Dearest friends and family,
** Warning – this is a letter about food **
I have two Quito friends named Marcos. It is different for
me because we don’t have many “friends” that we aren´t teaching or that aren’t
members of the Church. With that, we do talk to both Marcos about religion and
about their beliefs, but they really aren’t interested in what we preach and
that is totally fine. The reason we end up continuing to talk with them is
because they are the owners of the two stores where we frequently buy certain
life sustaining items here: 1. Argentinian Choripan and 2. Chocolate bread.
The first Marcos works at a little food cart in front of
Panadería Argentina on the street La Prensa by the bus station La “Y”. (It’s a
newer store and may not be on Google maps.) We have to pass through La “Y”
nearly everyday traveling to and from the offices and the Argentinian bread
store is also a popular place to get food for the meetings with other
missionaries. Walking up, Marcos usually sees us from afar and begins to slowly
pound his chest with his fist in a very “bro”-like way. I asked him why he does
this and he replied that it’s because we’re all family. I loved that comment
despite not understanding 100% what he meant. We have started chest pounding
back. In the cart, Marcos sells various food items like salchipapas,
papas-fritas, and papas con chorizo. I don’t waste any time looking at the menu
when ordering because I know what I want without a doubt: a choripan. (A
choripan is a sandwich of chorizo that is deep fried with Argentinian Chimichurri
and mayonnaise.) It costs $1.75 and is decently filling. We eat it for
breakfast quite often. I have tried to ask Marcos to teach us how he makes his
Chimmichurri so good, but he refuses in fear that we are going to start our own
business and steal his customers (his joke). He kind of knows what San Diego
is, and talks flatteringly about California. (Parents, I have invited him to
visit our house but I’m positive he’ll never make it.) He calls me vos and uses
different slang. To him, the Illuminati is a real threat and Jesus was an alien,
but those conversations get out of control really fast so we try to avoid
talking about it. I bring all of this up because I want to say that people are
truly awesome! Marcos has a wife and a daughter (we have never met them) and
that is what is awesome to me – that he makes his life and provides for his
family selling fast food near the bus station in Quito while making small talk
to whatever stranger comes up to his cart simply because “we are all family.”
He has a beard. He goes to work with t-shirts and a mate. He spends time
sitting in the sun when no one is ordering food and he seems perfectly happy. I
said in the beginning that he is a friend, and I really mean it. He is the type
of likeable person that leaves everyone thinking that he is a really awesome guy.
My description may have him seeming a little crazy, but he isn’t! We always end
up laughing about something, and I always walk away hoping just a little bit
more each time that he will actually come visit me someday so that you all can
meet him.
Marcos number two is the rightfully proud owner of the
famous store (famous at least among missionaries), Pan Especial, on the street
Los Pinos right by our house. He makes croissants, sweet bread, donuts, cakes, and
many things being a baker. Our favorite is the chocolate bread. Whenever I walk
in, he greets us, or shouts from the back of the store “Tio!” to me because,
again, we are all family. I say it back to him. Small salt breads to make
sandwiches cost $0.15, but he gives us 7 for 1$ since a dollar can’t be divided
evenly by 15 cents. Last P-day after soccer, we wanted 8 breads to make food
for 4 people and the girl who was ringing us up at the counter wanted to charge
us $1.20. I jokingly made a big deal out of “the robbery” and the tio came out from
the back to come see what was happening. I loved it when he defended us saying:
“My job isn’t about the money. It isn’t even about the breads. It’s about the
people, the clientele, Hermano Erick.” I had the same feeling once again:
people are awesome. The tio uses a little bit of foul language and likely isn’t
the perfect man/father (but then again who is?) but he is hilarious, and even
though he was joking that day, I could feel the sincerity in his voice. He
notices when a few days pass without us coming in. He makes the best quality
bread he can because he feels a responsibility to his fellow man…5 cents don’t
matter to him because he knows that what really matters is that we are all
family, and that everyone deserves more chances to choose to be happy.
I humbly submit that we can learn a lot from these men. We
really should try to be happier. Always. Jokes and laughter are simply good.
There is value in doing our best and striving to provide something valuable to
society. There are many professions that can put food on the table. Personal
connections with strangers can turn into amazing friendships. We all really are
family. Have an excellent week.
Lots of love,
Elder Ericksen
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