Misión Ecuador Quito
Free resources about the Ecuador Quito Mission:
Aquí están algunos recursos gratuitos sobre la Misión Ecuador Quito:
- Mission address and phone number
- Mission map
- Video interviews with returned missionaries
- Missionary blogs
- Facebook groups
- LDS Mission t-shirts and gifts
- List of past mission presidents
- Cultural articles written by returned missionaries
- Survey with RMs
*Other Mission Pages: Ecuador LDS Missions.
Ecuador Quito Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Ecuador Quito Mission. We try to keep this info up to date, but it’s a good idea to check the mission address with several sources, including your mission packet or the mission office.
Quito Ecuador Mission
Callee Robles E4-151 y Av. Amazonas
Casilla: 17-03-078
Quito, Pichincha
Ecuador
Phone Number: 593-2-398-9516
Mission President: Steven C. Barlow
Ecuador Quito Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Ecuador Quito Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the Quito Mission:
Videos with Quito RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Ecuador Quito Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews.
LDS-Friendly Videos about Ecuador
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about Ecuador. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about Ecuador, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
Ecuador Quito Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Ecuador Quito Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Ecuador Quito Mission Groups
Here are Ecuador Quito Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Quito Mission.
- Ecuador Quito Mission Facebook Group (1,391 members)
- Mision Ecuador Quito Facebook Group (698 members)
- Mision Quito Ecuador Facebook Group (392 members)
- Mission Quito Ecuador – Shurtleff 2002-2005 Group (251 members)
- Ecuador Quito Mission 2011-2014 Facebook Group (196 members)
- Mission Quito Los Que Sirvieron con Presidente Garcia (180 members)
- Mision Quito 1982-1984 (Frederick Pingree) Group (90 members)
- Mision Quito “La Mejor” Presidente Farnsworth Group (90 members)
- Mission Quito Ecuador Presidente Call Facebook Group (75 members)
- Ecuador Quito Mission 1999-2005 UT Based Group (14 members)
- Misioneros de la Mision Quito Ecuador 2012-2015 Group (8 members)
- Quito Mission Virtual Reunion, Latimer 1970-73 Group (7 members)
Ecuador Quito Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Ecuador Quito Mission!
Shirt designs include Ecuador Quito Mission logo/emblem shirts and Called to Serve shirts. The shirts make great gifts for pre-missionaries, returned missionaries and missionaries currently serving. LDS Mission shirts come in all sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, up to 4XL. The mission designs are printed on white shirts and are shipped to you.
*Simply click on a shirt design to view the details and submit an order. The designs on mission t-shirts may also be printed on other LDS mission gifts, including: Ecuador Quito missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Quito Mission gifts
Ecuador Quito Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Quito LDS Mission.
- 2017-2020, Steven C. Barlow
- 2014-2017, Roger Glen Christensen
- 2011-2014, Bruce E. Ghent
- 2008-2011, Sloan
- 2005-2008, José Felix Lara Castro
- 2002-2005, Lyn R. Shurtleff
- 1999-2002, Owen Dean Call
- 1996-1999, Roberto Garcia
- 1993-1996, Albert M. Farnsworth
- 1990-1993, Charles Hall
- 1987-1990, Fred W. Nelson
- 1985-1987, Roberto Vidal
- 1982-1985, J. Frederick Pingree
- 1979-1982, Kenyon A. Wagner
- 1976-1979, David W. Ferrel
- 1973-1976, John Heward
- 1970-1973, Louis Latimer
- 1967-1970, Allan Lister
Ecuador LDS Statistics (2015)
- Church Membership: 229,294
- Missions: 5
- Temples: 1
- Congregations: 308
- Family History Centers: 45
Helpful Articles about Ecuador
Ecuador Quito Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Ecuador Quito RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
When did you serve?
- 1973-1974 (Constance)
- 1980-1982 (John)
- 1982-1984 (Clay)
- 1985-1987 (Carlos)
- 1986-1988 (Levi)
- 1987-1989 (Natalie)
- 2001-2003 (Ryan)
- 2008-2009 (Amanda)
- 2013-2014 (Elizabeth)
- 2013-2015 (Nathan)
- 2014-2015 (Kaiden)
- 2001-2003 (Harrison)
- 1998-2000 (Cherrie)
- 1979-1981 (Alejandro)
- 1997-199 (Nury)
- 1979-1981 (Jorge)
What areas did you serve in?
- Valle de los Chillos, Quevedo, Santo Domingo, Tulcan (John)
- Riobamba, Ambato, Quito Sur, Esmeraldas, Quito Central, mission office. (Clay)
- Tulcan, Quito Sur, Quito Norte, Quevedo Central, Quevedo San Camilo, Santo Domingo, Latacunga, Esmeraldas, Ibarra (Carlos)
- Tulcan, Quito Central Colon, Otavalo, Quevedo. (Levi)
- Carcelen, Otavalo, Ambato, Quevdo, Quito. (Natalie)
- Quito, Ibarra (Ryan)
- Otavalo, Quito, Ambato, Puyo, El Carmen (Amanda)
- Quito, El Valle de Los Chillos, Tambilllo y Uyumbicho, Quitumbe, atahualpa, mariscal de sucre (Elizabeth)
- Quito, Santo Domingo, Ambato (Nathan)
- Quito, Santo Domingo, Riobamba (Kaiden)
- Otavalo, Valle de los Chillos, Ibarra. (Cherrie)
- Quito, Quevedo, Esmeraldas, Pasto, Tulcan. (Alejandro)
- Riobamba, Ambato,Quito anad Valle de los Chillos. (Nury)
- Pasto Colombia, Quito Ecuador, and others within the Los Angeles Mission jurisdiction. (Jorge)
What were some favorite foods?
- Everything! We had some of the BEST people cooking for us there. It is hard to remember all the food names now. Plantains are always good, as is all the fruit. Ecuador has many classic foods it is famous for, and all the missionaries go for. I stayed away from all the street food, vendors, because we had such good food prep anyway. They would make any of those foods too if we wanted it. American food was made for us, like pizza and hamburgers, etc. Just be sure to leave a bite of food on your plate with your silverware when you are finished. “I am so full, I can’t eat another bite” was the teaching of the day, so to not offend the cook. An interesting custom. (John)
- Platanos, freshly baked pan, fried rice dishes at any Chinese joint (Chifa) I could find. (Clay)
- Milk shake, rice with vegetable stew, shrimp ceviche (Carlos)
- Menestra from Quevedo (shirt steak, bean/tomato sauce, rice, plantain chips, Ceviche de camerones, Patacones, Papayas de Ecuador, Tomates frescos del mercado, Boiled large red bananas with canela, The multi-bean fish soup served during Pascua. (Levi)
- Carne asada, Beans and rice, Batido (banana blended with milk), Fried platanos (they look like large green bananas) (Natalie)
- Plantains, soups, any kind of chicken, fried beef. (Amanda)
- Chicken from the rotisserie shops. Tostones (fried plantains). Oddly…Chinese restaurants. (Ryan)
- Chifles, patacones, ceviche, encebollado (Elizabeth)
- Patacones, empanadas de verde, bolon de verde, encocado de pescado, encebollado de pescado (Nathan)
- Yapingacho, Seco de pollo (Kaiden)
- Salchipapas. Ensalada. Carne con arroz. Pollo. (Cherrie)
- Well , I’m Ecuadorian so I love Ecuadorian food. (Alejandro)
- Nothing especially. (Nury)
- Due to the fact that I am a native-born Ecuadorean, I was very well acquainted with all of the fantastic gastronomy of Ecuador! I only served 5 months under the transition from President Ferrell and President Wagner for a very short time, before President Spencer W. Kimball transferred me to the L.A. California Mission. (Jorge)
What was a funny experience?
- Tried to talk to an ESL teacher in English and couldn’t. (Constance)
- While serving in the country for a while, we tracked out a person who had lived in the US for 15 years or so and received her education and returned to Ecuador to work and be with family. We rented a room from her family and she helped cook the meals for her family and the missionaries. During one of the first meals there, we had fried chicken and many other things. Of course one of the items was soup. My companion was sitting to my right, and as the soup was served, it was too hot to eat, so you would use your spoon to pick up spoonfuls to cool them off. Well, doing this, I scooped up a chicken head in my bowl of soup and my companion found a chicken foot in his bowl of soup. It was quite a surprise for us missionaries and funny for everyone else. Quite an ice breaker. She was baptized a few weeks later with several others of her family. I think of this every time I have chicken soup. (John)
- Took a shortcut in south Quito (Villa Flora) with companion one night walking back to our apartment. Crossed what we thought was a field in the dark. Turned out to be an open sewage field. Sunk up to our knees. (Clay)
- Getting on a plane to fly to my first area from Quito to Tulcan. Then they brought on pigs, a goat and chicken in gunny sacks, that pecked my leg. The pilot flew using the rivers and roads to get there and almost landed on the cows. (Levi)
- Funny now – I was bitten by the Patriarch’s dog in Otavalo (Natalie)
- There was a guitarist in a restaurant that couldn’t sing well, but accompanied himself on the guitar and harmonica. I paid him a dollar to sing my companion a love song. (Amanda)
- My companion and I tried to teach a drunk man on the street a lesson on the word of wisdom. During the closing prayer we heard loud slurping noises as he continued to drink from his bottle of beer. We were both pretty new missionaries. (Elizabeth)
- I was training a fellow missionary to be a zone leader and we planned an activity. He had to ask for permission and we thought that we had all the details figured out. Long story short, we almost got stuck in the middle of nowhere with no way of getting back home. Luckily, we did get home… around 9 pm. We left, as a zone, for the activity at around 9am. (Nathan)
- In Riobamba my companion bent over to pick up a penny off the ground and ripped an 8 inch hole in his pants right up the back seam. (Kaiden)
- Riding on the top of a bus and trying not to fall off. Funny to see people trying to keep their chickens from falling off too. (Cherrie)
- I have a lot of them. (Alejandro)
- Many experiences. (Nury)
- A very funny/spiritual experience was, when after having been assigned to my first mission area (Pasto, Colombia), I was so excited that I forgot to ask for the location where we were supposed to arrive. Elder Francisco Murillo had also been assigned to this very first area. Once we arrived, we realized that we did not know the address in Pasto where the missionaries lived. Well, we decided to go to a restaurant and brought our luggage in. I ate very quickly and then asked Elder Murillo to eat his dinner slowly, so I could go out of the restaurant and ask everyone who walked by if they knew where the Mormon missionaries lived. I guess my natural boldness helped me approach many citizens of Pasto. After not having much success, I stopped a taxi that was driving by and asked the driver if he knew were the missionaries lived. To my surprised the driver knew one of the two Branch Presidents of Pasto. We then loaded our luggage and he took us were he thought his friend lived. He was not totally sure where he exactly lived, but once again I boldly decided to get off the taxi and knocked on a few doors until I was guided to find a part-member family home who connected us with the Branch President, and then the missionaries’ home. The beautiful result of all of this is that a great lesson was learned by us on how the Lord does work in mysterious ways. The person who guided us to the Branch President’s home became my very first convert baptism, Hna. Muriel of the Rama 2 Pasto! (Jorge)
What was a crazy/dangerous experience?
- Anytime driving in a cab or being driven on the streets of Ecuador is a crazy experience. The streets are narrow, and whoever gets there first and flashes their lights first gets to pass first. It seems to work for them, I didn’t see too many accidents. Keep track of your valuables! Do not take your eyes or your hands off of them. Don’t keep too much money on you or cash too much to have on hand. Where are you going to keep it? We had several break-ins and I didn’t want to temp anybody. Missionaries typically don’t portray someone with lots of money. (John)
- Teaching an elderly lady in Esmeraldas when her adult, drunk son showed up. He thought we were trying to swindle her and pulled a loaded gun and pointed it at us and started yelling. He never calmed down and we got out of there as quickly as possible. (Clay)
- When there were problems in college and the students were communists and they told us “CIA , CIA!” The police arrived and everything was fine. (Carlos)
- Bus rides from Tulcan to Quito on the small buses with loose steering and bald wheels. The Lord will protect you and keep you safe, if you follow the rules. (Levi)
- Dogs in the rural areas were protective of their homes (or people who fed them). Just walking down the street, we were constantly on guard. We never got bit and could usually scare them off by pretending to pick up a rock and threatening to throw it at them. Yelling loudly also worked. (Amanda)
- While at a members home for FHE we heard shots fired right outside the home. They lived in the middle of several nightclubs and things got pretty crazy on the weekends. (Elizabeth)
- I had a companion who previously had dengue fever, from serving in the Oriente (jungle), and he almost lost his mind. He was at the hospital for about a transfer, I think. Afterwards, he was sent to be with me and let’s just say his mind was still sort of gone. He almost got hit by a car when crossing the road with me. (Nathan)
- A guy with a rainbow door lured us into his office and tried to pawn his daughter on us and kept on telling us he had prepared a special drink for us and wanted us to go with him into his house. (Kaiden)
- Hitch hiking at 8:30 in the back of a truck on a dirt road trying to make it back home on time. (Cherrie)
- Huummm…When we baptized a family and the father was angry and he was trying to kill us. (Alejandro)
- We where riding on a bus back from a zone conference in Quito, when a very drunken man was harassing us (about a dozen missionaries). After many insults were yelled from this person, this intoxicated man pulled out a gun and pointed at one of our American Elders. He pulled the trigger and a bullet came out and traveled about 2-3 inches and the fell on the floor! We all knew that the Lord protected us, His missionaries, this day. The bus driver literally kicked this man off the bus, the Policia Nacional was called, and most of us departed back to our respective destinations. (Jorge)
What was a spiritual experience?
- Feeling the Holy Ghost testify to me in District Conference testimony meeting. (Constance)
- The Ecuadorian people are SO wonderful and beautiful! They have some that do struggle, but for the most part, I found the people to be quite humble, polite, kind, thoughtful, and were generally a very giving people. Being able to serve in Ecuador is a spiritual experience! It is like being part of the Book of Mormon in a way. It was interesting and humbling to find people that have been praying for you and recognize you when you knock on their door or see them in the street or visit them where they work whether it is in their cab or in their corner store. It also was very humbling to serve with them. I met some very strong members of the gospel in Ecuador and hearing of the growth of the church there since I have been there is amazing! There were only a few stakes then, and the mission was just divided into two just before I got there. Now there is a temple in Ecuador, what a great blessing! (John)
- As a new senior comp to a brand new “greenie,” we tracted, taught and baptized a perfect “golden” family. Also had a bishop in Quito introduce us to his 24-year-old nephew at church one Sunday. Had a first lesson right there and he told us he had already read the Book of Mormon, had a testimony and was ready to be baptized. Easiest conversion I ever had. (Clay)
- In Santo Domingo de los Colorados, at Christmas we shared food and clothing with people of a rather poor area … it was amazing the feeling of love that we had (Carlos)
- Sitting outdoors on logs around an open fire and testifying to the people that lived at the base of Mt. Imbaurra of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon and that the people in the stories are their ancestors. The confirmation from the Holy Spirit was undeniable. We baptized that sister, she was the oldest person in the whole area. Age 63, la vieja of the community. (Levi)
- Learning the language was difficult for me, but through obedience and determination and blessings and the gift of tongues, I became very good (Natalie)
- Learning how to depend on the Lord throughout the mission. (Ryan)
- Seeing the indigenous people and how hard they work. When they were converted, truly converted, they were fiercely faithful. (Amanda)
- Every time we found an investigator who progressed towards baptism or a less active member returned to full activity. Each time was so miraculous and the Lords hand was so present in every step of the way. (Elizabeth)
- The last family I was able to baptize was so skeptical at first, but then they saw so many blessings and miracles, and they all felt the Spirit. After they were baptized, the blessings kept on coming. (Nathan)
- One of my converts told me he had a dream the night before his baptism and he shared his testimony that he knew this was the true church. (Kaiden)
- Getting to see a teenage boy finally get baptized. His dad wouldn’t give his permission for the boy to be baptized. A missionary couple talked to the dad and the dad gave his consent. Even though no one in the boy’s family was there the day he was baptized, the boy was so happy. I have never prayed and fasted so much for one person. (Cherrie)
- Many. (Nury)
- One of many beautiful, spiritual experiences happened after I had baptized Sister Muriel, my first convert in Pasto, Colombia. She had invited us to come and teach one of her friends the gospel. When Elder Gonzalo Alvarado and I arrived, we discovered that this gentleman who we were going to teach was deaf! Elder Alvarado told me, “Elder Campozano, there is no way we can teach this brother!” F.Y.I (For your information). I knew Elder Alvarado before my mission, because he had been the District Clerk for the District that became the first Stake in Ecuador. I had been called to be the Assistant District Clerk when I was just 14 years-old, and therefore, when he left almost 24 months before my mission, I replaced him as the new District Clerk. A little bit of history, let’s go back to the story. I was impressed to tell Elder Alvarado that the Lord would help us teach this deaf brother. We started our meeting with a prayer, petitioning our Father in Heaven for His holy assistance. I asked the dear brother to help me this day of July 18, 1979 to teach me sign language. The first miracle happened, because I was able to learn sign language in 30 minutes! I was able to teach this dear brother the lessons of the great Apostasy and the Restoration. When he learned of our beloved Prophet, Joseph Smith, tears rolled down his cheeks! What a marvelous experience, to feel the love of our Father in Heaven for this man! I soon was transferred to Quito and then to the Los Angeles California Mission, so I could immigrate as a USA Resident with my family. I always wondered if this dear brother ever got baptized. The second miracle: many years later while on a business trip to Santiago, Chile, I was visiting my dear friend Colon Sofocles Moran who now was serving as a Mission President of one of the Missions in Santiago, Chile. We were conversing about our missionary experiences, and then I related this story to him. He replied to me, “So you are the one who first taught this brother!” With tears in his eyes he said to me, “I baptized him!” We both embraced, crying with joy, acknowledging how loving our Father in Heaven is with each of His children. We all matter to Him! (Jorge)
What are some interesting facts about the Quito mission?
- When I served there, the mission was barely three years old and the church was in country only about six years. Ecuador is on the equator and is the only place in the world where you can stand in 2 hemispheres at the same time. (Constance)
- My first mission president used to allow missionaries to go to the movies once in a while on P-day. Learning to use the SUCRE coins and bills was quite challenging. At the time, the exchange rate was like 35 SUCRES to one dollar. I had the opportunity to open up several areas, find places for the missionaries to stay, etc. I was a branch president for about 3 months in Quevedo. Many areas of the mission used 4 foot x 4 foot tanks to baptize in as these were temporary baptismal fonts. We were able to use the river a few times also. We would save our souvenir monies for the last week of the mission to travel to Otavalo and a few other cites I can’t remember. Otavalo had wool products, the next had wood products, the next had leather products. It was amazing to see and behold. A very hard working people. I shipped most of it home on the slow boat. Carried some in a new leather suitcase, while wearing a new wool suit tailored by an expert in Ecuador! (John)
- Got to hike to base camp of Chimborazo (snow-covered volcano) on a P-day. Mission president (Pingree) let us organize an unofficial mission basketball team to play against local province all-star teams with proselytizing displays and literature for local communities to review when they came to watch. (Clay)
- The mission helps us better understand the theme of Christ’s atonement …. to develop a love for people who we do not know, to laugh with them and mourn for them … our witness of the love of Heavenly Father grows much more. (Carlos)
- Earth Quakes 6.9 and 6.1 in Early 1987. Two people died in Tulcan, More in Ibarra. Hundreds in the oriente. There were 40,000 member in 1986 in Ecuador. Most of us had no phones in our apartments. Mail took 3 weeks to get to the USA and to us. Phone calls cost $5 for the first minute and $1.67 per minute after that to call the USA. (Levi)
- Sits on the equator. In Otavalo they speak a different language, Quichua. The Otavalanian Indians are believed to be direct descendants of the Lamanite people in the Book of Mormon. Ecuador also has jungles. (Natalie)
- When our mission relied on obedience our baptisms skyrocketed. (Ryan)
- It has all of the different land variations….mountain, coast, jungle, desert, and island. Also home to MANY indigenous peoples. Their cultures are fascinating. (Amanda)
- It split right before I got there, into the Quito north mission and the Quito mission. I remained in the Quito mission. While I was there about half the missionaries were Peruvian. Quito is one of the world heritage sites. Quito I think is the highest capital city elevation wise, or at least one of them. (Elizabeth)
- We have 3 climate zones-costa, sierra, and oriente. You will most likely eat rice and chicken every day. Public transportation is always awkward, but it’s part of the deal. (Nathan)
- The volcanoes are quite active right now. We had part of the orient, mountains and the coast in our mission and we’re able to experience almost all of Ecuador. (Kaiden)
- Otavalo has the Indigenous Indians who speak Quechua. The mountains are beautiful and the people are poor and humble. (Cherrie)
- The country of Ecuador was blessed and dedicated for the preaching of the gospel by then Elder Spencer W. Kimball, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Every missionary assigned there should read this amazing prayer. The first dedicatory prayer for the continent of South America was given by Elder Melvin J. Ballard on December 25, 1925 in the Parque 3 de Febrero of Buenos Aires Argentina. Many amazing powers were distilled to all who would serve in the gathering purposes in said continent! (Jorge)
What was the weather like?
- Rainy in the mountains, hot and humid on the coast. (Constance)
- I arrived in Ecuador in February and to me it was scorching hot! I was sweating and would have to change my white shirt several times a day. I was told that this was the end of their rainy season. I never did wear the trench coat / rain coat I had, I gave that away. When it would rain, it would really pour. It didn’t last long though. The sun was intense when it was out, so wear sunscreen. I noticed that everyone wears sweaters and coats and hats. Missionaries in the mountainous areas could wear sweater vests etc, because it would get cooler. Most places I served were hot, except Tulcan. (John)
- Perfect in mountains. Hot and humid in coastal areas. (Clay)
- Cold & Rainy (Carlos)
- Mountains, best weather in the world. Gumball-sized hail in Tulcan once in winter Quevedo- hot and steamy every day. (Levi)
- Depends on where you serve. On the coast it’s humid and warm. In the jungle it’s rainy and floods a lot! In the mountains it gets cold in the winter. (Natalie)
- 50-90 year round. When it rains it rains. (Ryan)
- Depends on where in the country you are. It is colder closer to the mountains, and hot in the jungle and coast areas. (Amanda)
- Spring all year round, rainy, chilly at night. (Elizabeth)
- When you’re in the sierra, it depends on the clouds. Cloudy-cold, maybe rainy, maybe haily. Sunny-hot. Sometimes all of that in one day. When you’re in some places like the Valle de Los Chillos, it’s more temperate, but also more inclined to be hot. When you’re closer to the coast, it’s just hot all the time, and it’s humid. The same thing with the Orient, except you just multiply the rain by a bit. (Nathan)
- Depending on where you were at it was either cold and rainy or hot and humid with some areas having more of a mild climate. (Kaiden)
- Like springtime. It could be really hot during the day and then get cold at night. February was really rainy which was bad because during that time there is Carnaval where people throw water on you. (Cherrie)
- Quito has one of the best climates in the world, all year-round. Quito is always cool and calm. (Jorge)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- They really liked the missionaries. (Constance)
- I was and still am a very hands-on type of person. I liked to pick up a shovel or move a wheel-barrel if needed. So are most of the Ecuadorian people we were around. They didn’t seem to mind the missionaries helping out, actually they helped us out more it seemed. I only served in the Quito area for about 2 months. I served in the Valle de los Chillos, Quevedo, Santo Domingo, Tulcan. Each place was unique and different, but each place was special. (John)
- Loved the beauty and diversity of the area. Served mostly in big cities, but loved getting out to country (campo) areas. Very sweet, humble people. (Clay)
- So much. They respected the fact that we were the elders of the church, missionaries, and showed their love for us by sharing their food. Or when words failed us [we felt discouraged] some baptisms would encourage us to continue. (Carlos)
- All of it. Every city is so different as are they. (Levi)
- So loving and accepting. (Natalie)
- Ecuadorians a typically very poor. They are willing to serve you and give you more than they have. (Ryan)
- They have big hearts and are true friends. They have a great sense of community. The children are adorable.The people are generally small. (Amanda)
- They are the salt of the earth, so friendly, humble, generous. The best people. I love them and miss them so much. (Elizabeth)
- They are so humble and always willing to help. This doesn’t mean that they’re all going to accept the gospel, but they’ll entertain you. (Nathan)
- It’s very hard to describe but I absolutely love Ecuador and the people that I was able to meet there. They definitely have a place in my heart and I continue to keep in touch with them! (Kaiden)
- People were mostly willing to talk with you. It is beautiful there. I loved the people that I served. (Cherrie)
- Valle de los chillos and Solanda. (Nury)
- They are the descendants of Lehi, and the ones who are honest of heart, who will always open their doors unto us! (Jorge)
What are some skills you gained?
- Learned to speak Spanish. (Constance)
- Language skills, people skills, working skills, companionship skills, studying skills, leadership skills, to name just a few. (John)
- Being able to speak more in public, have the confidence to express myself with others (Carlos)
- Communications, being outgoing, respect for different ways. (Levi)
- Leadership. (Natalie)
- People skills, people management, how to look for opportunities to serve. (Ryan)
- Spanish, how to catch a bus and taxi, eating new foods, hiding nasty food so I don’t have to eat it, washing clothes by hand, gardening, time management, plus many missionary and gospel skills. (Amanda)
- People skills, the ability to talk to anyone about anything. Street smarts. Spanish. Planning/goal setting. (Elizabeth)
- I learned how to lead, serve, love, work, and receive answers. (Nathan)
- Being able to talk to people. Learning how to appreciate everything we have here. Patience and long suffering. Compassion. (Kaiden)
- Communication skills, how to speak Spanish, how to wash clothes by hand, praying and fasting with real intent. (Cherrie)
Any packing advice?
- You can get good shoes made down there, if you want to. Come with two good pair of work shoes, and a good pair of tennis shoes, and shower shoes. If you are a big, tall person, bring about a dozen shirts. Three, to four pants to your suit. Two worked for me, but it got to be a bit boring. I did have a couple new suits made in Ecuador and that works too. If you can pack it all in one good big suit case, do it. One case to watch, one to live out of. You can pick up leather ones later to take home. (John)
- Bring extra shoes. Two pairs of good walking mission shoes. Back then they didn’t sell size 12 anywhere. Maybe extra B-ball shoes too. (Levi)
- You will need a winter coat of you are in the mountains. You will need knee high rubber boots if you go to the coast. (Natalie)
- A very strong pair of shoes…forget the nice watch and fancy clothes…it will make you a target. A lot of things can be purchased from locals. I had two suits made and my shoes repaired while I was there. (Ryan)
- Good shoes, a few good sweaters, clothes that will take heavy wear from hand washing. (Amanda)
- Good rain boots, a good rain coat, if you’re a girl: a lifetime supply of tampons. (Elizabeth)
- Bring a pair of hush puppies and a pair of nice church shoes. Bring lots of short-sleeve white dress shirts. Bring one or two long-sleeve ones. One belt. Tons of ties. Minimal P-Day clothes. A first aid kit isn’t too necessary. Don’t bring a mosquito net. You don’t need too many pairs of pants if they are fairly durable. (Nathan)
- Wool socks and warm sweaters in Quito– it will probably be the coldest and wettest. (Kaiden)
- Pack clothes that will dry fast. You will be washing your clothes by hand and then hanging them up to dry. Buy comfortable shoes. You will walk a bunch unless you are serving right in Quito where there are more buses. (Cherrie)
- Make sure you bring the toughest shoes you can find. A rain/weather coat is nice, because the temperature can change from very nice to rainy, windy and cold. (Jorge)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- Independence and love of the people. (Constance)
- I was fairly new to the church when I went on a mission. I didn’t quite have two years in yet. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure what a deacon was when I was called to serve. All my time was serving in the primary before the mission, I didn’t get much working knowledge of the Aaronic Priesthood. I learned SO much on my mission, I cannot even begin to tell you! I had great trainers, wonderful mission presidents, and super companions. I still bring up some of the memories from my mission during lessons in priesthood or Sunday school. To serve the Lord is a great blessing! (John)
- The main blessing was that during my time in the mission my mother was baptized by missionaries of the neighborhood in my city. (Carlos)
- Too many to list. (Levi)
- Many. (Natalie)
- Learning many life lessons I use today in my marriage…obedience, discipline, money management, patience, love, humility, and sacrifice. (Ryan)
- I am still receiving blessings. (Amanda)
- Drawing closer to my Savior, learning how to forget myself and go to work–that is the secret to true and lasting happiness. (Elizabeth)
- The blessing to have brought souls unto Christ. (Nathan)
- My family was brought together more. My knowledge and understanding of the gospel increased. I learned how to love others and see them how they will be and not how they are. How to be dedicated and self obedient. (Kaiden)
- Where to begin? I was blessed to see miracles happen, my faith was made stronger, I received a testimony on many doctrinal points. I learned to serve others and realize how many blessings I have each day like hot water to shower in and a clothes dryer. (Cherrie)
- Many. (Nury)
- A very wise man taught me many years ago that a full-time mission prepares you for life, and a temple marriage prepares you for eternity! All of the lessons I learned from my mission (serving in Sao Paulo Brazil (Missionary Training Center), Pasto Colombia (my very first area), Quito Ecuador (my second area for two months), and Los Angeles California Mission, my last area, where I finished 25 month of service after receiving a privileged extension. My mission experiences have helped me succeed in my personal, family, and professional life! (Jorge)
Is there anything you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- Had a better knowledge of the gospel first, before I went into the mission. I had strong faith and I knew I would learn and that my companion would be there to help me, but still…., I wish I had a greater handle on the scriptures. Stronger language skills. Can you imagine how much more work would be accomplished if the language was already there and didn’t have to be learned first or out in the mission? This would be one I wish I knew better. I was an older missionary than most, and had been through the military, so I was in pretty good shape before I went in, but there are so many missionaries that go on a mission that are not in the best of shape to work all day long and will get sick or get hurt. I am glad that didn’t happen to me. I wish I studied more about the country I was going to. The people, the environment, the government, their beliefs, the money system, etc, that would have helped me a bunch. (John)
- Take more photos with people in them, write more names down. (Levi)
- My first sector was in the city of Tulcan, on the border of Colombia, a chilly place, with many members but almost all less active … we started working with them and we had 8 members at the beginning and after four months of being there- when I left , 48 people attended … I felt that my companion and I did our part. (Carlos)
- Take time to love the people. Be obedient, but don’t expect yourself to be perfect. (Natalie)
- That this is not “your” mission- it’s Gods, and you are an instrument in his hands for 1.5-2 years. Be better prepared in the scriptures. (Ryan)
- Leaders are not perfect. Neither are we. (Amanda)
- To savor every moment, the good with the bad, the hard and the easy. (Elizabeth)
- I wish I had been more interested in other people’s lives. It’s more about getting to know people and then sharing what they need. It’s like a doctor examining a patient and then applying a treatment. (Nathan)
- Be humble and listen to your trainer, they know a lot more than you do. Learn how to love the language and be patient with it. (Kaiden)
- I wish I would have read more scriptures and learned that rejection is okay and to just keep trying and following the Savior’s example. (Cherrie)
- I wish I had brought stronger shoes. My fancy shoes, did not last! (Jorge)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Quito?
- One, never forget what you are doing on a mission for, or for whom. Keep that in your mind each and every day. It is quite a privilege to serve our Lord and He blesses us way more than we put in. Go to Serve, Serve to Grow! Two, Nobody is perfect. Your companions, your investigator, especially you! As you are discovering who you really are and what you can do and become, be just as patient with yourself and you are to others. Give Time a chance to work and make the changes necessary in your life and in the lives of others. (John)
- Be humble and trust in the Lord, and love the people. (Carlos)
- Read aloud daily in Spanish. Give most of your extra clothes/shoes/bedding away before you go home. (Levi)
- Beware of missionaries who break the rules. (Natalie)
- Go on your mission to work hard and serve…not go on vacation. (Ryan)
- See what YOUR talents are and use them to serve. We often forget how special our talents are, and they can be a great tool for missionaries. (Amanda)
- Don’t go for yourself, go because you love the Lord and His children. Forget yourself and go to work. (Elizabeth)
- Get a testimony. Know why you, personally, are serving. The Lord will do the rest. (Nathan)
- Jacob 6:12. Obedience brings forth the blessings of heaven. Trust in the Lord and everything will be okay. (Kaiden)
- To everyone who feels the desire to serve, to the young and old, to the sisters and the brethren, please know that you will be representing Jesus Christ 24 hours per day! It is the greatest honor you will ever have, unless one of you brethren are ever called to be a special witness of Jesus Christ, and become one of the 15 Apostles! This time of your life, if served with obedience, humility, and unconditional love, will yield unspeakable blessings. Your greatest experiences will be had when, in sincere prayer, you reach an extremely close communion with the First Presidency of Heaven! (Jorge)
What was a funny language mistake?
- I once mixed up the Spanish words for pregnant and embarrassed. (Constance)
- In a confirmation an Elder accidentally said monos in lieu of manos, everyone lost it for a few minutes. (Levi)
- I said “Yo tengo hombre” (man) instead of hambre (hunger). (Natalie)
- “Tenemos un masaje muy especial para usted.” (Misionero A)
“Oiga, no diga eso.” (Misionero B)
“Pero es muy especial!” (Misionero A)
“We have a very special massage for you.” (Missionary A)
“Hey, don’t say that.” (Missionary B)
“But it is really special!” (Missionary A) - My trainer was teaching an object lesson comparing the gospel to baking a cake and said orinar (to pee) instead of hornear (to bake) when teaching about enduring to the end. (Kaiden)