A NEW BOOK OF MORMON

As we were returning from Tulcan we made a stop in Otavalo for Fernando to visit with the Stake President of one of the Stakes there. When he returned to the car he was so excited. He handed Dad a copy of the Book of Mormon in Kichwa/Quichua (there are two spellings) along with cards for the sacrament prayers and the Family Proclamation all translated into Kichwa/Quichua. Dad asked if this was new, his reply "These are so new they are still hot from the press", I think that kind of means "they are hot off the press". Many of the missionaries were very excited to hear these will soon be available.

TULCAN CEMETARY

I was going to create a slide show but Slide is closing and everything is moved to Picasa. My brain has been trying to learn many things lately and I just could not fit learning another way to make a slide show. I will work on it and learn just not today. Hope you enjoy these pictures it was a fun place to visit.







These three pictures show a "green guy" waiting for a cut and the gardener doing the cutting.



They are all different and sooooooo cute!




Hermana Yost, Elder Yost, Fernando


Dad and I with one of the topiary. Tulcan is very cold thus the sweater. It is amazing how cold some areas are so close to the equator.

You may think it strange to do a post about a cemetery. However, if you have never visited a cemetery in South America I will recommend it. We visited one in Uruguay when we were there and I found it fascinating. They are just very old, interesting and different. We had heard that the cemetery in Tulcan was even more interesting than usual and we heard right. This is a large cemetery and appears to be very old. The whole cemetery is filled with topiary. Large, beautifully done topiary! It was so fun! We didn´t have much time for our visit, that always seems to be the case, but we got to at least see part of it and I got several pictures. There are only 6 gardeners that maintain all the topiary and they do a beautiful job.

MINDO - OUR SECOND VISIT WITH MORE HIGH ADVENTURES

One of the cable cars.


I am putting 2 vidios with this post one is when we crossed the gorge, you won´t see us as I did not stand up in the car, the second is when we were waiting to return and I took one of the car coming across. Hopefully you can get a sense of the height, it took all my courage to do this and for Dad it was a great leap of faith.

Mindo, Ecuador from Brenda Yost on Vimeo.

Mindo, Ecuador from Brenda Yost on Vimeo.

The one and only waterfall we got to that day, it looks like cave opening but it is a large rock. I love being out in nature.


Mindo is a beautiful area, I don´t know if we will get there again but I hope we do.



I won´t bore you with lots of butterfly pictures because I took many but you can enjoy one!



This little girl was covered with butterflies, she was having a great time.


Wow I didn´t realize I had not done a post on our Mindo Trip #2. Now the new office Elders are asking us to plan another trip so they can go to Mindo and do the zip lines, that would be #3.
On our second visit we decided to do the tarabita instead of the zip lines. This is a cable car type of contraption. It goes over a very large, deep gorge. I am finding that I don´t really like the hights much, and Dad really does not like them. When you get to the other side there are trails to several waterfalls along the river. We were told that the trail to the first waterfall was about 15 minutes and not very steep. We had Sister Naylor with us and did not want to do a difficult hike. The trail was extreamly steep and since we were in a cloud forest the trail was damp, it took us about an hour to reach the first waterfall. Needless to say that was the only waterfall we went to!
Later we went to a butterfly farm, this was a different one from the first time. Butterflies, mariposas, are so beautiful and peaceful I love watching them.

VOLCANOS

Just a quick note, I am very behind on getting post done and on the blog, as you can see by the date on this post. It is December 9th, Tracy is here climbing so haven´t seen much of him but we are looking forward to seeing him before he leaves. I will try to catch up on the posts so I am more current with things! Promise!

Volcano Altar


Volcano Cotacachi



Volcano Cayambe

Volcano Imbaburra

Volcano Antisana

Neither of these pictures are really very good but at least you can see Tungurahua, it is currenty erupting again.



Chimborazo highest mountain in Ecuador, when you are on top of this mountain you are at the closest point to the sun on the earth.


Closer view of Cotopaxi

When we flew to Portoviejo we went right over the top of Pichincha and there wern´t any clouds, got some great fotos.


Volcan Ilinizas




Not sure this is a volcano but it is a cool looking mountain.


Cotopaxi

While driving to Tena we were able to see so many volcanos. They are usually covered in clouds and not visable. They are so majestic and I enjoy looking at them and taking photos. But then I like to take lots of photos of almost everything. Thought I would post a few so you can see them. Tracy is here climbing some of these.

WELCOME SISTER THOMAS

Before Sister Naylor left we had an evening together at the Geldmacher´s. I had made an apple pumpkin crisp and we just remembered our time together.

Sister Thomas and Sister Naylor.


Sister Thomas arriving in Quito, Ecuador.

October 14, 2011

We returned from Tena and were able to rest for a short time before we headed out to the airport to meet our new Sister who will be working in the Mission Office. Sister Stephanie Thomas is from Arizona but moved to Utah just before coming to Ecuador. She is full of energy and is going to be really fun to have in our group of Senior Missionaries. We found out that she is a beautician and she brought her hair cutting sissors with her!!! This is such a tender mercy from the Lord. Getting haircuts here has been a challenge and the cuts can get pretty interesting.

DAD IS EATING STRANGE THINGS!

Sorry to be so far behind on the posts, but this seems to fit right after Thanksgiving! Should help us appreciate the good food we have, of course these are considered a delicacy in Tena, so I guess we shouldn´t judge.

This is licking the platter clean! Some took the fish heads from those of us who didn´t eat the heads and finished them off. Sorry it is a little blurry.


I thought I did very will eating my meal until I saw how clean the others plates were!

Lunch is served! The fish is Tilapia, the white fibourus things in front is yuca, the orange lime is a cross between a mandarina and a lime and is very good. At the top is palm heart and green beans, the onions and tomatoes are a typical salad.


Our lunch being cooked!


Dad popped it in his mouth so quickly I did not get a good picture. He said he would have chickened out if he had thought about it.


All cooked up and ready to eat!


They are kept in these small containers so they are fresh ready to cook.


One of the chicha de chonta before it is cooked.

While we were in Tena we were taken out for lunch at a small outdoor eating establishment. We had fish (piscado) which was wrapped in a large leaf and cooked on an open fire grill. We also had yuca, palm heart and green beans (I think). Then we were served a delacacy, chicha de chonta, the best way I can describe them is plump grubs. They live in the palm trees here and I guess people go out and gather them up. They are unique to Tena and I am told they taste like chicken skin. I did not try one but Dad was brave and ate one.

CHARITY ANYWHERE FOUNDATION - TENA

Elder and Hermana Yost with Wilson, he is a city offical.

The donated items in one container from Salt Lake filled this room. There was a large variety of items from medical equipment to toys to shoes and sandles. It was awesome to see all the things the humanitarian center can send in one container.





The Charity Anywhere Staff in the dental room of the clinic. Dr Zambrano is second from the left.


October 13, 2011
We traveled today with Dr. Washington Zambrano, he is a member of our ward, to Tena. He is an oral surgeon and donates most of his time to the Charity Anywhere Foundation. There are several clinics in Ecuador that he is assiciated with, one in Tena one in Esmeraldas and one in Otavalo to name three. He has worked very hard to get two containers sent to Ecuador from the Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake. He has done all of the work, we did not have any input on this project except to represent the Church at the ceremony. There is a lot of work to get them here and then to get them cleared through customs duty free. There was one container full of medical supplies and misc. items and another container with an ambulance. The container with the ambulance did not arrive in time for this ceremony. I sure wish it had come I would have loved to see the ambulance. Most of these items were donated to the city of Tena, a very few were taken to be used by the clinic. Councilman Wilson asked if we could get candy for the children and an electric wheelchair for one of the workers. Not sure what we can do on that request.