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7/13/2023
THURSDAY, JUNE 13th
Hola everyone!
Welcome back to our blog! It's our 8th day in Ecuador—time flies!
April and I stayed at the Airbnb this morning while the adults went downtown for more outreach. Elder Larry's team reached seven people, with six accepting and only one declining because they were Buddhist.
Later, we headed to Iguana Park (Parque Seminario), where there were TONS of iguanas hanging out. We even fed them a bit of lettuce and watched them gobble it down! The park also had a bunch of turtles and fish in a pond, as well as pigeons. We saw one pigeon fluff himself in an attempt to woo a female pigeon, but she was unimpressed and flew off. The poor guy deflated so quickly after that, and April and I felt so bad for him (until we saw him doing the same thing 5 minutes later).
We then went to a coffee shop to meet with the rest of our team. April tried a brownie and coffee sundae, which she enjoyed, while I opted for an affogato. The coffee here is fantastic, and I know I'll miss it after we leave!
Universidad de las Artes
Universidad de las Artes
After our coffee, we visited a university called Universidad de las Artes (the University of the Arts). The buildings, inspired by European (maybe Baroque) architecture, was stunning. As we walked around campus and took pictures with the many statues outside, these friendly police officers came up to us with these puppets wearing police uniforms to say hi and take pictures. It was so funny watching them talk and high-five us with the puppets, and a crowd soon gathered around us.
Then, we went to the university cafeteria for lunch, which was packed with students. For only $3.50, we could choose between delicious chicken or vegetable soup and pork chop with pineapple sauce or teriyaki chicken. The meal also came with super refreshing cranberry juice. It was so interesting to eat among the students and imagine what life would be like attending school here. We were seriously impressed by how beautiful the campus was; there were murals everywhere, and the atmosphere was so vibrant.
Plaza Lagos
Plaza Lagos
Next, we headed to Plaza Lagos, a town center located in one of the wealthier districts of Guayaquil. We split up and took two taxis, but our taxi missed the entrance to the town center, so we had to walk to one of the entrances. The security guard there asked to see our passports, but we only had digital copies. At first it seemed like he wasn't going to let us in, citing safety reasons, but he eventually gave in, and we were able to go in and meet up with the rest of the team.
The town center was huge, with lots of restaurants, cafes, and what we assumed to be residences, which were apparently going for upwards of $1,000,000! We had some tea and cake at the same coffee chain store we went to earlier today (Sweet & Coffee). There was a passionfruit cake, a strawberry cheesecake, and a tiramisu cake, all of which were so yummy. My favorite was probably the passionfruit because it had such a unique, tangy flavor.
After getting back to our Airbnb, we had a yummy dinner of pork chops, cauliflower, spaghetti, and more before moving on to our daily devotional, led by Elder Larry.
We discussed Romans 9:2-3
"I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race,"
Discussion Questions:
Who were Paul's own people?
How deep was Paul's love toward his people?
Do we have the same deep love toward our relatives or friends?
If we truly kew the outcome of the end, how does will it affect your actions?
What prevents us to preach the gospel to people (relatives, friends, neighbors, etc...)?
We discussed our feelings about sharing the gospel with those around us and how we must have urgency in our hearts. We also opened up about our progress and approach to bringing friends and family to God, recognizing that it is often difficult to do so, but as we learned in previous devotionals, we have to remember our obligation and seize every opportunity we get to spread the good news.
That's all for today! Thanks for keeping up with our blog all this time and supporting our short term mission! Please check out our prayer requests page—we appreciate all of you!
Have a great night, and see you tomorrow!
Signing off,
Elaine
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