Ron Sasine's Trip to Ecuador

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Guayaquil, Ecuador on business. My last trip there was in 1995, and this was the first time I had been back since construction on the temple began. My hotel (Hilton Colon Guayaquil) was located less than a mile from the site, and the vantage point from my room was spectacular. Here is a brief update to go with the pictures that I will attach to this message.

Construction has advanced very well. The patron housing facility, located to the right of the temple, is complete. It is quite striking by itself. The temple, of course, is breathtaking. As I arrived in Guayaquil, I made sure to sit on the right side of the airplane, which gave me a perfect view of the site. As the plane landed, I scoured the area of Urdesa Norte for the temple. The skyline there has changed dramatically in just the last few years, so at first it was difficult to pick out the temple. Then suddenly, I saw it, and I was surprised that it took me that long to find. It literally rises above the rest of the city, due to its location on a small hill and its single, majestic spire. While the majority of the building appeared close to complete, the spire was still just a steel structure waiting for placement of the marble facing that will cover it. I visited the site and was amazed at the size of the construction crew. There must have been 150-200 workers on the site, engaged in all sorts of different projects taking place simultaneously.

I spoke with a counselor in the mission presidency who confirmed the following information. The Open House has been scheduled for May 1-15, and the Dedication will take place May 22-24. These dates were recently approved by the Temple Department in SLC. He also informed me that tickets will be available for non-local members through the Temple Department in SLC, which would suggest that attending the dedication is not completely out of the realm of possibility. Also, in case you might not recall, May 24 is the anniversary of the founding of Guayaquil, so it will be a holiday and will be a significant day in the hearts of our Ecuadorian members. The brother with whom I spoke is also an Institute Director in Guayaquil, and he offered to allow us to use his Institute Building for any type of mission reunion that we might like to have in conjunction with the temple dedication of open house trip. Given these dates, I think it would be worthwhile to take a poll of final attendees. In my case, I do not expect to go over for the dedication, but will be there during the second week in June with my family.

You might also be interested to know some other interesting things that I saw while I was there. Some of the older RM's from GYE will remember the previous temple site which was located by the softball/soccer fields near Mapasingue. Anyway, that site now has a lovely new chapel/stake center on it, with a garden area and lots of parking. It really caught my eye as I drove out toward Prosperina for some meetings. Also, the Guasmo has two new chapels that I had never seen before--one right near the port, and one a bit farther up. I also saw a lovely chapel on Luque street in downtown. During one morning drive from my hotel to a customer's factory, I saw the under-construction Guayaquil Temple and five chapels, all without asking my cab driver to make any detours, but simply following major thoroughfares. It was truly moving.

In other areas, Guayaquil has also changed greatly. The construction of new housing, shopping, and restaurants is amazing. Alborada, Urdesa, and parts of Urdesa Norte are absolutely beautiful these days. Roads are being rebuilt all over the city. Problems still exist, and the Guasmo and Suburbio haven't changed much, but I got a real good feeling from the city in general. La Parrilla del Nato is still going strong (we ate huge steaks and salads for two for $15), and there is a great new seafood place owned by the same family and located right down the street (It's called Red Crab--don't miss it if you're in Guayaquil). Baskin Robbins, Miami Subs, Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Dunkin Donuts were all up and running. I stood on a corner in Guayaquil eating Peanut Butter and Chocolate ice cream and about couldn't believe it. The supermarkets are filled with imported items, including Cheerios, M&Ms, taco seasoning, and a whole host of other things. I was just about floored.

Anyway, I hope this information is helpful to those of you who might be going to Guayaquil in May. Have a wonderful trip.

Ron Sasine

December 18, 1998