The Dows - Avant Ministries

Ev & Jan Dow grew up in Michigan and attended BCC and as young adults had an opportunity to for a short missions trip to Ecuador.  They attended Moody Bible Institute and then the Rio Grande Bible Institute for language training.  In 1978 they moved their family to Ecuador.  The Dows served in jungles of Ecuador, along side the Drowns and others in Macuma and Shell for about eight years as Ev was a radio broadcast technician responsible to build and repair equipment for the Christian radio station.  With the introduction of phone lines and better communication, Ev and Jan transitioned into small group church planting, discipleship and evangelism.  The Dows worked in Ecuador for approximately 22 years and then moved to Barranquilla, Colombia for 2 years, and then to Guadalajara, Mexico for 10 years.
The Dows have retired from the mission field and now are ministering in a Spanish speaking church in Bradenton, Florida.

Frank & Marie Drown

Frank and Marie Drown served in Ecuador for 37 years with the Gospel Missionary union (now Avant Ministries), mostly in the eastern jungles among the Shuar and Achuar.  After retirement from Ecuador their ministry continued at a Christian camp in Canada and with Christian radio establishment for the First Nations people of Ontario.  Marie Drown (Page at the time) attended Berkley Community Church and after Frank and Marie were married, the church offered to pay their support if the Drowns could get to Ecuador.  You can check out Frank and Marie Drown's book "Mission to the Headhunters" from our church library.