The Adventures of Kerri & Matt

This church in Banos was not meant to be viewed from above. This seems like poor planning because it is completely surrounded by mountains. The locals believe that the Virgin Mary is protecting the town from the volcano, and thus this church is dedicated entirely to Mary, with Mary on the main altar instead of Jesus.

Around the outside of the church are paintings depicting the miracles they believe Mary performed to protect the city. Here are a few of them.

The text was in Spanish, but we think we got the jist of it. Of course we forgot to actually look up the translations for over a year, so we’re only finding out if we were right now.

Matt’s translation:

Big fire in Guayaquil on the 5th and 6th of October 1896. Dr. Ernesto described the fire as such: much of the city was destroyed. The damage was more than 100 million Sucres (currency). In the house of commerce Mr. Garzon had all his fortune in his house. It appeared that the fire had arrived to his area and in a moment of terror and angusih the Water saint appeared and saved the day, preventing the destruction of his house.

Kerri’s translation:

The fire very cruel and smoky which had burned the city of Guayaquil, burned the 5th and 6th of October 1896. The historian Dr. Ernesto Albuia Aspiausu, to describe soberly this fire said this: “Many people were carbonized, more than 80 mansions were on fire, and all the temples and buildings of Gobierno, houses very important for commerce, etc, all were on fire. They lost more than 100 million sucres.” In an area the city that had the house of commerce of Mr. Manual Garzon, all his fortune was invested in articles of value. When the arrival penetrated in his house and they left the cause of terror, in this moment of anguish there was a picture with the image of the noble lady of rosary of holy water of Banos, of the devotion predicted the coca sobre the door and the foot with life who fixed the situation. Oh door admirable! To the intent the arrival destruction of the other mansions and the house. To those few days of this accompaniment, the Mr. Garzon wine a Banos and had celebrated a solemn table in accordance of thanks and the knowing this to the R. P. Half Ian.

Google’s translation:

The most cruel and terrible fire that suffered the city of Guayaquil, was on 5 and 6 October 1896. Historian Dr. Ernesto Albuja Aspiauzu, describing this fire it reads: “Many people died charred more than 80 blocks they were in ashes, almost all temples and government buildings agree valuable, very important business houses, etc. everything was left in ruins; whose losses amounted to more than 100 million sucres. “In a delas main events of the city had its trading house one Mr. Manual Garzon, he had invested his entire fortune in articles interval. When the devouring flames and penetrated his house and turned out causing terror, in these trying times it is agreed that tenfa one oleograffa with the image of Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Agua Santa de Banos, her favorite devotion.. Puts on the door and asks her living faith that wILL sorry for the situation. Oh admirable prodigy! intant destructive flames to pass another block and her home was unscathed. A few days after this event, Mr. Garzon came to Banos and did celebrate a solemn Mass of thanksgiving and introduced him to this miracle to R. P. Half lan.

Matt’s Translation:

On the 1st of October, 1923 Jose from Banos with his family were devout followers of the Water Saint. After travelling near the river for a little while they fell into a precipice and into the river. The Mother of God heard his cries for help and he was able to get out of the river onto a rock and survived.

Kerri’s Translation:

The 1st of October of 1923, Jose M Perez of the City of Lican (Province of Chimborazo) went to Banos with his family to complete a remembrance of the Virgin of Holy Water to whom he was very devoted. A small time had passed since the start of his journey, on the precipice of the abyss above the river Pastaza, he was desperate to complete. After crossing the very treacherous river, Perez rose to a good health and salvation, fell to his knees and pled to the gracious mother of God to have him freed of a death tragic and regrettable. She confirmed she was admirable when Perez encountered the image of our Lady of the Rosary of Holy Water, when he arrived with respect and veneration. After he looked at himself with diligence and went to a pasta restaurant.

Google’s Translation:

The October 1, 1923 , Jose M Perez del puelblo Lican ( Chimborazo ) Banos came with his family to complir pladosa a pilgrimage to the Blessed . Virgin “Holy Water”, who was very devote. A few meters having passed the bridge joints , espantasse hair and rushes into the abyss to the bottom of the river Pastaza , disappearing completely. After snatch the river a long way , Perez goes to a safe shore, then kneeling on a pledra give thanks to the Mother of God for having escaped a tragic and sudden death. This admirable prodigy is contirma when Perez found on his chest the blessed image of Our Lady . Lady of the Rosary of ” Holy Water ” , who used to always carry with respect and vereracion . Although I have diligently desapereció looking horse in the Pastaria.

 

 

Matt’s Translation:

In the month of April 1933, 5 tourists after visiting the area of Banos left in a car to go to their family in Quito. As they left they were late and sped to make it home they took a curve too fast and fell 200 meters down a cliff. In the moment they cried out to the Water Saint to stop them from falling and when they did they only had minor injuries. They failed to fall into the river and it was the Mother of God that saved them.

Kerri’s Translation:

The rein of Holy Water, free of death regrettable, in the abysmal and precipitous of pasta restaurants.

In the month of April of 1933, five tourists after visiting the population of Banos, were in an automobile owned by a family Miranda of Quito. To regret, it was already half past five in the afternoon, near the waterfall of Chinchin, at the maximum speed of the car in the curve, they fell in an abyss of 200 meters. In this moment of incredible anguish, the passengers claim the Virgin of Holy Water, opened the windows of the car, when dispersed the contents and the people in absolute health, without a lesion. The car was completely destroyed in the waves of the river Pasta Restaurant. The saved did something in thanks to the Mother of God, for having saved them from a death sure and disastrous.

 

Google’s Translation:

The queen of ” Holy Water ” pound sesastrosa sudden death in the depths and precipices of Pastaza

In the month of April 1933, after five tourists visit the town of Banos, they went to Topo by car , propledad of Miranda de Quito family. On the way back , already half past five in the afternoon, in a tip of the Merced , facing the waterfall Chinchin , the ( unreadable ) maximum speed in the car and closed the bend, the car jumps the embankment and descends into an abyss 200 meters deep. In those moments of unutterable anguish , the cry pasajeres the Virgin of ” Holy Water “, being arrajados through the windows of the car, they quadaron dispersed and contained in the bushes on the slope and absolutely healthy without any injury . The car was completely mangled on the banks of the river Pastaza. Bran Sotion paid a Mass in thanksgiving to the Mother of God , for having delivered in a safe and disastrous dead.

At this point Kerri got tired of typing up the text and translating them. And very depressed because Spanish lessons were clearly a waste of time. Fortunately Matt’s super translation powers don’t require actually being able to read the text. So he translated the rest all by himself.

On a day the volcano began erupting and the lava flow threatened to destroy some land, or prevent the river from running. The people called out to the Water Saint and the volcano failed to destroy everything. They rejoiced.

Someone was likely sick and the woman pictured prayed and the sick person got better.

People dug the ground and either were happy they found something or started to build something with the blessings of the Water Saint.

A rampaging bull was stopped by praying to the Water Saint and calmed the animal.

Text:

Dantesco incendio y perdidas por mas de cinco millones, publicaron en grandes titulares los diarios de  Guayaquil, cuando el sabado 15 de marzo de 1880 a las 9:45PM se origino el nino roso incendio en las calles “chimborazo y colon, casa de la Sra. Mercedes vil legas de rendon, consumiendo tres de las cuatro casas de construccion mixta salvandos milagrosamente la esquinera del se julio (unreadable) llavicencio en medio de la angustia, el sa jaime ordonez o me asquro que mi casa se salvaria, porque nabia colocado en una puerta la imagen de la virgen. So revestido de esta antgua (unreadable) an epasados exclame “Virgen Santisma del rosario de agua santa! Si tantos milagros me recibido por que no me puedes hacer uno mas? Salva mi casa! Transcurridos unos (unreadable)

Matt’s translation:

I think you might have an idea the general plot by this point. Problem (in this case fire)—pray—not so much damage or injury—jubilation.

Kerri’s Translation:

The fire and loss for more than 5 million, published a grand story of Guayaquil, when on Saturday the 15th of March of 1880 at 9:45PM the original fire rose in the areas of Chimborazo and Colon, The house of Mrs. Mercedes was in the way, consuming three of four houses of mixed construction in July. In the middle of her anguish, wondering if my house will be saved because she had on her door the image of the virgin. In her anguish she exclaimed “Virgin holy of the rosary of holy water! If miracles I have received why can I not have one more? Save my house!

Google’s Translation:

Dantesque fire and losses of more than five million , published in the daily headlines of Guayaquil , where on Saturday March 15, 1880 at 9:45 PM the porous nino fire was originated in the streets ” chimborazo and colon, home of Mrs. . Mercedes vile lay Rendon , consuming three of the four houses of mixed construction miraculously salvandos is the corner of March ( unreadable ) llavicencio amid anguish, jaime sa Ordonez or asquro me that my house would be saved because Nabia placed in a door image of the virgin. So I covered this Antgua ( unreadable ) an epasados ​​exclaim ” Virgin Most Holy Rosary holy water ! If I received so many miracles that I can not do one more? Save my home! After a few ( unreadable )

 

Directly across from this painting thanking Mary for saving them from a fire is the likely cause of the next fire. It was really quite hot in this back room and had giant vents for the smoke and heat.