We left I-town at 7 a.m. with a police escort. We appreciated the help last night but thought it was unnecessary in the light of day. I was wrong, We got to San Lorenzo without incident at 10. The local police got our supplies and us to the civil defense center. They were very low on just about everything and very glad for what we brought.

What did your gifts buy? Our contribution was 100 blankets, 20 cases of powdered milk (makes 960 liters), 800 pounds of peas and 1100 pounds of potatoes. About an hour later, we were visiting in a shelter and saw one of the bags of potatoes being brought in-no sense that it was just going to sit around in the warehouse! We visited 2 shelters and met with the mayor. We handed out Gospel of John and presented Bibles to the mayor and police. I mentioned earlier that I was glad for the police presence. Since Saturday there have been three murders, including a policeman!

At some point in the day, I was interviewed by the local radio station and asked why we had come (very few, it turns out, had). My response was that as Christians, we have to do what we think Jesus would do in the same situation. There are very few evangelicals in the part of the world we were working and your gifts made it possible for the love of Christ to be shown in a real and tangible way.

Closed-captioned for the people of Immanuel Baptist Church in Shawnee, OK: You left a HUGE suitcase full of medicines after your mission trip here to Quito. Those meds are now in the hands of the community health officer for SL. They will be distributed to the local inhabitants in the coming few days.

We left in early afternoon and are back in I-town.

Top Foto: Christine Haley stands behind the truck of supplies. Think that milk and beans and potatoes are safe?
2nd Foto: Edwin Smallwood (IMB), local Pastor German, Christine and Ben Haley (IMB), Enrique Patehoja (Civil Defense) and Pastor Joselito from Quito at the Civil Defense warehouse in SL.
3rd Foto: 2 hours after we delivered the food to the warehouse, the potatoes got to this shelter at the Agricultural High School.
Bottom Foto: Some 70 people are crammed into the municipal hall. Bunkbeds were brought in but it is a not a comfortable situation to say the least. Everyone was given New Testaments and children received picture stories about Jesus.
Frank "Chip" Lamca, August 28