody as bus loads come in from the surrounding country, and we go flat out until around 6:30pm. Time goes quickly and enjoyably.

Our apartment is very comfortable. We have 640sq feet of space. (17.5' x 36') with plenty of cupboard and closet space. The kitchen is fully equipped as well as the living room and bedroom. Our apartment als comes with a TV and cable with maybe 80 or so channels. Many of them are English with Spanish subtitles. Pretty hard to find anyhting worth watching, just like home. Now that we can get the news on CBC on the internet, the TV will collect dust. CNN is a pretty poor excuse for a news program, and that was all we found to watch. They are changing cable providers in a month or so and going with on that carries BYU TV, and they have some interesting stuff at times. The apartment is very well done, just like everything the Church does. Bath is all ceramic tile, as well as ceramic tile in entry and kitchen. The temple grounds are all gardens and parking, and a team of gardeners work full time keeping the grounds beautiful. 4 times around the inside perimeter of the grounds is a mile, and we enjoy getting out in the evening when it has cooled down and walking.

Thats the news from this end folks. We would love to hear yours.

Pete & Debbie

Internet has Arrived

Horray! We are finally connected to the internet and to our family. Just as we got connected the power went out and the church switched to its generators and our friends arrived to go do some errands.

At 4:30 we arrived home to rush out again at 5. We went to the Volares home. They live around the corner and up the street from the temple. THe Volares have been members for 16 years and have worked in the temple for the past 9 years .They come in each Saturday all day to work in the baptistry. He works in the rice fields every day except Sat. Sunday is church.

As Sister Volare and I were visiting on Sat she asked what work we did at home-- well lots of questions we asked each other about children and grandchildren etc. All the important stuff. I said me espouso was a carpenter and he likes to help people. I asked if she needed help. She said yes-- they needed a room buildt onto their house.They had been gathering materials but could not afford the labour costs. We arranged to come look at it tonight at 5. A most humble abode.

The concrete floor was clean and the room tidy. The iron grates over the windows had no glass and the chairs and tables all had pop bottles under their legs so that when the water comes in through the roof and the door during the very rainy season the furniture is protected. Fortunately there is no snow here as the roof would not stand the weight especially since one of the 2x4s was partially eaten through.

No finish work , no counters Rough concrete block walls.Peter feels the room will be very easy to build . We are excited to be able to put our energy and talents to use to assist these wonderful saints.Our mission has started.

Love mom