Day 10 - Back to the Beginning

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.

If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.

If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.

If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.

If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

But:

If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.

If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.

If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.

If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.

If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.

If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.

If you plant greed, you will reap loss.

If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.

If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.

If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.

So be careful what you plant now, it will determine what you will reap tomorrow.

The seeds you now scatter will make life worse or better your life or the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits, or you will pay for the choices you plant today.

-----

Sadly, we left Los Banos this morning. We are on our way back to Guayaquil to perform for an LDS Institute (Fireside) and 2-3 of the 15 stakes of the area (Broadway). We left painfully early in order to make sure we had time to check into our hotel and get over to the stake center. The drive was long, but most of us slept through at least half of the drive. Those that didn’t were rewarded with once again incredible scenery as we crossed over a 12,000 foot pass to get out of the Los Banos region.

Kieri delivered a devotional on “Becoming” focusing on the choices that lay out our path in life. She tried to really drive home the opportunity that each one of the group had to be and do anything they wanted. Now was the time to make smart choices, rise above adversity and pressures, and accomplish their dreams. The superhero of focus was Spiderman. He was raised in less than perfect circumstances, yet he fought for good everywhere he went. When faced with his reality, he chose to make the world better rather than wallow in his misery.

The message was applicable to all of us. Before we knew it, we were in Guayaquil and checking into our hotel – the same as the one from our first night. There was no running this night however. I think our running chaperones are getting less sleep than they are used to. But I am getting a head of myself. We quickly change into church clothes. Our bodies are being asked to get used to the thick, humid air of Guayaquil again. Los Banos was about 10-15 degrees cooler and much less humid.

It takes a while to find the stake center, but just about the time we were supposed to start the program, we arrive. We get into the building and find the chapel locked and being guarded by a security guard wearing a flak jacket and a glock. I have never seen that before in an LDS building. Another first. What I was more worried about was the lack of an audience. And that Dagny wasn’t there to play. We were prepared with Kieri’s bose portable speaker that would be more than adequate sound to fill the room, but it can’t slow down or speed up based on what Kieri or the kids need. Plus, if you remember, the charger was left at the school when we left, so we have been protecting one of the two batteries for this very occasion. I was hoping it would make it through an entire show. We eventually started 30 minutes later (standard Ecuadorian time), to a very small crowd. Although it was disappointing, especially to those that wished they could have either slept in or fit in another Los Banos activity before leaving to get to this, the fireside went well and Rachelle and other veterans like Toryn, Aubrey, Ashlyn, Erica and Sarah really put forth heartfelt performances. The spirit was present for the few that made it.

After the fireside ended we quickly transitioned from the chapel to the cultural hall and set up the tech and costume changing areas to get ready for the larger evening performance. By 6:30 we were ready to go and by 7:30 the hall was full and the show began. Up to this point and including this show, things were running smoothly both on and back stage. Shaine Davidson had the back stage chaperones and dressers working together like a well oiled machine. There had been no accidents on stage or getting on off the unique and varied stage areas of the trip. This night was no different. Costume changes went without a hitch with the exception of one performer who fainted back stage from a combination of not eating enough and adjustment to the think city air. But within a couple of numbers she was back in.

The Guayaquil saints were a great audience and as usual we had a lot of great after show conversations, exchanging email addresses and Facebook handles. We retreated back to our hotel to get ready to head for the coast – Puerto Lopez in the morning.

Day 9 - Extreme Sports Ecuadorian Style

Live as if you were to die tomorrow;

Learn as if you were to live forever.

Gandhi

What an eventful day!  Lots of fun things to see and do here in Los Baños.  After eating at a breakfast buffet that would make even JW Marriott proud (scrambled eggs, sausage, empanadas, various sliced fruits, and that magical food – Trix cereal!!) we loaded up the bus to go on a river rafting trip on the Rio Negro (Black River).  This river is rated about a class 3 for a few of the rapids and whirlpools, but for the most part the rapids were just severe enough to give everyone a thrill without scaring us to death.  There really was no need to wear wetsuits, although the water temp was cool but not icy.  So some wore them, and some didn’t.  Last year in Peru, the river we rafted had plenty of calm areas where it was possible for the kids to get into some water fights and rough house a bit.  This river, that was not the case at all.  We were able to splash each other with our oars, but the river was flowing at a pretty good clip all the way down so there was no place to really stage an ambush on the boat next to you.  On the other hand, the actual paddling was kept to a minimum, only necessary when needed to position the boat for the wildest of the rapids. That didn't stop a few from trying to repeat the shennanigans of the the year before though. Preston and Austin did their best to make sure few remained dry and in the same boat they were originally on. They learned not to mess with Jeff Davidson. A few of the rapids knocked Matt Coombs, Kaden Coombs, Alisha Howlett and Bree Davidson right into the rapids, but none of them were hurt besides a few gulps of river water.

We pulled out after about an hour and a half of river running to head to lunch. The group lunched at a cabana located alongside the road with a spectacular view of the river below.  After that, we all went to an area along the road where they had set up some bungee jumping.  It really wasn’t bungee jumping in the traditional sense – it was more like a big cable swing.  The kids would harness up, rope attached at the stomach and chest areas and then jump out and down. The rope would tighten and they would swing under the bridge like on a huge swing.  Most of the kids took a shot at it and they all came back with huge smiles on their faces.  There was a lady there running a photo stand and she was able to capture most of our kids in the act.  We purchased CD’s with their photos on it for the ones that ended up being on the camera.  These will be added with the ones that were caught by our groups cameramen.
 

We split up at this point and all chose a second activity. Group 1 went to do Canyoning which is more accurately rappelling down waterfalls. Group 2 went to ride motorcycles up dirt trails to a vista view point thousands of feet above the city in the shadow of an active volcano. Group 3 rented mini dune bugeys, and Group 4 tried to go horseback riding, but ended up being deserted so they just went shopping. While Group 4 was sadly disappointed they missed horseback riding, over all everyone was happy with the day. Everyone came back feeling they had lived at least on that day like they had only one more day to live. Every moment was filled with something fun and exciting.

In the Canyoneering group Kari Risely had a little more excitement that most. The process the guides (who spoke very little english) took the group through went a little like this: Step 1: teach group how to walk down a rock with body perpendicular to the rock using a rope, climbing gear and a hand behind your back to keep the rope from sliding through the descender device for about 10 feet. Step 2: Teach group to walk down a flowing waterfall rock face, keeping weight back, using a rope, climbing gear and a hand behind your back to keep the rope from sliding through the descender device for about 30 feet. Step 3: Teach group to walk down a flowing waterfall rock face assisted with a rope tied to harness, keeping weight back, using a rope, climbing gear and a hand behind your back to keep the rope from sliding through the descender device for about climbing gear and hands extended out to ensure you are relying in the person belaying you down the falls. Step 4: Teach group to walk down a flowing waterfall rock face, and then have them "use what they have learned with no one showing them what to do exactly" and free rappel with the water of a 135 foot waterfall as the rock face inverts behind the water. When it came time for Kari and the rest of us to take that last step off the rock and descend 135 feet, everyone reverted back to using the descending device and the hand behind their back to keep the rope  slowing moving through the device the control descent speed. Kari thought he meant to let go of the rope and trust the person belaying. Well the person belaying didn't know this was the plan and caught Kari as she shot downward like a bullet and he barely caught her about two thirds of the fall. It was at that moment that Kari looked around and saw all of the faces of the ones that went down before her and the her belay-er, She saw utter fear and shock. She realized what she had just done could have killed her. She was already freaked out at the top trying to figure out what she would be doing next. She came undone for a moment, but recovered and joined us all in a group cheer and gratefullness for having experienced a great day.

Everyone ended the day with another impressive meal, sauna/hot pool, or shopping. We all wished we could repeat the day or do more of what the area had to offer, but we had a show and a fireside back in Guayaquil the next day.

Day 8 - Ecuadorian Playground...Here we come!

"There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day. They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus they bless."

James E. Faust

(Contributions from Jim Stark)

Bus rides mean more Kieri activities. Her theme for this Sunday travel day was courage to fight through the tough times. There have large mountains for some to climb to come on tour. Some have had small ones to overcome since arriving here in Ecuador. But you would be very proud of this crew. They have been brave, they have pulled through with flying colors. 

Today was a rather light day as far as events go.  We packed and then had a pretty good breakfast at one of the restaurants we had eaten at before – scrambled eggs, hot chocolate, bananas, bread and butter, orange juice and other various edible foods.  Might I add, it is surprising to me that the weather here in Limon is somewhat cooler than I expected.  In fact, most of the kids and adults are wearing their sweatshirts.  I expected hot (high 80’s) and humid (above 50%).  What have gotten is cool and, not dry, but certainly not humid.  It has to do with the altitude and air currents, but this is definitely different than expected.

We loaded the bus and left Limon for a place called Los Baños de la Agua Santa, or in other words, the Baths (hot springs) of Holy Water.  These are located north of Limon about 8 hours’ drive.  The countryside is beautiful, green and lush.  Kieri did her devotional, excellent as always.  After that, most of the kids napped or chilled.  The only real excitement of the trip was Dr. Steve decided to operate on Toryn’s two ingrown toenails, one on each big toe.  This took up the better part of an hour (we had to make sure it was a clean and sterile environment, etc) and a lot of the kids came forward to catch a glimpse of how it is done.  Hopefully Toryn’s feet will feel much better now.  By the way, our bus driver is actually very good and considerably more cautious than some we have had in the past – but even he could not avoid some of the bumps and ruts, so Dr. Steve did the operation while we stopped alongside the curb for lunch.  Another surprising thing is the condition of the roads here in Ecuador.  Most are in much better shape than some back home where we live, with the exception of some that were covered with recent landslides that are in the process of being cleared.  So for the most part, it has been smooth sailing on the roads around here.

As we were getting close to Los Baños, we came across a place where you could pay a buck to cross the river gorge on a cable car for $1 each.  So of course we had to do it.  The cable car was 100 meters (about 330 ft) off the ground at its highest point and was 500 meters (1650 ft) long.  On the other end, it went across the top of twin waterfalls.  We talked the cable car operator into just taking us over the top of the waterfalls, then reversing and bringing us back.  It was a thrill to be about 50 feet or so above the waterfalls, then as you came out over the gorge you could feel your stomach drop as you the waterfall/cliff fell away and you were 300 feet in the air! I hesitate to tell you parents some of the details of this diversion, but I it makes the event so much better. The cable car was very secure, but the door that allows you to get on and off was far from fiddle proof, so we had to make sure none of our group leaned on it as it was being pulled across the gorge. In addition, picture a guy essentially sitting down like he is driving and pushing the gas on a diesel engine and revving the engine to get the open topped cable car across and back. The whole operation would be an accident lawyer best dream.

We arrived in Los Baños with no incident and checked into a great hotel - the best of the trip.  This area is a rather big tourist attraction – there is an active volcano (smokes most of the time; hence the hot springs), and all sorts of activities catering to tourists that we are going to experience tomorrow.

 

We arrived before dinner was complete, so we took the opportunity to hold a Sacrament meeting. Jeff Davidson, Bishop in the Eldorado Stake, presided with permission from President Watkins. After the Sacrament was administered, Jeff and Kieri both delivered two excellent short but specific talks about centering our life around Christ and developing our testimonies. Jeff also asked the question after the experiences we had had up to that point, whether there was any doubt, after touching the hearts of the people of Cuenca, Limon, and Guayaquil that we had been diverted from China to Ecuador for a specific purpose. The question hung in the air just long enough for the room to say there was no doubt. They were simple, direct, but heartfelt. The spirit was so strong in the room that even our tour guide, Jose, was moved by what he felt. We ended the meeting by singing "In This Very Room", one of the Morningstar Fireside songs. There were only a few who were consistently singing as others were overwhelmed by their emotions.

The dinner consisted of chicken stroganoff and other yummy things – just about everyone ate it and said it was good.  Some went to the local markets after dinner, but they were closed, and by that time it was time to go to bed anyway. Tomorrow - Rafting, Bungee, Dune Buggys and Canyoning

Day 7 - Give and Get Back Tenfold

"It's surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you're not comfortable within yourself, you can't be comfortable with others."

Sidney J. Harris

(Contributions from Jim Stark)

Still in Limon.  The reception by the people here has been fabulous.  They have taken us in and made us feel like one of their family.  I believe having the Morningstar stay with various families in their homes was a very good move – the group has really come to know and understand a little of the culture of Ecuador in this way.

We were up not too early and dressed in grubbies.  The objective of the day was to paint a local school – local meaning somewhere in the general area.  It turned out the school was in a village named Yungantza around 30 minutes away, and out in the more rural part of the area.  Very small school, only three classrooms in one building and a much smaller separate building that functioned as their library.  The library had one wall with shelves on it, and with only maybe half of the shelves filled with books of various sorts.  The school functioned to serve around 120 kids from the local area, from kindergarten thru high school.  Last year there were 2 teachers, making $300 each from the Ecuadorian government to teach, but they were not paid so they resigned.  What was left was the school superintendent (principle) and one other helper (I can’t remember his actual function).  So these guys were the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker all in one.

Once the paint and supplies were ready, the kids attacked the school with gusto.  They did a very good job of knocking out the painting, finishing the whole thing in around 4 hours.  The school wanted a mural on one wall, so Shane and Kieri came up with the idea of a sun surrounded by hand prints representing the sun’s rays.  Most of the kids signed their names as well, so they left a handprint and signature as a piece of themselves in a remote part of Ecuador.  Way cool!!

Lunch was served to the group – a traditional Shuar (local indigenous tribe name) lunch.  It consisted of meal made out of palm tree trunk in the form of a potato, plus some fish and chicken.  The palm trunk potato, fish and chicken were rolled up in palm leaves and slow roasted over some charcoal grills.  They cooked the meal for the entire time we were painting, so by the time we were done with painting the school the texture and flavor were absolutely delicious and literally fell off the bones. Painting continued to about 3 pm. The group worked hard. Because the paint we used was oil based, we had to use some turpentine to try to clean up. Afterwards, Morningstar played games with all the students. It was incredible to see the way the young Ecuadorian kids were taking to ours. All of Morningstar came out of their shells and befriended these kids who have so little and seem so happy. It was a great learning experience for all of them

Then it was back to the bus and back to Limon.  So the kids wanted to get cleaned up really good.  We allowed them some time to do this, and then it was dinner time.  We went to a pizza place – probably the only pizza place in a 100 mile or more radius from Limon.  The pizza was actually quite good, and most of the kids consumed it hardily.

As a farewell to us for coming to their town, they had prepared a small production of their own.  It was put on by some of the kids from Yungantza, so it was traditional Shuar dancing.  The mayor of the town did some preliminaries, thanking us for coming, and then there were 3 gifts given: 1 to Elizabeth VanLueven for befriending the women of the Yungantza and promising to send Mormon missionaries to the community and books for the library. Then they performed 3 dances.  Keep in mind that a slight rain was coming down, and this ending ceremony was held in Limon’s central plaza.  But no one seemed to care, and a pretty good crown gathered to watch.  The kids (and adult leaders) performed the first dance, and then they pulled in our kids and repeated the dance, teaching it to them.  It was a blast to watch, and most of our kids picked up on the rhythm and steps pretty quickly.  The same was repeated for the second dance, and then the third dance they did on their own. They thanked us again from coming to Limon. They said over ad over that we were the first group to come to their town to perform and provide service. They had others say they would come, but we were the first to live up to our word. We thanked them for being great hosts and mingled with the dignitaries and gathered crowd until Morningstar needed to get ready for the next phase of the evening - the Limon Prom.

The night was far from over. Our kids put on their Church clothes - all of them - and headed back to the Limon Colliseum/Gymnasium to dance the night away with the Limon youth. When they poked their head inside, it became apparent very fast that this was not a typical U.S. based prom. Entire families were present, dressed to the nines. A few older men approached our girls and asked them to dance. They turned them down most of the time. We watched every MStar person the entire night. They had instructions to leave at 11:30, but I think they lingered until 12 midnight. They had great stories to tell the next morning.

All in all, a satisfactory ending to a wonderful day. Tomorrow, we head to the extreme sports center of Ecuador - Los Banos, another 5 hours bus ride.

Day 6 - Great Expectations

"At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time."

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Today was going to provide our Morningstar youth a life memory – they didn’t know it yet, but most of the chaperones already reading the tea leaves. We understood that Victor had a lot on the line so he had pulled out all of the stops to make sure the community was excited about the performance. We understood that with a town this small, if they responded to the advertising, there would be great numbers of people to show their support. After reviewing the venue, we knew it would allow the crowd to be up close creating a very interactive environment.

The morning started with a short bus ride to a village outside of Limon, called Indanza. Indanza was the home to newly discovered set of petroglyphs etched into obsidian rock. There are over 700 rocks and 1500 catalogued figures that ranged from representations of everyday life, animals, and astrological signs. Limon/Indanza area hopes to turn this newly discovered archeological find into a tourist attraction and opportunity for the town. After a family style served breakfast of potatoes, boiled eggs, fruit, juice, and the worst tasting cheese I have ever put in my mouth, Jose walked us through acres of these things. It was hot morning. So half the group was less than enthusiastic and found other distractions like climbing trees, cutting banana plants and finding cool looking bugs to throw at each other. Kieri tried to keep them engaged, but even she became distracted by the bugs occasionally. There were some very interesting insects flying and hopping around. We did eventually make it around to most of them, but the group was looking now for some relief from the heat which was hovering around 86 degrees in tropical humidity. Fortunately Indanza has just the place. Near the petroglyphs was a camping spot called “The Happy Camp”. Serious. It required us to use a rope drawn cable car across the river eight people at a time. Once across, the camp located in a 90 degree bend of a moderately paced river, there was a gradual sand entrance to the river, very small rapids to float through and a very good rope swing. With no insurance or lawsuit concerns, there was no limitations to the things our group could think up to do whether it was back flips off the suspended cable car into the river or multiple people swinging 30 feet on the same rope. It was a perfect activity to follow a hot walking tour through chest high grasses.

After a couple hours of this, we pulled ourselves back across the river, back to our waiting bus and anticipated being taken somewhere for lunch. But our hosts had other plans. We were all standing next to the bus waiting to get on when those serving us lunch laid out a perfectly white sheet about 2 feet wide and 20 feet long. We all stood in disbelief looking at each other wondering what they were doing. They didn’t make us wonder long. In the tradition of the Shuar Indians, the regional indigenous tribe, they tumbled a cornucopia of food onto the sheet starting with plantain chips, followed by seasoned potatoes, completed with boiled hominy and three types of meat: pork, beef and guinea pig (cui). It took us a moment to realize what they wanted us to do, but we finally got it and while it felt very primitive, it made the meal. The whole group was either on our knees or sitting on the jungle floor eating food laid right onto the cloth with no utensils or napkins. It was one of the best meals we have eaten here. We stuffed ourselves.

We loaded the bus and headed back to Limon to get ready for our show. Now let me take a moment to give props to our bus driver. He had already gone down in the Morningstar annuals as one of the best drivers we have ever had if not THE best. His ability to maneuver in busy cities, parallel park on narrow city streets clogged with traffic, and pass slower vehicles on winding mountainous roads was unmatched. But today he outdid himself. The petroglyphs were off the beaten path. The road to get to Indanzan area was not paved, included multiple time-tested bridges (if you know what I mean) that actually had signs before them that prohibited large vehicles from crossing them, and full on rivers that he had to splash through. The amazing thing is that whenever he encountered any of these obstacles or challenges, he performed them with about as much concern as you and I would have making a left hand turn. Amazing.

We arrived back in Limon and started to set up for the show. After Jim Stark secured a loose breaker, we were able to set up the sound system. We also had to re-hang just about every costume back on a the racks they were hung on at the end of the last show. They had taken the short route from Cuenca over what the driver called a “bumpy” road. After everything was set up, we waited for the crowd and polished a few numbers. The chaperones predictions proved to be right. 1/3 of the town filed into a typical South American gymnasium and was packed by the time the show was into its third number. Ecuadorians traditionally show up late for such events, but two thirds of the place was filled for the beginning. The crowd was enthusiastic and pushed the energy of the show with each number. The Disney Princess number nearly ended in a stage rush of children to touch one of the characters. At the end of the show, many of the performers were invited to attend a prom dance of  sorts the following night in the same location as the performance. If you asked the group which show was the most memorable, you would hear Limon from almost every performer. It had a great impact on the teenagers and they really made the town feel validated that a group such as them would travel all the way to Limon to put on that kind of show. Many of them had never seen something like this before. The group shared with them their uniqueness and the crowd and town were changed as a result. A great performance, a great crowd, a great experience – a lifelong memory.

Day 5 - Into the Sticks

"To reach a goal you have never before attained, you must do things you have never before done."

Richard G. Scott

We started early, boarded the bus, and headed over a high mountain pass into a remote area of Ecuador hundreds of miles from any large city. We dropped from the chilly air of Cuenca – Yes Dagny, the sweatshirts have come in handy multiple times in Ecuador – to the 30 Celsius thick air of a jungle village setting at around 1800 feet above sea level.  The trip took about 7 hours and we were rewarded with amazing views of the Ecuadorian landscape again. Imagine mountains that shoot straight up in the air that are covered with lush vegetation similar to what you would expect to see on the greenest islands of Hawaii. The steep hillsides were covered with dense trees and plants with interspersed palms, banana plants, sugar cane, cocoa plants and fruit trees. Occasionally we would see small scratched areas of the hillside that a local farmer has deforested and cultivated for sustenance or cash crops. We also passed two of the largest hydroelectric dams in the country that were fed by countless springs, rivers and cascading veils of water carving out white veins in the near vertical emerald green hillsides.

Along the way, the group caught up on sleep, listened to music, and received Kieri’s daily devotional. Kieri loves the long bus rides because it provides her the opportunity to initiate collaborative games and exercises that end up being the highlight of the experience for the performers. These activities force them to come out of their shells, share details about themselves, and most importantly, learn and think about their own strengths, weaknesses and life desires. It’s a miraculous process to watch a young mind think a new thought, internalize it and form new synapses triggered by a new perspective. Kieri uses a speed dating process of sorts. All of the young adults are paired up in the seats of the bus. The person sitting near the window stays in place as the person sitting on the aisle rotates to each stationary person every 3-5 minutes as questions are posed to the group. Example questions include:

What are the qualities in a person you most admire?

What are the “winning” qualities the person besides you possesses?

Who was the person you had the hardest time forgiving in your life and why?

If you could change places with anyone in the group, who would it be and why?

What are the qualities you are trying to develop in yourself? What are the weaknesses you are trying to eliminate from your life?

As fun as these “sessions” are (the most entertaining thing to watch is the parent chaperones subtle attempts to listen in to their son or daughter’s responses – how else are they going to ever hear more than 2-5 word responses to a question), we were all very glad to see the sign announcing our arrival to Limon. Limon or Lemon, was named for the locale that miners used to gather to take a break. They would gather at a particular spot because at that spot there was a lemon tree growing and they would be able to make lemonade as they relaxed. So goes the story how Limon was first established as a town in the late 1940’s. It is a fantastic, small town of 3000 that centers around a park downtown. Everyone knows everyone. It is a clean place you feel safe walking around in at night and where everyone is friendly.

Victor, who now lives in Greenwich, Conn., grew up in this town. Many of his friends and relatives live here. He arranged home stays for all 19 young adults. It seems everyone we meet are “cousins” to Victor. So as soon as we arrived, we were fed a great late lunch and then we canvassed the town with flyers to let town know we had arrived and we wanted to see them at the show the following day – just in case our lime green shirts and huge tour bus that drove all over town didn’t already clue them in.

Jim Stark and I took some time to check out our next venue. It is always a challenge to find power for the tech equipment and adequate stage space to put on the show.  We fed our intel to Victor and Kieri to make sure we were ready for the next day.

After getting acquainted with the town, we dropped the younger half of our crew at each of their respective Limon homes. They will stay with their hosts for the next 3 nights. Now this normally would have been a time to relax for the chaperones, and perhaps even a time to find a 5 Star restaurant or massage or something except for 2 problems: One, this town had no such establishments, and two, Kieri was way too stressed about the safety and experience of the performers. It wasn’t until later that night when we regrouped for dinner that Kieri felt like everything would be ok. Victor had chosen his host families well.

Our hotel was ok. A few details had us questioning the idea of staying here 3 nights. First, the wood floors and trim of the hotel had just been re-oiled and the smell was a heavy creosote. Second, all of the hotel rooms did not have a bathroom and those that did had a shower door with an etched naked siren. The rooms were very hot and stuffy with no fan or breeze. There were 2 fans to share amongst the 6 rooms. Lastly, the water on trickled out of the shower and sink with no hot water in sight. It was going to be an adventure.  After dinner Jeff Davidson and I walked around the town around 9:30 pm and the town was still hopping with people walking around, shops open, and music blasting from 2 story windows. Jeff and I were on a mission to find a fan. Our bodies were missing the cool nights of Cuenca. This simple task would have been a lot simpler if either one of us knew how to speak Spanish or minimally knew how to say “fan” in Spanish. Eventually, we did find the only fan for sale in town and started to walk back to our hotel. We did find a few mini-marts that had great snacks for pennies. You have to take the bad with the good. As we approached our hotel we found Cherie Shoemaker who had found a lavenderia that would do our laundry for .30 cents a pound. Another small blessing. The last event of the night worthy of note happened next. We were crossing the street to our hotel, Jeff and I, with our new Walmart quality fan in hand, when all of a sudden above our heads, something flew out of the third story window of the hotel. It hit the power lines as it descended, sparks few everywhere. The foreign object was severed in half and dropped to a truck canopy parked directly underneath and eventually slid to the ground. It was then that we recognized the projectile as a fan. It took a minute to process, but it was clear one of the fans had been placed too close to an open window and had fallen out. It was at that moment that Elizabeth VanLueven came running outside to see what had happened. Jim Stark’s silver Spanish tongue saved us from the hotel assuming we were starting our “Hangover” inspired weekend. It was at that moment that Jeff and I knew in the back of our minds that our hard earned acquisition would be handed over eventually as a replacement as it was the only other available in town. After seeing our crew back to their homes once again (they had come out with their host families to the central park area across the street from our hotel), we called it a night.

Day 4 - Ecuadorian Time

Let me first say that I am the first to admit that making Keri happy is no small feat at times, but when she is thinking first of her performers, the experience she wants for them on tour, and the expectations she has of traveling experiences, it is darn near impossible to meet those expectations. Let me also say that trying to understand what Morningstar is, the type of “tour” group it is, and the details that need to be coordinated to make a tour successful is also nearly impossible for someone to appreciate until they have been on a tour with the group. Let me give you a few examples. A normal tour group wants to learn about the details and history of the place they are traveling through. While Kieri wants the group to be respectful and appreciative of where they are, she also remembers better than most, what it is like to be 16 or 17 or 18. Trying to put together activities that are both entertaining and educational is an art that few have mastered. I know I haven’t. Our guides typically have to change their plans to create a better balance of fun with facts. A second example: most tour groups like down time. Kieri hates downtime. She has learned from years of doing this that down time is when teenagers do really stupid things. The more event filled and exhausting the kids are at the end of the day, the more likely they will actually sleep at night. Last example: the end of the day of a normal touring group is dinner. For Morningstar it is 1:00 am. Shows need to be broken down; kids like to play at the end of a long day. This means that 11:00 is the soonest the group will eventually settle down. If you let the group settle earlier, they are wide-awake for later in the night. So after explaining all of this, it typically takes about 4-5 days for tour organizers to “get” Morningstar and readjust their plan.

Ecuador presents its own unique challenges as does any country. When someone says the bus will be here in 20 minutes, it means 40. If someone says, “it will take us 2 hours to get there”, count on 4 – mostly because a landslide has blocked the road to where we are going. If someone says they have a tight schedule to keep, be sure talk over the tight schedule and fill in the loose 3-4 hours. Wanting to give credit to Victor and Jose, they have been more responsive and more adaptable than most others Morningstar have worked with in the past. They are working really hard to make sure details are paid attention to, communication is clear, water bottles are purchased when needed, venues are set up correctly and bus, boxes, and people all end up at the same place at the same time. They are already looking exhausted however. I hope they don’t quit on us.

Tonight is a performance in a beautiful theater. I personally can’t wait, as the first performance was a tough one to make sound good. The theater seats about 600-700. After breakfast Victor had arranged for a tour of a hat factory and some time in a local market for the group to do a little treasure hunting and shopping.

Our first stop was the Ortega Panama Hat Factory. This place was pretty cool. The process it takes to make the famous Panama hats takes days or even years depending on how fine the weave of the hat is. The hats were originated in Ecuador and exported to Panama during the building of the Panama Canal. The Ortega family was the first to create coops to outsource the making of the different stages, but having all coordinating and merchandising occur at a central point. This model benefitted the greatest number of people economically and created an industry that is still very successful alive today. We left the factory with a few Panama hat converts. Most purchases were in the range of $30-$70, but some hats in the store were over $1000-$3000.

We left the factory and headed to a local market. Everyone found something they couldn’t live without whether that was a switchblade, a very large spoon or a one of a kind bag. For Austin it was a jackpot, scoring 3-4 items that were the best finds he could imagine including a knife with hidden butane lighter. The artisan factor in Ecuador seems to be lacking in comparison to Peru, but there is still some great local handiwork to bring home. The people are very warm and open. It was a great day interacting with many of the locals.

We were then rushed off to visit an eco nature venue. Now I have to be careful here because Ecuador is at the front end of understanding how to tap into the eco tourism market, and what we saw at this location was interesting to be sure, but as we entered the venue I felt I was going through a Marble Valley School biome more than an established professional venue. In total, it was about a space of 1000 square feet that wound through cases of snakes, piranha, and a crocodile. It didn’t smell very good and in total contained less than 25 animals. But as I said, they will learn, improve and get better. We went from there to lunch and then to our venue to set up.

The theater was gorgeous. The building it was housed in was truly beautiful. The venue raised the bar for the performers and they met the challenge. The show looked twice as good as it did as any other time they had performed before. Costume changes, hitting solos and in-synch performances all improved dramatically. The audience was again very appreciative and responsive. They expressed they had never seen anything like this live and felt they had just been part of something professional and special. And most importantly, the kids felt like stars.

Day 3 - Logistics and Papparazzi – With Contributions from Jim Stark

Today was an eventful day. It started off with three groups going three different direction, each on their own missions. Group 1, Kieri’s left early in the morning to go to a TV station for a press conference with some of the performers, where they interviewed Morningstar about the show. Language barrier aside, it was a great experience for the group to be on live T.V. to promote the two performances in the area. Group 2, Jim Stark’s, involved a diligent search for bottles of water by Jim Stark and our tour guide Jose. What should have taken less than an hour of course took double the time, not the least due to the store delivering twice what was actually purchased and then having to figure out how to go back and pay for the extras (since we needed them, and we really do want to maintain our integrity). We ended up with 19 dozen water bottles, enough to last us for a few days hopefully. Group 3, Matt’s, went in search for a Bose Sound System cord or replacement system as the portable sound system charger that Kieri would rely on for running the Fireside music through an iPod (remember Dagny who normally plays the fireside needed to stay behind this year) was left behind in the rush to get to San Francisco. This venture was comical as Matt tried to remember his high school and college Spanish classroom learning as he went from store to store in search for an impossible to find item. Jim was fluent, Kieri had the local FA rep to interpret and I had a 12 year old cousin to the organizer that seemed annoyed he wasn’t able to spend time with the “real” performers. He eventually found a portable player that would have cost about $30 in the states for $100. Electronics are expensive here.

The temperature here in this part of Ecuador is surprisingly cool. We are in a city called Cuenca, which is at an elevation of around 2600 m (8530 ft). It rained and it is definitely not warm, so all of us are wearing our sweatshirts. Even the native Cuencans are wearing coats. So, even though it is summer, and even though it is hotter than blazes in Guayaquil, up here it is a whole different world. The surrounding country is absolutely gorgeous. The kids are enjoying themselves immensely.

In the early afternoon, they all visited some local church cathedrals – really ancient structures to say the least. Morningstar then visited a place where they could overlook the whole city, as well as a visited a few other places. It was then time to come back to the hotel and get ready for the show in Chordeleg, which is an adjoining area of Cuenca but much more rural. The venue was an inside sports gym. In typical Latin American fashion, the show was scheduled to start at 8:00, but didn’t really start until after 9:00. It was a good thing though as the venue managers were late to let us in and not very helpful in helping set up changing areas for the performers, the optimal presentation direction (think high school basketball arena) and even simple things like a table for the tech equipment to sit on.

Eventually, there were probably between 300 and 400 people in attendance, so the turnout was good considering this particular venue was chosen at the last minute. Even though the acoustics were not optimal, the kids put on a really good performance and the crowd was very appreciative. The princesses and princes from the Disney section were an absolute hit!! They spent at least 10 minutes with the kids in the crowd during intermission, holding them and taking pictures with them. You could see the happiness in the faces of the parents as our youth interacted with their youth and literally made their day. Most of these kids have never seen a Broadway-type show, and probably never will again. Even though, due to the late start time, the show did not end until after 11:00, everyone stayed around to the end and the kids received a thunderous applause and whistles after the end number. All in all it was a very satisfactory performance. We had the buses and equipment loaded up by 12:29, and were back at the hotel by 1:14 in the morning, where we took a little time to quietly celebrate Jonathan’s birthday with a local birthday cake purchased that day from a local bakery. A great ending to a great day.

Day 2 - Road to Cuenca

We rose early, ate a breakfast of hot cocoa, fresh squeezed juice, eggs, and fresh rolls which are baked to have a thin crust and little dry, making them perfect for butter and jam or light dipping in the cocoa. Ironically, the restaurant’s name was The Californian. As usual, there are a few that don’t eat anything from a foreign environment. We made food rules early on that if we are being served in a hospitality situation, minimally the remaining. food must look like something was eaten. Additionally, if you are not eating what is being served in the morning, you must bring something to eat as a substitute that chaperones can witness being eaten. It’s important that performers keep their strength up. There’s definitely some substituting going on already.

After breakfast, we headed out to see Guayaquil. We boarded the bus and headed first to the Guayaquil Temple. I am always interested in seeing the reaction of members of the church who visit a temple in a foreign country. In this group, some had immediate reverence for the holy grounds and the structure that was built there appreciating the sacrifice and dedication its presence represents. Others saw the temple as an embassy of sorts, a safe haven of familiarity in a foreign place. Others noticed how out of place it seemed not realizing that the neighborhoods surrounding the temple were directly affected for the positive because of the increase in security, land values, and relative affluence of the area. Some see it as a stop along the way, at best a point of interest. We all, with our different viewpoints came to the temple mount to receive what we were ready to receive. President Franklin Toral greeted us and our Morningstar singers sang for he and his wife as well as one of Guayaquil’s stake presidents. There a great feeling felt by those present. Upon thanking President Franklin and gathering our group we departed the temple and headed back to the city center for a walking tour of Seminary Park, the Malecon, and the famous Las Penas barrio.

The bus dropped us a block away from Seminary Park, centered with a statue of Simon Bolivar on a horse commemorating his efforts to liberate Ecuador from the Spanish. The park was shadowed by an old stone and stucco cathedral with beautiful, crisp, colorful, stain glassed windows. The Cathedral had been modernized as it had flat screen monitors on either side of the pews attached to the central pillars and hanging parabolic speakers. As we walked into the park we quickly realized this was not a normal run-of-the-mill park. Cherie, Hannah and Jonny quickly found out that the trees were full of iguanas that used your presence under them to relieve themselves. I will just say that the iguanas leave quite a puddle. Luckily our group only got “sprayed” with peripheral moisture – not a direct stream. They were what seemed over a hundred iguanas in every tree or bush, on the lawns and walking across the cobblestone paths. They were protected in the park and therefore had the right of way.

We walked from the park to the Malecon (Mal-uh-con) which was a boardwalk of sorts. Think of it as Pier 39 with only periodic street vendors, an IMAX theatre and kiddie zoos. Our 32 lime green shirts made quite a statement walking through the 2-3 mile frontage. At the south end of the Malecon we were led to the same steps that our runners from the previous night had run up and down. There were over 400 of them leading us from the water front all the way up to an overlook point with a decommissioned lighthouse and a simple chapel. We had all hoped for a nice breeze when we reached the top – no such luck. Hot, tired and sticky we took refuge in a barrio restaurant barely big enough to fit us all to have lunch. As I looked around, it seemed Che Gueverra has inspired the owner as the joint was adorned with his face on 2 of the 4 walls.

After lunch, we loaded back on the bus and headed east and up to our next city – Cuenca. Cuenca sits at 8500 feet. The road was in great shape but full of curves and twist. As we made our climb and descents over multiple grades, we encountered some incredible views looking down into verdant valleys below, beautiful tropical rain and cloud forests on either side of the road, and large billowy blankets of non-threatening clouds cutting through the highest tops of the Andes peaks and leading our eyes to sunbursts and eventually sunsets and the day passed. Ecuador is green all over, unlike Peru that had a lot of arid landscapes.

The trip, with stops, took just about 5 hours. There were two stops along the way worthy of note. The first was at a fruit stand that was pregnant with any tropical fruit/food you would expect: banana, guava, papaya, plantain, mandarin, lemon, pineapple, coconut, sugar cane, watermelon and more. They were stacked in organized stand, pyramids and baskets awaiting travelers on the highway looking for a little refreshment. Of course we couldn’t pass up such an organic display of hospitality. We enjoyed our local bounty finds the rest of the trip and even at breakfast the next few days.

The next stop was a bathroom stop…..at no particular place along the road. Allie Ball and Ashlyn Howes could wait no longer. With no hope for a bathroom in the neat future, 5 other girls and a couple of guys took advantage of the stop. It’s important to understand the entire picture. Somewhere along an Ecuadorian 2-lane freeway, a bus is stopped just barely off the shoulder. It is dark, slightly raining and there is a 10-15 foot swath of earth between the bus and a rushing brook and the grass is high. The girls/female chaperones go first and most if not all are ill-prepared - no tissue paper. Kari Risley summarily teaches the group, both old and young, a mastered technique involving a little hiney-shimmy or waggle to take care of business.

We continued on our way and arrived at our accommodations, the Tommebomba Inn just in time for dinner. The entire city was clean, with narrow streets and European architecture. The hotel was comfortable except there was no heat in the hotel. In fact, it seems there are few places in Ecuador that do. Cuenca was a welcome contrast to the hot and humid air of Guayaquil, but it was a little chilly a night. We had to unload every box and piece of luggage from the bus and follow-van. This consisted of creating a fire bucket line and quickly moving all pieces inside the hotel. Some rooms had vents that allowed the adjacent room to hear everything being said or done in the next room, which was great if you as a chaperone needed to “check-in” on activities or plans for the night, but not so nice if you were trying to sleep, have a private conversation or go to the bathroom. Yes, the vents went from bathrooms of one room into the main rooms. The other aspect to the hotel that we knew was going to make our stay memorable for all involved was that the layout of the hotel included a lobby to roof atrium that reverberated any sound made at any floor. 19 teenagers and sound reverberation is not a good combination. Dinner was tasty. Most of our meals are going to consist of a chicken/pork/guinea pig meat entrée with vegetables and rice accompaniment. Soup is also typically served. Tonight’s soup was a cucumber potato broth soup.

After dinner, we get everyone situated in their rooms and put down for the night – we thought. I went to the 2^nd floor lobby to submit the day 1 blog content and check email when about 20 minutes later the elevator doors unexpected opened and I saw Preston Stark, Tyler Howlett, and Kaden standing inside the elevator, shirts off, with a guitar between them. They seemed just as surprised to see me. With that image in your mind, you know they were up to something. After putting down a half naked serenading spree, the hotel ambient noise finally settled down as we closed our second day of tour.

Morningstar Tour 2011 Ecuador - Day1

First, my apologies for not getting this up sooner. It always takes a few days to get in the mode-----------------------

Heroes - The theme of the tour it seems. Every year on tour Kieri develops a theme and a series of devotionals and activities to drive home life skills to enhance the MStar performer's life experience.

Morningstar is not an activity that you throw your kids into and watch idly by or put on the calendar as a weekly "lesson" or "practice". Morningstar requires more of its participants, their parents and some cases the whole family. Even though this all encompassing nature of the troupe is explained at the front end to both performer and parent(s), most families rarely comprehend what they just signed up for. Morningstar is not for everyone, and for some very unnatural. But all who have taken part in a tour and brought into a Morningstar year admit that the experience though hard, is worth the time, effort and money. They would also admit that they could not have had the experience they did without heroic efforts from Kieri, from their fellow performers who have remained dedicated to the values and participation regimen, from dedicated parents who see the value of the group in comparison to other activities their young adult has to choose from or coordinate with.

Morningstar only happens because of the constant heroic efforts of everyone involved. I would like to tip my hat to those who have given more than was asked, that have volunteered when asked and especially those who have without being asked. Parents, you have a given Morningstar a great group this year and I am so excited to be on tour with them in Ecuador.

The tour really started for me early in the day on Saturday when I met with Dagny and I realized how hard it was for her to miss her first Morningstar tour ever. We will miss both Dagny and Kieth. The pack day was long and confusing, but it made sure we had everything we needed - except for Kieri's portable iPod boombox charger and iPod which was left at the last moment. We are still working to resolve the repercussions of that one. Thanks to Kurt VanLueven, Kasha Coombs and Jocelyn Ives for getting us to airport in one piece. The airport process was the smoothest I have ever experienced. Some of that positive experience was due to luck, some was due to efforts of Friendship Ambassadors to keep Taca informed and most can attributed to great attitudes of the performers and helpful chaperones.

The flights - SFO to San Salvador, San Salvador to Guayaquil - were uneventful until we arrived in Guayaquil. We entered the country just fine, but when we went to collect our boxes and luggage we were short nearly 20 pieces. We were in the process of filling out the lost luggage forms when the carousel started up again and one by one they appeared. Customs questioned our tech equipment thinking we might be bringing it in to sell it, but even though the speakers were brand new and in their original boxes, we gathered all the tech equipment together and they finally got that we were a performing group, not potential black market dealers of roque technology.

Upon landing, we immediately felt the thickness of the warm, tropical air. Our cardboard boxes seemed to wilt a bit just getting off the airplane. We met our Friendship Ambassador (FA) host, Victor and our guide for the week Jose. They have already proved their worth in changing small and large details for us as the slowly understand what our needs are and what we are about. Each year presents different challenges to establishing a smooth flow for the tour. Each year FA helps adjust the local tour companies to step up to this challenges. Our first one this year is find a follow truck to carry all our boxes and luggage. They did arrange for a van, but not large enough for all of our stuff so we had to pile the rest inside the bus. It is only going to get worse because right now all of the costumes are packed in very stackable boxes, but after the first show they will remain on racks to allow the costumes to air out after each show. Joe and Victor are working on that problem. We checked into our first hotel, had our first dinner of chicken, rice and vegetables and fresh juice. Of course there were those that didn't touch their food, and those that chowed. But that happens every tour. The rule from now on is that if you don't eat off your plate, you have to bring food to dinner from a personal cache that you will eat.

The next thing that happened was a first. While we have gone jogging in the morning before in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Phillipines and Taiwan, I have never had a group go out at night in a unknown neighborhood, the night we land. There were about 6 performers and 5 chaperones accompanied by Victor that covered about 5-7 miles up to a lighthouse from which they could see the entire city. They reported feeling very safe, though conspicuous, and loved seeing Guayaquil at night. About an hour later (midnight), everyone settled in for the night, mostly.

Most memorable moments:
Seeing Kurt head to San Bruno rather than the airport exit, Celley Bodily making friends with everyone she had to talk to including the passport officers in Guayaquil, Lisa Hull rallying everyone for a late night Ecuadorian run, the look on Jose's face when he saw the number of boxes we had to load in the small van.

End of Day 1