Chaos!

Family and Friends,

 

Some interesting things happened this week and it put me to thinking... When I was 15ish I read this poem... it fit my life well:

 

The lions sing and the hills take flight,

The moon by day and the sun by night,

Blind man, deaf woman, jackdaw fool...

Let the Lord of Chaos Rule!

Not that I am an agent of Chaos (like I was a few year back)... but that is just what happened in The (last) Happenings of 7 Consecutive Days (Notices from the Middle World):

 

We started this week off great. We have some high goals we are trying to meet... and it requires all of our time and effort to do it. We want to finish off October with 5 baptisms. We have the names of the people, 4 of which have baptismal dates, but working through their personal problems is a muddy mess. We love it thought! Monday we had a Family Home Evening with Santiago and his wife Sara Suarez de Vargas.

 

*Pause* Sara Skousen- You have some explaining to do. Engaged! I await your response by next Monday.

 

Sara taught obedience and the 10 commandments. For a family that still doesn´t know the in and outs of the church... I love their Family Home Evenings! We will be with them tonight.

 

Tuesday we had a full day. Teaching lessons, contacting, walking by the river... all of it. I love Ecuador!

 

Wednesday I had an interchange with Elder Mejia. I worked in the city and my companion went to 26 with Elder Palmer. It was a worthwhile interchange. I love the interchanges I have with the missionaries.

 

Thursday was a different day. The day just felt different... We went to 26, worked for 2 hours before lunch and made our way to lunch. I thought things were a little quiet... I didn´t notice that all the buses that pass the 26 to go to Guayaquil were not passing... When we stopped in for lunch I thought it was weird that all the shops were closed... but I didn´t think anything of it. The family ushered us in and told us that the Zone Leaders had called and that we had to return home immediately without questions. As it turned out the National Police Force (the cool guys that think they know how to use guns and bring peace to Ecuador) went on strike against President Correa, took him hostage, and decided they were not going to work... Ecuador went into CHAOS! Thieves were everywhere. The 2 bridges from Guayaquil were taken over by mobs and closed (that is why no buses were passing the 26). Stores everywhere were mobbed and trashed. As we left 26 we heard gunshots and decided to take a back alley road to make it to the bus. People started burning tires in the streets to close the roads... fortunately the highway between 26 and Milagro stayed open. In Guayaquil the Missionaries from the Island (next to my last house) were taken out by the office. I called Independencia and Elder Vuinovic sounded SUPER shaken... they had no clue what was going on... but the most dangerous sector in the mission went MAD! Milagro stayed calm... but the Shopping (the mall) was robbed and everything closed down. We played chess all day and sat around. That night we went over to the Bishop´s house and watched the news. While we were watching the news station was taken over by mobs... it was interesting to watch how the anchormen... knowing that people were trying to break in... kept their cool... I think the newswoman broke into tears thinking she was going to die. All of the major events took place in Quito... but like I said the entire country went crazy. That night the military stepped in and rescued President Correa. Many people were wounded and 4 people were killed. They tried to kill President Correa, but the bullets and bombs all missed him. Everything is back to normal now... but nobody trusts the Police.

 

Conference was great. I loved the talk that Elder Holland gave. Both talks from Elder Uchdorf were amazing and I was enthralled by the entire conference. I don´t have words to express it all.

 

We are planning two more baptisms for this Saturday. Wish us luck! It will turn out to be a White Night with 5 other baptisms from other missionaries from my District.

 

This month is going to work out great!

 

Love,

--
Elder Robinson

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