The Improbable Ward Choir

What a busy week it has been! Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this past week have all been holidays. The first two days were to remember the dead. The third day was for the independence of Cuenca, a beautiful city in the Andes to the east of us. Sister Rigby was visiting with a sister temple worker about the holiday to go to the cemetery with food etc for the dead. The sister told her that those people remember their departed ones in that way, but when people come to the temple, they release their dead from prison. Very astute observation we thought.
The temple is busy here on vacation days. Businesses are closed, people are off work so they come to the temple in larger numbers than regular days. Observing the people coming here made me wonder how many of us go to the temple on holidays in our area?
One of the outlying stakes from Guayaquil come to the temple once a month for a 6:00 AM session. This is no easy task for the parents to make arrangements for children and travel one hour to attend the early morning session. They bring all of their ordinance workers as well as youth to attend a session in the baptistry. We were also privileged to have several bus loads of indigenous people from the Imbabura stake in Otavalo. Dressed in their distinctive, colorful costumes, it is a privilege to greet them as they come to the temple. The Imbabura stake is one of two stakes in Otavalo. We have visited that area twice in the past and hope to have one more visit before returning home.
There was also a visit from a young american family. With three small children, they are living with a host family outside of Otavalo (at about 9000 feet elevation) making arrangements for various service missions in the future.
There is a photo of brother Torres with his daughter and her family. Also a photo of the new missionary couple here. They are from Quito and are a great addition to our temple work. and finally...
The Improbable ward choir. Some of the temple missionaries hatched the idea of a ward choir about a year ago. A sister from Arizona had almost single-handedly started the choir earlier, but it required another boost. Several of the musically inclined missionaries extended invitations to interested ward members and the results were phenomenal. What is lacking in musical talent is made up for with a desire to participate and to learn. The photo shows the attendance at a choir practice late on last fast Sunday afternoon. A Christmas program is being prepared.