Joe and Tracy in Ecuador

Dressing Up

2012-01-16T07:30:00.000-06:00

Once again this year our children got together to dress up for that very controversial American holiday that shall not be named. They went to each other's houses and one family even gave out "good American candy." Isabella was a vetrinarian.

Isabella as a vetrinarian.

Sebastiao as a serious chef

First Months of School

2012-01-09T07:30:00.000-06:00

This was my sweet class on the first day of school. I started off with 6 students and now have 7 and hopefully will have 8 for the second semester. Aren't they cute!

We all dressed as secret agents to discover more about each other.

This is our class photo taken a few weeks ago. We are standing outside of the Nate Saint House.

Just One of the Guys

2012-01-05T07:30:00.000-06:00

One of the great things about serving in Shell is being surrounded by a great group of believers that share in your hardships and joys. Recently a few of us got together to take a picture highlighting the joy that is to be hairless and have a goat-tee. On my left are Matt Kappen, Mike Tacheny, and Dan Benedick. Mike and Dan naturally were blessed with smooth scalps as I am so Matt decided that he would have to shave his head so he wouldn't be left out - 'reverse peer pressure'. He also grew a goat-tee. You can only imagine what a supportive wife Matt has to allow him to do this. His young daughter Lily wasn't too happy, though. Sadly, Matt's conversion "didn't take" and he's back to having to use hair gel.

Here, I'm sitting next to Mattias Egberth (one of our surgeons who is from Sweden), Dan and Matt. Since this picture was taken, Dan has moved back to the US and will be teaching residents in the Pacific Northwest. He will be sorely missed (more on that later). Please pray for our plucky group, as well as Dan, as he and his family start a new chapter in their lives.

Just a Few Months Late

2012-01-04T07:30:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know.... school started over 3 months ago, but as most of you know, i haven't blogged much lately. Joe has taken over since I went back to work full time. I am teaching 1st and 2nd grade in the morning and then 5th through 7th grade sciences in the afternoon. Here are a few pictures from our first day of school way back in August. Thanks to my big sister who asked me to write a little more often... love you Lori!

Getting Ready for the First Day!

Mom needs a little, Ok a LOT of caffeine
to start the day.

Rey y Reina de Navidad

2011-12-28T07:30:00.000-06:00

I (Tracy) was fortunate enough the week before Christmas to be asked to judge the Concurso del Rey y Reina de Navidad por HVO (the contest to choose the King and Queen of Christmas for the hospital). It was so much fun. Just a warning there will be a lot of pictures, partly because of how much fun we had but also because words just couldn't explain what went on. When I was asked to judge they didn't tell me I would have to stand up in front of everyone and speak. I don't enjoy speaking into a microphone in English, but in Spanish is even worse.... I'm glad Joe didn't get a picture of me up there..... horrifying!

First there was some sort of balloon game that I just didn't understand, but everyone enjoyed it!

Then the King and Queen from last year spoke.

Each department in the hospital could nominate a king or queen. Marisol was the nurses' (Enfermeria) nominee and she was led by her "capitan" Isabel and a entire army of supporters.

The contestants were judged partially on how large and loud theircheering sections were.... and they were all very loud and creativewith what they used to make noise.

Laurita was the lab's nominee and I think she had the best costume of them all, although I am a little partial. Her entire ensemble was lab material.

Marisol again, this time in her "shining" best. They actually plugged her in when she gave her speech.

Monica was the nominee for accounting. She was robed in money and returned checks (that was the best part).

Fernando was the King nominee from accounting. He is our IT guy so he had some computer cables to go along with the money.

Rodrigo was the maintenance department's nominee and he entered to music and fanfare.... more of terminator-type king.

Joe had the honor of crowning the Queen, Marisol!

and finally the king and queen took their walk together.

It was a wonderful experience and I am so grateful I was asked to be one of the judges.

Merry Christmas From Our Family to Yours

2011-12-25T22:59:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Program

2011-12-21T07:30:00.000-06:00

For the school Christmas program each class had their own time to perform. Isabella's class did a reading from the scriptures which I am trying to edit down so it is small enough to load up. Sebastiao's class wrote essays about what Christmas meant to them. This video is him reading his wonderful essay.

Christmas Decorating

2011-12-19T08:55:00.007-06:00

Again this year, the students at the mission school made ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree at the hospital. They worked for several weeks to get enough made. We all had a great time watching them decorate the tree
(and then going back to spread out the inevitable bunching of 20 ornaments on one limb).

A Newsletter- Yes, Finally Another One

2011-12-13T15:57:00.007-06:00

If you would like to receive our newsletters by email, please write us (jmartin@hcjb.org) and we will get you your very own copy ASAP.

Sebastiao's Turn

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here is our handsome son! I hope you enjoy these photos!

Beautiful Bella

2011-12-11T15:29:00.004-06:00

Our wonderful friends, Chad and Andi Irwin took school pictures again this year. Check out these amazing photos of Isabella. Don't worry, Sebastiao will have his turn tomorrow.

Masaramu trip, Part 3

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

As I'd mentioned before, we'd all gone to bed pretty early and slept through a night that was pretty warm. We slept in small tents in the education building. It is open to the air so there's usually a small breeze or at least cooler that if we'd slept in a completely enclosed building. We were up early and had left over vagre with some rice and plantain bananas. I'd brought some small packets of Starbuck's instant coffee (a lifesaver and much better than the old Nescafe) and shared that with Jonathon. I left a few packets with the tribal leader Galo. It'd be interesting to see if he liked it.

After breakfast we got started and were blessed to see to teachers from Jandiayacu bring their students. They, for the most part, were well behaved and seemed to enjoy the interaction. After we'd finished the lessons. They brought the children over to me for an exam. They all got antiparasite medicine and a few had colds. Because I was not traveling with a medical team, I was limited in what I could bring. I quickly ran out of prenatal vitamins and iron but did have enough antibiotics and antiparasite medicine for everyone. An elderly couple came to see me and I gave them a bottle of tylenol (it works wonders here in Ecuador). All were appreciative and hopefully we can send a larger team in the future.

The lesson that I gave this morning was from the book of John - the feeding of the 5 thousand and Jesus walking on water. The keys to the lesson were that the Lord is lord of all - heaven and earth and also that the Lord will meet all of our needs. It was a great example of the faith that Jesus wants us to display. Several times throughout the lesson we got to remind them what Jesus had done in the past to continually show how He is God as well as Son. Wilson again did a great job of translating and I saw several heads go up and down. All of the adults and many of the teenagers that were listening seemed to be paying attention. Culturally, they don't ask a lot of questions so we all prayed that the Holy Spirit would continue to work in their hearts as the lessons progressed. Wilson gave the last lesson and we soon headed off for lunch. We then packed up and said our goodbyes.

We made it back to Shell shortly thereafter with a feeling of satisfaction and a little bit curious as to how it was all going to play out. There are only a few lessons left and Chad is going to be taking another team to their communities in a few weeks. I hope to share some news of the conclusion of the study in a few months. Yntil then, please pray that the Holy Spirit continue to work in their hearts and that many of them may accept the call to be disciples within their community and that the harvest may be plentiful. Please also pray for the safety of the teams as they fly in and out of the communities.

Missions conference in Louisville

2011-11-21T08:26:00.007-06:00

Well, before I finished telling you about my trip to Masaramu, I wanted to share how a recent trip to Louisville Kentucky went. I promise that I'll finish sharing about Masaramu soon. I've been in Louisville Kentucky for the last week attending a medical missions conference. One of our mission's leaders had asked me in August if I'd be willing to travel to Louisville to represent HCJB Global at the Global Missions Health Conference (GMHC). I'd never been before and I knew that it would be a great way for those interested in medical missions to know more about HCJB Global and our ministries worldwide. I could also talk about Shell and our specific needs. As a plus, it would give me an opportunity to visit Target one more time and do some Christmas shopping :-D. Needless to say, it was not a difficult decision. Unfortunately, Tracy was not going to be able to go with me. She's teaching at the Nate Saint Memorial School and couldn't get away. Fortunately, I was only gone for 1 week and my brother, Pat, flew out to spend some time with me.

The GMHC is a conference where those interested in medical missions (whether nurses, dentists, physicians or other discipline) can come together and visit with representatives from around 150 different organizations that have a heart for the gospel and health care. It all takes place at the Southeastern Christian Church in Louisville. Many of the registrants are students but I met many who are well into their careers but wanted to take part in short term projects around the world. I spent most of my time at the HCJB Global booth but did have an opportunity to listen to some of the lectures as well. There were breakout sessions held throughout the day on many different topics. I attended one on tuberculosis, one on malnutrition, and also one on our calling as missionaries. I had a great time.

One of the main reasons that I was there was to "recruit" staff for the hospital. We are in dire need of more missionaries, physicians especially, and I got to meet several that were very interested in learning more about Shell and coming down. One, a pediatrician named Judy, will be finishing her training in June and would be a great addition to the staff here. There was another couple that came by my table while I was away and has already been in contact with some of the other staff here about coming down. As promising as the interactions were, I know that it ultimately is the Lord's work. Please pray that their decisions may involve Shell.

While in Louisville, I got to see a few of the missionaries who have worked in Shell in the past. This picture shows Kim Kirk and Jerry Koleski. Kim is a nurse that was with us for the last year and actually 'house sat' for us while we were in the States. She's returned to Michigan but hopefully will be back down in the future. Jerry is a family physician that currently is in Malawi with HCJB and served with his family in Shell for 5 years before we arrived. I met him in 2007 when we werer in Shell to work with and visit the Hardin's. He and his family will remain in Malawi until next summer, when they'll return to the States.

Lastly, I wanted to share what a blessing it was to have my brother, Patrick, come and spend a few days with me. He and his wife are expecting their second child and I know that it was difficult, he not being with his family. I'd like to say that we did a lot of cool stuff like visit the Lousville Slugger museum or Churchill Downs or Kentucky Derby Museum, but we just saw a movie, did some shopping and ate some good food (Chuy's Mexican was my favorite). Soon, our time was up and it was time to head back to Shell. I'd been homesick for Tracy and the kids and was ready to be home. The trip back was fairly uneventful except for the image of part of the fuselage taken off so mechanics could fix a faulty light. I prayed that he didn't have any remaining screws after putting everything back together! We left the gate a few hours late and I got into Quito well after midnight. I was tired but had a great time. Please pray that it was fruitful. For those interested in finding out more about the GMHC or medical missions, visit their website - www.medicalmissions.com.
In Christ
Joe

Masaramu, Part 2

2011-11-08T07:00:00.005-06:00

After lunch, Galo (the tribal leader) gathered the community together so that we could start. The plan was for the 4 of us to give the 5 lessons that afternoon and the next morning and have a short "clinic" afterwards, time permitting. The lessons were from the early chapters of Mark and John, and Wilson translated everything into Quichua the entire time. My lessons were about Jesus healing the paralytic, his encounter with the leper and about feeding the 5000. It was neat to see how attentive they all were to the stories and lessons. A gift that Wilson had was in translating what the Word was teaching in a way that they could relate to. I think that he did a great job. It was interesting to think that we were talking to them about a group of simple fishermen and carpenters that couldn't have been much different from themselves.

As the afternoon wore on, another group from the neighboring Sapara community, Jandiayacu, came and joined us. Jandiayacu is a 45 minute walk and several adults and children made the trek. At this point we probably had about 30 women and children listening to the lessons. They had known Wilson and seemed to be excited about sitting in on the lessons. In between the lessons, I was approached several times to see if I could listen to a child's chest or see someone's knee. One boy was brought in with a non-healing ulcer on his lower leg. It wasn't painful but he'd had it for over 2 months. It looked like a classic case of cutaneous leishmaniasis to me, which is a parasitic infection that also has other forms but requires a series of injections given daily for 20 days in order to cure it. We vowed to let the airport doctor know to arrange a flight out for him so he could come out and get treatment.

After the lessons, we were invited to Galo's house for dinner and got to have more tasty vagre (catfish) and tuna with rice (we'd brought them the rice and tuna). No grubs this time. During the mealtime, I was able to find out more about Wilson and his journey. He's Ecuadorian and went to seminary in Argentina and served in Bolivia for a number of years. He also worked for HCJB in the past and helped build many of the homes that we live in. Listening to how God took him to Bolivia and the difficulties that he faced was very humbling.

After dinner, it was time to bathe and hit the sack. It gets dark here around 6 pm and there is obviously no electricity so we were all in our tents buy 8 o'clock and sound asleep in no time. The times that I've been in the jungle it usually gets chilly at night but it actually stayed pretty warm. The night was uneventful and the sky full of stars.

Masaramu trip, part 1

2011-11-02T10:10:00.021-05:00

As I had mentioned in my previous post, I had the opportunity to accompany Chad and Wilson on their journey to a Sapara (I'd misspelled it before) community. I'd indicated on a map where I thought the village was located but was way off base. It was about half ways from Shell to the Peruvian border - about a 30 minute flight from Shell. Along with us came a seminary student from Guayaquil named Jonathon. It was his first time into the jungle and he was very excited.

The main purpose of the trip was to continue teaching from a Bible study series published by New Tribes Mission called Fundaciones Firmes (Firm Foundations). It's a series of about 50 lessons that's designed to take an unbeliever through the Bible and then at the end challenge them to act on the information they'd received. Chad and Wilson had been in the community before but it was my first time. Wilson, one of the pastors, at our church came along as a translator as well as one of the teachers. The community was Masaramu and the majority of the community spoke mostly Quichua as their native language is almost extinct.

After our arrival, we unloaded our gear into the schoolhouse. This is where we'd sleep and also give the lessons. Normally when I go to a jungle community, I'm part of a team and accompanied by a medical resident and boxes of medicines. Even though the purpose of this trip was non medical, I'd wanted to bring along a box with some medical supplies as I'd figured that there would be a need for a doctor. I was not disappointed.

Shortly after we'd unloaded, Chad had noticed that there was a small group surrounding a boy, all looking at his foot. It turned out that he had been fishing with his father in the river and had accidentally goen speared between his toes. Fortunately the wound was pretty superficial but at risk for infection as it had occurred the day before. I was able to clean it up, bandage it properly and give his mother some antibiotics and some good ol' advil for pain. We later found out that he was the son of the community's leader - Galo.

Right before lunch, we were 'treated' to some large grubs that they'd found in a large fallen tree nearby. I'd had grubs before and didn't have fond memories from the experience. They steamed them in a large leaf with some 'hearts of palm' and they were very liquidy. This time, they were roasted on skewers and were actually quite tasty - they were very greasy inside and salty. It turns out that they often use the greasy inside as a paste to put on people's chest when they had bronchitis or pneumonia. I'll stick with Robitussin, thank you.

Lunch was smoked vagre or catfish and this was quite tasty. We also had the standard boiled yucca and plantains, washed down with a little water.

Below are some pictures of the community. All of these beautiful pictures are courtesy of Chad Irwin.

Journey to the Zaparos

2011-10-13T08:15:00.003-05:00

Today, I've gotten the opportunity to fly out with 2 other missionaries to a Zaparo community close to the Peruvian border (I've outlined where I think that it's located as best as I could). I'll be there until tomorrow afternoon giving a couple of bible lessons from John and Mark of the New Testament. The program is one that was designed by New Tribes Mission to present God's message in 52 lessons and let the community form a decision about their salvation and their place in God's kingdom. The community has been part of this study for some time now and we're getting close to the end. It'll be my first opportunity to take part in this study and I'm very excited.

I'll also be bringing in some medications in case someone needs medical attention. Please pray for a safe flight and a productive time there. Please pray for Chad and Wilson, the other two that I will accompany. Please pray for the study time and that I not 'get in the way' of His message. Please also pray for my family while I'm gone. The weather is perfect today so there shouldn't be any delays and I look forward to sharing my experiences.
Joe

Pale hands and feet

2011-09-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

As you might imagine, South America is home to many parasites. Hookworm infections used to be very common in the Southeastern part of the US years ago but not so much these days. Living in the jungle, however, you come across them in unusual ways. In August, this little guy was admitted to the hospital with weakness and pallor. You can see how pale he was from the palms of his hands. He was found to have a hemoglobin of only 2! (it's a measure of a body's red blood cells and normally between 10 and 13 at this age). If this blood loss had happened acutely, he'd have gone into shock and died.

The cause of his anemia was quickly discovered to be related to a hookworm infection. Typically the larvae from contaminated soil burrows into the feet of a person and travels through the blood stream to the lungs where they migrate to the throat area and are swallowed. They then travel to the small intestine and set up shop - attaching themselves to the walls of the bowel and feeding off of the blood supply.

This infant was given a transfusion and proper parasite medicine and left doing much better. Education remains a big part of the treatment to help prevent reinfection.

Monday messages

2011-09-19T15:54:00.005-05:00

Every Monday we get to start our week with a devotional message from one of the staff, either one of the missionary doctors, our hospital chaplain or some other staff person. We've been back in Shell for a little over a month now and a recent message that one of our missionary surgeons gave really resonated with the staff. Eckehart and Klaudia Wolff have been missionaries in Ecuador for more than 25 years and both are important to our hospital. As you might imagine, they've been through many ups and downs and had alot of wisdom to impart. The message started out with a discussion about tithing and where we get the idea of giving a tenth of what we earn back to God, it really is His money anyways. From there he began discussing how the "church" in Ecuador has not been successful in sending out missionaries of their own. Through the past century there has been an over reliance on foreign support for missionaries in Ecuador. For whatever reason, the church has been eager to send out missionaries but when it's time for the "rubber to hit the road" few step up to support them. For me, it was eye opening to see this, but also rewarding to know how well supported Tracy and I have been from folks back home. As you think about this, please pray that the Lord would stir hearts here to better equip and support Ecuadorian missionaries.

Tribute to a Great Man of God

2011-07-26T21:22:00.003-05:00

We received the sad news today that Sr. Jesus Montero passed away last night after many months of bravely battling cancer. Jesus was the chaplain at our hospital in Shell for more years than we can imagine. He brought God's peace and comfort to so many in the hospital and Jesus will not only be missed in the hospital, but throughout the entire town of Shell. He was very fortunate to be with David and Beth, his son and daughter-in-law at the time of his passing. It is such a sweet thought that he went from David's arms straight into God's.

Our Morning with Parkview Christian Daycamp

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

We had the privileged of speaking to the kids at the Parkview Day Camp a few weeks ago. This lovely Day Camp raised money for our hospital last year. They were a wonderful audience and asked tons of wonderful questions and then surprised us with another more money they had raised for the hospital. We are very grateful for such wonderful children and their FEARLESS leader Julie Baldridge.

2011-07-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Can you name this baseball field?

Its famous.......
It is the middle of a major city......
It was the last stadium to add lights....
There has never been a World Series Game played here.........

This is Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill. We got a behind the scenes tour of Wrigley Field when we visited our friends, The Slinkman Family. Unfortunately the Cubs were out of town so we couldn't see a game, but we had a great day of touring and eating in downtown Chicago.

This is all of us in the Cubs dugout.

The Slinkman's gave us such a warm welcome, we could have stayed there forever!

The kids had a wonderful time playing with Joshua, Caitlin and Maddie (lou)!

Our Visit to Paris

2011-07-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here are Sebastiao and Isabella standing under the Eiffel Tower on our recent trip to Paris..... Paris Texas that is. Yes, we really have everything you need in Texas

Sebastiao read an article in magazine about the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Texas and asked if we could visit. We made a quick side trip on our way to Chicago and after a little searching we found it. If anyone from the Paris, Texas Visitor Bureau reads our blog, please, Please, PLEASE give us a little help finding this gem of Texas. Just a sign or two in town would be great. We drove around for a while and had to ask multiple people before finding it. Just a few signs.

Desks For NSMS

2011-07-12T12:35:00.004-05:00

Nate Saint Memorial School is in need of student desks for this semester. Due to where we live (termites, and other wood eating bugs) desks have a shorter life span. Last year the school was able to replace the desks in the 1st/2nd grade room and this year we were hoping to replace all of the desks in the 5th/6th grade room and then the 3rd/4th grade room next year. The school currently has enough money for 4 of the 5 desks we need for the 5th/6th grade room, but we would like to order the 5th desk and would love any help we could get. Each desk costs $80 and any we would be grateful for any help you can give. All gifts are tax deductible and the mailing address for incoming gifts is PO Box 39800, Colorado Springs, CO 80949-9800. Make sure and put the account number 373150 on all gifts. Thanks so much!

April Newsletter

2011-04-12T20:11:00.005-05:00

Below is our newest newsletter- quick highlights..... we are coming home for the summer!

3rd Grade

2011-04-11T17:31:00.002-05:00

Again this year, we were blessed to have school pictures taken by our wonderful friends Andi and Chad Irwin who are serving here in Shell with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). Above is our amazingly handsome son.
This is our entire school, first through eight grade and all of our teachers. Yes, I know there seem to be a LOT of teachers for only 23 students, but some of us only teach half a day. Now we just need to have Bella's pictures taken.

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-03-07T07:00:00.002-06:00

How amazingly we are blessed. For weeks now we have been praying for a car to drive while we are in the states. We were about to send out an email to everyone on our list asking if anyone had an "extra" vehicle we could use for at least part of the summer. Then last night we received a call making it all come together. My parents bought me a car for my 38th birthday! Yep, the amazing couple who are already so supportive, are providing us with transportation for the entire summer- Now, I'm sure it has more to do with the grandchildren than the child, but that's alright, I'll take it- (I'm just joking Mom!). So thank you, Mom and Dad!

In the last few weeks, we have been blessed with a house to use in the Waco area (thanks to Nancy Yarbro) and the Austin area (thanks to First Baptist Church Round Rock). Now, we just need to get things finished up here and get on the plane. While we love our life here and have no plans of leaving it, we are excited beyond words to get to go home for a few months.

Update on Rosa

2011-02-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

I had the pleasure of seeing Rosa a few weeks ago. We blogged about Rosa in July of 2009 and following are the links for those blog entries: http://joeandtracyinecuador.blogspot.com/2009/07/mordida-de-serpiente.html and http://joeandtracyinecuador.blogspot.com/2009/07/update-on-rosa.html.

As you may remember, Rosa is a girl from a Shuar community several hours from here. She was living in her jungle community when she was bitten by a poisonous snake on her leg. Her family had taken her to another hospital where she continued to get worse. After several days, she was brought to our hospital, Hospital Vozandes del Oriente, and we admitted her for a much-needed lower leg amputation. She slowly recovered and was later discharged. She was supposed to come for follow up visits but never returned. That was over a year ago. We all wondered what may have happened to her.

Our orthopedic surgeon happened to be in a nearby town when he recognized Rosa's father and asked him how Rosa was. Apparently, she was doing quite well and only a 10 minute drive from here. She was back in school but still using crutches to get around. On a rainy Sunday, Sebastiao and I drove out to see her and her family and snapped this picture. The other picture is the one I took just after being admitted. Since that day, Rosa, with the help of one of our surgeon's has been to Quito and now has a new leg. I haven't had a chance to see her but I understand that she's thrilled. The prosthetic leg and visits have been pretty costly so if anyone feels led to contribute any money that could go towards paying for treatment, please email us at jmartin@hcjb.org.ec.

Many of you had emailed me over the course of the last year wanting an update on Rosa. What a joy it is to be able to relate this story to you and show how faithful our God is!
Blessings
Joe and Tracy

Strange Things I Would Have Definetly Bet Against (If I were a Gambling Woman)

2011-02-05T22:30:00.003-06:00

Well, I have been a little less "blog-friendly" lately because I have a new job. After Thanksgiving our sweet friend, fellow missionary and the 5th and 6th grade teacher, Randy Umble had to leave Shell due to serious kidney problems. Several people filled in for a few days at at time, but I really felt that I should volunteer to substitute for a week (yeah, I know not a long term commitment, but its 5th and 6th graders- how scary is that!). God was definitely in the decision, because I absolutely loved it.
Unfortunalty, Randy had to return to the states for more treatments and a possible kidney transplant and so, long story short, I am now teaching 5th and 6th graders until we leave in May. I will also be teaching next year- no one is more surprised than I am, but teaching is one of the most creative things I have ever done. Research is still my passion, but that requires days at a time in the jungle and with the kids and school, that isn't realistic right now, so, I am very excited about my new venture.
Please pray for Randy and his family as they deal with being away from home and a possible organ transplant.

We Are Coming Home.... Well for a Visit at Least

2011-02-05T21:57:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the amazingly long break since the last post. I will post later as to all the changes in our lives and work, but we just wanted to let everyone know we have been approved to come home for Home Missionary Assignment (furlough). We will be leaving Ecuador in early May for about 3 months! YEAH! It will have been 2 WHOLE years since the kids and I have been in the land of, "Good and Plenty," and we are excited. Joe has had a few trips to the states for training on the hospital's new ultrasound machine, but without the family, how much fun could that have been...... we like to think none. So, if there is anything from Ecuador you would like, now is the time to put in your requests.
Please pray that the Lord will provide a home for us during our time in the states as well as a car. We have a few leads, but would really appreciate a place of our own to relax and enjoy some family time after visiting with friends and family.

Nate Saint Memorial School Needs You (If your a teacher...)

2011-01-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

TEACHERS NEEDED!
Nate Saint Memorial School, a small K-8 school for missionaries’ children in Shell, Ecuador, needs teachers for the 2011-2012 school year. We usually have a staff of five teachers and average 25-35 students. Each teacher is responsible for all course work for two grades. We require that our teachers are credentialed, and raise their own support. If you feel called to serve missionary children please contact Margie Grant at rgrant@maf.org for more information.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T14:03:00.003-06:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. Yes, Joe returned from Haiti the week of Christmas- Praise God! Sorry we haven't blogged much since then, but things were a little crazy. For those of you who haven't received this yet, here is our newest (November, but sent out in December in between internet outages) Newsletter.

Bercy Hospital

2010-12-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Please continue to pray for the team in Haiti: For their safety during the political unrest, for their longevity as they finish up their first week there and especially for those they are caring for. Please pray that lives will not only be saved physically but spiritually as well. Here is an excerpt from Joe's email yesterday. The Ruth and Betzabe that he talks about below are 2 of the medical residents from our hospital who also went on the trip.

Our shift last night was truly blessed as we ended up working 15 hours and didn’t kill anyone. We actually brought a few back from the brink. We had a 76% increase in the number of patients overnight from 38 to 67!!!!! Two of them especially were so dehydrated that they didn’t have a palpable pulse and would have been dead in less than an hour in my opinion. Our nurses were GREAT!!!!!! Team Ecuador has really left an impression on the staff here as well – as being dependable, flexible and caring. Several of the people that have worked with us have asked to be scheduled with us for their time here. One guy, Dr David Gettle, who specializes in disasters and was here in January with Eckehart and team said that if he gets a call about another disaster he’ll ask if they’ve called the Ecuador team yet or not and that he’d go in when they sent us. He was joking but also serious. He has been very impressed with Betzabe and Ruth. They are such good workers and so caring. It’s been a blessing to have them here.

Haiti

2010-12-08T20:16:00.004-06:00

Please pray for the group in Haiti. Last night when the election results were announced there was some rioting in Port a Prince. The team is safe outside of the city, but please pray for peace in the country and that the airlines will start flights again before the 18th so they can come home.

This is a picture I recieved today of the team working in one of the "hospital" tents. Joe hasn't had to start an IV in a LONG time. He is getting lots of practice.

Update on Haiti

2010-12-07T19:57:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to share a part of the email Joe was finally able to send today. They have very limited internet and phone service. I will post pictures as soon as I have some.

I was taking a few minutes to write to you and let you know that all is well. We’re on our third night shift in a row and will work one more night before having Wednesday night off. I’m not quite used to
the changes yet as I still sleep only 4 or 5 hours. With each
passing day, I think and hope that I’ll get more used to the change.
Our shifts are from 7pm to 7am and we usually make it back to the compound by 8 or 830. From the truck, we go straight to the showers, after having our footwear disinfected. That’s done because of the amount of stool and vomit that we may step near, even after it´s been cleaned up. After bathing we go to the cafeteria and have breakfast which is filling but often cold as the rest of the staff has already eaten. By the time I’m ready to hit the sack, it’s usually 9 or 930 in the morning. The building is like a barracks with about 100 bunks (an uneducated guess) and I’m fairly close to the big fan and door.
It`s a welcome relief from the outside noise to have the fan close by.
After getting up I usually lay in the bunk and read for awhile before going to the rec tent and drinking some of the instant Starbuck’s that I brought with me. I’ve done the math and it’s not going to last – bummer. I need to thank Christine Scott for getting me the box. I’ve been sharing the packets with Hermann as well.

Sometimes Its The SmallThings

2010-12-06T17:44:00.000-06:00

Last week while shopping at "Real Grocery Store" a few hours away, I found Snack Packs and Snyder's pretzels. I know, this probably means nothing to you, but it was the happiest day I have had since I found Heinz Hamburger Dill pickles. Sometimes, its the smallest things that make your day!

Well He Is Off To Haiti

2010-12-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

Joe leaves this morning from Quito for Haiti. Hopefully he will have internet access at some point while there to update everyone, but if not I will do my best to keep you up to date on stamping out disease and pestilence.

Please pray for safety while traveling, in Haiti and for endurance. Joe found out yesterday that the hospital is working 12 hour shifts trying to keep up with the cholera outbreak.

2010-12-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Isabella's school had their first performance a few weeks ago. They danced to the music from Bonanza and did an amazing job. Their second performance was during Shell Days (post coming soon) in which they beat out 4 other schools to win a new computer for their school- which her school can REALLY use. The sad part was that we (her parents) didn't understand that it was a competition until they started annoucing the winners- that information made lots of other things make sense. For example, the moms in charge were very particular about the shirts and skirts and we had an entire morning to make the hats out of foam. ALERT! If you ever need a cowboy hat made out of foam, don't ask me- I am horrible at it and have the hot glue burn scars to prove it.

Fuzzy Floors

2010-12-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I have never seen this before:

Yes, when I woke up this morning, this is what I found growing on our tile- some sort of white, moldy fuzzy, hairy, scary stuff. Don't know, can't explain it just glad it was easily swept away and doesn't grow back faster and thicker each time. Things that make you scratch you head and go "hmm, interesting...."

Disaster Relief

2010-11-30T07:00:00.001-06:00

Joe will be leaving Shell Friday morning for Haiti. Because of the extreme problems with Cholera they are having, HCJB has sent several teams in the last few months. Please pray for all of us during this time. Joe and the team he is traveling with, all of the people of Haiti, and the kids and I back here in Ecuador.

Jungle

2010-11-29T07:00:00.003-06:00

Recently, I had an opportunity to fly into a jungle community called Bufeo. It is an Achuar community located in our province of Pastazas on the Bobonazo River. I was there for 3 days and had a wonderful time getting to know the community and experiencing some new things while ministering to their health needs. Above is a picture of the airstrip that Mission Aviation Fellowship uses to fly in and out of the community. Most of the community lives within walking distance of the strip but many did walk a few hours to come see us during our time there. Historically, these trips had been an integral part of the ministry of HCJB Global to the peoples in the jungle regions of Ecuador. A trip every few months would be organized with the blessing of the receiving community and a small group consisting of a physician, nurse or medical resident, and a missionary evangelist fluent in the language spoken in the community. Because of a shortage in funds and personnel, this had been the first flight that we'd been able to schedule in a number of years. Recently, the hospital had been blessed with a donation that will be used to allow us to restart and continue this program.

Chad Irwin was our pilot when we flew in. He and his wife have been missionaries in Ecuador for 8 years. We were supposed to fly out at 730 am but didn't until around noon because of the weather. It's not uncommon for trips to be delayed until the next day because of the weather and sometimes you end up staying a extra night in the jungle because they can't fly you out.

We were able to start seeing patients shortly after we arrived. We used the building reserved for community activities and saw about 60 patients on our first afternoon. The villagers speak Shiviar and here I'm using someone to translate for me. All of those that we saw were given anti-parasite medicines and were also treated for a number of different things - including infections and arthritis.

National Census

2010-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

Mary and Joseph had to travel so many years ago for their national census, we at least don't have to travel for the Ecuadorian census today. Actually we are not allowed to travel, or go to the store, or even to leave home today. From 7 Am until 5PM the entire country is shut down. You can't go to church, or buy anything or sell anything, they have even said you aren't allowed to "in-vibe" anything alcoholic. They seem pretty serious about it all. In fact the government did not allow any alcohol to be sold for several days before, just to make sure people weren't stocking up for the "day at home."
At some point today a high school student will stop by to fill out a 4 page questionnaire on our home and then 2 page questionnaire on each one of us living here. The questions are actually quiet interesting. Most of them have to do with our house- what type of materials it is made out of, if we have a kitchen or bathroom inside our home, whether we cook with gas or wood. But others are a bit more personal- at what age you had your first child and last child- how literate you are. It wouldn't be so strange except that it isn't private or confidential at all. You put your name and address on all of it. I find the entire thing amazingly interesting looking at it from a North American perspective of complete anonymity, privacy and liberty. It will be interesting to see how the day plays out.

Yet Another Reason....

2010-10-27T10:17:00.002-05:00

Ok, so this has nothing to do with our work here, but it is a passion for us.

Yet another reason to love the Pittsburgh Steelers

Courtesy Xbox 360 Videos

School Update

2010-10-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Thought I would give you a little update on Isabella's adventure in Ecuadorian school. We are all learning as we go. Here is a little of what we have figured out about school supplies.

The Scariest Bug (So Far)

2010-10-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

I found this in our kitchen the other night right as Isabella was about to step on it. I wish I had taken video of Sebastiao catching it in a jar as I crawled onto the counter and yelled at Bella to move in case it came at one of us. Good thing there is one brave person in this house (even if he isn't an adult).

First Day of 3rd Grade

2010-10-19T15:34:00.004-05:00

Sebastiao's first day of school this year was more of a home-coming for him. After a summer in which most of his friends were in the states, he was ready for everyone to be back. However, he wasn't as happy after he found out how much homework there was in 3rd grade (especially in Spanish class).

Current Events

2010-09-30T22:50:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know we are doing well here Everything seems to be quieting down politically. We will keep you updated if anything else goes on.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39441275/ns/world_news-americas/

Please keep my family in your prayers today and this weekend. We have several things going on right now and would appreciate your prayers.

God Cares About the Little Things

2010-09-16T16:33:00.002-05:00

Well, many of you have written asking about the car situation and may I say, our God is amazing! It is a very long story, but let me just say that God provided peace, wisdom and some mighty good mechanics through it all- not to mention amazing neighbors who let us borrow their car many, many times without even a second thought! Thanks Kim and Paul! The problem was that the computer decided the chip in our key wasn't the right chip, so it completely shut down everything. The mechanics at the dealership in Ambato reprogrammed the car and then checked everything else out. We got it back last Friday afternoon and we couldn't be more excited. Having car problems in a foreign country can be, well.... frustrating at best and almost scary. Everything is done so differently here and then there is the language issue, so prayer was vital and our God provided. Not only was it an easy fix for the mechanics, the charges were only a fraction of what we were anticipating (the kids can still go to college!). Praise God and thank you all so much for your prayers! Now we just need the construction in town to be finished so we can drive somewhere!

Jungle Ballet

2010-09-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

Isabella had her first Ballet recital a few weeks ago. She was so excited to finally perform in front of people, but wouldn't show me any of their dance before that night. So, I was so excited when the program finally began. I had no idea they would all do such a wonderful job. The recital was so much more than just the girls dancing- several town official spoke, 3 different people sang, and a dance troup performed a traditional Ecuadorian dance.

.

School Supplies- Ecuadorian Style

2010-09-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I have to admit, I am not an expert at buying school supplies. Since we home-schooled in the states, I have never seen an USA school supply list, but I bet there are a few things on Isahella's list for Ecuadorian school, you would never see on a list in the US. Some of these things I will be interested to see what they do with- my mom just kept saying "art project, art project." We will see..... So, first lets compare and contrast (that a school thing- right?)

The saddest part was that the one thing on the list I really thought I understood was "pinturas"- paints right, no problem- well, actually this meant colored pencils- who knew. One good thing is that we now know the Spanish word for hula hoop- ula ula, that might be useful some day.

Prayer Request

2010-09-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Please pray for our car- I know that sounds strange, but last week our car just stopped working. The battery was good, there was gas (believe you me, the kids asked- run out of gas just one time and.....), it just wouldn't start. Friday afternoon, Joe had it towed to a recommended mechanic who said it was probably the starter- Ok, the starter, not a big deal. Well, it wasn't the starter. Evidently the computer on our "smart car" decided that our key wasn't the correct key and so the car has completely shut down and they can't fix it here. The car is being towed this morning to Ambato (2 hours away) to a Ford dealership. Please pray for safety for the driver who is taking our car, for the people in Ambato who will be working on it and for the whole thing to be fixed quickly and for as little as possible- we are a little concerned about things adding up.
The upside to the whole thing, the mechanic here in Pastazas checked out everything on the car and said it is in great shape- just computer problems. Plus (praise God!) he charged us the bare minimum for all of his hours of work trying to work out the problem. We are very grateful for even having a car, but man, do we miss it!

First Day of School- Well, Kind of...

2010-09-06T16:13:00.003-05:00

Well, since we have been here a year and are starting to feel more and more at home, we decided to mess the whole thing up by sending Isabella to an Ecuadorian school for kindergarten this year. Today was technically, Isahella's first day of school at CELE, an Ecuadorian school associated with a church here in Shell.
The first day was in reality just a welcome presentation at the church where a bunch of people talked, one man gave a small message and then they introduced the teachers. We got to hear the Ecuadorian National Anthem for the first time ever, met Bella's teacher and I think we are all a little more ready for tomorrow- the real first day.

Sebastiao's 8th Birthday

2010-08-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Sebastiao's 8th Birthday last Tuesday and what a night it was. He has a couple of his good friends come out to dinner with us at his favorite restaurant. They had "Lego Races" while we waited for the food and then climbed all over the Indigenous statues afterward. This was, however, the first time that the boys had noticed that most of the statues were naked... they got off very quickly after that!

We went back home for cake, candy and cookies!

and then of course PRESENTS! Thanks to all of you who helped to make it a great day. Sebastiao was up until 2:30Am putting together Lego sets. Its always nice when your friends envy you a little on your birthday!

Nothing Like Time With Friends

2010-08-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

We were very honored this summer to have some very good friends visit us here in EC. The Garvelli family: Joe, Blake, Tony, Allie and Garret spent 2 weeks with us here. Along with having a great time exploring and seeing the sites, they also helped us catalog, inventory sort through TONS of medicines for Joe's upcoming jungle trip. Thanks to the Garvellis Joe was able to take all the medicines he needed to a jungle community a few weeks ago (blog entry to come if I can ever get Joe home for a few minutes)

Working hard on the medicines:

Both families enjoying the Hola Vida waterfall where you hike right up to the waterfall and then swim underneath it!

Exploring the Casa del Arbol (tree house) and caves there:

Another waterfall, Pailon del Diablo.

Monkeys up close and personal from our canoe at La Casa del Suizo.

Great Pleasure

2010-08-23T22:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry I didn't get a post up this morning, but I spent the night vomiting and most of today in bed with my wonderful husband taking care of things around the house. So, here it is (just a little late).

One of the greatest parts of our job here is working with medical residents and interns. Obviously Joe gets to know them better than I do, but that is why we try to have them over as much as possible. This was an amazing group of residents and it was wonderful getting to know them, even if only for a short time. Its wonderful to find things in common such as children. Ruth (on the left) has a 2 year old son and Veronica (on the right) has a little girl on the way.

How We Spent Our Fourth of July

2010-08-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

We spent our 4th of July with the missionary community which included, Americans, Canadians and few Germans and a few Ecuadorians. Everyone made patriotic desserts and we all enjoyed that it wasn't 100 degrees like back in the states.

Fathers Day

2010-08-18T07:00:00.002-05:00

We spent Father's Day like many other important days- with Joe on-call. The kids enjoyed making him gifts and baking his favorite dessert just for the day. We have a prize for anyone who can make out what their "Bean Signs" say...... any takers?

Snakes and Fangs and Swollen Hands

2010-08-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

When patients come into the hospital with snake bites, they very often bring the snake along! Even more fun huh?

Last Week of School

2010-08-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

Sebastiao's last week of school was jam packed. He had Backwards Day- which he interpreted as Upside Down Day, and had an awards ceremony where he won an award for Patients as well as a Presidential Physical Education Award. Now Sebastiao constantly reminds us how "Patient"he is because he "has an award to prove it!"

End of School

2010-08-12T12:31:00.004-05:00

OK, I know its August and most of you are getting ready to start school, but I am just now getting around to posting end of school pictures- lets just say I have adapted very well to the laid back South American lifestyle- or at least thats what I am calling it.

First up is Isabella finishing up at Preschool. Here she is with her class and Teacher Mrs. Sharon. Bella wanted to wear her special dress Grandma made for her for her special day. She will be starting school this September at CELE, a local Ecuadorian school affiliated with a Church here in Shell.

Earthquakes and Face Book

2010-08-12T12:18:00.002-05:00

Some of you may have heard that Ecuador experienced an earthquake early this morning. According to many news reports it registered about 6.9 and according to all the maps was very close to us- we however were oblivious to it- completely. This morning while checking my Face Book a friend wrote to check on us and make sure we were alright. Thanks Alica because without you I never would have checked online news. So, thankfully, we all blissfully slept through it all and there appears to be no damage within the country.

Here is the story on Fox News

Adventures in Cuy

2010-07-08T23:59:00.006-05:00

Ok, so I have to put a warning out there for any of you who are squeamish- This one is not for the faint hearted, the extreme animal lover or anyone who has ever been affiliated in any way with PETA (I have a feeling none of my readers have ever been involved with the later, but I must include it just to be safe).

So, here we go

Cuy, is Guinea Pig and Guinea Pig is a delicacy here in Ecuador. You see them by the roadside when traveling through the country, or on the menu at restuarants (mainly catering to tourist) and they are usually on a spit, roasting, head, teeth, tail and all- not a pretty sight. Well our little adventure begins with a phone call. Joe called me on Monday very excited. He asked me to run over to his office quickly because we had something there. This usually means MAIL, but since it was a Monday (not a normal mail day for us) I was a little skeptical, but being the good wife that I am, I headed over to the hospital.
Earlier that morning a patient of his had brought a little gift- yep you guessed it and right there laying on his desk was a plastic bag with a freshly killed Cuy.

Let me take this opportunity to first explain that this was a very expensive gift and we completely understand and appreciate the light in which it was given. It was a very sweet token of her appreciation and we are grateful- Cuy in a restaurant cost about $20 and the average meal here is about $2-$5- This sweet, sweet lady raises Cuy and was kind enough to not only kill it for us that morning, but also clean it.

But, I have no idea how to cook Cuy, so.....
It seemed the perfect timing for the gift because we were leaving that afternoon for Quito to pick up some very good friends for the airport. The Garvellis were flying in to visit for a few weeks, and I figured, who would appreciate fresh Cuy more than the Garvellis? So, I washed it out, cleaned it up the best I could, put it in a ziplock bag and put it in the refrigerator and let it wait for our friends.

So, tonight was the night, I had chicken ready to grill and we added the Cuy right along. I have to admit it was kind of surreal using the tongs to place this creature, face, feet and all on the gril right along with chicken breasts. The first problem came when I used the temperature fork to check if the chicken was done. I wasn't sure at what temperature Cuy is done- so i just guessed it was like pork.....

The next problem came with plating it. I just plopped him right down on the platter with the rest of our dinner- but the kids didn't really appreciate that too much and then of course Sebastiao had to point out that it had been a boy guinea pig and Isabella said she was afraid for her hamsters life, so we took it off the table.

Next problem, how do you carve up a Guinea Pig?

I had done my part with the cooking, and my husband of course was at the hospital, so the Joe who was visiting (Joe Garvelli) was kind enough to try his hand at it- he definitely got farther than I would have. We were glad to have shared this first experience with such good friends and even more glad that Garrett and Allie Garvelli were willing to try it- they were braver than most.

Let me just finish by saying I am not a Cuy Chef, nor will I probably ever be, but you can't beat the experience.

Bon Appetite

Yes, We Are Alive!

2010-07-05T17:44:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the break in Blogging, but we are here, alive and doing very well. We have made it to our one year mark on Ecuador and we haven't starting packing to go back home, and they aren't asking us to, so I think things must be going alright.
We have been so busy with many of the same things you guys are busy with- end of school, beginning of summer, and bug bites, lots and lots of bug bites. I have pictures too, lots of pictures to post and will hopefully get everyone up to date on massive snake bites at the hospital, small volcano eruptions and my first attempt at cooking cuy (guinea pigs). THanks to everyone who emailed us and said you were missing updates- it means a lot to know I am not talking to myself!

School Picture Day

2010-05-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

When Sebastiao started school at NSMS I never even thought we would have an opportunity for School pictures. Chad and Andi, from a previous post, took some amazing photos. The best part was not having to pick a picture package and pay a ton of money. We received the pictures in our inbox with nothing to pay! The second picture is Sebastiao's class (2nd and 3rd grade) and the bottom is the entire school.

One Brave Girl

2010-05-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well for those of you who know our Isabella well, you know she is the bravest and smartest in our family. This picture proves my point. After seeing the amaziing waterfall, Bella was up for this photo oportunity- thats my girl!

Pailon del Diablo

2010-05-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Pailon del Diablo, or the Devil's Cauldron is a an amazing waterfall about 45 minutes from our house. We got to spend the day hiking up to it. What an amazing view and the hike there was beautiful, just don't tell Sebastiao- he was in school and didn't get to go.

More Bats

2010-05-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

Well, you ladies will appreciate this. You know how weird things only seem to happen when your husband is out of town. More things seem to go wrong, break, catch on fire or crawl into your home when you are the only parent there. Well.... that is certainly the case with our family. We had a bat in the house this past week. Fortunately it wanted to get out as much as I wanted it to, and I had a friend here to help- but it added to an exciting (and tiring) week. Fortunately Joe comes on Sunday.. just a few more days.

Family Pictures

2010-05-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

Some of our very good friends here, Chad and Andi Irwin, have amazing photographic talent. Chad and Andi are here with MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship). Chad is a pilot and Andi, among other things, is the school librarian for NSMS and interior design consultant for the Martin Family. Fortunately for us, they are willing to share the abilities on poor helpless people such as ourselves. Recently they did a family photo shoot for us. We will hopefully get new prayer cards made soon to send out to everyone. Please visit CHAD AND ANDI'S BLOG to see some more of their wonderful photography
Enjoy

Happy 90th Birthday

2010-05-11T11:57:00.003-05:00

I would like to wish my amazing grandfather Ivan Mangold a very
Happy (although a day late) 90th Birthday!
I was supposed to get this posted yesterday.... but we will just blame it on Mondays.

Happy 90th Birthday!
We Love You &
Wish We Could Be
There To Celebrate With You!

We Are Back

2010-05-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well, sorry for the absence, but with my parents visiting (wonderful time), being without intenet at home for 2 weeks and Joe being in the states for the last week and a half, there just hasn't been much time. I wanted to share a few pictures from my parents trip. We had a wonderful time with them and they were VERY brave! Between Joe driving like an Ecuadorian and convinceing them to eat at an outdoor market one night, I was impressed (but not surprised) with their adaptability

Easter

2010-04-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last Easter Sunday we had to finish moving out of our house, take our cat to her new home (small tear), clean the house and oh, yeah.... celebrate Easter. This Easter was SO! much better. We went to an early (6AM) service, ate breakfast (pancakes, bacon and potatoes), had an egg hunt, and relaxed with family time.

Read a Thon 2010

2010-04-07T07:00:00.002-05:00

Sebastiao's school had a read-a-thon for the month of March. Less than 20 kids read over 50,000 pages in less than 30 days! What an accomplishment. To reward them for such hard work, we had an ice cream party for everyone last week. Enjoy the pictures!

April Newsletter

2010-04-04T23:01:00.004-05:00

We just put out our April Newsletter. If you have not recieved one and would like to, please let us know- we'll get you one.

IMPORTANT! - Several newsletters were returned- if you didn't get one and you normally do, please check your spam folder or allow email from tmartin@hcjb.org.ec and then let me know and I will resend it.

Sebastiao The Explorer

2010-04-03T00:47:00.010-05:00

We are so Excited to announce that Sebastiao's blog is finally up and running. His first post went up last night and I look forward to more of his posts. We hope to have at least one up every week. Enjoy a 7 year-old's insight into Ecuador.

sebastiaotheexplorer.blogspot.com

Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Snow......

2010-04-02T09:04:00.003-05:00

While we might complain about mail service in the states- believe me after 9 months here you have NOTHING to complain about. Yes, from time to time, you might get your neighbors mail in your box (but that is probably the only time you talk with your neighbor isn't it), the lines might be really long to mail a package, (but then again you can do it over the internet now adays), or your mailman might be Newman (completely different thing). But for the most part you get mail- delivered to your house- usually not opened- and in a relatively short amount of time- you can even track it to know where things went wrong.

Ecuador is a little different. For starters we don't have a physical street address. No one lives at 234 Home Street. We all live near something or a business name, or a box number at the post office. Our address is easy because it is the hospital and everyone know where the hospital is, but that really doesn't matter for mail anyway because mail isn't delivered to your house. There is someone at the hospital who goes to get hospital mail, which we are very grateful for.

Packages, however are a different story. Packages (anything not in an envelope) is left at the post office. They notify us that it is there and then every 2 weeks the customs agent goes to the post office in the next town over and we have to be there between 10 AM and 1PM to get our package and pay whatever customs are due. I wish I could explain how the customs fees are assessed. I wish someone could explain to me how the customs fees are assessed. I think it has a lot to do with the day, the weather, and the mood of the agent. Don't get me wrong, we LOVE to get mail and encourage it, just ask (very politely) that you follow a few rules. We have had a lot of questions lately about mailing us packages so I thought I would post the most important parts here for any of you who are brave enough to start the process.

- Use the GREEN customs label at the USPS office
- When listing the items in the box - don't lie - but maybe forget items such as DVDs, CDs or the like. They charge a lot for movies and music that are mailed in.
- Make sure the package is under 4 pounds (very important). Anything under 4 pounds is usually under a dollar for us to pick up. Anything over 4 pounds can start to get expensive.
- Do not send more than one package addressed to the same person within a week of each other. (meaning you can't get past the 4 pounds rule by sending 2 3.8 pound packages. If we get 2 packages on the same day they add up the combined weights so it is total weight not per package)- yeah, I know......
- Address it to one of us (Joe or Tracy), not the entire family or the children. We have to take copies of passports for anyone listed on the boxes, and if it is in Sebastiao's name we have to get him to write out in Spanish that he allows us to pick the box up for him. - yep, I'm not making that up.
- Save up and be prepared when you go to the post office- is ain't cheap! I am convinced my parents have spent my "inheritance" just in shipping packages to the grand kids. I will cost you about $25 for less than 4 pounds (gulp).

If you still aren't scared away here is our address:

Hospital Voz Andes del Oriente
Shell Pastazas Ecuador

We are always grateful for packages from the states. The smallest things are really what you miss, so tea bags, candy (GOOD), and magazines (in english) mean more than you could imagine. Thanks to all of you who have send things, some monthly (thanks MOM!).

Beautiful Bella

2010-03-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

We have always thought Isabella was the most beautiful thing created, but it seems that no matter where we go in Ecuador she always draws a crowd. We wish we had started counting the number of times people have asked us if they can take a picture with her. For most Ecuadorians someone with blond hair and blue eyes is a rarity and for many she is the first they have ever seen. Fortunately she loves the attention and usually isn't too bashful. Unfortunately for this picture she wouldn't do it alone, but since then jumps right in and loves being the center of attention even for just a few minutes.

Especially for Luke

2010-03-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

Before we left the states, a friend was telling us that while explaining to his son, Luke (a friend of Sebastiao's) about where we were going and what we would be doing, his son asked if we would get to see Diego and Baby Jaguar (you know Diego, the cousin of Dora the Explorer- hes an Animal Rescuer!) Well, we were sure the Diego part wouldn't be too hard to find for Luke, but the jaguar part we were a little unsure about. But.... (Ecuador never ceases to amaze) we have found Baby Jaguar, or at least what may work. So, Luke this is for you-
While visiting a local zoo, we found 2 small jaguar-like (here they are called tigereras) baby cats. In typical Ecuadorian fashion, the only thing between us and the "dangerous" animals was a chain linked fence, and being the good mother that I am, I decided to set an amazing example and began playing with the babies through the fence. They were very sweet and from my magnificent example the following photo was born. I feel a little like those parents in Canada who put honey in their kids hands so the wild bears will eat it.... but he survived, so I guess it was all worth it for the photo!

Beauty

2010-03-28T22:21:00.003-05:00

Todays post is mainly just about beauty. For those of you familiar with Spiders, this is a type of Orb-weaver. We had many Orb-Weavers at our house in the states and loved watching them build their webs with that special little zigzag. Isn't God amazing!

The Good, The Bad, and The Disgusting

2010-03-25T17:10:00.005-05:00

The GOOD- Thanks to my amazing husband (whom I consider the best physician at the hospital), we have access to wonderful health care along with a vast array of medicines.

The BAD- Because of where we live and the climate, we are susceptible to MANY different things including a drug resistant Staph, numerous bacteria, large bugs, snakes, and parasites. In fact most people who live here believe that having and getting parasites is just part of life. We are supposed to take anti-parasite medicine every 6 months just to be safe. We just took our first round last month (only 2 months late) and I have to say, it wasn't the most glamorous thing I have ever taken part in..... for your sakes, lets just say I didn't realize I had any, but.......

The Disgusting- Our family - Joe, Sebastiao, Isabella and me are not the only ones who have to worry about parasites. Baron, our wonderful dog who has put up with this move - although he complains regularly- has also been a host for parasites, just a different kind.
For about the last 4 days we had noticed that the bottom of Baron's paw had a sore- or what we thought was a sore. We worked bandaging it, cleaning it, keeping him off of it as much as possible and trying to get it to stop bleeding, but nothing seemed to work. Then Tuesday night while looking at his paw, I noticed that the open wound seemed to be moving. I showed Joe, convinced he would think I was crazy, but he agreed. I started squeezing on the sore and yep, you guessed it, out popped a worm. It is a larval state of something, all we know for sure is that is was disgusting. I still can't believe I squeezed this out of my dogs foot. You will be glad to know that within 12 hours his foot was fairly well healed.

Since Tuesday night we have learned that this is a Bot-fly larvae and have also found 3 more in Baron! Making those reservations right now aren't you?

The View From Our Front Door

2010-03-19T01:00:00.000-05:00

We get lots and lots of rain around here. About 20 feet a year, so clear cloudless days are rare. When it is clear, I am always amazed at how surrounded we are by mountains and volcanoes. Joe captured these 2 shots the other day when the only "clouds" in the sky were created by smoke from Sangay, a volcano. These pictures are literally taken from our front door... Isn't God's creation amazing? It definitely takes a lot of faith to be an atheist.

Zoo Time

2010-03-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

We found an amazing zoo in Banos, a town about an hour away a few months ago. The best part about the zoo is that it not only engages the kids minds, it also wears them out. Whoever designed this zoo was either really crazy or really into exercise. I have never walked up and down so many stairs in one day in my life. We were all ready for a break after our wonderful day.

The Sweetest Things

2010-03-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Gifts from patients have to be one of the sweetest things about life here, especially when it is Pitahaya. This strange looking fruit is a little intimidating at first, but once you are brave enough to cut in, you won't ever look back.... unless it is to see if there is more. The inside is full of little black seeds. You just scoop it out with a spoon and dive into heaven. It tastes like the sweetest kiwi you have ever eaten.... Seriously, pitahaya is reason enough to visit Ecuador. This has been a great week for us, we received plums, pitahaya and pears all in the same week- no need to go to the fruit market- plus we got to share with our neighbors!

Creatures of the Night

2010-03-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

Next door to our house is a pavilion of sorts that was once a house. The back side of the house kept sinking so they decided to just take down the walls and use it as an outdoor pavilion. It works out wonderfully with as much rain as we get. We can still plan outdoor events and not fear them always getting rained out. Ok, but to the point here. The attic of the pavilion is inhabited by a large colony of bats. If you sit out in the pavilion at dusk they come flying out. This little guy must have gotten home late one night and instead of ending up up in the attic, the kids found him low on a wall and it took all they had to not touch him. He looked so "cute and fuzzy!"

Colonial Days

2010-03-10T07:00:00.002-06:00

Last week Sebastiao's second grade class had a Colonial Day Celebration for the entire community. The 4 second graders learned about what life was like for the early American (north American) colonists and then transformed the school pavillion. Each 2nd grader served as a tour guide through times past and explained how people lived, what they ate and how they got around. There was colonial food, games and you could even make your own colonial hat! Then at the end was a quiz just to see how much you learned. They did a great job and had a wonderful time doing it. Kudos to Mrs. Monterro their teacher- it was amazing!

Snakes, snakes, snakes!

2010-03-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

Snakebites are something that we see fairly frequently. They typically occur in the jungle regions or by farm hands trying to clear brush or cut sugar cane. If they're in the jungle they are often flown in by plane or helicopter. Most snakebite victims are either bitten on the hand/wrist (Oro Palito snake) or the ankle/leg (lancehead or 'X'). This picture is of a small Bothrops or lanchead. In Ecuador, it is called the 'Equis' which is 'X' in Spanish as the coloring often looks like X's painted on its body. It accounts for about 50-60% of the bites in this region. It is the most aggressive venomous snake in the Americas. Fortunately, it typically delivers a sub-lethal dose of venom but still accounts for a large number of deaths and illness. Its venom causes local tissue death and causes hemorrhaging throughout the body. This particular snake, although very small, kept this lady in the hospital for 3 days. She was cutting sugar when the snake bit her hand.

The second most common snake bite we treat here is caused by the 'Oro Palito'. It is a small green tree snake that often bites its victims as they reach up into tree branches or cut down bananas. Its venom is not as potent as that caused by the Equis and is delivered in smaller amounts. The least common bite is caused by the Bushmaster (Lachesis muta). It is the least common snakebite because it is usually found much deeper in the jungle, and most when bitten just don't make it to a place to get help. It is the largest venomous snake in the Americas and can reach 12 ft in length! It often delivers a lethal dose of venom and more than half of victims die even if given proper antivenin.

Antivenin has been scarce in this region and the last batch that we had was actually purchased by a missionary who flew to Brazil to get it. Antivenin is now being produced in Ecuador but its quality is still in question. Please pray that we may find what we need and within the time frame needed. Please also pray for His protection over His workers here.

Smoking and Sputtering

2010-03-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

While driving home from Quito a few weeks ago, we saw such an amazing site. The Tungurahua volcano was puffing out smoke like we had never seen before. The white clouds to the left side are clouds, but the gray "clouds" in the center just above the opening and then further up is smoke rising up.

40 Days of Praise Challenge

2010-03-05T07:00:00.002-06:00

Ok, so right off I have to say that this is a very different post for me. I don't normally put forth challenges to you guys, because, well..... I think blogging in and of itself is narcissistic enough without challenging those of you who are nice enough to read (and comment on) our ramblings. But this is really a challenge to myself so I thought I would just put it out there for anyone who is interested....
OK, so enough of that on to the point. Right after Christmas I was talking to my friend Lena who is serving in Uganda right now. She arrived in Uganda a few weeks after we got here so we have shared lots of "learning to cope" stories. Lena and I were both going through a rather rough patch and were commiserating about how almost everything made us mad, sad or angry- Oh yeah I forgot to warn you this is also a VERY honest post- Anyway, Lena had a great idea to spend the next few months just praising God. She was going to keep a calender and everyday write down praises- no complaints, no irritations, no pet peeves, just praises. I told her that was a wonderful idea and that I should join her.... Well, I guess the phrase, "better late than never" fits here. Yes, it is the beginning of March and I am just beginning this process, but I have a plan, and everyone know that when you have a plan- well..... you are less likely to fail miserably or procrastinate profusely, so here I go.
For the next 40 days I will write down in a journal only praises- praising God for who he is, that he actually wants to know me, that he is willing to use ME!, etc. And heres the kicker: I am posting this on the blog so everyone can help keep me accountable. I even made my own journal, because anyone who knows me well, knows that nothing motivates me better than a good craft project. If you would like to join me in my 40 Days of Praise, let me know. I'll even make you a journal if you would like :)

Sightseeing in Quito

2010-03-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

While Patrick and Sarah were here visiting we visited the Teleferico to see the entire city and the Sun Museum at Mitad del Mundo. You wouldn't believe how many pictures I took in just one day. It was so beautiful!

Never Underestimate a Good Grocery Store

2010-03-02T10:49:00.003-06:00

The next time you are standing in the grocery store buying chicken or sitting in your car in the drive thru at Bush's I want you just take a moment and think about it- and then order me a large half sweet tea/half lemonade. Ok, so I went to the meat market (the only one with refrigeration) today for the 3rd time in less than a week to try to get chicken breasts. They have been out and told me to come back "tomorrow" now 3 times and I hope that "tomorrow's tomorrow" actually works because the family is getting really tired of eating ground beef! I did however get the girl to write down the order today.... so..... maybe tomorrow is our day! The silver-lining to all of this is that now we have a car, so I have gotten to drive there and haven't had to walk- which is a huge blessing.

Working visitors

2010-03-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

From time to time we are blessed to receive special visitors who decide they would like to spend more of their time working in the hospital than sight seeing. Some come once and never return while others have become recurring faces, appearing yearly from anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 months. Many come to offer their specialty skills as in Dr Jeremy Zebroski while others come to offer us some respite from frequent call as in Dr John Doerfer.

Dr Zebroski is an orthopedic surgeon from Wyoming who made his first trip to Ecuador this year. He was able to offer his special skills to patients who would otherwise have had to wait because one of our surgeons is out for a while. One particularly delicate procedure included repairing a severe machete injury to the hand of a 4 year old girl from the jungle which also included the repair of two of her broken hand bones. Dr Zebroski intends to return this time next year along with his wife and two young children. Please pray that the Lord may bless his work in the US and allow for his return here next year.

Dr John Doerfer, he is no stranger to Ecuador. Dr Doerfer was a missionary in Shell when the old hospital was in use in the 1970's and 1980's. After moving back to the States he has committed to return during the Christmas holidays and stays until the spring. He has a lot of wisdom to share with the medical residents and is an integral part of the hospital when he's here. He has an excellent bedside manner and is quick to share the Gospel with patients. Please pray that the Lord will continue to bless his footsteps and give him the strength to return for many more years.

There are many more that we'll see as the year continues. This summer we will get to see Drs Mike and Karol Hardin again as well. It was Mike and Karol who lured us to Ecuador in 2007. It seems that once Shell gets into someone's blood it's hard to get away! Please pray for all of our working visitors as they sacrifice much in order to come to Shell. I've only mentioned the physicians but there are many from other professions that come as well.

Family Time

2010-02-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

Joe's brother, Patrick and his wife Sarah (along with little Emmanuel due in May) came to visit us a few weeks ago. Sarah was kind enough to help out at Sebastiao's school and taught a science class one day for the second graders. She explained about polymers and their absorbancy and then they had fun with mentos in Coke. We understand now why she likes to use Diet Coke for this demonstration because things were a little sticky afterwards, but Diet Coke is like GOLD here, so Coke worked!

Should You Choose to Accept This Mission...

2010-02-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

OK, people we need your help. Joe and I want to begin a couples bible study with a few friends, but need advice on a good study to do. We don't have a Christian bookstore within 5 hours of us and Amazon really isn't helping me out too much on this one. It doesn't necessarily have to be a "couples" topic but at least one that would be mutually interesting to both men and women and something we would discuss together. - Then, (are you ready for this?) it has to be available in Spanish- yeah, I know that makes it more difficult, but I have faith in you... I know you won't let us down, so either email me or hit the comment button.

thanks

Manto de la Novia

2010-02-24T07:00:00.001-06:00

One of the most beautiful places to stop on the way to Shell has always been the "Bridal Veil" or Monta de la Novia an amazing waterfall near us. There is a gondola ride for the more adventurous and plenty of things to photograph for the rest of us. 2 weeks ago after an especially hard rain there was a landslide at the waterfall which resulted in several deaths and over 100 people lost their homes. Unfortunaly we don't have any "before" pictures, but the first picture shows (in red) the part that was green before the slide. In the last picture there is an arrow that shows a roof that slid down off of somenes house. If you click on teh picture you can see it enlarged. Please pray for the families affected by this tragedy.

5 Years Ago

2010-02-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

I know it is hard to believe (and I am not too happy about it) but Isabella is now 5 years old! We celebrated her birthday this past Saturday. Her party was all about Girls, Glitter and CANDY, lots and lots of candy (lovingly sent from the states)! I hope you enjoy

Carnival's blessing

2010-02-21T17:43:00.000-06:00

Carnival was celebrated here this last Monday and Tuesday. For many it was a time to relax and have fun. For those working in the hospital, though, it was a the beginning of a long week. I was actually on call over the weekend when the festivities actually began. On Saturday I admitted a lady who was 33 weeks pregnant and in labor. Apparently, she was told by the hospital in the next town over that we had a neonatologist and a neonatal ICU. The other hospital didn't want her to deliver there so she showed up here in Shell. After evaluating her, it was clear that we couldn't put her in an ambulance and transfer her to the nearest hospital with a NICU as she might deliver on the way. We admitted her, gave her medicines to try to delay her labor as well as medicines to help the baby's lungs mature.

She delivered the following morning - a baby boy that weighed 4 pounds 3 ounces. This is a picture taken just a few days ago. With God's grace, he was able to not require mechanical ventilation, is being fed through a nasogastric tube (a tube from his nose to his stomach), and will be with us for a few more weeks. He's not eating quite enough to meet all of his needs yet but will as his neurologic status improves (he's still learning to suck). What has truly been amazing is that as the weekend got more chaotic (including having to admit another woman who was 33 weeks pregnant and in labor - her's fortunately stopped) he remained in excellent condition and never added to our stress. Despite our fears about delivering him at such an early age, God provided for his needs, as well as ours. As it turned out, there weren't any centers willing to take him without a large lump of money attached to him (all of the public hospitals were full).Please pray for his and his family's needs. His parents are both teenagers and haven't expressed a lot of interest in him yet. Please also pray that they can see the Lord as He attempts to further bless them.

Ballet

2010-01-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Even way out here in the Oriente we found a ballet class for Bella. She wasn't too sure the classes were a good idea at first, but her friend Mikaela started on the same day, so she decided to give it a try. After the first 20 minutes, she fell in love and now all we talk about is ballet, when classes are, and if Mikaela will be there. Here are a few pictures of her in class. If you can't find her, Bella is the really pale one!

Macas

2010-01-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

I know that Joe is late on offering hospital news, and believe you me, I keep reminding him he needs to update ya'll. But in the mean time, I will fill you in the best I can. One of our family practice doctors, Becky Brice will be leaving this week. She is with HCJB through Samaritans Purse and has been here for 2 years. She will be leaving this week to get married in Quito and then returning to the states for a few years to work and raise support to return to mission service. With Becky leaving, Joe becomes the senior family practice doctor after only 7 months here. Fortunately we just had one new family practice doctor who started right after Christmas and will have 3 new family practice doctors coming this summer. It will be wonderful to have a fully staffed hospital, and maybe the kids and I will get to see Joe more often.
This past Friday, we took the day and ventured out east toward the jungle. Many of Joe's patients live out towards a town called Macas which is about 130 kilometers away. The road to Macas has kilometer markers and his patients use these markers as their address. So, if you get off of the bus at kilometer marker 15 and then walk to your house, your address is "Macas Road Kilometer 15." The drive to Macas was amazingly beautiful and we truly enjoyed our day. No day would be complete without Joe seeing a patient he knows, and sure enough he saw more than one either walking along the road in rubber boots wielding machetes or getting off the bus heading home. It was wonderful to hear his stories about who each person was, who they were related to, and what he had seen them for. I hope you enjoy some pictures from our day.
This picture is of a family doing their laundry!

Tupperware

2010-01-25T21:10:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I had a party for my friend Viena Hildago who recently began selling Tupperware. Tupperware is actually very popular (although very expensive) here in Ecuador. Here is Viena displaying the aguacate (avocado) storage container - what you don't have a storage container just for avocados? I can get you one if you are interested. We had a wondeful night and Viena made lots of sales, but best yet we had a great time.

Truly Grateful

2010-01-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

I don't think we say Thank You enough to all of you for supporting us. Yesterday we received our Giving Report for December and I have to say we were truly blessed. We receive reports on the gifts and pledges we have received after the current month has ended. December found many of you EXTREMELY generous, and we thank you for that. As a result we have been able to give from our ministry fund to HCJB relief efforts in Haiti. We are truly honored that you have chosen to be a part of our ministry and are willing to entrust us with your hard earned money. Thank you!
I will leave you with a few more pictures from Haiti and the work being done there. Please continue to pray for our friends working there and their safe return.

This next picture is of a massive grave they had to dig at the hospital for all of the dead who have had noone to claim their bodies. They presume these entire families must have all died in the tragedy. Please pray for perserverance amidst such complete devastation.

Haiti Relief

2010-01-20T07:54:00.000-06:00

Please pray for our friends and fellow missionaries who left quickly last week for disaster relief in Haiti. 2 Physicians from Shell, Dr. Eckehart Wolff a surgeon and Dr. Paul Barton and anestesiologist along with 2 family physicians from Quito, Dr. Mark Nelson and Dr. Steve Nelson. Our prayers are very personal for them because they are all 4 close personal friends, plus the next disaster it could be Joe's turn to travel. I have posted a few pictures that show them at work. Specifically please pray for
-rest and the energy to keep going amid horrid conditions
-Clean water
-the right words to say and translators
-the ability to show God's love through this tragedy
-safety and quick return to their families here in Ecuador

This picture show just how crowded the hosptial is. This is a hall way where several patient are laying down and 3 of our doctors are in consultations. Left to right- Dr Wolff (green shirt), Dr. Steve Nelson (blue cap), and Dr. Mark Nelson (striped shirt).

These 2 pictures show Drs Wolff and Barton in the OR. Dr. Barton is the taller man in the background and Dr. Wolff is on the left.

Exciting Times

2010-01-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

We knew it was inevitable and would eventually happen.... we had our first snake IN THE HOUSE! Yep, we were all sitting around after dinner in the living room and from under the chair where Joe was sitting out crawled (what we think is) a coral snake. In Ecuador coral snakes don't follow the same patterns as in the U.S.A. The "yellow on black friend of Jack" doesn't mean anything. If it has colorful stripes, you better beware- not that I would have been any more excited had it been nonvenomous.
I originally posted these pictures on FaceBook, but there I didn't tell the whole story. I know in the pictures it looks huge, but in reality it was about 12-14 inches long and only about 1/2 inch wide. Not very big, but large enough that we are trying to figure out how he got in the house and how to stop others from entering.
To top it all of, right now the hospital is completelly out of anti-venin.... I think the Lord put this snake in our house so I would remember to pray that they get anti-venin quickly!