Retrospective from Travis

"It was amazing how the first couple of days were blazing hot but the rest of the week was mild and breezy with clouds to protect us from the sun. It was almost as if God was showing us the normal environmental circumstances these Ecuadorians deal with regularly for the first couple days but then cooled it off to allow us to get all the work done that we came to do (while keeping joyful spirits to show His love to our new family). 

Along the same line, my sickness was also a show of God's ability to still work through us to go beyond our goal even when Steve, Claudio, and myself were gone from the worksite for almost 6 hours in total and I was out of commission for almost 2 days. But, by God's grace, I fully recovered and we accomplished a great deal of physical labor and formed some amazing relationships during our short stay." - Travis Crane

Link to Photos

You can find some photos that we uploaded by following this link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/105550590298337166557/6313222457330544433?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMPV47q7t97GrwE&feat=directlink 

Day 8 - Friday

By mosquito binge time on Thursday (about 6 pm), the team had started the final 4 latrines for this visit. Claudio had set a stretch goal of 15 for the week and he was ecstatic to be exceeding the goal! These last 4 were about 1/4 mile east of our base station. Sand & gravel had been delivered in bags by a truck, but the rest were walked back and forth so these had some built-in time delays. Even at that, we were finished by lunchtime with time to eat our final meal in our kitchen, debrief the week, shower and make some farewell visits.

Erik and his sisters Marilyn and Karina had returned from their responsibilities and sat with us after lunch. Pablo asked the team to share their highlights or memorable aspects of our time on the coast. After the team shared their thoughts with Pablo translating for our hosts, we asked them to share from their perspective.

We were blown away by what they had to say. To begin with, each one of them struggled to get through what they had to say without completely breaking down. Through tears, Marilyn told us how much physical need they had after the earthquake, then Christians started showing up and helping them with those physical needs. What surprised her though, is that they had even greater spiritual needs that they didn't even know about that these people began to minister to. She then told about how our team was so friendly and set such a good example of obedience and love for God and had impacted her and the rest of the family through our relationships. She recognized that she might never see any of us again, and she was finding that very difficult to think about that. Her brother Erik also spoke of strong attachment to our team and of a void that he would feel in our absence. Their mother spoke of shock and depression after the earthquake, and how the smiles of Christians were what encouraged her and caused her to start turning to God for encouragement.

Later, Claudio told me how much he has seen this family change in the 3 months that he has been going there. At first they had statues of saints all over the place, and several relics associated with various local superstitions. Those things are all gone now, and they are sending the children to Sunday school, and Alfonso and several others went with us to the mid-week service. He does not believe that they are believers yet, but he feels they are very close.

Day 7 – Thursday

The team continues to press on, but we are really feeling the exhaustion too. Work has been a little slow today for some because we are waiting for concrete to set up. We are also working in three groups, which makes tools in short supply for some of the teams.

The weather has been repeatable with some variation. We have been thankful that the skies have been overcast every morning, even looking like it might rain. By noon the clouds start breaking up, usually becoming mostly sunny in the afternoon. The air temperature is not very high, 70’s & 80’s, but the sun is very intense when it is out. Our cloud cover has stayed longer today than previous days, we are thankful!

Day 6 – Wednesday

Claudio, Travis and Steve took a bus into Bahia Caraques for his check-up. His platelet count was up, and since he has not broken out in a rash they have dismissed the Dengue diagnosis. Instead they are calling it a viral infection, probably from the plane ride down. He is taking pills to control fever, and is now taking an antihistamine to slow his sinus drainage. He is enjoying working with the rest of the team today.

Relationships with the village people are clearly warming as we become better known and trusted. People who had not yet met the prerequisite of digging their septic hole have gotten busy when they have seen their neighbor’s latrines finished and they simultaneously find that the prerequisites are really that. We were also planning to go to a mid-week service in Salinas, the next village to the east, so we knocked off early to shower and have supper.

A group of us were taken in the back of a small pickup truck a bit over 2 miles to an evangelical church in Salinas for a service that started a little after 7:30 pm. Our group was warmly greeted by individuals before the service, and acknowledged with thanks to our churches for sending financial support and physical labor. Claudio and Pablo both spoke briefly, and Pablo showed a Bible overview film from Mars Hill that presented the gospel. There is also significant earthquake damage in that village, including the church building.

The church building has also been damaged by the earthquake and has been designated as an unsafe building 

Day 5 – Tuesday

Travis was feeling better today, but he has some strong cold symptoms. He still wants to be out with the team, so we asked him to take Steve’s camera and become the team photographer. We will be taking him back to the hospital tomorrow for a follow-up exam. They will be testing his platelet levels again to monitor for improvement.

Today we finished 4 latrines today, made progress on the 3 and started one new one. Most of the morning was cloud covered for which we were very thankful. The humidity level was higher while it was cloudy, then the sun came out in the afternoon. The air is not so terribly warm, but the sun is intensely hot.

Our breakfast this morning included Corbiche, which is a bread made from green cooking plantains stuffed with Corbina fish and baked in a wood fired Dutch oven served with scrambled eggs. For lunch we had homemade shrimp ceviche with rice. For supper we had potatoes, corn, rice and breaded fish. We also have fresh homemade juices with every meal. As long as you don’t mind rice and lots of citrus, we are eating very well. 

Day 4 – Monday

We restarted our work on latrines today. We formed 3 groups, one of which did not have a full translator that worked with Claudio, our fearless leader. Mid-morning Travis was feeling poorly and went back to the bunk house to rest. He had been working with Chuck & Steve, and they stopped in to check on him. He was trying to sleep, but shivering violently under a light cover. He had been feeling a little off for more than 24 hours so we gave him some Cypro antibiotic to see if that would help. He was still not doing very well at lunch, so Claudio Pablo and Steve agreed that he should be examined by a doctor at the ER. We made arrangements to be driven into town by the same truck that move Edie and his family.

The hospital in Bahia de Caraques was damaged by the earthquake, and they have set up to treat people in a different part of town in tents and trailers. The doctor ordered lab tests that were done on site. From them we learned that his platelets are low, and that is an early indicator of Dengue fever. They gave him some medication for his fever electrolytes to keep him hydrated. Within a half hour he was feeling substantially better with his fever abated.

We finished one latrine and have seven more in process, five of which had the concrete poured. Claudio was very pleased with the progress and the quality of the work.

Oswaldo and Jenny, friends of the Perez from their church in Quito joined us this afternoon. Jenny is helping with the cooking, and Oswaldo has joined the work team. Our food has been excellent, and it even stepped up another notch with Jenny in the kitchen. 

Day 3 – Sunday, July 24

Our first night here was pretty interesting. While it cooled off nicely in the evening, a small room with 7 men in it doesn’t cool off as quickly. We also sleep under mosquito netting which holds in the heat too. There was a party nearby with very loud music that lasted until sometime after 3 am. We got some sleep, but were thankful that Sunday has been a relatively light day.

We had a devotional and breakfast to start the day.  Erik and his wife Narcisa moved out of the house on the property where the team is and move into the one that we worked on yesterday. We helped them load a couple of truck loads out of the house that the team is now occupying. Tonight, the team will be splitting up between the house we were all in last night, and the one that they just vacated.

About mid-morning we loaded up in a public bus and made our way to the beach town of Canoa at ground zero of the earthquake. Yesterday was sunny and pretty warm, but today was overcast and considerably cooler. Some of the guys went swimming in the Pacific, but it was drizzling, windy and pretty cool. After the rain had let up we walked through the town to photograph some of the earthquake damage, which is quite extensive.

The team has been over at Erik new place getting electricity wired up. We eat dinner after dark (sun set around 6 pm). There is a separate large room on the property that serves as a kitchen and dining room where we eat. The ladies of the family where we are staying do our cooking over four burner propane cook stove. 

Day 2 – Saturday

Our 7, Pablo and Claudio (a co-worker that coordinates relief work) were up at 4 am and flew a domestic flight from Quito to Manta on the coast. From Manta we were driven 2-1/2 hours to Simon Bolivar where we are working at putting in latrines where another team will be building replacement homes. We stay at a home that was rebuilt as a temporary structure after the earthquake. People who lost their homes are living in temporary structures. At first they move into a home of fiberglass cloth and dirt floors. The next team will replace these with houses on a cement slab with traditional bamboo sheet walls. The people here are still reluctant to live in concrete and brick homes like the ones they lost.

We arrived in the village a little after noon and started work on a latrine for the family that owns the property where we are staying. Eddie and his wife have been living in the house that is going to be rented to the team that comes in August. We finished the latrine that was about half done and helped them cut a door in the fiberglass tarp that forms the walls. 

Day 1 – Friday, July 22

7 men from the Bethany Fellowship of Churches left for Ecuador to join an earthquake relief effort the Pablo and Judi Perez are engaged in. The Ecuadorian mission agency AMEE that the Perez belong to is working with Operation Mobilization Ecuador to help poor people on the Pacific coast that were displaced by the April 16 earthquake and its aftershocks.

The team was driven to Chicago and then flew to Quito Ecuador by way of Miami. We arrived at the Perez home about 10:30 pm. By the time packages were delivered, we had eaten a bit, and sleeping arrangements were made it was well past midnight. 

Back in Manta!

Good evening patient followers! We are back in Manta and have internet. I have been writing throughout the week and will try to post the text next. I will not post any pictures tonight, but I hope to tomorrow. We have a ton of pictures to share.

Steve for the Ecuador team

Arrived - No Problems

It is half past midnight and the team is settling down at Pablo & Judi's.

Breakfast is a 4 am and then we fly down to the coast. Not sure if we will be able to post until next Saturday.

Pray for us!!!

Thanks,
Steve for the team.

Welcome to the 2016 Bethany Ecuador Team Blog!!!

We Are Called To Go

We believe that God has called us to this ministry of compassionate relief to those in hardship from the earthquake on April 16 and all the aftershocks since then. Our service to them will pave the way to share the gospel of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit opens doors while we serve, and though our full-time partners Pablo & Judi Perez that will continue to minister down there. 

This is The Team

There are 7 men that make up this team. From Bethany Baptist we have: Jeff Borden, Travis Crane, Justin Davis, Rodney Harms, Steve Hornbrook and Dale Lewis and from Bethany Community we have Chuck Boysen. We hope to post a picture later in case you know faces but are missing the names. 

You Can Partner With Us!

You can be part of our team too! We need partners that will pray for us, our work and the people we will minister to. Our prayer partners are critical to the success of our team. We also need financial partners. The men that are giving 11 days of their time to do this work were not planning on going to Ecuador until they heard about the opportunity around July 6. The cost of the trip is expected to be around $1,500 per person for travel, room and board; and we would be delighted to have you be part of the team by sharing in this cost. 

How to Respond

If you feel led join our team, you can let us know that you will be praying for us by leaving a comment below. If you would like to support financially, you can send a check made out to 

     Bethany Baptist Church

     7422 N. Heinz Lane

     Edwards, IL 61528

with Ecuador 2016 in the memo. The church will send you a receipt for tax deduction, and someone on the team will respond to you with a personal thank you. You will not receive any additional communication from the church unless you specifically ask for it.

Team Updates

You can check this site for updates from the team. Internet and phone connections will be very limited where the team will serve, so it is likely that updates will come before and after the team is down on the coast doing the work. We will update whenever it is possible.