A few details from last month/year

After enjoying two weeks at the MTC, it was time to fly out. Our layover was to be 45 minutes in Atlanta. Not very long considering we would have to walk (run) quite a distance to another concourse to catch the direct flight to Guayaquil which was to leave at 5:45. It wasn't a very good beginning when the plane leaving S.L. was 45 minutes late but in route there was a significant tail wind so time was gained and it looked like we just might make it. As we approached the airport however we were put into a hold pattern, and then vectored away from the area for a time before we were allowed to land. We scrambled to get off the plane only to discover on the monitor that the flight to Guayaquil had closed. After finding a Delta employee who would give us some useful information, we were directed to another area to stand in line for four hours in order to re-schedule our flight. That was a long wait. The next flight would not be for two days so we were given a voucher for a one night stay at a local hotel and a new boarding pass to continue our journey on the Monday before Christmas. The next morning we rented a car and drove to Savannah and Statesboro Ga. to visit Dick and Jan Johnson. Jan was recovering from broken bones from a fall she had some time before. We were happy to see them and pacified somewhat from the inconvenience of missing our flight on Saturday.

While awaiting our departure in the airport on Monday morning, we received word that Doug had passed away. After some soul searching, we elected to continue our flight to Ecuador and begin our service at the temple. We arrived in Guayaquil in the early morning of Dec. 23rd. Since then we have begun the process of setting up housekeeping and getting acquainted with our fellow workers and others. We have been invited to dinner several times and have enjoyed the opportunity to see how people live here and experience the customs. President Diaz, our stake president, invited us to dinner on new years eve and to witness the burning of the muneco. This custom is to get rid of (to burn up) all of the bad things of the past year and start with a clean slate. President Diaz had a large Kung Fu Panda which burned quite nicely. There were many others that were burned in his neighborhood as well. Other missionaries went to the roof of our apartment building to witness the fires all over the city. They told us that it was a very interesting sight. We imagined it to be similar to the fireworks we saw on Bountiful Blvd on July 24th, but many more of them. It seems that almost everyone has a muneco to burn. They also shoot off fireworks. This is a big deal in this country. Enough for now. Will try to add a photo or two.