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.

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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.