What To Take To Ecuador

What To Take

Okay, you just got your mission call to a place called Guayaquil, Ecuador. (Which continent is that on?) What should you take? What should you expect when you get there? What are your odds of survival?

The aim of this page is to answer those questions. If you've been called to the Ecuador Guayaquil Mission, and you have any questions that haven't been covered here, send them to me. If you're an alumnus, and you would like to contribute suggestions, do the same.

Clothing

Suits/Pants (Elders)

Things have changed over the past few years: When I served in Guayaquil (1987-89), we never wore suits, so I threw mine away. Now, the elders wear their suits pretty often (at least at zone conferences). Troy Young
When I was in Cuenca under President Shawcroft I was asked to wear a suit on Sundays. I understand that under President Gonzalez Elders were asked to wear suits every day in the Sierra. So at least one suit, although just one suit can be problematic in the MTC, since you will be required to wear it daily--so you may want two, and then send one home. If you get sent to the Sierra and want a second suit, you can always buy some tela [material] and get one made. Rob Evans
Don't worry about taking many pairs of slacks--you'll be able to have nice slacks made in Ecuador for about $8-10/pair. One of the reasons that it's nice to have pants (for elders) or skirts (for sisters) made in Ecuador is that you can ask the tailor to include a secret pocket in the waist. You keep a few small bills in your regular pocket to give to a thief if you're robbed, and keep your real money in the secret pocket. I think thieves will spot money belts, but they hadn't caught on to secret pockets when I was there. Troy
Important: Some elders going to Ecuador have gotten the impression from somewhere on this website that cotton pants (like Dockers) are acceptable. President Gabbitas pulled me aside at the big ex-missionary reunion in Guayaquil and asked me to please make it clear that the missions in Ecuador follow the same dress standards as every other mission, and Dockers-style pants are NOT acceptable. Be forewarned.

Dresses (Sisters)

Although I've heard rumors that they're changing the dress code for sisters, I would recommend light, short-sleeved, cotton dresses. Jumpers with a shirt underneath is just one layer too many, as are skirts and shirts. Although short is cooler, dresses a bit longer are better to swat at mosquitoes on your legs. Christy Parry

Shoes

Take at least 2 pairs of very comfortable shoes (I recommend Rockports), and, if you like, a pair of black cross trainers (pref. Reebok or Adidas, or whatever looks the most like dress shoes). DO NOT buy cheap shoes, and make sure you have good arch support. Troy
I was reading your web page and I noticed that you recommended Rockports as shoes to take on an Ecuadorian mission. I don't know how long it's been since you've been down there but I believe things have changed since then. They have a new brand of shoes out called "Doctor Martins" and they really last. I took a pair of Rockports and they lasted about three months. Then I took out my Doc Martins and used them my whole mission. In fact, I still use them. Jeff Cosme
For sisters: Make sure to take good, sturdy shoes; I recommend a pair of sturdy, nice looking tennis shoes (that's what all sisters wore when I was there). Get the shoes here, because I never could find a comfortable pair of shoes in Ecuador. Vivian Brower Foley
For sisters: Sturdy, nice looking shoes. When I was there (regrese June 97), no hermanas wore tennis shoes, except for service. Most had Doc Martens, or Rockports. I took two pairs of Docs and both they and my feet made it home intact.
And, the rules do vary according to Mission president, but you are absolutely crazy to even consider wearing full length nylons. Even knee-hi's are uncomfortable. Christy Parry
I don't know about you, but if I had it to do over again, I would have taken a good pair of indoor soccer shoes. We played so much soccer on the outside basketball courts. I really loved it, since I'm a soccer fan. Definitely, any soccer players should consider a pair...they'll enjoy the rich "futbol" atmosphere. Jeff Huling
That's a good point. Also, we played a lot of basketball, so you'll want some good athletic shoes. You can buy good shoes down there, but I think they were fairly expensive, and you may have trouble getting your size if you wear anything above size 10. Troy

Garments

Personally, I prefer the cotton/poly blend. The regular mesh is somewhat cooler, but when you sweat it runs down your back into your pants. The cotton mesh is too delicate, and won't last very long. Corban is a nightmare.
The other nice thing about the cotton/poly blend is that it doesn't turn yellow from your laundry ladies washing them on rocks. Mesh garments look pretty dirty after a couple of months.
I knew some elders who preferred mesh. One nice thing about the mesh garments is that you can rinse them out and they will dry fairly quickly, where the blend will take all day. Troy
Take all cotton garments. Eric Jean

P-Day Clothing

As mentioned above, you'll probably play a lot of "indoor" (indoor soccer, played outside), basketball, and sand volleyball, so take athletic socks and any supportive gear you may need. T-shirts and shorts are readily available (you'll probably want shorts specially made to cover your garments, anyway). Troy

Other

Take plenty of garments, short-sleeve white shirts, and socks, since they're somewhat harder to get down there (well, you can get them, but it's hard to find good quality).

Health and Hygiene

General

I would recommend taking some good antifungal stuff for the hongos, and an inexhaustable supply of Dr. Scholl's footpads. Most mission lists say to take one set of sheets, but you should take at least two and more if possible. Keep a good first aid kit on hand. Take some water purification tablets to use after you have boiled the water. Eric
I also recommend taking good shampoo and a supply of multiple vitamins. Vivian

Contact Lenses

If you wear contacts, you should take a couple extra pair, as well as a good supply of cleaner, and plan on having someone send you more when you need it. Bear in mind that a package may take anywhere from two weeks to three months to get to you (if it makes it at all).
Frankly, if I were doing it all over again, I'd buy a couple of pairs of glasses and leave the contacts at home. They're a lot of trouble, and you may be more susceptible to infection in Ecuador.
If you don't like the way you look in glasses, ask your sister, girlfriend, or some other young female friend with fashion sense to help you find some glasses that you look good in. Troy

Feminine Hygiene

Vivian Brower Foleyand Tamar Jean have offered to field any questions in this area. Feel free to write to them.

Insect Repellant

A good insect repellant would be great. There are some good ones in Ecuador, but they all smell awful. Ecuadorian mosquitos LOVE Americans and can smell them from a mile away. Troy
Take a large caliber handgun to kill the fleas and anti-aircraft weaponry for mosquitos. (Flea powder and mosquito repellent would work just as well.) Eric

Other Stuff

Watches and Jewelry

You should take a couple of cheap watches--preferably ones that a thief can rip off easily without injuring you. Leave expensive jewelry at home or in your suitcase. No rings--a thief will cut your finger off before he'll wait for you to take a ring off. Troy

Mailing Stuff

You should take a good supply of postage stamps because gringo missionaries can use the mission mail system (pouch) to get their mail home faster and with much more reliability. The pouch system uses DHL to get stuff to Salt Lake and from there it goes into the regular mail. Tell your parents that when they send packages, to send them with a sticker of Christ on the outside and to put "Elder/Hermana So and So" on the package. This throws off the thieves, I mean postal workers, there and they think the packages are for the nuns and they don't steal stuff out of them. Eric
I recently returned from the Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission. While I was there the church terminated the pouch for all missions in Ecuador. Missionaries must now send mail through national mail. However, sometimes missionaries also send letters home with returning missionaries in which case they could use stamps. Jeremy Borchert - 8/26/2000

What To Expect

Comforts of Home

You can get just about anything you can imagine in Guayaquil and Cuenca (Quito too, but that's a no no). In fact, aside from the heat and the rain and a few other inconveniences, I don't remember suffering all that much. And with a trip a week to La Selvita for a HUGE steak, huge potato with great sauce, and four Buzz colas, followed by a stop at Top Cream, I felt almost "normal" (whatever that is). Rob
I just returned from the Guayaquil Temple dedication, and I was amazed by the amount of American stuff that is available now in Guayaquil. The smaller towns (Milagro, Machala, Manta, Portoviejo) probably haven't changed much, but Guayaquil itself has a huge shopping mall with American restaurants in it, so missionaries serving in the city will be far less homesick than when I was there. Troy

Weather

There are two seasons: (1) Hot and dry (summer), and (2) hotter and wet (winter). I believe the nicest months were August and September. For the most part, it is extremely hot and humid. You get used to it though. In fact I miss it.
I still remember walking off the plane for the first time and feeling like I was walking through soup, it was so humid. Troy

P-Day Activities

When I was in the mission, we had three basic pastimes: Basketball, bowling (in Guayaquil), and banana sticker collecting. Don't worry if you're not a great basketball player or bowler. I'm lousy at both, but I had a great time.
Also, if we were within reach of a beach, we'd spend a lot of time there (especially in Salinas, Playas, Machala, Manta, and Portoviejo). Ecuador has some gorgeous beaches. Make a note: If you ever serve in Portoviejo or Manta, be sure and take a zone trip to Playa Blanca. It's only about 1/2 hour away from Manta, and it's absolutely breathtaking. I'll try to get some photos posted here in the near future. Troy