This experience has been surreal. I’ve been to seven amazing ministries during my time in Ecuador and the Lord has worked through each one.
Casa Blanca, our first ministry, houses missionaries from around the world. We got to cultivate relationships with Mabe and Fabi, who were our hosts. They taught me to look at different situations through a lens of gratitude and grace, instead of my worldly perspective.
https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=CB5WlTPZ-MtzEicmmzgNY0bSwP3bWmtnqFmvtL1hD90EeEv9jllC6OtuQI6yV6Tt5m1eb559bCHY2k_W. Fabian and Mabe Tamayo
Casa Elizabeth, our second ministry, houses teen moms who have been kicked out of their house, or in other cases, it’s not safe for them to live at their house anymore. Me and three other girls from my team got invited to attend the Lords Supper with them every Sunday. Through this, I fully understood that no language barrier is too big for God. The Lord worked through the laughs we all had, all of the many hugs, and even through crying together.
https://www.incalink.org/ministries/casa-elizabeth/
Camp Hope, our third ministry, is a daycare for disabled kids in Quito. With the daycare temporarily closed because of covid, there was a lot of maintenance and cleaning needed. Here I learned to appreciate the behind the scenes work of ministry. What the ministry really needed was help with getting back on their feet through extra hands. By our last day at this ministry, I realized that working behind the scenes is actually beautiful and very impactful.
http://www.camphopeecuador.org/en-donate
Venezuelan en Ecuador, our forth ministry, was constructing doctors offices to treat Venezuelan refugees for free. We helped them paint the offices and got to hear a lot of stories from the president of the organization. Here I was educated about the Venezuelan refugee crisis in Ecuador.
https://www.venezuelaenecuador.com/sitio/anuncie-aqui/
Dunamis, our fifth ministry, is a non-profit organization that takes in girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking. They provide therapy for the girls and teach them about the love of the Lord. They also work on putting the girls through school to get their high school diplomas, so that when the girls leave they will have an education and can make a life for themselves. Dunamis also has a tomato farm of 8,000 plants, that they use to make money for the organization. Me and my team got to cook for them, sing worship, play games, and pick tomatoes with them. Hearing the little girls stories was hard. They were so young but still had so much joy even after the things they went through. Not to say that there aren’t still wounds and traumas they are still struggling with, but the Lord is working. Here I learned that yes, there is a lot of sin and horrendous things in this world, but there’s also a lot of good, good people ,good organizations, and a good God.
https://linkin.bio/dunamisfoundation
Hacienda El Refugio, our sixth ministry, is a non-profit organization that facilitates deeper relationships with Christ through outdoor nature and adventure. Me and my team worked on maintenance on the property and up in the mountains cutting trails. We got to meet El Refugio interns and cultivate good relationships with them. One of the interns had fractured his ankle coming down the mountain and was told that he had to wear a boot for 6 weeks in order for it to heal properly. Me and my team prayed over him, and on his next doctor visit, the fracture was gone. By the time we left El Refugio he was walking without his crutches. Our God is a God of miracles.
http://www.haciendaelrefugio.com/donate/
Cru was our last ministry we worked with. We spread the gospel through English classes on Zoom to kids in Ecuador. Me and three other girls on my team taught a class of kids around twelve years old. (Never thought I’d say that) this made my heart happy. The kids had so many questions and I loved every second of it. This made me see how beautiful it is to invite someone to the kingdom of God.
I would not trade this experience for the world. While I was at Casa Blanca I was baptized, surrounded by some of my favorite people in the world to support me. I’ve experienced the Lord like I have never experienced Him before.
We are flying back home to the states. I miss my people there, but I will also miss the people I’m leaving here in Ecuador. If anyone is interested in looking into these ministries or donating to them, I’ve attached the links!
