ECUADOR MISSIONS TRIP
JOURNEY WITH US!
DAY 0
Dear Supporters,
By God's grace, after a long day of travel, our team has arrived at our hostel. Our local hosts, Grace and Andy, met us at the airport and we traveled for another hour, in a private bus, to our place of stay. On the bus ride over the team spontaneously began singing worship songs together - perhaps an overflow of thanksgiving for an exciting time ahead. To God be the glory for their eager and ready hearts.
We are now enjoying a lovely homemade Ecuadorian dinner. The team is happy and amazed to be together in a new country.
Tomorrow, we will go through some orientation training and visit a local market as we give our bodies some time to acclimatize to the higher altitudes. Please pray for a smooth transition.
Gratefully,
Team Ecuador
DAY 1
Dear Supporters,
By God's grace, we slept well and began our first full day in Ecuador. This was a day of orientation, learning about Quito, and the ministry Youth World has in the community. After breakfast and a devotional, we experienced Ecuador by cable car, being some 4500m above sea level, looking down on Quito from the mountains. This took some adjusting! Yet, the beauty of our Lord's creation was awe inspiring; how small we really are when overlooking snow covered volcanoes! We enjoyed a truly Ecuadorian lunch and spent the afternoon learning more about how to serve those we are going to meet next week. Part of this training included a hands-on baking lesson, making a local pastry, empanadas (a fried pastry sugar coated and cheese filled). The team received accolades from our teacher, Raquel. The team is doing very well, continuing to grow together and we now enjoy a guitar for our spontaneous worship!
Tomorrow, we will be spending time at Otavalo to learn more about the local culture and heading to our second destination, Gualsaqui. There, we will be partnering with a Nazarene Church to do further ministry, which includes soccer. Some of us are still adjusting to the altitude and travel. Pray for those to return to full strength. Pray for our transition to Gualsaqui.
"To the praise of his glorious grace." Eph 1
Gratefully,
Team Ecuador
DAY 2
Dear Supporters,
What a day it has been! After an early breakfast, we took a long, winding drive from Quito to Otavalo. By God’s grace, those who were not feeling their best are feeling much better today and the morning travel did not affect us in a negative way. Nearing the town, we were joined on the bus by a local woman and her daughter who taught us about their traditional Indigenous clothing and sang for us in Quechua. Upon arriving in Otavalo, we enjoyed shopping in the artisan market, bartering in broken Spanish, and showing off the fluffy alpaca toys that were bought. For lunch, we enjoyed traditional Ecuadorian churrascos and blackberry juice.
In the afternoon, we arrived in Gualsaqui, the site where we will be ministering for the next few days. It is hard to put into words how welcoming and warm the “Bienvenido” was from Pastor Luis and his wife Laura. He expressed the excitement and gratitude that he felt in welcoming us to the community, and how he had been earnestly praying for our safe and swift arrival. Though this was our first meeting, he let us know that he saw us as extended family. We had the privilege of hearing from Pastor Luis the story of how he came to faith, the struggles that he faced to establish the church, and God’s faithfulness through it all. He shared how his initial desire to grow in his knowledge and relationship with God has, with the help of missionaries and short-term teams such as ours, been able to flourish into a thriving church that ministers not only to those in their community, but also to those in the surrounding areas. We were all impacted by this time with Pastor Luis and look forward to working more with such a Godly leader.
The rest of our afternoon was spent connecting with local children on the soccer field, surrounded by a mountainous landscape that seems taken straight from a postcard. Though the sun was hot, the air was thin, and our Spanish was limited, we had a wonderful time getting to know the kids. It almost didn’t matter that we were thoroughly humbled during the soccer game (7-3)! Sarita, Pastor Luis’s daughter and their coach, has trained them well! The team has been brave and intentional in learning names and finding connections with our new friends. When we climbed back into the bus to leave for dinner, our braided hair, red faces, and tired legs were a testament to the special time we shared.
Please pray for us to continue to step out in faith as we connect with the members of the Gualsaqui community and for us to be bold as we try to communicate in a foreign tongue. We covet your continued prayers for our health and safety. Finally, as we look towards participating in church tomorrow, please pray for the different elements that we have prepared, including worship, object lessons, devotions, and testimonies.
Tired,
Team Ecuador
DAY 3
Dear Supporters,
As we end our longest day yet, we cannot help but be thankful that it has been a day full of blessings. Though it was early, our breakfast included a sampling of local fruits such as granadilla, taxo, and prickly pear, provided to us by our thoughtful hosts.
Arriving at the church in Gualsaqui, we were greeted by the sounds of the worship band beginning the service. Though the songs were unfamiliar to us and sung in a mixture of Spanish and Quechua, we were all impacted by how joyfully, passionately, and openly the congregation worshiped the Lord. Reflecting later, the team mentioned over and over again how tangible God’s presence was during this time of music. As Rasia so perfectly put it, “God is not limited by language”. When the regular worship time was done, Katelyn introduced the team to the church members and the students were invited up to lead the church in several more songs. Claire and Clarisse led the group in a wonderful time of praise, especially with the Spanish sections! Two more musical pieces were performed by the local women and girls, and it was such a blessing to see and hear their love for God through indigenous song and dance. Afterwards, Kiera bravely and confidently shared her testimony with the church, reminding us of how God changes lives, gives us purpose, and works behind the scenes for our good and His glory. At this point in the service, part of the team split off to run Sunday school, while the rest of the team listened to Pastor Luis’ sermon on Philippians 4 and celebrated communion together. With the children, Judy helped lead worship, Sammy performed an object lesson, Rasia and Nathan Lin used the sketch board to show how Jesus is our pastor, and Hannah and Ethan Lee organized an adorable sheep craft.
After some down time and devotions in a local park, we ate fritada for lunch, a traditional and delicious Ecuadorian meal. We then returned to the church for an afternoon with the local children and youth. Nathan Fung and Ethan Lin prepared and presented an exciting game of human scavenger hunt that had half of the team hiding on the church property and nearby soccer field, and the other half leading small groups of children in a race to find them and write down the Bible verses they had hidden alongside them. Though the competition was fierce, it gave us a fun and unique way to connect more with the kids! Once we were all thoroughly tired, we boarded the bus alongside our new friends, heading to Cuicocha, a crater lake. During the journey, the team was able to spend more time trying out their Spanish and deepening the connections they had made earlier. At the lake, we had the amazing opportunity to take the group on a boat ride. While the surrounding beauty was a stunning reminder of God’s power and artistry, the joy and excitement on the children’s faces was a sweet reflection of His care and love. While enjoying the ride together, the team thankfully managed to keep everyone from falling out of the boat! Ending off our time together, Isaac delivered a thoughtful devotional about putting our trust in Jesus that even had others not in our group stopping to listen.
Please pray for renewed strength for construction tomorrow and continued connection with those we have met and grown to love. We continue to ask that you also remember our health and safety in your prayers.
More tired,
Team Ecuador
DAY 4
Dear Supporters,
We are no longer a team of students and teachers but rather a squad of construction workers! This morning, Pastor Luis and his right-hand man Rafael put us to work laying the foundation for a perimeter wall. Thankfully, we were joined by the pastor’s father-in-law, sons, daughters, and daughter-in-law, otherwise we would likely still be there! Our first task was to lay a layer of rocks and stones in the pre-dug ditch. Once our muscles were warmed up, we assisted in the making, moving, and pouring of cement. Be it through maintaining the mixture, fetching and pouring water, passing bucketfuls of cement, or wheelbarrowing loads of rocks or gravel, the whole team put their full effort into the job. According to Pastor Luis, we deserved a grade of 20/10! The sunny skies made for sweaty work, but we are grateful that the cement was able to dry so quickly, ensuring that we can continue the task tomorrow.
For lunch, we shared a hot dog and watermelon meal with our fellow workers. While it was clear that some of the locals were not accustomed to eating such a dish, it was nice to have a break together. With our bellies full and our energy restored, several of the team members practiced their frisbee skills during our down time. We continued with our devotional study of Ephesians, reflecting on the grace and love of Christ. Then, it was time to split into two groups to go visit several church members’ homes. One group went by car down to the entrance of the community while the other went by foot, walking through the neighbourhood and adventuring across a rocky incline. We had the privilege of visiting five families’ homes in total: the Perugachi family, the Morales family, the Pichamba family, the Perugachi family (no relation to the previous family of the same name) and the Morán family. The team was impacted by the peoples’ willingness to open their homes and to share their lives with us. We were happy to be able to gift them a taste of Canada (maple syrup) as a token of our gratitude.
Our final activity of the day was hosting a fluoride treatment for the local children. Each child received a toothbrush which they used to give their teeth a good cleaning before the team applied a fluoride solution. We enjoyed the chance to interact with our young friends once again and to help reinforce the importance of dental hygiene. This was the first time for many of them receiving such a treatment and was only made possible by the presence of a team partnering with One Collective. We were glad to be able to care for the community in this way.
During our nightly debrief, we split into small groups to process the day’s events by discussing questions such as, What can I learn about God?, What can I learn about justice, economics, poverty, and politics? and What can I learn about my calling in life, work, and ministry? We were blessed with good, honest, open conversation and sharing. This should come as no surprise as the team we have assembled here together is truly special.
Please pray for our construction time tomorrow, that our bodies get the rest they need to be able to work as hard as we did today, and that we continue to work well as a unit. Please also pray for us to be patient, kind, and understanding with each other as the long days take their toll on our emotions. Additionally, please pray that we end our time in Gualsaqui well, and that we be intentional with granting God the space to move and speak in our lives.
Sunburnt but smiling,
Team Ecuador
DAY 5
Dear Supporters,
Maybe you recently spoke with one of our team members as they called home to briefly update and reconnect. All of the students were very excited to speak to their families. Believe it or not, they were also excited to wake up an hour earlier than needed in order to watch the sunrise this morning – their idea. Though we were all a little bit sleepy and cold, it was nice to see the sun peak out from behind Imbabura volcano and bathe the city of Otavalo in a warm orange glow. It’s hard to get a better start to the day.
Our time in Gualsaqui today began much the same as yesterday with lots of rocks, cement, and sun. However, a new addition came in the form of concrete bricks – two truckloads of them! Luckily, we have been getting better and better at being a human assembly line, so we were more than up to the task. The bricks will be used to build up the rest of the wall on top of the foundation that we have helped lay. While we wish we were able to stay longer and see the construction through to its completion, we cherish the ways in which we were able to help lighten the load and the people that we were able to meet. During a much-needed break, we reflected on Ephesians 4:1-2: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love”. The team discussed ways in which we already embody these characteristics, as well as the ways in which we can grow and improve.
We were honoured to receive hand-made bracelets from a local woman who is part of the church. She wanted to ensure that we left with a tangible memory of our time in the community, and a visual reminder that the people of Gualsaqui care for us. Indeed we have been well cared for, and today’s lunch was an edible expression of their care. Several of the church ladies put a lot of love into our wonderful lunch of choclo (Ecuadorian corn), chicken, potato pancakes, and salad. According to Mr. McDonald, it was the best food so far! Afterwards, we were privileged to spend some time with the cooks and construction workers, discussing God’s peace and presence in our lives. Hannah led us in a carefully thought-out devotion and Ethan Lin and Claire prepared a bracelet activity for the local members. While the adults were diligently crafting their jewelry, Pastor Luis had a special surprise for us. He had us each pick out a traditional Ecuadorian shirt, offered to us as a gift and souvenir of our time together. We were so touched by his thoughtfulness, and we plan to wear the shirts back at school when we share about our experience in chapel.
Then came the hardest part of both the day and the experience so far: goodbye. It was tearful and genuine, from both sides. We prayed together as a team and a community, and after many hugs, we left knowing that because of Christ, we have brothers and sisters here in Ecuador. It was a long bus ride back to Quito, but it offered some time to process and talk about our feelings. After settling back into our original hostel, our hosts brought Chifa for dinner, Ecuadorian Chinese food. It truly was the perfect time for some comfort food! Before the family phone calls, the team had a quick yet meaningful debrief wherein everyone described the day as an ice cream flavour. While some chose vanilla and others chose onion, most everyone came up with something that could be summarized as bittersweet. We have loved the past few days of ministering and seeing God move within the Gualsaqui community, so we are sad that it has come to an end.
Please pray for us as we deal with the conflicting emotions of joy, gratitude, and grief. Please continue to lift up our health and safety, and please pray that our time tomorrow with the students of Alliance Academy International be intentional and life-giving. Finally, please pray for magical sleep.
Processing our thoughts,
Team Ecuador
DAY 5
Dear Supporters,
A little treat for you today: the day’s events x 2! First, the traditional teacher-written account. Then, a student-crafted piece for your reading pleasure.
Version 1
We woke up to no electricity this morning. Lately, the city of Quito has had rotating blackouts for several hours at a time in an effort to conserve electricity. As there has been less rain than usual, the hydroelectric plant reserves are much lower than normal levels. We found out this afternoon that tomorrow and Friday there will likely be extended blackouts country-wide, potentially up to 8 hours. While this is not something we are used to, it is no cause for alarm, and it thankfully does not affect the schedule for our final days in Ecuador other than being a minor inconvenience.
However, most of us didn’t even notice the lack of light because the sun was shining and there were pancakes for breakfast! It was a special treat that we all enjoyed. Our first activity of the day was a quick walk to Alliance Academy International. There, we met the student/teacher team with whom we would be partnering. A 40-minute bus ride later and we arrived at Henry Davis, a Christian organization that is not only a K-12 school, but also an orphanage. The team split up into seven groups to assist in the teaching of English lessons for students from kindergarten to grade six. We played simple games, introduced new vocabulary words, and helped the students practice saying and using the terms. The children were very enthusiastic and engaged, making for a fun and exciting time.
Next, our group walked down the street to Casa Hogar, a government-run home for young adults and adults with physical and mental disabilities. It was a true blessing to be able to serve together in making a fun afternoon for the residents. We started off by playing parachute games and then split off into small groups painting faces, blowing bubbles, making balloon animals, painting nails, drawing with chalk, and playing with a large inflatable soccer ball. While there was not much verbal communication during our time there, we did not need words to understand the joy and happiness that was being shared. We ended our time by eating ice cream together.
After lunch, we went back to Alliance Academy International for a tour of the facilities. The team was impressed by what they saw and some are considering switching schools. Several of us stayed to play basketball/soccer/volleyball in the gym with members of Alliance while Mrs. Bennett reconnected with former colleagues and students from the time she taught at the school. Others returned to the hostel to dance in the rain! In the evening, the team walked over to Casa Gabriel, a branch of the Second Chances ministry under Youth World. Casa Gabriel is an organization that houses, supports, trains, and disciples homeless or troubled young men. We were given an overview of the place as well as its history before sharing a meal cooked for us by one of the residents. Dinner was full of conversation and laughter as we swapped stories and interests which was brought to a close by a quick salsa lesson for some of the boys on the team. The day ended with ice cream and team debrief. All of us had many “roses” to report and very few “thorns”. The consensus was that our final day of ministry was a sweet and meaningful time for all of us.
Please pray for our final full day in Ecuador tomorrow. Pray that the electricity cuts do not affect our planned activities and that our time at El Refugio, the retreat centre, may give us the space and time to reflect on our individual experiences during the past week. Pray that our conversations with each other be uplifting, genuine, and gentle.
Full of food and full of joy,
Team Ecuador
Version 2
What’s goodie chat, welcome back to the blog. Isaac, Nathan 1 and Ethan 1 have taken over. Today we met a bunch of homies from Alliance Academy and went to an orphanage and school called Henry Davis, teaching the little kids English.
Then we went to a government run foundation for disabled adults. We spent our time there hanging out with them blowing bubbles, painting faces and nails, dancing and worshipping, playing games, and eating ice-cream.
After we went back to Alliance Academy and explored their ginormous school. This school is 4x the size of PCA and Mr. McDonald got offered a job to teach there. His decision is currently pending [so say the boys].
As half the team went back to dance in the rain and do some other shenanigans, the other half stayed back to play sports with random kids. Nathan scored a screamer, and Issac got blocked twice in basketball by a 6’6 tenth grader (he only lost the 1v1 by 1).
For dinner we went to Casa Gabriel, which is under the organization Second Chances. Casa Gabriel is an organization that provides housing and training for young men who have been troubled and homeless. We learned about the history of the organization, bought matching team bracelets, and then ate the most fuego dinner. After dinner, Angel, the house dad of Casa Gabriel, taught us guys how to do a salsa dance.
Nah and respectfully we are being fed very well, just waiting to
try the guinea pig.
Ok peace out chat, have a good night, and some magical sleep!!!!
Edited by Cate, and others
DAY 6
Dear Supporters,
Our penultimate morning together was more relaxed and laid back than previous days. After breakfast, we dove into Ephesians 5 together, reflecting on how we are to be imitators of God who walk in love, in light, and in wisdom. We also sang along to the Junior School’s rendition of “All for Jesus” that was shared with us, though it was hard to match the energy with which the children sang! Then, we boarded the bus and headed to the Mitad del Mundo, also known as the Equator. The team received a guided tour at the interactive Intiñan Museum where we learned a lot about Ecuador’s different regions, cultures, and traditions, as well as the cool things that happen on the line that separates the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Make sure to ask the team members if they were successfully able to balance an egg on a nail head!
We next headed to Hacienda El Refugio, the outdoor retreat branch of Youth World which “facilitates a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through nature and outdoor adventure”. We were served a delicious lunch and then were set loose on the beautiful 320-acre property for two and a half hours of solo time. Some of us chose to hike and explore as much of the mountainside as we could, while others chose to take it a bit easier. We all had much to reflect on and process. Following this time, we participated in our final team debrief wherein our hosts guided us in remembering the happenings of each day of the experience. Collectively, we reminisced on the tastes of guava and dirt, the sounds of roosters and worship, the feel of llama fur and warm hugs, the sights of volcanoes and bracelets, and the smells of sweat and good food. Additionally, the team discussed the ways in which God has opened our eyes during our time in Ecuador and the lessons that we have learned. We also talked about what challenges and emotions we may face upon returning to Canada, and how we ultimately desire for this experience to bear much fruit in each of our lives. It was an emotional time for many of us.
Our day was not over yet, however, as we still hadn’t eaten dinner yet. In the words of Issac, our campfire dinner was one of “good fellowship, good food, and good Guinea pig”. Aside from the kabobs and s’mores that we roasted over the fire, we also tried Cuy, a traditional Ecuadorian dish which features, you guessed it, Guinea pig. The team’s food critics decided that it tastes like a gamey chicken/duck hybrid. If you’re wondering how accurate that assessment is, you’ll just have to come to Ecuador and try it for yourself! The night ended with us sharing notes of encouragement that we had written earlier in the day. Using the encouragement stick, we went around, reading our notes out loud to express gratitude and identify the ways in which we saw God moving in each others’ lives during the past week. We hope to continue this practice outside of this time and use our words to speak truth and love to one another.
Please pray for our travel tomorrow, to the airport, in the air, and after landing in Toronto. Please pray that our bags get packed without issue and that they make the full journey with us. Most importantly, please pray that we would each bear meaningful and God-given fruit as a result of this experience, and that we would continue to boldly love His people and do His work.
Encouraged,
Team Ecuador
DAY 7
Dear Supporters,
We are home! We are thankful that our flights went smoothly and we even touched down in Toronto ahead of schedule.
It’s hard to believe that just this morning we were enjoying our breakfast of pancakes and eggs at our Quito hostel. We also got to try freshly blended sour sop juice. Yum!
After loading our luggage onto the bus, we headed to the Youth World office and had the opportunity to purchase jewellery made by EsperanzArt - where “100% of the proceeds gives hope to women coming out of sex trafficking or harmful situations”. We learned about Youth World’s ministry branch, Casa Adalia, that works with young women who have come out of prostitution or trafficking. Aside from receiving emotional and spiritual support, the ladies learn practical skills, like jewellery-making, to help equip them to reintegrate into society.
Over the past week, we have been blessed to participate in and learn about the many ministry branches of Youth World. One student shared that our experience has opened his eyes to how much diversity exists in missions and ministry. It will certainly be exciting to witness how God will tie our passions to His work to bear fruit as we return home.
After an emotional goodbye with our Quito hosts, as well as our bus driver who has been with us all week, we headed to the airport.
Thank you for journeying with us for the last nine days. Please pray for the team members as they continue to process their experience and seek to understand how they can continue to live missionally as they return to life back home.
Blessings!
Team Ecuador
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND PRAYERS!
PRAISE THE LORD!
HIS GOSPEL OF PEACE IS BEING PREACHED TO ALL NATIONS!
UPDATED 03-14-24
On April 11-19th, 13 students from grades 10-12 and 3 staff will be going on a mission trip to Ecuador in partnership with One Collective.
Our students will be:
partnering with a local private high school to do outreach and evangelism
partnering with a local church to help finish a renovation
running a soccer camp
running a vacation Bible school, and
doing house visits to locals in need.
We are very proud of their willingness to do so much to serve those in need!
Our 13 students are raising $3,000.00 each to cover travel, accommodation, and other costs. Their goal is to raise $39,000.