Church Jesus Christ Quito, is the of the pioneers of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Quito, by writing this page we, the descendants of Inés Caicedo, honor all the pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints In Ecuador, those humble brothers and sisters who remained active for life, who voluntarily worked in the church, those pioneers who went unnoticed, many of them were never invited to a meeting of the pioneers that was held at 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years, others were not invited to the programs of laying the first stone of the temples of Guayaquil or Quito and despite being active all their lives, many of them have already passed the veil, to them we surrender honors, this list will still be missing some brothers but if we identify them, here we will put their names, among them:
Names of the Pioneers in Quito
María Inés Caicedo Escobar and Li Marlene Hinojosa Caicedo, the oldest active members of Ecuador; Patriarch Trujillo and his Family, José, Alba, Pablo, Mario, Gerardo Trujillo, the first Ecuadorian missionary; the Chávez Family, Patriarch Manuel Chávez who just died 8 days ago (January 30, 2021), Nancy Chavez, Patricio Chávez; the Llerena Family; to the Espín Family; the Yépez Family, the Valarezo Brothers; to the Hidalgo Family; to the Viteri Family; the Oleas Family; to Sr. Aureli Olearte; Brother Cacuango, the first Ecuadorian Mission President.
The hnas. Inés Caicedo and Marlene Hinojosa, the oldest active members in Ecuador, when they arrived at the church on November 18, 1965, they were never inactivated, the first members such as the Cruz Family, Baquero, the Tejada, within two months of being baptized They were gone, the members from 1965-1970 when they arrived at the church did not see the first baptisms, when they arrived they saw the Hinojosa Caicedo Family, because the first ones were inactivated two months after being baptized,
In 2015, the Barrio Colón recognized the Hinojosa Caicedo Family as a pioneer, writes Brother Napoleón Trujillo, “Well deserved the first family to embrace the gospel in the land of the bo m.”
To the people who prepared the coming of the Church
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) A thank you to the anonymous people who made the arrival of the Church of Jesus Christ in Ecuador possible, a person who did a lot before October 9 but we have not been able to identify them, to leaders and members who prepared the way for this to happen, such as the paperwork, polling to see how they would proceed, the senior leaders who decided for the church to reach Ecuador who are: Pdte. David O McKey, Apostle Kimball, Elder Jesperson, and Elder Richards.
October 9, 1965, in the Middle of the World on the Quito Cayambe road, here are from left to right, Elder Richards, Elder Robisob, Elder Gold, Elder Carpenter, Elder Spercer w Kimball, Elder Allan, and President Jesperson
To the first missionaries who arrived in Ecuador
The elders; Gold, Robison, Carpenter and Allan
To foreign members
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) The foreign members who showed up at the dawn of the church; Vaugh Johnston, wife, daughters, Laurie, Sue, and Gloria; the Harvey spouses; to the Ottley Family, to bro. Robert Wells and his family, Br. Mario Ortíz from Guatemala.
Story sent by: Li Marlene Hinojosa Caicedo:
Days before October 9, 1965
On October 4, the first two missionaries from Peru, Elder Carpenter and Elder Allan, came. On October 7, Elders, Gold and Robison, and the Mission President, Elder Jesperson, also arrived from Peru; finally, on October 8, the Apostle, Spencer W. Kimball, and the Regional representative, Elder Richards, arrived.
Saturday October 9, 1965
These 7 members went to Panecillo on October 9, 1965, although they wanted to be alone, they asked the two taxi drivers with whom they arrived at the hill to join and they also invited a family that was there visiting the place.
Schule for October 9, 1965
First hymn: We thank you from God for being a prophet.
First prayer: by President Jesperson
A Talk: By Elderr Richards
Following is the Prayer of Dedication by the Apostle, Elder Spencer W. Kimball, said dedication to the Lord because the time had come for these people to receive the Gospel and also how ancient Book of Mormon prophets describe the promises they were given dice.
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) Something extraordinary that happened is that when Elder Kimball finished the prayer, the bells of the chapels of the Catholic Church throughout Quito began to ring and the cannon shots rang out from the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, which were always done on special occasions. , in this case by October 9.
Brither Vaugh Johnston Introduces
On October 10, Elder Kimball returned to Peru, the Pdte. Jesperson and Elder Richard, in the afternoon a family appeared, members of the church from Utah, the Johnston Family, this family was right where they should be, they helped by making the missionaries know the city, advising on the culture of Ecuador, they lent their house for the first meetings, etc. her husband, Vaught Johnston, worked as a coach for the Ecuadorian Olympic team, he did the mission in Argentina, he always accompanied the 4 missionaries who stayed behind for everything.
Harvey and Ottley families introduce themselves
A few days passed and they found another family members from Utah, the Harvey Family, they also held the meetings in their house, and finally another family from the United States appeared, the Ottleys, these three families were a fundamental base for the first missionaries.
The first baptisms (Church Jesus Christ Quito)
The first baptisms were done on a property owned by the Baptist church, they did it because they did not have a place yet, some attempts to rent failed, they did not want to rent them just because they were not Catholic, the missionaries became friends with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Baptists, from the Salvation Army, then, not having the baptismal font, asked the Baptists to lend them, to which they agreed with a property they had in Alangasí, a rural parish in Quito, at that time two hours by bus from the same City of Quito, there Br. Henry Cruz, which would be the first baptism, his entire family was baptized, Sister Baquero and a cousin were baptized, the Tejada Family was baptized, first Sister Baquero was confirmed. Baquero who would be the first member of the Church of Jesus Christ in Ecuador.
The Hinojosa Caicedo Family arrives at the Church
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) After 38 days of the Church’s arrival in Quito, on November 17, 1965, Elders Robinson and Gold contacted the Hinojosa Caicedo family, which was made up of Luis Hinojosa, Inés Caicedo Escobar, Marlene, and Patricio Hinojosa Caicedo, in a house in the center of Quito, on Montúfar and Olmedo streets, that day Elder Robison says that they passed by the corner house and felt that they had to return and enter, they did so, they found a woman washing clothes , they invited her to a meeting of the Relief Society in the afternoon, this lady was María Inés Caicedo Escobar, she was scared because Caucasian men (white race) were never seen in Quito dressed in ties and white shirts, it is more she thought that They are from the CIA because at that time there was a lot of talk that every American was from such an organization, in the afternoon the missionaries returned to take him to the soc of soc but Sr. Inés Caicedo went into hiding because she thought that her husband had sent them to take her children from her, but soon the fright passed.
From this family, Sr. Inés Hinojosa and Marlene Hinojosa would become the oldest active members of Ecuador, they arrived and stayed forever, the members older than these said sisters after two months were already inactive, it is said that in a group they asked to delete their names from the church, therefore Inés Caicedo and Marlene Hinojosa are the pioneers of the Church of Jesus Christ in Ecuadorc
The house on Montufar and Olmedo streets, where the missionaries contacted the Hinojosa Caicedo Family
Inside the house of the Hinojosa Caicedo Family, here there was a tank to wash clothes
They rent the first chapel on street Veintimilla and Aveneu Amazonas
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) The next day the missionaries returned to visit Sr. Inés, they arrived with a newspaper because they found an advertisement for a rental house, so Sr. He lent himself to accompany them, the advertisement said that they were renting a house on Calle Veintimilla and Avenida Amazonas, and that they should approach 10 de Agosto and Ramírez Dávalos to make contact with the tenant, they did so, at that time there was a phobia of other religions, hna. Caicedo along with the elders went to speak with the person in charge of said house, and they did so with fear, because as it was a new religion, someone could harm them, and this was the case at that time with other religions that settled in Ecuador, at Arriving at the place, they verified that the meeting was in the Álvarez Barba Building and they asked him to go to the fourth floor of the building, there to the person in charge of the house, Elenita Vaca, because the owner cannot, when asking if they could rent them, This manager thought for a while, after reacting she told them that she had visited many countries, that she had lived in the United States and that she knew the Mormons, that she would gladly lease them because they were good people and they were men of well !.
(SUD Church Quito Equator) the neighborhood Mariscal where the first LDS chapel was rented in Ecuador, Veintimilla and Amazonas street
This is the place where the first LDS chapel in Equator used to be, now it is replaced by a modern construction
On November 20 they have the first meetings in the first building.
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) The rental was made instantly, because Mrs. Elenita Vaca asked that they would give her the keys to go to show the house, the next day, which was Friday, the missionaries came with some things they had in the house. their pension and where the Johnston and Harvey families had their first meetings on Sunday, November 20, that is in the building on Veintimilla Streets and Amazonas Avenue, which would become the first meeting center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Equator.
Thus the house that would serve as a base for the church in this country was leased, also to receive Apostle Spencer W. Kimball the second time he came in 1967.
First meeting of the primary in the first chapel
The first primary meeting in the first chapel was held with Elder Robison, Elder Gold, Sister Inés Caicedo, children Marlene Hinojosa and Patricio Hinojosa, other children that Sister Caicedo borrowed from the neighbors for that meeting, and the girls blondes that were Laurie. , Sue and Gloria Johnston.
November 20, 1965, first official primary meeting in Ecuador in the first chapel, here they are: Elders, Gold and Robison, Inés Caicedo; the children, Marlene Hinojosa and Patricio Hinojosa, also the children of the Johnston family, Laurie, Sue and Gloria, the other three children are on loan, the sister Inés went to the neighbors to borrow their children to have the first primary meeting and only three arrived.
(SUD Church Quito Equator) March 1966, inside the first LDS chapel in Ecuador, here is the Hinojosa Caicedo Family with the missionaries of that time.
The baptismal font is rebuilt l (Church Jesus Christ Quito)
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) The house was not ready, it was in the middle of some repairs, after renting, the missionaries asked the sister Inés Caicedo to move in to take care of and do the cleaning, and she did. The Church took charge of the completion of said arrangements that they were making, behind, in the courtyard there was a broken cement tank, destroyed, they rebuilt it and together with the house it was ready, the house was in perfect order, it would be beautiful with the It was the best materials of that time, it was large, it had gardens, it had two floors, in the first it would be used to hold the Sacramental Meetings and to use as offices, on the second floor it was used to receive the classes of the organizations, behind it was the pool of cement ready for baptisms.
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) The first baptismal font of the LDS church, here they are: Inés Caicedo, Marlene Hinojosa and Patricio Hinojosa, on the back is the baptismal clothing.
Elder Gold is the first Branch President in Quito
Elder Gold was the first President of the branch, he is the one who presided over all the meetings, he was in all the classes, he became the teacher that the new members needed, he even taught sewing classes in the Relief Society because in the chapel even had a sewing machine.
The second time that President Kimball came to Ecuador
Apostle Kimball came to Quito for the second time, and we thought it was October 9, 1967, it was the most beautiful day in Ecuador, that day was sunny, calm. In the morning some people and families in taxis arrived at the first Quito chapel of the church, said Chapel (leased) was on Calle Veintimilla and Avenida Amazonas, a beautiful morning, Apostle Kimball visited some members, had a chocolate with sister Llerena, in the morning he visited the meeting center, there Li Marlene Hinojosa loved the girl who came to the church when she was 4 years old, The children’s smile was heard all the time, with a radiant sun, the wait was long, but everyone was happy, already late in the afternoon, they took some taxis and went to Panecillo, among those who were were the Hinojosa Caicedo Family and the Trujillo Family.
Otavalo members join (Church Jesus Christ Quito)
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) Once in El Panecillo, another group joined on a bus, they must have been people from Otavalo because of their clothing.
And again the Apostle prayed, as he did 2 years ago, after Elder Kimball gave the prayer, again something impressive happened, the bells of all the Catholic chapels of Quito began to ring, and immediately it began to ring too. the cannon shots from the Cima de la Libertad on the slopes of Pichincha, for no reason should that happen, they only did it on May 24 of each year, AN AMAZING NIGHT, people were scared by the noise, I think that on that day some men were inspired to ring the bells and fire the salutes from the cannons. It is known that it was at night because the members and guests were with torches, it did not end there, said people and members jumped for joy and ran around the pot of the muffin crying with happiness and singing the hymn with which the Tabernacle Choir won a Grammy, Battle Hymn of the Republic, “Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth advances.
Other meeting places (Church Jesus Christ Quito)
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) The church was moved twice until the chapel on Aveneu Colón and Diego de Almagro was built, which was Quito’s first own chapel, the first time it was moved to Veintimilla and Páez streets and the second change to Aveneu Colombia in front of the Alameda Park, and finally to the first chapel built in Quito, to that of street Diego de Almagro y Colón.
The first Chapel is built on Diego de Almagro Street and Colon Aveneu
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) It is possible to buy a piece of land on Diego de Almagro street and Aveneu Colón, and the construction is announced, the groundbreaking for the construction of the first chapel in Quito was made by sister Inés Caicedo Escobar, they asked her because the members said that she is the pioneer. At that time the members contributed labor to build the chapel, Sr. Inés and the members worked to build that chapel, and the sister did it by cooking for the mingas and also by climbing on the scaffolding, and doing everything that is done in a construction.
Sister Inés Caicedo, the Pioneer, dies
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) Sister Inés Caicedo was active until 1990 when she suffered from a hernia in her back, she suffered from intense pain and could not walk, she was almost paralyzed and did not go to the chapel until when she died, on February 18, 2004.
The family of Inés Caicedo (Church Jesus Christ Quito)
Marlene, daughter of Inés, is now the member who has most attended a Sacramental Meeting in Equator, she was never inactive until today (January 30, 2021), she did the mission in Equator Guayaquil, she got married in the Lima Peru Temple with Luis Patricio Martínez, he has two children, the first David Martínez did the Mission in Guatemala, the other son Christian Martínez in the Mission of Mexico City, apart from Marlene, David and Christian, there is another descendant of Sister Inés who is She remained active until now, her name is Sonia Cecilia Torres Caicedo (today Sonia Rojas), the first daughter of Inés Caicedo, she was baptized in the following months after Sr. Inés, lives and attends in New York.
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) Inés Caicedo has another grandson who did the mission in the US, his name is Antonio Cedeño but he is semi-active.
Luis Hinojosa Casillas, father of Marlene Hinojosa, husband of Inés Caicedo, was also baptized along with his family but only became active for a few months, in which he was a counselor of the Presidential Branch. Gold, was the first Ecuadorian from the church in Equator to have a calling and be a branch presidency, he became a priest, he separated from the family, we know that in another time around 1980 he was attending the Church with another family that he formed , but also for a short time, he has already passed away.
Elder Gold (Church Jesus Christ Quito)
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) Until now, Elder Gold is known to have enlisted in the United States Armed Forces after his mission, and left for the Vietnam War, where he died.
El Élder Robison (Church Jesus Christ Quito )
Elder Robinson lives in the United States, he was President of a Stake in Lansing Michigan, he was also President of a Mission in Spain, he returned to Equator on October 2, 2015, the Martínez Hinojosa Family sought him throughout the United States to bring him and that participate in the celebration of the 50 years of the Church in Equator, they found it and brought it.
The Martínez Hinojosa Family distributed this flyer on social networks throughout the United States in order to find Brother Robison
The Trujillo Family (Church Jesus Christ Quito)
Especially and because they were always active, Sister Inés always named the Trujillo Family, El Gerardo Trujillo, our eternal patriarch, at one time the most famous member of Ecuador, the family has been decisive for the church in Ecuador because when they always arrived The chapel was full that at the beginning we needed it, they have given a lot, until now more than half of the family, which is numerous, has done the mission, two descendants married members who would become seventy, an unusual case of Pablo Trijillo , he at one time had three children at the same time in the mission, Brother and Sister Trujillo died, but his descendants are active throughout Equator and in the United States, Canada, Australia, etc.
The other pioneers he always remembered
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) Many members passed at the beginning, most were inactive, but Sister Inés Caicedo always remembered the following: Brother Patriarch Manuel Chávez and his wife died, some of their descendants are active in Quito and New York.
For Brother Espín, some of his descendants are active and scattered throughout Quito.
Elder Robert Wells and his family also belonged to the Quito Branch, in 1966 he was President of the Quito Branch of the First National City Bank, he was one of the first Presidents of the Branch, then he was President of the Monterrey Mexico Mission among the many callings he had, there was a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, he died.
Brother Cacuango, who became the first president of the Ecuadorian Mission, and brother. Mario Ortíz, among others.
The Pioneer of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ecuador
(Church Jesus Christ Quito) In 1970, the church considered Sister María Inés Caicedo Escobar as the pioneer of the church in Equator, and they made her break the ground in the first chapel that was going to be built, which was the Colón chapel.
Descendants of the Pioneer
Marlene Hionojosa who is also a pioneer because she came to church at age 4 along with her mother, grandchildren David Martínez and Christian Martínez
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