La Playa

We are back in Cuenca, after a whirlwind tour of some of the coast. We have adopted a sister in Cuenca, Terry, that is from California and she came with us.We arrived in Manta in time for the meeting Tuesday. It is an English group there, so the second half of the meeting we join the rest of the Spanish congregation. Manta is the 5th largest city in Ecuador. It is a port city that looks and smells like a port city in a third world country. It has some decent beaches and some good little restaurants with an abundance of great fish dinners. The weather there is hot and steamy, similar to our Kentucky summers. We met a family that has been there since November. Terry met them in California. They are from Lake Tahoe. Jason and Deborah, their two daughters Ashley and Mikala along with Jason's Parents came with the intention of staying for at least a year. Right after they arrived, Jason's father got very ill with Pneumonia, which went into septic shock. By this time they had admitted him into a clinic. He was in need of lots of medicine and strong antibiotics. In Ecuador the clinic/hospital doesn't always supply the medicine you need, they just tell you what to get. One medicine they were told to find within 3 hours or his father would die. Calls went out to the brothers and the branch. Within 3 hours the medicine was delivered to the hospital. Another medicine they were told to find 10 vials of. Somehow they were able to do this, just in time to hear the doctors say he would need even more. This happened several times, each time they increased the number of vials and days the brother would need to take this particular antibiotic. I think the last figure the were told to find was around 90. This was after it seemed they had exhausted all of Ecuador of it's supply. Soon afterward a brother came in with a box of 70 vials, then another brother showed up with 20 vials. This brother spent two months in the clinic and even suffered stroke like effects. I am happy to tell you though he is recovering at his home in Manta now, working with a physical therapist. He even made it to his first Sunday meeting last weekend since the whole ordeal. Jason told us many more incredible details about his father's illness and how Jehovah really supported his family. He said the ordeal even served to bring the brothers closer together as everyone had to help out. It also made an impression with the local medical community, further glorifying Jehovah's name. I wouldn't be surprised if you read about his experience in the yearbook one day.
We were able to work in service with the friends there too. In fact, the first morning I worked with Ashley, Jason's 15 year old daughter. Before lunch she started a bible study (her third one). The lady read all 6 questions on the truth tract and said, "Yes, I would like to know the answers." We found here at work, so we said we could come to her house. She said, " Yes, Saturday at 3 would be good." Then she gave us her phone number and showed us her house on the map. Yes, Ashley told me she was there waiting at 3, with her bible and tract in hand and they had a very good study! That was only one of the several studies that were started the two days we worked in service in Manta. Then it was time to head for the surf. We went a little further north to Canoa. We stayed in a great little hostal, put our toes in the sand and slathered on the sunscreen (some of us more efficiently than others). Cleo had her first surf lesson and did really well.  So after a few days of beach, coconut smoothies, and saltwater we were ready to head back to Cuenca.