Hello!! I just wanted to give some updates on ministry and our plans for the month. I think that it has now been 7 days since my post about our ministry opportunities that we had for the upcoming month for being in Ecuador. Just some updates, we departed from Colombia on Oct. 10 and arrived to Quito, Ecuador on Oct. 11. After spending about a day in Quito, our team Greater Works was informed that we were being relocated to a city about 6 hours south of Quito. So, right after lunch on Oct. 12, Greater Works departed from Quito for Portoviejo which is in the middle of Ecuador right along the coast. Later that night, we arrived around midnight in our new city of where we’d be doing ministry for the month of Ecuador. I’ve now been able to sit down and type up this update on our re-location and now I plan to share some of our ministry that we’ve gotten to do this past three days and will be able to do for the rest of the month.
Ecuador
(Portoviejo, Ecuador)
Oct. 12 – Nov. 5
Logistics
- We’re here in Portoviejo
- Colombia was our only time of ministry with our entire squad. This next month, we will be living in an apartment next to our ministry host’s home with just our team, and our ministry will be done with our team. Our squad consists of 39 people, excluding our leaders, and my team consists of 7. The rest of our squad will be residing in Quito.
- The type of location that Portoviejo is is a city.
- Most of our ministry will be at the church which is a very short walk from where we’ll be staying
- We will be staying in very safe and gated apartment next door to our ministry host. Each of us has been given a mattress to sleep on in this apartment. The apartment has 3 rooms. There will not be a lot of room or space but we are all accounted for a mattress and a nice and safe place to stay which is such a blessing. We will be buying water by the jug from a local shop. Also, we still have hot water! We’ve been blessed
- Food will be prepared by our host at the next door location where he lives. The food so far has been amazing. Our host is amazing. This next month will be a blessing in itself because our host does not have to prepare food for the 40 of us as a squad but as a team.
Ministry
- Our Ministry vision is outreach and building up the community of those around us. Our focus will be doing ministry with some of the children and families at their homes in the Slums which is next to a landfill and literally part of a garbage dump. This is where they live and will be one of our main focuses. In addition, we will strive to build up the local church and continue to share hope as we share our testimonies and give our all to pour into this community.
- We’ve receive our ministry schedule and it is indeed a lot of schedule hours which is going to be a challenge but is extremely exciting. A Summary of what will be doing is comprised in the vision. We will be painting the local church that is newer and has a lot of painting that needs to be done. We will spend time purifying water for the locals. We will spend time in the local hospital moving around a lot of the stuff and reorganizing files. What we’ve also been informed us is that the city of Portoviejo was hit hard by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and so the files in the hospital were scattered about and we will also be taking part in the extended recovery of this for the city. We will spend time next to the local landfill where local families live their lives out and pour out to them and love them and show them that truly nothing makes us better than them. And small groups with local college-aged kids being able to pour into them and just love them while we’re here. And that’s all we have scheduled; more opportunities will arise as we continue. We will be doing ministry in the city of Portoviejo.
- We’re very excited to be the lone team chosen for this opportunity. God has already been using us in this place and it’s very evident. Although we are sad to be the only team away from our squad, we are beyond excited for what God has in store for this opportuntiy
Community/Culture/About the Location
- Sad news is that the tap water in this location is clean yet not drinkable. Also, hot water!! We will receive our drinking water from our local ministry host in jugs.
- The location we are staying in is safe. Also our best news is that on our off day out of the week, we are 15 minutes away from the beach.
- The culture here is very different, yet similar in ways to Colombia. The speech and language is the same, Spanish. Although, the pronunciation is different (more clear) and the speed is slower as well. I’ve actually been able to have conversations in Spanish with some of the people here in Ecuador. They are very interested in the U.S. and also American Football! Sadly not college, but NFL.
- The people here are very friendly and curious to get to know us. They are very welcoming
