“Moving to Manta…one of the best decisions in our lives!”

by: Barry Nerli

We called Jasper, Georgia, U.S.A our home, but on April 16, 2016. My wife and I were enjoying a peaceful meal with friends on the balcony of their home, in Manta, Ecuador. We had purchased some fresh fish at the fish market that morning. Since their apartment was one block from the beach, the sound of waves on the shore could be heard in the distance. It had been a hot day, but now the sun had gone down, which allowed the temperature to fall enough to be comfortable. We were going to go home in two weeks. But, something was about to happen that would deeply influence the lives of many people.
All of a sudden, the sound of a deep rumble could be heard. Our table quivered, and then jolted. My eyes met the eyes of my friend, Glen, and we both knew this was an earthquake. Not just any quake, a 7.8 earthquake that would kill over 600, and injure thousands- the deadliest since 1987. My wife, Becky, and I had only been in Ecuador for about two weeks. Why were we here on this balcony in Manta; in a country that was so far from home? Especially since we had never even been to South America in our lives!
The answer to that question began when a friend suggested that Ecuador would be a nice place to live after retiring. We had never thought that retirement was a viable option, but after looking at some information, we made the decision to visit some friends that had moved to Manta. After our trip in April, we sold our business and made the move. One reason we came to Manta was that we wanted to move to a place where we could assist a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. We both have been Witnesses since we were young adults, and we felt that our faith should be an every day part of our lives. Our friends in the U.S have been very supportive.
Even though they may have wondered why we would choose a place where earthquakes occur, they never have been discouraging of our decision to move here.
Did we consider going somewhere else? Not really. You see, in the days that followed the earthquake, we saw something extraordinary. Our small group of English speaking volunteers in Manta pulled together like a family.
We ate, worked, laughed, and prayed together. And the day after the earthquake, we met in our Kingdom Hall for our weekly meeting. In the subsequent days, we all pitched in to support a nation-wide volunteer relief work that was being organized by Jehovah’s itnesses. The local relief center was at our Assembly Hall in Manta, where we bagged food and othr supplies for everyone affected..
Since moving here permanently in August of 2016, we have seen Manta get up, shake the dust off, and rebuild.
We have seen the Mall del Pacifico completed, the new Bus Depot completed, the temporary airport terminal built, and countless upon countless, upon countless street and utility repairs.
Speaking of the repairs and detours; I have to say something about one of the most interesting experiences I have had in Ecuador- Driving! I have a great respect for the drivers in Ecuador. I think the best way to compare driving in the United States, and driving in Ecuador is to say that the lines on the road, when there are lines, are a law in the U.S and a suggestion in Ecuador. The nice thing about that is that there is a great deal of “give and take”. “I’ll give you some of my side of the road now and you give me some of your side of the road later”. One thing that still amazes me is when a driver will decide to pass a car in front of them! Anyway, I think ecuadorian drivers are very skilled.
We have always felt safe in Manta. The people have been very welcoming. Most persons are very patient while we try to speak Spanish, which we are determined to speak. And best of all, they respect the Bible, and are willing to talk to us about it. We really appreciate that very much!
From time to time we feel an earthquake a bit, but nothing like April 16, 2016. That was over one and a half
years ago. We have moved around Manta a couple of times, but we now live near the new Mall del Pacifico.
Just a short distance from where we sat on that balcony when we were visiting.

We feel that moving to Manta has been one of the best decisions in our lives!

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