26 Days Till Lift Off!

Our trip is approaching quickly and we wanted to send out some of our thoughts.

REMINDER: If you haven’t done your vaccinations, read Moffitt’s "IMMUNIZATIONS" post below and make your appointment today! If you still have immunization questions, email Mitch Moffitt.

QUESTIONS:

If you have any questions please make sure to refer to the blog posts below or contact the director of that group (AKA Team Leaders).

Dental –Ammon Jones or Brian Zwahlen

Construction-Deven Smith

Education/Fundraising-Brian Ellsworth

Logistics-Abe Cubano or Troy Blanchard

FUNDRAISING:

We welcome any help that you can give with fundraising. This fundraising will go to subsidize in-country transportation and hotel costs, and incidental expenses that correlate with the humanitarian project. Some examples of these expenses are ethanol for sterilization of dental instruments, antibiotics and other meds we’ll need to purchase in the country, and other needs that will aid us in carrying out a successful trip. In the email we just sent is attached a pdf that Brian Ellsworth created for us to explain to others the purpose of our trip. This would be useful if you want to send it out to neighbors, friends, family and your local Rotary Club. If you have any specific questions about how the money will be used, contact me. If you have any questions about the fund raising process, please contact Ellsworth. Also, Brian will send out a step-by-step approach on how to approach your Rotary Club. Any amount will help. Any funds that you raise please report to Brian Ellsworth so he can track it and send to Abe Cubano to deposit.

We need someone to head up the acquisition of cell phones to be used to coordinate the 3 service projects going on simultaneously. This project should take less than 10 hours. Please contact Troy if you can help.

We understand that you may be doing individual fund raising for educational or medical supplies and we appreciate all your efforts.

PACKING SUPPLIES:

Many have asked how we are going to get the supplies down to Ecuador. They need to be transported down with us by suitcase. The dentists are required to carry the dental units so they will need our help packing their supplies. We also have some educational supplies that we need to distribute among us. There is NO WAY we will get it all down there without your help. So… We need each person traveling to bring at least 1 (2 if possible) empty suitcases to our home to fill with these supplies. You will then leave with your filled suitcases and use your carry ons for your personal belongings.

For all of you who live in Utah, we are going to have a Pot Luck Packing Dinner at Troy's Friday, May 27^th at 6pm. Kids are welcome. Please RSVP Daphne for a food assignment and to let us know how many suitcases you are bringing to fill.

Please bring to the Pot Luck:

All supplies you have gathered

1-2 empty suitcases per person traveling. (Depending on how many your airline will allow you to bring.)

Your potluck food item

What is the UTAH group packing down to Ecuador?

Dental Supplies/School Supplies (Tutoring Center’s wish list) (Ammon)

Fluoride (Abrams)

Medical Books (Moffitt)

School Kits from Humanitarian Center (Blanchard/Bingham)

5 Dental Units (which need to be kept with the dentists)

HOTEL:

(June 3^rd) Friday night we will be staying at the Guayaquil Temple which is very close to the airport. You will need a temple recommend to stay there. Children do not need one to stay, but will if they want to eat in the cafeteria or perform baptisms for the dead. The cost will be minimal. We don’t know how much it will be. In the Dominican Republic it was $3 a night, I can’t imagine it being much different in Ecuador. We will meet you there at the temple. If you’re not staying at the temple or attending the session at the temple, you can meet up with the group afterwards.

(June 4^th-10^th) We are working with a church representative that is helping us book our reservations at a discounted price, we will have confirmation in the next couple of days. At this point it looks like we will need to put a group deposit down on the hotel and then you will pay for your rooms individually once down there. We will give you details on who you need to repay for that deposit when it is set in stone. Hotel rooms will be around $75 a night and will be booked Sat-Thursday night (Saturday check in and Friday morning check out).

CASH:

I would suggest that whatever your budget is for the trip, I would bring at least half of that in cash. As you may remember, the ability to use credit/debit isn’t available in many locations. So we all have the same expectations, everyone is responsible to pay for all your transportation, lodging, food and other expenses of the trip. We have secured funding for the cost of the construction project (Thank you, Aaron Baker! Opps- sorry- he did not want any credit) When you’re exiting Ecuador don’t forget to set aside $25 CASH PER PERSON for the Airport Departure Tax. You will need to pay it to leave the airport and can’t use a credit card.

This website has some good info about traveling in Ecuador; but please feel free to email or call team leaders with any questions you may have.

http://www.goecuador.com/traveler-guide/ecuador-customs-taxes.html

Just in the last 4 days we’ve had 6 people join our group. We are now at a headcount of 40 traveling down to Ecuador. Get excited—it’s coming quick!

Thanks,

Troy Z Blanchard

Breakdown of our Teams

Here is the updated breakdown of our teams. If you want to request a change please email Troy or post a comment below. Those highlighted in yellow live in Ecuador.

What Do I Need to DO Right Now?

1) Book your flights-- then send your itinerary to TROY

2) Make sure your passport is current

3) Get started on immunization series if needed (see post below)

4) Make sure your temple recommend is current if you would like to serve there (see itinerary post)

5) Make sure your kids have a recommend if they would like to eat in the temple cafetieria or do baptisms for the dead while they are there

6) Square away babysitting-those grandmas fill up fast-and get work off

IMMUNIZATIONS

Hello to all of you Guasmo workers-to-be,

The trip to Ecuador is approaching faster than you know. I hope you are as excited about it as I am! Now that you are booking flights and making travel plans, be sure to consider some other preparations...

Do you cherish those sweet memories of getting gamma-globulin shots at zone conference, taking "the bomb" and tasting metal for months, or sleeping under cozy mosquito nets while being cooled by filthy fans? Do you find yourself longing for boiled water filtered through your old handkerchief or even giving up on water completely and risking kidney stones by drinking a couple of "familiar" sized colas (in a bag) each day? Was there any particular reason why the Hermana wouldn't let you pour that delicious looking bagged milk onto your cereal, eat those inviting strawberries, make a "healthy" salad out of lettuce grown in night soil, or break your fast on some of that tripe from a friendly street vendor?

Beautiful Ecuador has left a lasting impression on our hearts and minds, but we need to remember that it has the potential to leave a lasting impression on our G.I. tract and overall health if we aren't prepared. A few key points to consider:

IMMUNIZATIONS: Be sure each person going to Ecuador is completely up to date on all of the usual recommended vaccines for the USA, paying special attention to TdaP (tetanus and pertussis) and the series of Hepatitis A (the reason we were getting gamma-globulin shots back in the day). Yellow Fever and Typhoid are also recommended by the CDC. Please visit the CDC website on Ecuador http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/Ecuador.aspx and read it in detail, especially the parts on timing of vaccines. Discuss these with your doctor. Some need to be given well before the day you fly!

MALARIA: Although malaria is not present in the cities of Guayaquil, Quito, or the Galápagos, all other areas at altitudes <1,500 m (<4,921 ft) are teaming with chloroquine-resistant malaria. Depending on your travel plans after the service days, you may need to start anti-malarial drugs before, during, and after your trip. Check the CDC website above and contact your doctor for a prescription if you need it.

BUCHANAN'S TAP WATER DIET: take a moment to remember Hermana Gonzalez's words of wisdom and to discuss simple health precautions with family members or friends travelling to South America for the first time. Don't forget to pack things like a hat, sunscreen, and mosquito repellant. If you really want to relive the missionary experience, some of you may plan on hitting a tienda in Guayaquil for some Chinese chalk for those pesky ants or a candle and a Torvi sprayer used as a flamethrower for invading cockroaches. The CDC website also recommends taking a small stash of an over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medication such as Immodium as well as all of your usual prescription medication.

With a few precautions, we should all stay healthy and have a fantastic trip back to our old stompin' grounds in Ecuador.

Feel free to discuss any of your questions with your personal physician or to contact me at mitchell.moffitt@gmail.com.

Mitch (Moffitt)

Trip Itinerary

The actual service dates are June 6^th -9^th. Surrounding those dates are optional events that we are planning for all to attend. The only request we have is to please be in Guayaquil by Sunday night at 7pm for our official meeting where we will outline the details of the days of service. So here we go:

Ecuador Itinerary:

Friday- June 3rd

TRAVEL to GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR

Saturday- June 4^th

12pm Lunch in the Temple Cafeteria (*children 8 & under can eat with us. Children over 8 yrs. must bring a temple recommend to eat in the cafeteria.)

2pm Temple-We have reserved a special session for our group

5-6pm Parque de Iguanas, Bahía, Downtown

6-8pm Visit areas where different people have served

9pm Dinner @ La Parrilla del Ñato

Sunday- June 5th

Church- Any ward you want. If you don’t have a preference, join us at Salado 2.

4pm Mission Reunion with local companions (Location: Chapel where we will be serving the following day)

5pm We are asking the current Mission President of Guayaquil South to come speak to us about the mission.

6pm Dinner for the group

7pm Mandatory meeting (All need to attend that are serving. Location: Chapel where we will serve, address TBA)

Monday-Thursday June 6^th-9^th

Service Days: At the Annika Tutoring Center & Nearby LDS Church Bldg

We are going to break everyone into 4 groups:

1. Construction-building/finishing the construction on the 2nd level of the building (Onsite at Annika Tutoring Center)

2. Education (2 locations)

a. At tutoring center

b. On location with dental team to train kids on hygiene (nearby LDS Chapel)

3. Medical- yet to be determined

4. Dental- LDS Chapel

Friday-June 10^th and on…

VACATION TIME! I am sure many will want to take trips to Quito or Cuenca. We are not going to officially plan anything for this duration of the trip.

Some questions you may have...

Do we book our own hotel?
No, we want to all stay in the same hotel and we are working on getting a group rate. As soon as all those who are going book their flights then we will book the rooms. We are waiting for a solid number before we do that.

How will we get from the hotel to the service sites?
We are arranging transportation to and from the hotel on the service days. We are hiring members to drive the vans.

Do we need to be there all of the service days?
The service days are Monday thru Thursday (June 6-9). If it works best for you to take off a day then that's not a problem. Everyone needs to be there Monday; and if you plan to take off any of the other days, just let Troy know so he can plan the teams and make sure we have enough working in each area.

Will lunch be provided on the service days?
We want to take a vote...
There are mixed opinions about this. Some would prefer to eat a gronola bar or fend for ourselves during a half-hour lunch break (finding tiendas or nearby food stands)-- while others would like a meal brought in so we don't have the hassle. What do YOU think? Please COMMENT and tell us who you are.

How are the kids getting to the church for dental care?
They are being bussed in. Teresa at FAUM is coordinating that. Abe has been in c0ntact with her.

Do you have any more questions? If you do...someone else probably does too. (Comment here.) More info to come...

Travel Plans

Daphne and I were talking this morning, and we think it would be helpful if everyone can post their travel plans, (even if you haven't booked your flights yet). If you can tell us what dates you plan to depart and return, and what airports you will be flying out of. Also, we would love to know what your plans are for the dates following the humanitarian service time block. What places are you hoping to visit etc? Ryan and I are planning on flying out of SLC into Guayaquil on Friday June 3rd The flights leaves SLC at about 8:30 am and arrives in Guayaquil at about 11:00 that night. Then we will return on Sunday June 12th. We are planning to visit Cuenca, but are open to ideas of others as well.