TGC debut in Ecuador

Hello to all ....

We hope this blog finds you all doing well..... we're also doing well, as we just finished the District Convention in Guayaquil .... each year the branch here in Ecuador provides the program in English for all the "need greaters" that are serving here, it's a very loving provision,  as we are far from home and yet we have the convention in our mother tongue .... everyone who lives down here anxiously looks forward to it, as it gives us all the opportunity to see friends we haven't seen in a year or so .... Brent and Kassi have something similar in Nicaragua at the branch ... with the same kind of feel .... what is that feeling? Like your at an international convention .... nothing like it... and to think we get something like an international each year.... The reason I can say that, is because there are brothers serving from all over the world here in Ecuador... for example we had a brother and his wife from Finland on the bus we rode on today .... there are friends from Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, friends serving in Chile, were at the convention, as well as Peru ... and of course we had the missionaries that serve here from places like Sweden and Italy and other European countries.... Mini international ... we had 1,268 for the peak attendance today.  ALL IN ENGLISH... ENGLISH, ENGLISH, ENGLISH!
PURO INGLES!

Getting back to the purpose of this blog, ... it was to give you an update on our favorite people .... TGC ..... remember them? Yes ......  The Golden Couple!  .... Oh yes things are as golden as ever ..... for example, .... we stay at the same hotel, we are on the 4th floor, they are on the top floor over looking the .... well ..... semi beautiful area of Guayaquil ..... of  course they get the TOP FLOOR! they are TGC!!! I almost forgot one thing regarding the room ..... During the various days we stayed at the Hotel Howard Johnson, each day we had to get our Room door lock card updated, because if you didn't it wouldn't work .... so sometimes you could jump in the elevator, to go to your room when someone who had already updated the card (you needed it also updated to use the elevator) unknown to you and then when you got to your room, your card wouldn't work, now the problem is you need to get back down the elevator... not as easy as going up from the lobby..... TGC never needed to reset their card .... YES I KNOW,  it is unbelievable .... I don't make this stuff up, this stuff really happens.


Then on the bus trip down, they are part of a two bus group, that came from Cuenca .... while the other bus had problems, their bus had none ... after speaking to some of the friends in the group of the other bus, I assumed they too had problems (TGC that is.... I know, I know, what was I thinking?) they are The Golden Couple NOTHING goes wrong from them.... But then when I mentioned something about the problems they had with the buses Mr. TGC informed me they had no problems on their bus and he didn't know what I was referring to .... then he reminds me of a simple and important point, they are TGC .... no problems on their bus. Got it MR.TGC! And I wont forget it! ;-)


Then to take the cake .... On Saturday Mr. TGC sees me, an asks if he can borrow my lapel badge (he is part of TGC but he's not perfect) .... I ask, what,  your going to be on the platform? Yep! ....... Here for 6 months and already on the program ..... Well,  I wasn't sure, exactly what part or when so I wasn't totally prepared for the DEBUT but below you can catch a part of the demonstration they did ...... 

Oh and need I mention .....  they nailed it!

Summer up North and Winter in the Hemisphere South

Our greetings to all ....

Soooooooo,  in the past I have written about the nice weather here, while you all suffer in the North during the nasty winters, we have the constant beautiful weather 70-75 degrees (it's our summer) .... In the North you all have your winter sports and we do too ..... when it's winter down here, which it is right now ..... Ugh! .... We have constant 65 degree weather .... the friends here say "chai chai" no not the drink silly.... (Quichua for "cold") actually reeeeeeeally cold ..... of course they think 65 degrees is cold ..... Hey Spanky, let's get out the down parkas, I'm freezing!  ...... CRAZY!

Anyway back to the winter sports .... kids here have their version of tobogganing, see attached and hope you enjoy the video!

Let me introduce you to .....

Patricia Gonzales!

This little sister was in our congregation but just moved to another part of town, thus a different congregation .... Patricia has one sister in the truth who serves in sign language Spanish (Marlene) and her mom Imelda (no not Marcos, .... Gonzales.. although she likes shoes too, now that I think of it) who is in the truth as well.... Both the sisters are excellent examples .... Patricia in spite of her physical problems, is a regular pioneer. Even though she often has broken bones, she is in her ministry or has her bible students come to her house to have their study .... she is a trooper! Always with a positive attitude ..... she is a joy to work with in the ministry.

One day (the same day as the video) I asked her what she looked forward in the New World? What do you think she said? ........ I'm thinking she's going to say getting out of this stinking wheelchair and running around like a little kid .... That's what I would have said! (selfish me) She has been in her chair, or on crutches for most, if not all her walking life aaah rolling life!  (Let me ruuuuuunnnnnnn) Nope, her response was she can't wait to be able to share the truth and teach those who will be resurrected! Now how cool is that! I have to say I was a bit ashamed at my original thought being a bit more selfish ..... Oh I'm sure she won't say when the day comes "I prefer to be in the chair, pushed around by all my friends" ...

She is a great example.

What you thought she was going to be speaking English? ...... Where do you think we are Reno USA? We're in ECUADOR no one speaks English here .... So what's she saying?..... Well she's saying how much fun we had in the ministry that morning and that Bro. Guillermo (me) is a really nice brother and blah blaah blaah ..... but I could say just about anything, and most of you wouldn't have a C L U U U U E would you!

What's up with the Heilig's

Hello everyone...

We hope things are going well for you all. We have been busy and also dealing with heath issues.... Carol was diagnosed with Hepatitis about 4 weeks ago.... She has been sick on and off, since the beginning of March ..... after about 10 days she started feeling better, but every time she tried to get going she felt exhausted and would poop out, after just a little bit of activity... at times she had problems breathing and she thought we were going to have to go to the hospital at one time... then the breathing got better .... but still tired all the time ..... when she was young she had Hepatitis A and supposedly you can't get it again.... well at least not the No. American version .... but we're not in No. America anymore, Toto .... so it appears that it can be had again ..... (Perhaps you remember the Hardings,  they had the immunization for the Hep before coming from Australia, but Gail got it anyway) ... Something appears to be different here ...... We finally had a blood test completed which revealed Carol has the Hep ... that being said she has been in rest mode for about the last month ..... while taking it easy,  the computer has been her constant friend, her window to the world ..... problem was once she started feeling better from the Hep, she got a cold from me ..... And I even tried not kissing her, (that was hard to do) while I had it, (the cold that is) so as not to add to her woes (you can take that however you want) ..... She started feeling better from the cold and then,  from spending a fair amount of time on the computer,  she developed a problem with her wrist....clicking the mouse pad I would guess.... that has been excruciating,  the pain that is... one of the nights this week she couldn't sleep from the pain, so,  I couldn't sleep from the pain either .... I don't know if any of you have had any carpel tunnel type of problems, but that is some of the worst pain I have ever experienced and now she is dealing with it.

I on the other hand,  have had problems with my stomach, pain and frequent trips to the bathroom (Incan revenge) then the cold, (La Gripe), oh I almost forgot while I was in the worst faze of the cold, during one of the nights I was snoring (hard to believe) evidently a LOT and was getting jabbed during the night, so WE didn't sleep that night, very well.... So I decided to sleep on the couch the following night, and slept like the proverbial BABY, but when I got up, my lower back was killing me.... kept thinking it would go away... it didn't, ... so the Chiropractor brother and I were companions this week, a few different times, now fortunately,  I'm on the downhill side of all that, and waiting for the other shoe to fall .... just kidding!

Even the dog (Gracie) has had problems with something down here, allergies, itching skin, tick ....etc .... ... more exercise seems to have helped her condition, so we are keeping up on that regiment..... she doesn't mind a bit.

Soooooo it's been fun and games for the last several weeks... And for that, I have been blogging less ...... Some of you are I'm sure, are thankful for that! ;-)

Sorry no photos :-( ........

Well no photos when I did this blog, but today the photos I can attach, Videos which worked last night don't work today..... What in the world?