Dignidad

When I repeat myself, I apologize. I simply don't have time to review all of my previous posts before writing a new one.

I believe I wrote previously about Sister Brenda Smock. She and her husband, Roger, served as mission president and mission "mom" in one of the Guayaquil, Ecuador missions several years ago. I called her shortly before leaving for Ecuador. She told me that as she arose to give her first talk in shaky Spanish, the Spirit brought the Spanish word "dignidad" (dignity) into her mind.

I had a similar experience today.

Once a quarter, the mission president meets with the stake and district presidents here in Quito. Today was that day. President Lara asked Hermana Ottosen and I to prepare lunch for 40 people. The Wards and Elder Ottosen helped too.

Hermana Ottosen prepared me for an amazing opportunity, telling me that the last time she prepared this lunch, the stake presidents from Otavalo came in their traditional formal white clothing and blue ponchos. She was very moved when she saw them and shared that with me. With great anticipation, I looked forward to having a similar experience.

I was not disappointed. All the men in the room wore white shirts, ties and suits. Except for the Otavalans. All six wore their white pants and shirts, pure white sandals (clearly their very best), a long black braid down their back, a blue poncho, ranging from light blue to navy blue in color, and a felt bowler hat, ranging in color from beige to black. Here are some pictures of formal male Otavalan dress that I retrieved from the internet.



The Book of Mormon is, among many other things, a spiritual history of the Lamanites, Nephites and Jaredites, people who inhabited the Americas from 600 BC to 400 AD. Both the Jaredites and Nephites were completely destroyed, down to the last person. One of our prophets, President Spencer W. Kimball, visited Otavalo and remarked that the blood of the Otavalan people was the purest Lamanite blood left on Earth. The Lord preserved the records of these peoples not only as a an additional witness of Jesus Christ, but also to provide a way to restore their heritage to the Lamanite people.

It is an emotional experience to see these men who span ancient and modern worlds. They serve in stake presidencies of the restored Church of Jesus Christ while firmly rooted in the past. It's humbling to speculate (and it's only that) that perhaps they are descendants of people who actually witnessed Christ's appearance here on the American continent. They possess, as Brenda says, "dignidad." What a privilege it was to serve them as well as the other presidencies who labor here in Ecuador.